Parabens: Are your make-up and cosmetic products safe?

It's not true that what you don't know won't hurt you. Ever heard of parabens?

Look at the ingredients in your face and skin products, meaning, lotions, cleanser and moisturizer as well as creams, as well as shampoo and toothpaste. See the word "paraben" in there? Tip: this can be ethyl-, methyl-, butyl-, heptyl-, or prophylparaben.

Okay, if you see it printed there clearly, you might want to reconsider using that product again.

Why? Because you might have unknowingly exposed yourself to paraben dangers: you see, parabens are chemical preservatives linked to certain diseases. If applied on skin, given enough time, these can be absorbed directly into the blood stream.

Check the skin care products you're using!

Why are parabens so controversial?

There's a reason informed customers are shying away from products with paraben and brands are suddenly touting "paraben-free" labels on their products. Parabens are associated with premature skin aging, early puberty and decreased sperm levels in males, and, more importantly, breast cancer. The Breast Health Magazine lists some interesting studies concerning parabens that you might want to check out.

Of these paraben dangers, breast cancer gets perhaps the most attention and focus. Simply put, parabens mimic estrogen, and for decades, it has been known that estrogen is linked with the development and progression of breast cancer. Furthermore, through scientific examinations, parabens were found in breast cancer tissues. You can read more about that in Breast Cancer Fund.

You will be surprised to see that a lot of famous local and international comestic and skin care products use parabens. I have tried browsing around the local department store (SM and Watsons) and checked the known brands we see in tv and billboards, and yes, paraben is almost always listed in the ingredients.

Although for safety purposes I won't mention brands. :)


Does that mean that you should ban the use of parabens?

To be more clear, it is not yet proven whether parabens actually cause breast cancer, but the fact that parabens were found in breast cancer tissues is enough reason to be worried. Paraben might be the cause or simply a contributing factor, but the bottom line is, parabens are there for a reason. Therefore, I think that the mere association of parabens with these is enough for us to be cautious on what products we use, especially us females who are undeniably vain when it comes to our skin.

In simple terms: follow the precautionary principle. It's terrifying to continuously use a certain product only to discover later on that you had been inadvertently exposed yourself to long-term harm.

If you look around stores more carefully, there are always paraben-free products. I think we can all agree that it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas guys. XD

I know I'd been busy lately since I had started a business, but I'll make sure to keep this blog going. Merry Christmas to everyone. God is good. ♥

Purederm Mask Review

I had been using these masks since a few months ago, and now I'm finally giving you a Purederm mask review. XD

I saw these masks in Watsons, and the Korean letters in the packaging caught my attention. These masks also comes in different variants: grape yogurt, strawberry yogurt, aloe, green tea, and cucumber, and each gives a different benefit to the skin.

My two personal favorites are Grape Yogurt and Green Tea masks

So without further ado, here's my verdict:


I love the Purederm masks. I use the mask in the morning and at night as a mild cleanser, and the good thing is that it minimizes my breakouts and does not irritate, which is saying a lot since I really have very, very sensitive skin.

I think the most apparent effect of the mask is immediate smooth skin.

The morning after I used it, my sister blurted out that my skin has gone smoother.

Since the Purederm mask has different variants, choose whatever suits you. I'm not really into the Strawberry Yogurt Mask since I find its consistency too heavy, and I find the Moisturizing Cucumber Mask to be milder than preferred, although aside from that these are generally okay.

The Purederm masks are also cheap; for Php39, you can buy a sachet in Watsons.

Goodbye Simon Kim

I'd been reading a lot of posts in the internet regarding the best and most cost-effective salons to get a digital perm, and Simon Kim salon struck me as a good deal. For one thing, they had a permanent Php1,500 promo on digital perm, any hair length, and there were good reviews about the service.

To cut the story short, my friend Ivy lou and I went there today (in Makati Ave.) and were told by a lady that Simon Kim has died last September and that the Simon Kim salon has been closed since then.

Midnight blue nail art

Digital perm photos

I'm really interested in digital perm, and I will probably get one but not now, maybe later when I'm not this busy and have enough savings from my meager, one-week-lasting salary.

I had been searching the net, however, and this are the digital perm photos that I like:

The hair color complements the curls well. :)

It's pretty with our without bangs.

Pretty, yes? <3

One-sided braid hair style

Photo credit: thebeautydepartment