In 2004 Dove launched their “Campaign for Real Beauty.” Their mission? “Make more women feel beautiful every day by widening stereotypical views of beauty.” With a series of edgy commercials and print advertisements starring regular women, not supermodels, Dove claims to have rejected the unrealistic standards of beauty created by mass media.

For those that missed the print ads, the “non-model” types are shown smiling and confident in their white underwear, refusing to hide their pretty good, cellulite-free, size 12 to 14 bodies; perfect skin; and white smiles. Whose idea of “regular” is this?

The message behind the “Campaign for Real Beauty” is important—I am not denying this. The influence that advertising has on our perceptions of beauty and what constitutes the ideal physical standard can be demeaning for many and destructive for some. But is Dove really helping matters? I don’t think so.

From my perspective, Dove is merely profiting from the illusion of enhancing the self-esteem of women while simultaneously reinforcing the message (and myth) of firming cream to eliminate cellulite as a necessary part of a healthy body image.

If Dove’s intention is to protest the unattainable beauty standard seen in most beauty product ads, their authenticity is lacking. Simply replacing this standard with their only slightly more attainable version of beauty and then selling products to perfect it is not a solution. Dove’s campaign aims to illustrate “real” beauty, but how does it feel to the woman or girl that does not feel represented by their new standard?  What message is Dove sending to the person who doesn’t even measure up to their artificial norm?

What about the men? It’s no secret that Unilever, Dove’s parent company, also owns Axe, the popular men’s body-care line. In a way, Axe has their own version of the “Campaign for Real Beauty.” Axe markets to young men with the message that it is perfectly normal to expect two things from women: they’ll become insatiable sex maniacs upon smelling Axe Body Spray, and they should look as if they haven’t eaten in weeks.

And don’t get me started on Unilever’s ads for skin lightening products in India called Fair and Lovely.

If Unilever’s efforts were authentic, it begs the question of why they’re not using their limitless global influence to change the way advertising depicts beauty for all their products. Why attempt to fix the problem with Dove’s “Campaign” while simultaneously sending a contradictory message with their other brands?

Bottom line: Dove’s efforts are almost worse than those of the Axe brand, as they have managed to succeed in launching a campaign that manipulates the insecurities of women (Love yourself, but don’t forget the firming cream!) under the guise of female empowerment.

So, let’s hear it from you: How do you feel about the authenticity of Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty and the ads Dove’s parent company runs for their Axe brand or Fair and Lovely?

How do you define environmental sustainability? Is it just a matter of “don’t do bad stuff, do more good stuff?” How is this different from “being green?” It seems simpler to think of sustainability as cutting back on waste and energy consumption while seeking products that have a smaller impact on the planet. Whether it is convenient to accept or not, everything we do has an impact on the Earth. For Paula’s Choice, accepting accountability for our ecological footprint is a core ethic.

At Paula’s Choice, we believe that environmental sustainability requires a greater awareness of the impact we have from daily business, and how we can ensure we’re doing business with the least harm. As we’ve grown globally, so has our concept of what it means to be sustainable—ecologically, economically, and socially. Did you know that Paula’s Choice is one of the few cosmetics companies that have had a policy of sustainability from the very beginning? It’s true!  Our packaging and printing materials have always utilized sustainable methods, and we source the ingredients used to formulate our products responsibly. For the ingredients used to develop the skin-care products that you’ve come to know and love, Paula looks for the sustainable alternative—not the least expensive option.

As a new employee of Paula’s Choice, I’ve observed extraordinary steps made towards environmental responsibility. Many cosmetic companies are only now showing interest in sustainability, either in response to controversy (with the vague promise of implementing new, “greener” policies within the decade), or with superficial efforts to appease questioning consumers. Paula’s Choice has never felt it necessary to choose between having a conscience and turning a profit. In our ongoing efforts to develop state-of-the-art skin care, we routinely seek out the most sustainable methods of doing so.

Recently, a Facebook fan asked the source of our palm oil in our RESIST Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum. She mentioned that palm oil production has its destructive sources, some of which have had devastating effects on rainforests along with human and animal habitats.  Naturally, she was concerned about our use of this ingredient, and there was good news to report: We’re one of the few cosmetics companies in the world to be able to state that from our first use of palm oil, Paula and her team chose the sustainable premium.

The palm oil used in Paula’s Choice products originates from a Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil Certified (RSPO) farm—Malaysia-based Carotech. The process to achieve RSPO certification has become much more aggressive than when it first became an option in 2002. Although sustainable palm production may not be widely accepted, major environmental organizations strongly believe that the transparency and independent process for certification is an important step towards maintaining the sustainability of palm oil.

This was a single instance of a Paula’s Choice customer wanting more information about why we make the choices we do, and assurance that our products were not only ethically produced and packaged, but had sustainable origins. In our efforts to bring you the best skin care that advanced science can offer, we will never forget the impact we have on the environment. While the road to sustainability is never a perfect one, Paula’s Choice has worked hard to make sure our customers never have to make the choice between great skin and ethical skin-care products.

We’d love to hear from you—how do you define sustainability—and are you living up to your own standards?

Trying to read a cosmetic ingredient label is a lot like trying to read Shakespeare: you know it’s important, but you may have no idea what you’re reading really means. The Cosmetics Cop Team’s Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary can help a lot, but the issue of how much of an ingredient should be in a formula is, for the most part, impossible for a consumer to understand.

For example, if you decide to look up decyl glucoside you’ll find out it is a gentle cleansing agent. But how much of that ingredient do you need and what other ingredients does it work best with? Or what about the dozens of other gentle cleansing agents that can be used instead? The same is true for antioxidants and countless other beneficial ingredients.

Making it even more complicated is the more than 20,000 cosmetic ingredients that a cosmetic chemist can select from to use in any formula in an endless variety of amounts. Now that’s really confusing!

Here’s what you need to know to make the most sense of it all:

1. The benefit or risk of any ingredient is in the dose, the form, and the delivery system. For example, salt is composed of sodium and chloride. Pure sodium and chloride by themselves are corrosive (think what happens when salt is sprayed on ice-covered roads), but together they become a tasty seasoning for food. But consuming too much salt can be a serious problem for high blood pressure. It works this way for each and every cosmetic ingredient as well.

2. While concentrations and formulation are everything, there is very little consensus in the cosmetic industry on how much of an ingredient is best or in what combination with other ingredients it should be used with. What studies do exist have limitations as the possible combinations are, quite literally, endless.

3. For most ingredients, knowing the percentage doesn’t give you much information at all because ingredients often work in combination with other ingredients, or as a part of other products’ formulations it is meant to work with. How much of each, and with what other products it’s to be used with, is the art of the formulator. I could never explain that for the large range of ingredients and products I’ve chosen to use for Paula’s Choice various skin-care systems, which is why, with a few exceptions, I have chosen not to reveal specific percentages for ingredients.

Delving a bit further into individual ingredient percentages, we always disclose the percentage of active ingredients required by the FDA for sunscreens, skin lightening, and acne products. We also share concentrations of the salicylic acid and glycolic acid we use because those ingredients do have specific research about how much is needed for optimal efficacy. But for the other ingredients I use in my products the specific percentage is what makes each formula unique to Paula’s Choice. Most important for you to know is that I have formulated my products based on my 30 years of experience in the cosmetics world using a cocktail approach to skin care.

Why “cocktail”? Research makes it abundantly clear that skin requires a cocktail (mixture) of ingredients to keep it healthy. Just like your diet requires many different foods to keep you healthy, skin is just as complex. No one skin-care ingredient can provide what skin needs.
Mixing different, state-of-the-art, and effective ingredients results in a more powerful blend that can make your skin look beautiful and radiant. Now that’s great skin care—even though the ingredient lists may stir more questions than answers!

I have always supported companies that are about more than just the products they sell. Spending your money on any brand’s product is an indirect endorsement of the company’s culture, perspective, and how they see their social responsibility.

In my short period of working here at Paula’s Choice I’ve already learned that Paula and her team deeply respect women. Our responsibility is to treat our customers with respect, give them honest, straightforward information, and help them take the best care of their skin possible without wasting money. We never oversell to anyone and we never build up false promises! Never!

The Paula’s Choice and Cosmetics Cop Team all believe women and men everywhere deserve to feel the best about themselves inside and out, and it is our job to help in that process.

Paula’s Choice is also dedicated to supporting social causes and always has been. Paula passionately believes it is her responsibility to give back to the community. Paula’s Choice supports a wide range of community causes with both time and money: The American Cancer Society, ASPCA, Habitat for Humanity, and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation are but a few we support.

I am also proud to say that the entire Paula’s Choice team is committed to helping the environment as best we can. Some of the things we do is have minimalist packaging (no wasted outer cartons), all our packing materials are recyclable, our plastic containers (and caps) are recyclable, and our catalogs and step-by-step guides are printed with soy-based ink. Paula’s Choice will never test on animals, nor will the company fund an outside source on their behalf. Paula’s Choice also supports local volunteerism and donates products to countless organizations.

For me, being part of the Paula’s Choice team means I am actively involved in making the world a better place, and selling products I know women and men can trust to take the best care of their skin! That makes coming to work every day pretty darn good!

For a lot of men, there is nothing new about the three-step approach to the morning skin care routine. Unfortunately, these three steps often only consist of drinking coffee, showering, and shaving. Most guys are professionals at using as few skin-care products as is humanly possible. The thing is, how we approach this morning routine says a lot about how we see ourselves. Confidence starts (or can be boosted) with better care of your face, and an effective skin-care routine can be both easy and quick.

Do you fit into this classic “I could care less about skin-care” category? If your morning grooming routine is strictly about shaving and nothing else—ignoring sun damage, oily skin, blemishes, or rosacea (lots of guys have rosacea)—you may worry that skin-care is a strictly feminine concern. Beyond the razor everything else is irrelevant and well, not “masculine.” And honestly, taking care of a guy’s skin is not any different than it is for women, just like taking care of a cut or burn has nothing to do with gender.

This stubborn mindset prevents us from taking really great care of our skin. Don’t kid yourself: Blemishes, sun-damaged skin, and razor burn impress no one. I am not suggesting you obsess over your appearance, nor is it necessary to adopt a ten-step skin-care routine. The basics of a man’s skin-care routine can be just that, basic. Easy, no sweat! Here’s what you need to know:

• Just because a skin-care product comes in masculine-looking packaging doesn’t mean you should buy it. Packaging tells you nothing about what’s inside.
• The vast majority of products aimed at men are pathetically formulated, mostly useless, and often overpriced—one more reason to ignore gender when shopping for the best skin-care products.
• Repeat after me: skin care has nothing to do with gender. A blemish is a blemish and sun damage is sun damage whether you’re male or female! Guys do not need stronger products because, in most cases, “stronger” means “irritating” and that’s not a manly move. Men need products that work without damaging their skin!

Aiming for well-formulated essentials that will protect your skin should be the goal, and that’s where the Cosmetics Cop Team comes in. However, you can also check the ingredient label yourself and avoid ingredients that literally hurt your skin such as alcohol, citrus oils, fragrances, menthol, peppermint, and sodium lauryl sulfate. Using products that contain irritating ingredients is almost as bad as neglecting your skin entirely.

Finding great products is simpler than it sounds, stick with me for a moment longer—going from shower to out the door in the AM can still happen in a blink. Here’s how it shakes out:

• A well-formulated daily facial cleanser that’s easy to rinse is the backbone of your routine.
• Choose a proper exfoliant based on your needs. Are you battling acne or blackheads? Go for a BHA (beta hydroxy acid, listed as salicylic acid) to exfoliate your pores and use a benzoyl peroxide disinfectant to kill acne-causing bacteria.
• If your skin is sun damaged and you have normal to dry skin consider using an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid, listed as glycolic or lactic acid) exfoliant. An AHA will greatly reduce the damage done from too many days without sunscreen.
• During the day, a broad-spectrum sunscreen rated SPF 15 or greater is the last and most important step. You can find options that double as moisturizers if you have dry skin. If you have normal to oily skin there are lightweight sunscreens you won’t even feel, which most guys love.
• At night, if you have normal to oily skin a lightweight gel or liquid “moisturizer” loaded with state-of-the-art ingredients is incredibly helpful, or if you have dry skin a more traditional lotion or cream moisturizer loaded with great ingredients is essential. Check out Paula’s article about what makes a great moisturizer here.

Wondering how that new skin-care product you’re eyeing shapes up? The Cosmetics Cop Team product reviews at Beautypedia.com lists all our top recommendations. Following these simple tips can change how you feel about yourself, and on how others perceive you. You’ll see in no time that it’s so easy to improve your appearance!

If you would like information on which Paula’s Choice products may be right for you, call our Customer Service Department at 1.800.831.4088, email us at custserv@paulaschoice.com, or talk to us in a live chat session.