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Former beauty queen dies after cosmetic surgery

<p>Former beauty queen Jaquelin Carrieri, 48, has sadly passed away following complications from cosmetic surgery. </p> <p>The mother-of-two from Argentina suffered a blood clot and passed away at an unnamed clinic in Los Angeles, California on Sunday October 1st. </p> <p>A post on her Instagram page confirmed the tragic news. </p> <p>"We want to inform our followers today of some sad news," the post began. </p> <p>"Jaquelin Carrieri, who was Queen of Punta del Agua District and Deputy Queen of San Rafael Department in 1996, has passed away.</p> <p>"From Reinas de San Rafael, we want to extend our condolences to her family and friends during this difficult time." </p> <p>According to another statement posted on Facebook the following day, Carrieri passed away from a "stroke" caused by cosmetic surgery.</p> <p>"Jaquelin Carrieri has passed away," the statement began.</p> <p>"She was a woman of great talent, an actress in one of our department’s plays that was being performed at the Roma Theatre until just a few days ago.</p> <p>"Jaquelin also owned a high-end fashion store called Jaquelin Carrieri Boutique, which unfortunately had to close its doors during the pandemic.</p> <p>"She was well known for dressing the San Rafael pageant queens for many years, making their dresses shine during the Vía Blanca and Carrusel Vendimial parades.</p> <p>"In her youth, she was also Deputy Queen of the San Rafael en Vendimia festival.</p> <p>"She passed away in Los Angeles, California, due to a stroke that may have been caused by cosmetic surgery". </p> <p>Carrieri was just days away from celebrating her 49th birthday, and grieving friends have taken to social media to share their heartache. </p> <p>"Dear Jaqui yesterday I sent you a message for your birthday and I was surprised you didn't answer. Today on TV I heard this terrible news. I will always love you and I'm broken. Lots of light and love to you," one friend said. </p> <p>"All of us who had the pleasure of knowing you and sharing moments of our lives with you know what a wonderful person you were, a beautiful woman in every sense, always with your smile and your glamour," her close friend Jorgelina Olivera said. </p> <p>"Honestly your departure has taken me by surprise and I still can’t believe it.</p> <p>"Thank you, a thousand thanks for coming into my life and painting it with so much joy and happiness.</p> <p>"It was a pleasure to share moments with you, and I will be eternally grateful.</p> <p>"May God welcome you into His glory. It’s not a goodbye but a see you soon, my beautiful and dear Jaquelin".</p> <p>Carrieri leaves behind a son, Julian and daughter, Chloe. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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What’s the connection between cosmetic procedures and mental health?

<p>Although we cannot be sure of the exact numbers of Australians undergoing cosmetic procedures, as there is no requirement for health professionals to report their statistics, there is a consensus demand is on the rise. </p> <p>In 2015, the <a href="https://cpca.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/31-05-2016_AUSTRALIAS_SPEND_ON_COSMETIC_TREATMENTS_TOPS_1_BILLION.pdf">Cosmetic Physicians College of Australasia</a> found Australians were spending more than $1 billion a year on non-invasive cosmetic procedures like Botox and fillers. This is more than 40% higher, per capita, than in the United States.</p> <p>In the US, where procedure <a href="https://cdn.theaestheticsociety.org/media/statistics/2021-TheAestheticSocietyStatistics.pdf">statistics are reported</a>, there was a 42% increase in the number of filler procedures and a 40% increase in Botox procedures performed in the last year alone. </p> <p>Rates of mental health issues in this group may be higher than the general population, but seemingly not enough is being done to ensure the psychological safety of people requesting cosmetic procedures.</p> <h2>Body dysmorphic disorder</h2> <p>Body image concerns are generally the main motivator for seeking cosmetic procedures of all kinds. These concerns are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144518305552">usually focused on the body part</a> where the cosmetic intervention is sought, such as the nose for a rhinoplasty. </p> <p>Severe body image concerns are a key feature of several mental health conditions. The most prevalent in people seeking cosmetic procedures is body dysmorphic disorder. In the general community, around 1-3% of people will experience body dysmorphic disorder, but in populations seeking cosmetic surgery, this <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35715310/">rises to 16-23%</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://bdd.iocdf.org/professionals/diagnosis/">Body dysmorphic disorder</a> involves a preoccupation or obsession with one or more perceived flaws in physical appearance which are not visible or seem minor to other people. In response to the distress regarding the flaw, the person with body dysmorphic disorder will perform repetitive behaviours (such as excessively checking body parts in the mirror) and mental acts (such as comparing their appearance with other people). </p> <p>These concerns can have a significant negative impact on the person’s daily life, with some people too distressed to leave their home or even eat dinner with family members out of fear of being seen by others. </p> <p>With the distress associated with body dysmorphic disorder seemingly stemming from physical appearance issues, it makes sense someone with body dysmorphic disorder is far more likely to turn up at a cosmetic clinic for treatment than a mental health clinic.</p> <p>The problem is, cosmetic intervention usually makes the person with body dysmorphic disorder feel the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00266-017-0819-x">same or worse</a> after the procedure. They may become even more preoccupied with the perceived flaw and seek further cosmetic procedures. </p> <p>Patients with body dysmorphic disorder are also <a href="https://academic.oup.com/asj/article/22/6/531/204131">more likely</a> to take legal action against their treating cosmetic practitioner after believing they have not received the result they wanted.</p> <p>For these reasons, body dysmorphic disorder is generally considered by health professionals to be a “red flag” or contraindication (a reason not to undergo a medical procedure) for cosmetic procedures.</p> <p>However, this is not entirely clear-cut. <a href="https://academic.oup.com/asj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/asj/sjac243/6678852?searchresult=1">Some studies</a> have shown people with body dysmorphic disorder can improve their symptoms after cosmetic intervention, but the obsession may just move to another body part and the body dysmorphic disorder diagnosis remain.</p> <h2>What about other mental health conditions?</h2> <p>Body dysmorphic disorder is by far the most well-studied disorder in this area, but is not the only mental health condition that may be associated with poorer outcomes from cosmetic procedures.</p> <p>According to a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8034989/">recent systematic review</a>, the rates of depression (5-26%), anxiety (11-22%) and personality disorders (0-53%) in people seeking cosmetic surgery may be higher than the general population (which are estimated to be 10%, 16% and 12% respectively).</p> <p>However, these rates should be interpreted with some caution as they depend greatly on how the mental health diagnosis was made – clinician-led interview (higher rates) versus mental health questionnaire (lower rates). Some interview approaches can suggest higher rates of mental health issues as they may be quite unstructured and thus have questionable validity compared with highly structured questionnaires. </p> <p>Besides body dysmorphic disorder, the research investigating other mental health conditions is limited. This may just be due to the fact body image focus is at the core of body dysmorphic disorder, which makes it a logical focus for cosmetic surgery research compared with other types of psychiatric disorders.</p> <h2>So what should happen?</h2> <p>Ideally, all cosmetic surgeons and practitioners should receive sufficient training to enable them to conduct a brief routine assessment of all prospective patients. Those with signs indicating they are unlikely to derive psychological benefit from the procedure should undergo a further assessment by a mental health professional before undergoing the procedure. </p> <p>This could include an in-depth clinical interview about motivations for the procedure, and completing a range of standard mental health questionnaires. </p> <p>If a person was found to have a mental health issue in the assessment process, it does not necessarily mean the mental health professional would recommend against pursuing the procedure. They may suggest a course of psychological therapy to address the issue of concern and then undergo the cosmetic procedure. </p> <p>At the moment, assessments are only recommended rather than mandated for cosmetic surgery (and not at all for injectables like Botox and fillers). The <a href="https://plasticsurgery.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2.5-AHPRA-MBA-Guidelines-for-Registered-Medical-Practitioners-Who-Perform-Cosmetic-Medical-and-Surgical-Procedures-2016.pdf">guidelines</a> say evaluation should be undertaken if there are signs the patient has “significant underlying psychological problems”.</p> <p>This means we are relying on the cosmetic medical practitioner being capable of detecting such issues when they may have received only basic psychological training at medical school, and when their business may possibly benefit from not attending to such diagnoses.</p> <p>An August 2022 <a href="https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Resources/Cosmetic-surgery-hub/Cosmetic-surgery-review.aspx">independent review</a> by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Medical Board of Australia recommended the guidelines around mental health assessment should be “strengthened” and emphasised the importance of medical practitioners receiving more training in the detection of psychiatric disorders. </p> <p>Ultimately, as cosmetic practitioners are treating patients who are seeking treatment for psychological rather than medical reasons, they must have the wellbeing of the patient front-of-mind, both out of professional integrity and to protect themselves from legal action. Mandatory evaluation of all patients seeking any kind of cosmetic procedure would likely improve patient satisfaction overall.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-connection-between-cosmetic-procedures-and-mental-health-190841" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Keeping up with the science of cosmetic injectables

<p>There’s a good chance that you or someone you know has considered cosmetic injectables; medical procedures that involve injecting a substance under your skin to change some part of your appearance.</p> <p>Whether you want to reduce the appearance of wrinkles in your forehead, increase the fullness of your lips, or reduce the amount of fat under your chin – there’s a chemical substance that can be injected to do it.</p> <p>But what exactly are these substances? How do they work? And are there risks associated with going under the needle?</p> <h2>Start with the classic: Botox</h2> <p>Botox is a drug made from botulinum toxin, a neurotoxin protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. In large amounts, this neurotoxin can cause botulism, a rare but serious illness that affects the nerves and can even result in death.</p> <p>Botulinum toxin actually consists of 7 different subtypes of toxins, but only botulinum toxin types A and B are used clinically. Type A is the one approved as a cosmetic injectable and it can be used soften the appearance of facial wrinkles and adjust brow positioning.</p> <p>But how does it work? Well, it blocks nerve signals from reaching injected muscles, which stops them from being able to contract. The resulting localised muscle weakness or paralysis prevents the muscles from forming lines in the skin.</p> <p>Botulinum toxin is a type of enzyme called a protease and it cleaves or cuts specific proteins that are essential for the release of neuro-transmitters. These are chemical messengers used by the nervous system to transmit messages between neurons or from neurons to muscles.</p> <p>Specifically, it blocks the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from presynaptic motor neurons. But the effects of Botox ultimately aren’t permanent, because function is recovered by sprouting new, unaffected nerve terminals, which usually takes three to four months.</p> <h2>Hyaluronic acid fillers are becoming increasingly popular</h2> <p>Dermal fillers are substances injected into the skin to plump out wrinkles or alter the shape of the face in some way – for instance, adding volume to the lips or cheeks, or altering the shape of the nose or jawline.</p> <p>One popular substance used in fillers is hyaluronic acid: a long, linear sugar molecule found naturally throughout the body. It’s one of the most hydrophilic, or water-loving, molecules in nature and just one gram of it can bind up to 6 litres of water – kind of like how gelatine binds up water to form jelly.  </p> <p>Hyaluronic acid gel can be modified to have different physical properties, which then alters the ways in which it can be used. By introducing chemical bonds to crosslink between the hyaluronic acid strands the firmness and stress-resistance of the substance can be increased, which is important when defining or altering the appearance of features like the nose, jawline, or cheekbones.</p> <p>Hyaluronic acid injections aren’t permanent and are slowly broken down and re-absorbed into the body over time. This is done by an enzyme called hyaluronidase, which is found throughout the body. It cuts up the long hyaluronic acid polymers into smaller fragments that are then further degraded by other enzymes.</p> <h2>Other substances can also be used as dermal fillers</h2> <p>Though less popular than hyaluronic acid, collagen can also be used as a cosmetic injectable filler.</p> <p>Collagen is the major structural component of the dermis in the skin and provides strength and support to it. As we age, the production of collagen decreases and that results in the reduction in skin volume we see in aged skin.</p> <p>It was the first material to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for injection into facial scars, furrows, and lines. Collagen injections replenish the collagen lost from the face and can be derived from cows (bovine), pigs (porcine), or even human cells.</p> <p>But, what if instead of adding volume, you want to get rid of it? Lipolytic injections are a non-surgical way to reduce localised subcutaneous fat deposits, like the one found under your chin.</p> <p>The substances phosphatidylcholine (PC) and deoxycholic acid (DC) are used to chemically reduce the number of fat cells around the injection site by causing fat cells to die. DC is a bile salt that induces fat cell death by acting as a detergent to break apart the cell membrane. The exact mechanism of action for PC isn’t well understood, but its thought that it stimulates enzymes called lipases to break down fats.</p> <h2>Before you go out and book an appointment, a quick safety PSA.</h2> <p>With cosmetic injections, like any medical procedure, there are always risks involved and sometimes these risks can be serious and even life threatening.</p> <p>Anyone that performs a cosmetic injection must have extensive knowledge of facial anatomy, as well as the required training and experience, so that the risk of something adverse happening can be minimised. The Australian Therapeutic Goods Association recommend finding a registered practitioner and making sure that the product used in your procedure is registered by checking the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, which lists all of the products that can be legally supplied in Australia.</p> <p><strong>This article first appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/the-science-of-cosmetic-injectables/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Imma Perfetto.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Body

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Is it safe to use makeup testers in cosmetics stores?

<p>A woman in the US is suing a cosmetics store because she claims that she <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2017/10/30/sephora-sued-woman-herpes-lipstick-samples/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">caught herpes from their lipstick tester</a>. In case you’re wondering if this is even possible, as a microbiologist, I can tell you that it most certainly is. And it’s not just herpes that can lurk in makeup.</p> <p>But let’s look at herpes first.</p> <p>This very common virus is mainly spread by skin-to-skin contact, kissing and sex, but it can also be transmitted in droplets of spit left by an infected person on towels, cups, cutlery and, yes, lipstick. Globally, it’s estimated that <a href="http://who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/herpes/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">67% of people are infected with the Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1)</a>. But it’s a hidden enemy – a person doesn’t need to have visible signs of the virus to spread the infection. The virus lives in facial tissues where it can shed and spread.</p> <p>It doesn’t always show up on the skin as a blister immediately after it has infected a person, instead it can stay hidden and appear after a few months. Because of this, it’s impossible to say with certainty if the American woman caught herpes from this particular store tester, or elsewhere.</p> <p>Herpes causes blisters on the lips and around the mouth that can last up to ten days. Lipsticks and makeup brushes that touch these parts of the face can then spread the infection to other people.</p> <p>Fortunately, herpes is a fragile virus and typically only survives outside the body for ten seconds. But it can survive longer in warm and moist environments, such as in sweat. It can also survive between two to four hours on plastic, chrome and water, so there are lots of ways the virus can spread.</p> <p>There is no cure for a herpes infection, although treatments are available that will reduce the length of infection.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193000/original/file-20171102-26448-1rj3q51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193000/original/file-20171102-26448-1rj3q51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=375&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193000/original/file-20171102-26448-1rj3q51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=375&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193000/original/file-20171102-26448-1rj3q51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=375&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193000/original/file-20171102-26448-1rj3q51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=471&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193000/original/file-20171102-26448-1rj3q51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=471&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193000/original/file-20171102-26448-1rj3q51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=471&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Herpes blisters.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/317192864?src=pkZUIXuzGEd2PmbqE8wMGA-1-1&amp;size=medium_jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cherries/Shutterstock</a></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>An old problem</strong></p> <p>Microbiologists have known about the link between beauty products and pathogens since the mid-1940s when talcum powder contaminated with <em>Clostridium tetani</em> bacteria <a href="https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/comparative-microbiological-study-between-traditional-and-modern-cosmetics-in-saudi-arabia-2329-6674-1000146.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">caused the death of a newborn baby</a>. Since the 1960s, contamination linked to other opportunistic pathogens, including <a href="https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/comparative-microbiological-study-between-traditional-and-modern-cosmetics-in-saudi-arabia-2329-6674-1000146.php?aid=71067" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Salmonella</em>, <em>Klebsiella pneumoniae</em> and <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em></a>, has been reported by microbiologists across the globe.</p> <p>Cosmetic products contain preservatives to help slow down the growth of microbes, but they can become contaminated if people use non-sterile applicators or fingers to apply products, or if the products are poorly handled and stored; for example, products stored in warm and humid or damp conditions such as the bathroom.</p> <p>Makeup brushes also have the potential to act as suitable homes for bacteria to thrive. Often, beauty blenders and brushes are dampened to help the application of eyeshadows or foundation. But this environment has the potential to promote rapid bacterial growth.</p> <p>In 2015, it was reported that a <a href="http://www.medicaldaily.com/mrsa-bacteria-borrowed-makeup-brush-paralyzes-27-year-old-woman-328836" target="_blank" rel="noopener">27-year-old Australian woman became paralysed after contracting an MRSA infection</a> that attacked her spine. She used a brush to apply makeup that belonged to a friend who had a <em>Staphylococcus</em> infection on her face, and became contaminated with the organism.</p> <p><em>Staphylococcus</em> is a common bacteria that doesn’t typically cause harm and lives on the skin or in the nose. However, MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is an antibiotic-resistant strain of <em>Staphylococcus.</em></p> <p><strong>Irreversible blindness</strong></p> <p>Mascara wands and eyeliners not only beautify the eyes, but can cause irritation and conjunctivitis, caused by both bacteria and viruses, including herpes simplex. Studies have revealed that <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/18171778_Microbial_Contamination_in_Ocular_Cosmetics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">43% of eyeliners and mascara wands contain contaminants</a>. I know many friends who have been left with a “pink eye” after sharing mascara or using ancient mascara that has been sitting in their makeup bags.</p> <p>Symptoms of pink eye include redness, watery discharge and, in extreme cases, irreversible blindness.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193002/original/file-20171102-26478-159by18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193002/original/file-20171102-26478-159by18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=425&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193002/original/file-20171102-26478-159by18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=425&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193002/original/file-20171102-26478-159by18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=425&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193002/original/file-20171102-26478-159by18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=534&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193002/original/file-20171102-26478-159by18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=534&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193002/original/file-20171102-26478-159by18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=534&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Eyelashes trap dirt and bacteria.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=608771" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Jurvetson/Wikimedia Commons</a></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>Lashes aren’t just there to make us look pretty, they serve to block out dirt and bacteria, and using products on the eyes can cause contamination of the product. With time, bacteria can build up in the cosmetic container increasing the risk of eye infection every time the product is used.</p> <p>If all of these horror stories tell us one thing, it’s stay away from sharing makeup products, both among your friends and especially in cosmetic stores. You just don’t know what infections other people could be carrying on their skin.</p> <p>Always keep your own cosmetic products clean and use single applicators where possible. You wouldn’t share your toothbrush with strangers, so why make an exception with your cosmetics?<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/86635/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amreen-bashir-419764" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amreen Bashir</a>, Lecturer in Biomedical Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/aston-university-1107" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aston University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-safe-to-use-makeup-testers-in-cosmetics-stores-86635" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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The ugly history of cosmetic surgery

<p>Reality television shows based on surgical transformations, such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JIT0uZ3D9E">The Swan</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QrtBodQvDY">Extreme Makeover</a>, were not the first public spectacles to offer women the ability to compete for the chance to be beautiful.</p> <p>In 1924, a competition ad in the New York Daily Mirror asked the affronting question “Who is the homeliest girl in New York?” It promised the unfortunate winner that a plastic surgeon would “make a beauty of her”. Entrants were reassured that they would be spared embarrassment, as the paper’s art department would paint “masks” on their photographs when they were published.</p> <p>Cosmetic surgery instinctively seems like a modern phenomenon. Yet it has a much longer and more complicated history than most people likely imagine. Its origins lie in part in the correction of syphilitic deformities and racialised ideas about “healthy” and acceptable facial features as much as any purely aesthetic ideas about symmetry, for instance.</p> <p>In her study of how beauty is related to social discrimination and bias, sociologist <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mvdLHlg4es8C&amp;pg=PA158&amp;lpg=PA158&amp;dq=%22aesthetic+surgery%22+taschen&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=J5zqKU4kQS&amp;sig=egPDr97h6p2uCz1-hcTLCXE85DQ&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiukofstYTMAhWF7xQKHdLSCuc4ChDoAQhYMAY#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Bonnie Berry estimates</a> that 50% of Americans are “unhappy with their looks”. Berry links this prevalence to mass media images. However, people have long been driven to painful, surgical measures to “correct” their facial features and body parts, even prior to the use of anaesthesia and discovery of antiseptic principles.</p> <p>Some of the first recorded surgeries took place in 16th-century Britain and Europe. Tudor “barber-surgeons” treated facial injuries, which as medical historian <a href="http://www.history.ox.ac.uk/faculty/staff/profile/pelling/index.html">Margaret Pelling</a>explains, was crucial in a culture where damaged or ugly faces were seen to reflect a disfigured inner self.</p> <p>With the pain and risks to life inherent in any kind of surgery at this time, cosmetic procedures were usually confined to severe and stigmatised disfigurements, such as the loss of a nose through trauma or epidemic syphilis.</p> <p>The first pedicle flap grafts to fashion new noses were performed in 16th-century Europe. A section of skin would be cut from the forehead, folded down and stitched, or would be harvested from the patient’s arm.</p> <p>A later representation of this procedure in Iconografia d’anatomia published in 1841, as reproduced in Richard Barnett’s <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Crucial_Interventions.html?id=2tH6rQEACAAJ&amp;redir_esc=y">Crucial Interventions</a>, shows the patient with his raised arm still gruesomely attached to his face during the graft’s healing period.</p> <p>As socially crippling as facial disfigurements could be and as desperate as some individuals were to remedy them, purely cosmetic surgery did not become commonplace until operations were not excruciatingly painful and life-threatening.</p> <p>In 1846, what is frequently described as the first “painless” operation was performed by American dentist <a href="http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/people/williammorton">William Morton</a>, who gave ether to a patient. The ether was administered via inhalation through either a handkerchief or bellows. Both of these were imprecise methods of delivery that could cause an overdose and kill the patient.</p> <p>The removal of the second major impediment to cosmetic surgery occurred in the 1860s. English doctor <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3468637/">Joseph Lister</a>’s model of aseptic, or sterile, surgery was taken up in France, Germany, Austria and Italy, reducing the chance of infection and death.</p> <p>By the 1880s, with the further refinement of anaesthesia, cosmetic surgery became a relatively safe and painless prospect for healthy people who felt unattractive.</p> <p>The Derma-Featural Co advertised its “treatments” for “humped, depressed or … ill-shaped noses”, protruding ears, and wrinkles (“the finger marks of Time”) in the English magazine World of Dress in 1901.</p> <p><a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31383099">A report from a 1908 court case</a> involving the company shows that they continued to use skin harvested from – and attached to – the arm for rhinoplasties.</p> <p>The report also refers to the non-surgical “paraffin wax” rhinoplasty, in which hot, liquid wax was injected into the nose and then “moulded by the operator into the desired shape”. The wax could potentially migrate to other parts of the face and be disfiguring, or cause “<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002961042902344">paraffinomas</a>” or wax cancers.</p> <p>Advertisements for the likes of the the Derma-Featural Co were rare in women’s magazines around the turn of the 20th century. But ads were frequently published for bogus devices promising to deliver dramatic face and body changes that might reasonably be expected only from surgical intervention.</p> <p>Various models of chin and forehead straps, such as the patented “Ganesh” brand, were advertised as a means for removing double chins and wrinkles around the eyes.</p> <p>Bust reducers and hip and stomach reducers, such as the J.Z. Hygienic Beauty Belt, also promised non-surgical ways to reshape the body.</p> <p>The frequency of these ads in popular magazines suggests that use of these devices was socially acceptable. In comparison, coloured cosmetics such as rouge and kohl eyeliner were rarely advertised. The ads for “powder and paint” that do exist often emphasised the product’s “natural look” to avoid any negative association between cosmetics and artifice.</p> <p><strong>The racialised origins of cosmetic surgery</strong></p> <p>The most common cosmetic operations requested before the 20th century aimed to correct features such as ears, noses and breasts classified as “ugly” because they weren’t typical for “white” people.</p> <p>At this time, racial science was concerned with “improving” the white race. In the United States, with its growing populations of Jewish and Irish immigrants and African Americans, “pug” noses, large noses and flat noses were signs of racial difference and therefore ugliness.</p> <p><a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Vs09mB9QjTgC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=history+%22cosmetic+surgery%22&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Sander L. Gilman</a> suggests that the “primitive” associations of non-white noses arose “because the too-flat nose came to be associated with the inherited syphilitic nose”.</p> <p>American otolaryngologist <a href="http://archfaci.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=479927">John Orlando Roe’</a>s discovery of a method for performing rhinoplasties inside the nose, without leaving a tell-tale external scar, was a crucial development in the 1880s. As is the case today, patients wanted to be able to “pass” (in this case as “white”) and for their surgery to be undetectable.</p> <p>In 2015, <a href="http://www.isaps.org/Media/Default/global-statistics/2015%20ISAPS%20Results.pdf">627,165 American women</a>, or an astonishing one in 250, received breast implants. In the early years of cosmetic surgery, breasts were never made larger.</p> <p>Breasts acted historically as a “<a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Vs09mB9QjTgC&amp;pg=PA223&amp;lpg=PA223&amp;dq=%22breast+functions+as+a+racial+sign%22+gilman&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=m5RZvuCaSK&amp;sig=oqDYnEZP1VfRfVP4rW4HcN7VLpE&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjT4fb4xojMAhXMlxoKHWgQBWQQ6AEIITAB">racial sign</a>”. Small, rounded breasts were viewed as youthful and sexually controlled. Larger, pendulous breasts were regarded as “primitive” and therefore as a deformity.</p> <p>In the age of the flapper, in the early 20th century, breast reductions were common. Not until the 1950s were small breasts transformed into a medical problem and seen to make women unhappy.</p> <p>Shifting views about desirable breasts illustrate how beauty standards change across time and place. Beauty was once considered as God-given, natural or a sign of health or a person’s good character.</p> <p>When beauty began to be understood as located outside of each person and as capable of being changed, more women, in particular, tried to improve their appearance through beauty products, as they now increasingly turn to surgery.</p> <p>As Elizabeth Haiken points out in <a href="https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/content/venus-envy">Venus Envy</a>, 1921 not only marked the first meeting of an American association of plastic surgery specialists, but also the first Miss America pageant in Atlantic City. All of the finalists were white. The winner, 16-year-old Margaret Gorman, was short compared to today’s towering models at five-feet-one-inch (155cm) tall, and her breast measurement was smaller than that of her hips.</p> <p>There is a close link between cosmetic surgical trends and the qualities we value as a culture, as well as shifting ideas about race, health, femininity and ageing.</p> <p>Last year was <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-health/11731223/100-years-of-plastic-surgery.html">celebrated</a> by some within the field as the 100th anniversary of modern cosmetic surgery. New Zealander <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9396435/Pioneering-plastic-surgery-records-from-First-World-War-published.html">Dr Harold Gillies</a> has been championed for inventing the pedicle flap graft during the first world war to reconstruct the faces of maimed soldiers. Yet, as is well documented, primitive versions of this technique had been in use for centuries.</p> <p>Such an inspiring story obscures the fact that modern cosmetic surgery was really born in the late 19th century and that it owes as much to syphilis and racism as to rebuilding the noses and jaws of war heroes.</p> <p>The surgical fraternity – and it is a brotherhood, as <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/12/style/plastic-surgeons-why-so-few-women.html?pagewanted=all">more than 90% of cosmetic surgeons are male</a>— conveniently places itself in a history that begins with reconstructing the faces and work prospects of the war wounded.</p> <p>In reality, cosmetic surgeons are instruments of shifting whims about what is attractive. They have helped people to conceal or transform features that might make them stand out as once diseased, ethnically different, “primitive”, too feminine, or too masculine.</p> <p>The sheer risks that people have been willing to run in order to pass as “normal” or even to turn the “misfortune” of ugliness, as the homeliest girl contest put it, into beauty, shows how strongly people internalise ideas about what is beautiful.</p> <p>Looking back at the ugly history of cosmetic surgery should give us the impetus to more fully consider how our own beauty norms are shaped by prejudices including racism and sexism.</p> <p><em>Written by Michelle Smith. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-the-ugly-history-of-cosmetic-surgery-56500">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Can you tell the difference between ALDI makeup and expensive brands?

<p>If there is one thing better than a cult beauty product, it is the affordable “dupe” that can leave your skin looking just as good without dishing out all the dollars.</p> <p>The exclusive skincare and cosmetics range Lacura, available only at ALDI Australia stores, offers a number of affordable products all under $20.</p> <p>While the packaging may be plain and unappealing, its contents have left customers divided on whether or not they would recommend it to others.</p> <p>Well, one woman took it upon herself to test out the budget-friendly range by comparing her high-end makeup to the ALDI counterparts.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BaKBKLpnRsI/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BaKBKLpnRsI/" target="_blank">A post shared by Lynn James - Mrs Mummypenny (@mrsmummypennyuk)</a> on Oct 12, 2017 at 10:35am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Michelle Andrews, who purchased a foundation, compact powder, compact blush, eyebrow pencil, mascara and lipstick, wrote on <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/beauty/face-body/can-you-tell-the-difference-between-highend-and-aldi-makeup/news-story/239e39b1c978b80a0b2b863d61d4bf76">news.com.au</a> the price only racked up to a low $30.95.</p> <p>In comparison to her typical go-to makeup which costs $194, Miss Andrews would be saving over $160.</p> <p>In a typical wear test, Michelle wore her “expensive” products on one half of her face and the “cheap” products on the other, then went on to ask family members if they could spot which side was which.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByNmEveH2oz/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByNmEveH2oz/" target="_blank">A post shared by Danielle Da Silva (@danijadedasilva)</a> on Jun 2, 2019 at 8:28am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“At one point, my little sister Evelyn grabbed me by the jaw and forehead, twisting my head back and forth to discern which was which,” she explained.</p> <p>“‘Left is ALDI,’ she eventually announced. "'The pores around your nose and cheeks look slightly bigger.’”</p> <p>In conclusion? Michelle said although the differences were minimal, the ALDI makeup “became slightly shiny around my t-zone".</p> <p>If you’re looking for a good affordable replica, grab for the blush and mascara the writer recommends, as they were highly pigmented, and the mascara was “so lengthening".</p>

Beauty & Style

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Kerri-Anne Kennerley defends use of cosmetic surgery

<p>Kerri-Anne Kennerley has no issue admitting that cosmetic surgery, Botox and Fraxel are part of her beauty routine.</p> <p>The TV personality, who is the <a href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/news/latest-news/kerri-anne-kennerley-exclusive-botox-42260" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>December cover star of the Australian Women’s Weekly</strong></span></a>, told the publication: “There was always that stigma attached to it, but then you do get to the ‘I don't give a toss’ age and stage, and people can say whatever they like.”</p> <p>In a new tell-all biography <em>A Bold Life</em>, out October 31, Kerri-Anne writes: “I have regular Botox injections because I hate having a frown line that makes me look cranky when I’m not.”</p> <p><img width="257" height="393" src="https://www.booktopia.com.au/http_coversbooktopiacomau/big/9781760550424/a-bold-life.jpg" alt="Image result for kerri anne a bold life" class="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>However, she says her secret weapon is Fraxel, a laser treatment that “burns off dark patches and freckles”.</p> <p>“If you look at early photos of me in the ‘80s and ‘90s, even on Midday, my freckles were black. People used to call in and complain saying ‘You should put make-up on her chest, she's got so many freckles’,” she recalls.</p> <p>“When I had a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on my nose my dermatologist suggested Fraxel. He said, ‘we'll watch it for a while; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't’. And knock on wood I never got the skin cancer back.”</p> <p>Since then Kerri-Anne has become a fan of Fraxel as a preventative measure for skin cancers but also to achieve her beautiful complexion.</p> <p>“I had my whole face Fraxeled some years ago… It’s not for the fainthearted and the treatment is quite uncomfortable at first. The next day you feel as if you have really bad sunburn. Your eyes puff up so much you can hardly see, but after a week I was thrilled,” she said.</p> <p>"My dermatologist now uses Fraxel as a precursor to getting skin cancers. It traumatises your skin and makes the collagen and everything work a lot harder and it fights any skin cancers growing through. After that I had my arms and hands done."</p> <p>Kerri-Anne, 64, like many of that generation, didn’t know about the damaging effects of the sun when she was young and is now paying the price.</p> <p>“We never knew about how harmful the sun was when I was a kid in Queensland. Through the ‘90s, from Midday for 10 years, I'd have at least a couple of skin cancers burned off every year. Maybe just two or three at a time, but I would have had dozens and dozens done, every single year for at least 10 years. They kept growing through. But since I've had the overall Fraxel, I haven't had one burnt off.”</p> <p>Other treatments Kerrie-Anne recommends are chemical peels “to keep your skin fresher” and a light treatment called Omnilux to reboot collagen.</p> <p>“I’ve had all these things done and will continue to do so in the future,” she writes in her book. “I am happy with what I’ve done. I think it is subtle and tasteful.”</p>

Beauty & Style

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Beauty products the Over60 community swear by

<p>Ask any woman about the one beauty product they’ve stayed loyal to over the years and you’re likely to hear a range of different responses, from cheap-and-cheerful lipsticks to expensive and luxurious skin creams. So, to narrow down what it is that over 60s look for in their beauty products, we went straight to the source. Here’s what you had to say.</p> <p><strong>1. QV night cream and face wash</strong></p> <p>“After years of trying almost every brand of face cream on the market, I now only use QV night cream (even for day) and QV face wash. It's inexpensive and my beautician noted how nice my skin was the last time I had a facial!” – <strong>Sue Packer.</strong></p> <p><strong>2. Clarins</strong></p> <p>“I'm afraid to say that the only products I swear by are Clarins. Yes, I know they cost a fortune and I have champagne tastes and beer pockets, but I have used other products and they have either burnt my skin or stripped it. I have now been using Clarins for 25 years and just love the stuff. You do get value for money and it is pretty comparable to other brands.” – <strong>Kathryn Potter.</strong></p> <p><strong>3. Johnson’s baby lotion</strong></p> <p>“Believe it or not, I use (and have used for years) Johnsons Baby lotion. It has no nasties in it, does not leave a greasy film on your skin and is very cheap compared to the other moisturisers!” – <strong>Doreen Buchanan.</strong></p> <p><strong>4. Ponds</strong></p> <p>“Good old Ponds. Cleanser feels light but really cleans. Moisturiser feels lovely too. You can't beat the originals.” – <strong>Sharon Crowe.</strong></p> <p><strong>5. Vitamin E cream and Revlon</strong></p> <p>“Vitamin E cream with evening primrose oil for my skin and Revlon matte finish lipstick. I also occasionally use Revlon eye shadow and Age Defying make-up now I'm older.” – <strong>Suzanne Dawson.</strong></p> <p><strong>6. Algenist skincare and Tarte make-up</strong></p> <p>“I use Algenist cream and serum – it makes my skin soft – and Tarte for a soft glow on my cheeks.” – <strong>Ida Stenzler.</strong></p> <p>What’s your number one beauty product? Let us know in the comment section below!</p>

Beauty & Style

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Clever new cosmetic ad celebrates ageing

<p>Advertisers who turn to ballet dancers typically want to convey prestige, or a message of physical power.</p> <p>But a television ad for a cosmetic product - No. 7 Lift &amp; Luminate facial serum - evokes a different ballet quality. It features Alessandra Ferri, one of the greatest ballerinas of the age.</p> <p>After a long and celebrated international career, she retired from American Ballet Theatre in 2007. The serum ad makes no effort to conceal her age; she is wearing little makeup, and has the bare, lightly careworn skin of a down-to-earth woman of advanced years. In fact, Ferri's age is the central focus here, as she confronts a hologram of her 19-year-old self.</p> <p>It's delightful enough that this ad gives us time to savour Ferri in motion, with her liquid smoothness and undiminished grace. But the ad also puts forth a meaningful narrative about looking back at one's youth, and realising that now is even better.</p> <p>Youthfulness is not the goal (an interesting point for a cosmetics company to make). Openness, vitality, courage: These are much more important.</p> <p>In her emphatic abandon, as well as her strong features, Ferri brings to mind Lauren Bacall and Anne Bancroft, stars who especially in their later years didn't let anyone set limits for them, and who showed us that being at peace with oneself is part of being beautiful, at any age.</p> <p>There's a back story to why we're seeing a hologrammatic Ferri at 19, which was the exceptionally young age at which she became a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet. </p> <p>The mature Ferri throws her arms open, spins toward the young girl and, in a bit of digital magic, shatters the hologram as she tornados through it.</p> <p>It’s really quite a work of art. Watch the video above and prepare to be enchanted with a fresh take on ageing and a way to think of your younger self; paling in comparison to who you are now.</p> <p>What ways do you think you’ve improved since your younger years? Let us know what you think in the comments below.</p> <p><em>Written by Sarah L. Kaufman. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz.</span></strong></a></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/06/queen-elizabeth-ii-and-her-corgis-pose-for-vanity-fair-cover/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Queen Elizabeth II and her corgis pose for Vanity Fair cover</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><em><a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/06/80s-fashion-trends-making-a-comeback/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">15 fashion trends from the 80s that are making a comeback</span></strong></a></em></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/06/hair-care-secrets-from-an-81-year-old-fashion-blogger/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Hair care secrets from an 81-year-old fashion blogger</span></strong></em></a></p>

Beauty & Style

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Ban for cosmetic products tested on animals

<p>The sale of products tested on animals will be prohibited by the Federal Government from July 2017, sparking a ban on a range of cosmetics, toothpaste and makeup.</p> <p>Popular beauty brands including L'Oreal, Revlon, and Estée Lauder are expected to be greatly affected under the scheduled reforms, reports the <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Herald Sun</strong></span></a>.  </p> <p>The reforms brings Australia’s laws into line with laws on animal testing that are already in place in the European Union and in New Zealand.</p> <p>The laws will be strict, but they will only apply to new products, so existing products will not be pulled from shelves. The government has also noted the law will still allow for “responsible animal testing” for medical tests and for drug development.</p> <p>What do you think of the new product animal testing ban? Do you think it’s a positive development in animal welfare? Should more be done?</p> <p>Share your thoughts in the comments. </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2014/09/the-benefits-of-having-a-pet/"><em>Why having a pet is SO good for you</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/01/photos-of-animals-hitchhiking/"><em>Hilarious photos of animals hitchhiking</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/how-to-help-your-pet-conquer-their-phobias/">How to help your pet conquer their phobias</a></em></strong></span></p>

News

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Beauty bag detox: what to bin this new year

<p>If the last time you had a good clear out of your makeup bag was 1984, it might be time for a proper beauty bag detox to kick off the New Year. Not only will it help de-clutter and streamline your collection of products down to those that you actually use regularly, it’s also the best way to eliminate bacteria and other nasties that lurk in beauty products and the lining of your makeup bag.</p><p>Here’s what to keep and what to replace.</p><p><strong>Foundation and concealer</strong> – Depending on the formulation, your foundation should last around 12 months. Oil free formulas tend to dry out more quickly than the moisturising formulations while a pump pack will generally harbour less bacteria as you’re not constantly dipping into it with your fingers. If you develop a skin infection at any time, it’s a good idea to completely replace your foundations/powder/concealer as the bacteria can live on long after you’ve cleared it up.</p><p><strong>Blush and powder</strong> – Powder blush can last up to two years due to the nature of its composition while cream formulas should be binned after 12 months. When applying blush with your fingers, try and keep them as clean as possible. Makeup sponges should be washed (and ideally air dried in the sun to kill bacteria) every week and brushes every month.</p><p><strong>Lipstick/lip balm</strong> – A good lippie will most likely last you till you’re scraping the bottom of the tube as the shelf life is around two years. Be mindful however that you are using it near the mouth and on a daily basis. Should you develop any kind of infection (a cold sore or similar for example), you need to either stop using your lippie, apply it with a cotton tip or bin it if it’s come into contact with the sore.</p><p><strong>Mascara</strong> – Mascara has the shortest shelf life of all beauty products. This is due to its close proximity to your eye and the formulations ability to transfer bacteria and infections. Mascara should be binned after three months or if it becomes dry and clumpy (even if that’s before three months). If you suffer from an eye infection (like conjunctivitis) at any stage, you should bin your mascara immediately.</p><p><strong>Eyeliner</strong> – Eyeliner can be used kept for up to two years, primarily because the sharpening the pencil regularly removes the old tip and replaces it with a new one. Ideally you should sharpen your pencil every couple of uses. Mechanical pencils have a slightly shorter shelf life, around 12 to 18 months.</p><p><strong>Eye shadow</strong> – Depending on your chosen formulation (liquid or powder), eye shadow should last 12 to 24 months. It’s important to keep your application clean and replace as regularly as possible. Disposable foam tipped applicators are cheap and can be bought in bulk for this exact purpose.</p><p><strong>TOP TIP:</strong> It’s also a good idea to give your beauty bag a good clean every six months. A washable bag can be put through a hot wash with a small amount of your usual washing liquid and air dried in the sun. A bag lined with plastic or other waterproof coverings can be spritzed with cleaning spray, wiped clean and left out in the sun for a few hours to remove any lurking bacteria.</p>

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