Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Being A Healthy Beauty Shopper - "Formaldehyde"

Hello Gem readers,

The majority of my time in the world of beauty
is spent working directly with everyday real women in retail environments, education events and national trade shows. 
From this I am able to realize patterns and trends which can be great or unfortunately alarming.  I intend to share with you all of it, my unbiased opinion equals honesty and that equals respect to you the reader.

I would like to discuss FormaldehydeIt is known to be a human carcinogen and it is a toxic ingredient used in beauty products and many types of personal care products which we put on our skin and in our hair daily.

Over the past year I have encountered several women who have allergies to this ingredient used in a wide array of products.  I would like you all to pay close attention to the ingredients listed on the packaging when purchasing any beauty product or any product for that matter that comes into contact with you and your family and your home.

Here is what you need to be a smart shopper.  Do not expect to see "Formaldehyde" in bold letters as the first ingredient listed.  

*For future reference when shopping, ingredients are listed in the order of the greatest percentage to the least percentage used to produce the item for sale.    

Below I am providing you with a list of names in alphabetical order you can use to identify Formaldehyde when shopping.  There are many as you can see.


BFV Karsan
Fannoform Lysoform
Formaldehyde, gas Methanal
Formaldehyde, solution Methyl aldehyde
Formalin Methylene oxide
Formalith Morbicid
Formic aldehyde Oxomethane
Formol Oxymethylene
Fyde Paraform
HCHO Superlysoform
Ivalon

I suggest taking a look through your current products to see if they contain any of the above named synonyms for this unhealthy ingredient.  I took my own advice and raided my own and a family members medicine cabinet and looked up the items ingredients online since the packaging was already discarded. I discovered a lipstick, nail polish and deodorant with three different Formaldehyde identifiers.   

Take the time to read your labels and be a healthy shopper.   

Information on this topic can be located at the below link: 

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/81-111/ 


Stay healthy and beautiful always,

Matthew Ambrosio
LI Beauty Educator




Welcome to the Official "Gem Magazine LI Beauty Forum"!

Hello to all my Long Island beauties out there!

It comes with great excitement that publisher Tanya Lee and myself, Matthew Ambrosio - LI Beauty Educator present an interactive beauty forum for all Gem Magazine readers.  Here I will share with you my passion for feeling great and enhancing your natural beauty.  You are the reason I am here and the reason we have brought you this forum and I thank you all on behalf of GEM Magazine.  Together we will discuss various beauty topics, present questions and comments to be addressed and share together as a community, a community of "beauties" that is.

Interaction with you is my greatest asset.  The topics of choice range from beauty regimes to tips to valuable and noteworthy information about the cosmetics we all use today.  So let us play and feel comfortable to express ourselves.

For my first official Gem Beauty Blog I ask you to share with me pertinent topics which you would like to share and know more about.  You can do so by posting a comment below.  I look forward to hearing from you and again welcome!

With love,

Matthew Ambrosio
"It is not the makeup that makes the woman, it is the woman that makes the makeup".

     

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

The Eyes Have It!

Many women love a really defined heavy eye and liners can come in very handy to frame the eye. However, there is a limit to how much you should be using and where you put it based on age. Specifically I am speaking to my beautiful more mature women. I know it will be difficult, I encounter this 2-3 times a day on average, but I want you to only put your liner on the top lid. Just do it once, for me. Whether it be a pencil, liquid, gel etc. Leaving the bottom lid alone will open your eyes giving you a more glam, eye lash fluttering look and will make you look bright faced and ultimately more youthful. At least 5 years younger. Putting liner on the bottom lid can draw attention to things we wish were not there thus aging the face. Remember ladies, your eyes speak before you even open your mouth to speak. Give them something to stare at.

What Cleanser Is Right For You?

Face cleansers are important, everyone needs one. Which one is right for you? If you are oil/acne prone use a cleanser that removes daily dirt and grime. If your someone with dryer or mature skin use a cream based cleanser that nourishes or one with resurfacing treatments followed by your daily moisturizer. If you are using a bar of soap to clean your face, stop. They are stripping your face of moisturizer and creating havoc with your ph balance. 


The Fun Side of Blushing

The colors of blush are numerous yet they are broken down into three categories; pinks, peaches and reddish browns. You can wear all of them however certain colors look better than others. Just remember what each color does. Pink will you give you a sexy, fun look. Peachy golds are more natural and gentle and are great for more mature women. Reddish brown looks beautiful on deeper skin tones. Just brush some on those apples and whisk back to the hair line and look flirty and fun.