If you use cosmetics, deodorant, shampoo, body wash, and feminine items, you may be exposing yourselves to pink washing – and dangerous toxins.
What is pink washing? It’s actually a marketing ploy that brands use to sell more products by branding things with the color pink, even – not kidding here – fracking drill heads.
Pink washing is generally done with a blind eye turned to the fact that many of these products that are pink-labeled actually contain more than a fair share of carcinogens – that is, known, cancer-causing agents.
In fact, some of them even have been linked to breast cancer itself.
What’s frustrating is that while there is so much talk of “breast cancer awareness” (who isn’t aware of breast cancer?), there’s NO talk of prevention.
Until, you already HAVE the diagnosis. Then you are told to clean up your products!! 🙁
The Dangers of Pink Washing
True prevention means avoiding many of the toxic CRAP that is actually put in the products that wrap themselves in pink for October. Very little of the extra profits these companies make from pink packaging goes into research or, heaven forbid, prevention.
And charities that raise money are no better. Did you know that the word “cure” is owned by Susan B. Komen? That means other brands can’t use it. Sounds like a monopoly to me!
Keep in mind that traditional breast cancer treatment often causes another form of cancer. Some carcinogenic products that pink wash while wrapping themselves in a breast cancer awareness label include:
- Soup and other canned products. There have been studies showing a link between BPA and breast cancer. You can (and should) live without canned foods, anyway, they are predominantly loaded with MSG.
- Parabens are one of biggest offenders and it is in a LOT of beauty products.
- Synthetic fragrances are largely unregulated, featuring proprietary ingredients
- Other companies that flagrantly flaunt pink this month are cosmetic companies, loaded with carcinogens from petroleum to formaldehyde and WORSE, which is why I have partnered with a clean company that uses zero toxins in their products. Email me to learn more.
Breast cancer rates are on the rise in the U.S., from 1 in 11 in the 70s to 1 in 8 through 2007. African American women are more likely than white women to die from it, and the same holds true for women under 40.
And while making sure you do your own breast exam monthly is important, and get checked out if anything funny occurs, the BIGGEST thing you can do to stop breast cancer is to prevent it in the first place.
Potential Ways to Prevent Breast Cancer
- Detox your beauty cabinet!
Check out the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Scan your brand’s ingredients on the EWG Skin Deep Database. Use brands that are clean and safe or go natural and make recipes for yourself! - Better nutrition.
There’s a ton of good, healthy, antioxidant (and BPA free) food out there. Reduce your GMOs and exposure to glyphosate by eating organic. Cut down the sugar. Cut out aspartame and food created in a lab. Kick out the preservatives and buy organic produce and dairy. Switch to grass-fed beef. Clean your water with reverse osmosis filters. In fact, consider working with a practitioner to detox your system. - Use technology wisely.
Did you see that story about the young woman who got a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer in her 20s? And after a double mastectomy, it came back? Her doctors were shocked. It turned out she used to keep her phone in her bra, exactly where she found the first tumor.Anecdotal? Yes, but let’s just say that wifi and EMF have been suspected of cancer for a lot longer than you think. Back in the 90s, we discussed it all the time when I worked in telecom. One of my college teachers told me about research he personally did finding links to cancer from technology way back in 2000. Be safe with your devices. This also means reconsidering mammograms, a topic for another blog post entirely.
Need more info? Great! Here are some awesome articles to help you:
- Excellent article from a breast cancer survivor: Not for Sale: A Case Against Pinktober
- I Will Not Be Pinkwashed: Why I do not support Susan B. Komen for the Cure: Similar article to above, with detailed statistic and charts. A few years old, but still potent & damning of the industry
- The Big Business of Breast Cancer
- How to reduce your BPA levels by 60% in three days
Organizations that care and raise prevention!
Blogs that help you find clean brands for everything in your home:
Here is a Mamavation article I researched on how to detox your armpits and possibly reduce your chance of breast cancer:
Armpit Cleanse: Reduce Your Chance of Breast Cancer
Books – all my Amazon Affiliate link:
- Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry
- There’s Lead In Your Lipstick
- The Green Beauty Rules: The Essential Guide to Toxic-Free Beauty, Green Glamour, and Glowing Skin
And finally, if your friend or family member has breast cancer and feels these groups or this cause has benefitted her, don’t go storming about this new thing that you just found or demonizing companies. My goal here is to educate you that perhaps these are not the best purchases for you or your family, and that safe, cleaner options are available without breaking the bank.
Living a nontoxic life is truly is its own reward. I can’t tell you that you won’t get cancer, but small changes, like removing carcinogenic products from your bath, beauty and personal care, can lower your risk of getting it.
Learn more about mammograms and their possible dangers. Is there a safer way to detect breast cancer?
Updated 10/1/21
Gina B says
You’re welcome! I agree, completely. Thanks for stopping by, Lindsay.
Pam Gordon says
Thanks for sharing the information!!! it was very informative!!
Gina B says
Glad to help out, Pam!
Gina B says
Thanks Vicky! I appreciate it.
Micaela @MindfulMomma says
So glad you are getting the word out about this. More people need to understand that pinkwashing is NOT prevention!
Gina says
True! If anything, it might be the opposite 🙁 This topic has just been on my mind. Overdue for mammogram, and trying to make the right call between that and thermography.
reesa l says
I never heard this term, but it is so spot on! Wow! Seriously, great topic of awareness here!
Gina says
Thanks Reesa! Yes, it’s a thing. Green washing is a thing too, just a bit different, where companies who make toxic products release a supposedly (but probably not) “green” line of ecofriendly products. Some companies are only about their bottom line unfortunately.
Julia says
I was just talking with my husband about this today, it seems everything is pink this month but there is so little talk about prevention or about how much money goes back to actually supporting breast cancer.
Gina says
We are so inundated with it that most people miss that! The best way to fight cancer is to work on not getting it in the first place, when and where you can.