E.U. bans cosmetics with animal-tested ingredients

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:37:00 +0000

The European Union Monday announced a ban on the import and sale of cosmetics containing ingredients tested on animals. The move by regulators builds on legislation already in place that bans the import and sale in the E.U. of cosmetics that, as finished products, were tested on animals.

Animal rights groups have lauded the move and Tonio Borg, the E.U.'s top official on health and consumer issues, said "This is a great opportunity for Europe to set an example of responsible innovation in cosmetics without any compromise on consumer safety."

Neither the U.S. nor Asian markets have similar bans in place and, as the New York Times noted, "the global divergence in safety rules could also mean that companies sell the same product globally, but market one version for countries like China backed up by safety evidence from animal tests, and another version for Europe backed up by evidence from alternative tests."

Redefining the perfect woman

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 20:37:00 +0000

According to Los Angeles Magazine, 91 percent of all cosmetic procedures in the U.S. are performed on women. In L.A., this used to mean more big-busted, classic blonde pin-ups walking around--but that's changing. The current issue reports that "the demand for cosmetic procedures now crosses every ethnic group, altering the de rigueur body shape." In other words, Pamela Anderson might not be the ideal body type anymore.

A spread in the magazine outlines some of the common procedures, including breast augmentations and rhinoplasty:

Augmentation has been one of the most frequently requestesd cosmetic procedures in the country since 2006, but the preference in L.A., surgeons say, is a more natural looking breast size that balances an hourglass shape.

Rhinoplasty is one of the top five most popular cosmetic procedures in the United States. According to L.A. surgeons, the trend in Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and African American patients is to refine, not alter, overall shape.

As the entertainment industry has become more diverse, so have the trends in plastic surgery. But it's also true that this new image, a cross between Sofia Vergara, Angelina Jolie, and Kim Kardashian, is a hardly a less impossible standard --just a different one.

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E.U. bans cosmetics with animal-tested ingredients

Redefining the perfect woman