Get Familiar with Your Breasts

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month ... Get Familiar with your Breasts

Each year, an estimated 211300 women will learn they have breast cancer, 1300 men will get the same news, and 40200 people are expected to die from the disease. Beginning now, in October, we are reminded to honor survivors, remember those lost to the disease, and support the search for a cure.

Think Before You Pink: A caution about the proliferation of the color pink and pink ribbons in marketing products. Find out before you buy, if the sale of the product you are considering really does legitimately raise funds for breast cancer research and education --- or if it's just another marketing ploy to get money from well intentioned consumers. And if the company donates funds to breast cancer research, how much of the sale money goes towards the cancer awareness cause? And how much goes toward the cause of fattening corporate wallets?

To read more about the Pink Ribbon marketing campaigns, the history and ploy, check out the website, Think Before You Pink.

Something else you may not think to consider: it sounds great when cosmetics companies promise to contribute a portion of sales of cosmetics to finding a cure for breast cancer ... gives us all the warm fuzzies, right? But what if that cosmetic contains chemicals that might actually increase your risk of developing the disease? To find out if your cosmetics are on the no-no (suspicious chemicals as ingredients in their products) click here.

Quick Links:

• Breast Cancer Action
• Breast Cancer Fact Sheets
• Sea of Pink Marketing: companies and products list
• Find out if the products you use are safe
• Safe(r) Cosmetic Alternatives: avoiding Parabens and Pthalates
  
• Healthy Alternatives for your Home and Family