BRAZEN BLOG

Warmer days are finally upon us. But as much as I love being out in the sun as anyone else, I’m not a big fan of slathering myself with conventional sunscreen. Why? Simple. Because it’s toxic. Reports from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and Consumer Reports both warn against the use of several types of the conventional sunscreens that are widely available. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Why is Sunscreen Harmful to Your Health? I k … read more

Yesterday, yet another client came to me with melanoma spots that been removed over and over again by her dermatologist. And, yet again, another doctor didn't ask anything of their patient about what they use on their skin DAILY. Every single one of us uses at least a soap. This makes less and less sense to me as the years go by. When a patient has heart disease, they are encouraged to make some life and dietary changes. When lung cancer is diagnosed, a patient is asked to quit smoking … read more

Every year the dermatology community gets together to name an Allergen of the Year so they can all learn a bit more about common ingredients that could be causing reactions in their patients. I will say that even as anti-soap as I am, I didn't expect this year's ingredient to be one that even I had come to think of as pretty innocuous. Decyl Glucoside is an extremely common surfactant (chemical soap) that is often listed as natural because it does come from sources like cocon … read more

How did we get here? How did we get to the place where we are constantly seeking beauty in such a way that it's become a 134 BILLION DOLLAR industry this year. We are fascinated with watching skincare bloggers test a million products on their own bodies, willing to be the guinea pigs for the rest of us. We follow them with passion and interest to find out what the next best thing is. The sheer transition rate from one product to another means we cannot really know what products are *do … read more

What about chemicals?I've been monitoring the change in skincare ingredients so closely for the past 10 years and I am constantly shocked as what passes as "natural". It's nearly heartbreaking as I have a stream of clients who come in and say, "but I spent $80 on this makeup and it came from a place that claims to only sell safe things." I dutifully pull up the ingredients list and show them the dimethicone, silicone, and copolymers (both are forms of plastic) and then of course the myriad of pr … read more