Program Manager of LUNA Ashley Luckey and Marisa Walker from the Breast Cancer Fund described the similarities between LUNA and the Breast Cancer Fund's goals. "LUNA and the Breast Cancer Fund have been partners since LUNA was launched in 1999," said Luckey. "The two came together because of their shared dedication to improving women's health, reducing the amount of chemicals in the environment and taking a precautionary approach to environment and health issues."
LUNA's goal is to provide women with healthy food that contains the highest quality of ingredients that promote healthy living. The Breast Cancer Fund works to identify and advocate for the elimination of environmental and other preventable causes of the disease.
Through its sponsorship of the Guster tour, LUNA intends to bridge two interests of college students-music and social change. "I would say that the most important reason we decided to sponsor this tour is because we believe in what Guster and Reverb are trying to accomplish: awareness and education surrounding environmental issues," said Luckey. For the past few years, LUNA has actively worked on raising awareness about the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics at the college level. "The Guster tour provides LUNA with an amazing environment in which to promote healthier women inside and out," she said.
Walker explained how Guster will help bridge students' interests. "Guster makes the connection fit, because they not only talk about the importance of social and environmental change. They are also actively trying to make a difference by greening up their tour and endorsing the groups within the Consciousness Pavilion," said Walker.
At every tour stop, Clif Bar and LUNA will set up a "Consciousness Pavilion" where students can learn about the toxic chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products found in campus dorm rooms. The LUNA station within the Consciousness Pavilion will provide informational materials about the issue of safe cosmetics. The table is staffed by someone who can tell students more about the issues face-to-face and answer questions.
Walker also shared that students could spread word in support of the campaign in a variety of ways-host a Healthy Cosmetics House Party, look up the safety of personal care products with an online database called Skin Deep, and join the campaign's activist network."
On the tour, LUNA will communicate openly with women and men about their "Campaign for Safe Cosmetics." The campaign is currently pushing cosmetics companies to replace toxic ingredients linked to cancers and birth defects with safe alternatives. It is advocating laws that provide oversight of the cosmetics industry and is regulating safety testing of ingredients in personal care products. "Consumers should be able to assume that every personal care product on the shelf is safe for their health," said Luckey.
Walker discussed how Amherst students can become activists for this health cause. "The Skin Deep database is a great place to start because students can actually see the data on their own products," she said. Students can encourage cosmetics companies to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a pledge to replace chemical ingredients of concern with safe alternatives within three years. They can also send letters sharing their concerns to companies or local salons that carry products of concern and encourage them to switch to safer products.
According to Skin Deep, one out of every 100 personal care products on the market contains known or probable carcinogens and 89 percent of ingredients in products have not been assessed for safety. Chemicals of concern include phthalates, formaldehyde, toluene and coal tar. OPI nail polish, for example, contains toluene, dibutyl phthalate and formaldehyde. Many products that include "fragrance" on the label also may have phthalates in them.
Walker emphasized that it is important to reduce exposure to carcinogens whenever possible. "In the bigger picture, we are living in a time when one in two men and one in three women will face a cancer diagnosis in his or her lifetime," said Walker. "While each product may contain a very small amount of each chemical, women and girls use an average of 12 personal care products daily, according to a 2004 survey conducted by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics."
This issue relates to both women and men. "Men may not use makeup often, but they do use shampoo, shaving cream, hand lotion, hair dye, toothpaste and a host of other products. Some chemical ingredients in personal care products are known or suspected carcinogens and others have been linked to birth defects and infertility," she said. "Notably, phthalate exposure has been linked to feminized genitals in baby boys."
Luckey said that these health issues are especially important to college-age women. During the span between puberty and full-term pregnancy, women are more susceptible to hormone-disrupting effects-including increased risk of cancer-linked to chemicals in cosmetics.
"LUNA encourages women to be change agents and make healthy decisions about what they choose to put in and on their bodies. We want to arm women with the information they need, enable them to make change and encourage them to teach others about these issues," said Luckey.