johnson & johnson's baby powder will no longer be sold in the U.S. — sort of
What’s up with with ya 〰
Me? I’m currently fusing over what to do with my hair and my makeup for BEAUTY HEADLINES. I haven’t had to worry about “TV makeup” since I was in college (I graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism) and now I’m trying to achieve this makeup routine that feels like an amped up version of my “makeup no makeup” (🙄) look. Send help.
This Sunday, I’ll be in conversation with beauty writers Khalea Underwood and Blake Newby for the digital Bridging Beauty And Wellness Conference at 10:50am PT/1:50pm ET. It’s free! Pass along to a friend who may be interested.
Update 〰
In last week’s BEAUTY IRL, I outlined my skepticism of the effectiveness of eye creams, while still embracing the ritual of applying it — and why that’s fine! Oculofacial plastic surgeon (and BEAUTY IRL subscriber!) Dr. Chaneve Jeanniton, the founder of Epi.logic Skincare, sent me her Eye Contact // 360 Night Repair Cream and a message. In a hand written note, this is what she has to say:
Your skepticism on eye creams is legit. So many of them make false claims. (Frankly, I think the marketing surrounding them is some of the most dubious in all of skincare.) As an eyelid plastic surgeon, here are my two cents on eye creams and fine lines: a good eye cream will minimize fine lines by hydrating and plumping, but they won’t go away entirely. (It’ll take an injectable to make then disappear.) If the product has a form of vitamin A in it (like retinol, retinyl, palmitate, etc.), it’ll help future fine lines from forming. Peptides help, but they’re like the backup dancers of skincare.
Thanks, Dr. Jeanniton, for weighing in. I’ve started using the eye cream, and initial reaction: I love the fresh smell (thanks to the cucumber extract). The texture is thick and feels luxurious, but it’s not greasy. And a little goes a long way!
One pretty big story 〰
BBY POWDER 👶🏾: Johnson & Johnson will discontinue talc-based baby power in the U.S. and Canada. Here’s the press release.
My take: For some reason, this news is not clicking with me. Is J&J really about to stop filling shelves with its baby powder? Apparently bottles will be sold in retailers until it’s sold out. Cornstarch-based based baby powder will continue to be sold in North America. Baby powder may not be a hot topic amongst my friend, but it was still a staple in many households. And J&J was always looking for ways to target two of their “key groups”: African American and “overweight” women. I used to watch my late grandmother, Blondine Harvin, pat it on before she went to go run the restaurant she owned. Cancer patients who have filed claims say it’s the asbestos-contaminated talc that caused their illness.
What really urged J&J to finally stop selling a product for which they’ve faced thousands of lawsuits for, a product that an executive at J&J as early at 1971? The answer may simply be the second to last line of the press release: Both types of Johnson’s Baby Powder – talc-based and cornstarch-based – will continue to be sold in other markets around the world where there is significantly higher consumer demand for the product.
If you’re in LA like me 〰
In Florida salons can re-open. In South Carolina, they can reopen on Friday. In Italy, its 104,000 hair salons, could re-open on Monday. But it’s really this story out of Memphis, Tennessee that is reminding me that beauty salons won’t just re-open at the blink of an eye. First, they have to find all of the necessary sanitation supplies for the shop and their team, before clients step foot inside.
A necessary ready 〰
Check out Jessica Defino‘s Where Are All Of The Brown Hands? in which she “combs through the Instagrams of the biggest nail care brands in the business.” Defino says she had to publish the story on Medium because it was turned down by dozens of publications. That should tell you a lot.
