Not so pretty in pink
Makeup brand Avon found themselves under fire for their “Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer” campaign for this very reason. Launched in 2001, the company sold 6 shades of lipstick with the promise that the money would be supporting breast cancer research. The lipsticks had names like “Strength” and “Courageous Spirit”, and were sold for $4, with $1 from each sale going to breast cancer research funding. But those lipsticks contained parabens that are being investigated by the American Cancer Society as being a carcinogen, due to the fact that they disrupt hormone function which can in turn lead to breast cancer.
The cosmetics industry being one of the biggest offenders when it comes to selling products in the name of breast cancer awareness when those very products could actually be causing more cancer-related harm than good. Like jewelry and other accessories, cosmetics are a popular product for pinkwashing campaigns since they are products that are popular with women. Often times, cosmetics products that are pinkwashed are products that a brand already sells that have simply been put in pink packing. Thus, a lot of these products are things that women already buy, so it doesn’t take much extra convincing to get them to buy the pink version. But many of the common ingredients in pinked-out makeup, skincare, haircare, and perfume products have been linked to cancer diagnosis.
Ironically, Estee Lauder, the initiators of the modern-day pink ribbon craze, have found themselves in a similar position. Each year, Estee Lauder releases their “Pink Ribbon Collection”, pinkwashed versions of some of their existing products (as in, they just put products they already sell into pink boxes, or attach a pink ribbon charm). The brand implores shoppers to “join us in our mission to create a breast cancer-free world”. In 2007, the brand came under fire for that year’s collection. The company made a large donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation from sales from the collection, but the products in that year’s collection contained parabens that have been linked to breast cancer.
Nine out of ten breast cancer diagnoses aren’t connected to a family history of the disease, meaning they are caused by environmental factors such as hormone disruptors. Some of the most prevalent hormone disrupters we run into in our everyday lives are parabens. Parabens are ingredients like methylparaben, propylparaben, ethylparaben, and butylparaben, that are used as preservatives in almost any type of cosmetic product you can think of. Parabens can act like estrogen once they enter the body, which can lead to breast cancer.
Phthalates, like parabens, are extremely common ingredients in cosmetics products. They are also a hormone disrupter, meaning they can negatively impact the way other hormones interact with estrogen. Similarly, Retinol is a form of Vitamin A often found in skincare products. It increases cell turnover, making it a popular ingredient in anti-aging products for the way it can reduce the appearance of wrinkles and make skin look younger. But such fast cell turnover can lead to abnormal cell growth, resulting in cancer.
Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Essie, and La Mer, just to name a few, are all brands that can be found in any Sephora, Ulta, or department store, and have sold pinkwashed products. It’s important to note that the link between breast cancer and the ingredients discussed above isn’t definite. Certainly more research is needed, but the existing data is at least cause for concern. There are plenty of cosmetic products on the market that don’t contain these ingredients, meaning it can be done. If these companies are serious about wanting to help end breast cancer, they should take these ingredients out of their products. Or at the very least, out of the products they are pushing as helping to fight breast cancer.