The Dark Side of Breast Cancer Awareness & Cosmetics Companies: An Intro to Pinkwashing
Pink has always been my favorite color. (Seriously — I have become an expert at slipping some into every outfit!) That’s why I love it when, every October, the color pink takes on a whole new meaning, and all my favorite products suddenly take on pretty pink hues. Why? Because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and with one of eight women developing the disease in their lifetime, it’s definitely an issue that deserves recognition and funding.
There’s one big problem, though: Some companies that support breast cancer research – and place the cute little pink ribbon on their packaging – actually use ingredients in their products that are known or debated cancer-causing agents. The main culprits? Cosmetics companies!
But this awful (and hypocritical) deed hasn’t gone unnoticed. The media has recognized the irony for years, dubbing the trend of placing pink ribbons on products that don’t deserve it “pinkwashing.” Recently, several large name companies have been called out for engaging in the practice.
The jist of all this? Just because a company has decided to throw a pink ribbon on their product doesn’t mean that the contents inside are safe. Fortunately, there are ways to take action against pinkwashing to ensure you’re giving money to the right people. Read on to learn more!
How to Choose the Right “Pink” Company:
So what do you do if you want to support your cosmetic habit and breast cancer research this month? Here are some tips for choosing which pink companies to give your green to:
1. Look for companies outside the mainstream.
With some research, I discovered that there are a ton of beauty companies that are not only using all-natural, carcinogen-free ingredients, but also donating their proceeds to breast cancer research. Many eco-friendly beauty companies are smaller and therefore, don’t make it into mainstream media. So skip the cosmetics counter and start Googling instead!
2. Check ingredient labels.
When you do decide to purchase a pink ribbon beauty product, take a look at the ingredient list. Do your research beforehand — chemicals like DDT (found in products with lanolin) and BHT (a cosmetic preservative) can be harmful. Also, choose products with less ingredients. More ingredients usually equals more preservatives, colors and chemicals.
3. Find out which organization your money is being donated to and if there is a cap on the amount donated.
Many large cosmetic companies place a “ceiling” on the amount they actually give to breast cancer research organizations. If at all possible, try to find the specific percentage the company you want to purchase from is donating to research – especially when it comes down to deciding between two companies who carry a similar product.
4. Make your breast cancer donation in another way.
Cosmetic companies aren’t the only businesses donating this month. For example, Conair launched the power of pink — a campaign that donates whenever you buy a Conair product, like a hair dryer, curling iron or flat iron. And if you really want to make a difference, you can always donate directly to the organization of your choice. That way, you’ll know exactly how much of your hard-earned cash they’re receiving.
5. Exercise your rights as a consumer.
If you feel strongly about this issue, you can make a difference. First, don’t buy from brands that sneak possible carcinogens in their products — not just in October, but also during any other time of the year. And if you do notice a discrepancy between the pink ribbon and the listed ingredients, you can take it up with the company itself.
Also, many organizations are actively speaking out against cosmetic companies. If you visit the official website for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, you can find several ways to get involved, from the very small – “Liking” the campaign’s Facebook page, for example – to tabling an event in your community representing the campaign and passing out literature. Plus, for all you word nerds out there, the campaign encourages young writers to craft letters to everyone from members of Congress to editors of major publications about the hypocrisy of some cosmetic companies.
How do you feel about “pinkwashing”?
With so many women affected by breast cancer, it’s a wonderful idea to devote an entire month to supporting the cause. And in my opinion, any company that donates to breast cancer research is doing something great – but I feel even better about giving my money to a company that isn’t also contributing to the disease in the first place.
What about you – have you or someone you know been affected by breast cancer? Have you ever bought a product with a pink ribbon on it? How do you feel about cosmetic companies selling products with harmful chemicals in them? Let’s talk about this sensitive beauty issue in the comments.
Posted on on October 22, 2010 / Filed Under: Beauty & Hair / Tags: Beauty Products, Breast Cancer Awareness, Cosmetics, Philanthropy
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Liz
This is an excellent post. Thanks for bringing up this topic and encouraging people to make a statement with their purchases. I think a lot of times we forget that companies no matter how noble they may seem, are a companies and they need to make money. Period. Some are better than others, sure, but we can’t blindly put our trust in them and as consumers we have a lot of power if only we used our heads once in a while!
I am working on voting with my dollar when it comes to clothes as well as trying to find the most natural beauty products. It isn’t easy but I think it will pay off one day!
Again, kudos for this post!
Katrina
I while back I went to a “party” at a consultant’s house for an all natural make up brand. This is the first ever 100% non-toxic brand and was founder by a 16 year old form my home state- RI. The products are great, I would totally recommend them. Her name is Ava Anderson (the brand is the same name)
hannah
erica, excellent story! i have actually never heard or thought of any of these points. normally i don’t comment on stories on this site, though i am an avid reader, but i felt this was such a great article to shine the light on a subject many people are ignorant to. this just shows how cosmetics companies are using and abusing this month and breast cancer awareness to gain a reputation for themselves and get more money. again, awesome piece!
L
Not to mention, many research companies still conduct animal experimentation when more progressive and effective methods are available. Considering the obvious differences between animal and human genetics, there’s no point in wasting research money on experiments that yield such dubious results.
Danika
There were so many of us on a twitter party last night talking about pinkwashing that I started a “Pinkwashing Hall of Shame” page on Facebook where we can support organizations that are working towards preventing cancer without taking money from the vary companies that are polluting our bodies, and where we can call out companies that are pinkwashing.
Please join the discussion, post links to your own pinkwashing articles, and post about pinkwashing you are seeing.
You can find the facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pinkwashing-Hall-of-Shame/100210523382592
I’m going to post a link to this article on that page, too.
Suzi
Great article! It made me think of this cute and educational video a little while ago, and I think it gives a very good overview of these issues in the cosmetics industry. http://storyofstuff.org/cosmetics/ Annie Leonard is great at explaining stuff in an engaging way.
clementine
I agree that it’s good to be careful, but I think it’s also important to point out that the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has been called out multiple times for using scare tactics on consumers. There’s a critique on Annie Leonard’s The Story of Cosmetics (which has been linked a couple of times in previous comments) that makes some very valid points as well. Be careful, but don’t believe everything on either side.
Caroline
This is SUCH a great post. Thank you for talking about this important issue. I think it’s really relevant, especially with regard to so many silly Facebook campaigns that have been going around recently about cancer awareness – I think the girlifying of breast cancer is dangerous and damaging. I linked to your article in the most recent post on my blog, if you want to check it out!
Caroline
Ugh, I hit post too soon (and misspelt my website URL, duuuhh). I think it’s doubly important that you’ve posted something like this on a fashion-related website, because so often things like these are only addressed on sites like Jezebel, who already probably agree with/have heard of the message, so it’s great that you can reach a wider audience through College Fashion!
Ruth
Isn’t DDT a banned pesticide in many industrilized countries? What on earth is a highly pousinous substance doing in comestics! It’s horrible when you thibk that those chemicals are used in stuff that many use every day without a second thought.
Mintii
Excellent post. Many of the points you provided extend beyond cosmetic pinkwashing to many other areas.
It really bothers me since I read about pinkwashing how it’s EVERYWHERE! And often in small print you learn that the companies are only planning to donate a small portion to breast cancer organizations from their sells.
kenzie.
I hate pinkwashing. As someone with multiple forms of cancer running throughout their family, I can’t stand it. No one in my family can stand it. It has basically become an overly-commercialized mess, and it definitely puts me off buying things from companies that “pinkwash.”
I know so, so many people that buy everything in shades of pink to show off what good people they are….and I think that if they were truly good people they wouldn’t need to flaunt their good deeds. Plus, not very much of the profits go to any reliable cancer foundations 9 times out of 10.
AND I think pink is a terrible color for breast cancer awareness, especially the gooey pepto-bismol pink it is now. Men can get it too, ya know. My great-grandpa was a breast cancer survivor and hated how everything was so PINK all the time!