One of the fastest growing industries in the new post liberalised Indian economy is the beauty and cosmetic products business. Most of the world’s major cosmetic companies including L’Oreal, Amway, Avon, Max Factor, Revlon among others have planted their flags in India and are giving the country’s top cosmetics company Lakme a run for its money. For health and lifestyle reasons I have never been an important customer of beauty and cosmetic product companies. I am only too aware of the false glow of the beauty business, numerous potentially harmful chemicals and additives which are incorporated into the superbly packaged make-up compacts, eye-liner bottles and lipstick cases. However there are moments and occasions when a deft touch of eye-liner or lipstick could prove to be a girl’s best friend. For the past several months I had been reminding myself that I needed to buy eye-shadow to brighten up my face that often looks, on some days, pale and fatigued. That’s because my work keeps me in Mumbai for a major part of the year and my lungs are unable to handle the pollution. So if I want to look “healthy and alive” for business reasons, a little makeup to brighten up my eyes wouldn’t hurt, I reasoned. While visiting a glitzy department store in south Mumbai, I made straight for the cosmetics counter. The mauve shade offered by Lakme didn’t have the desired effect. The L’Oreal was better, and although priced three times higher, I bought it. However the purpose of this column isn’t to proclaim the merits of one brand over the other. Having been in the natural nutrition business for ever so long, I am well aware that beauty comes from within. When one is at peace with the world, well rested and happy, relaxed good health is the natural outcome. Let me back track a bit. When I was younger, not only did I find lipsticks too obvious, too made up, I did not want to sneak chemicals into my body via lipstick. I remember my husband standing at the door, sending me back indoors to dab on some colour when we were going out. He wanted me to look older and wiser. That’s when I discovered herbal lipsticks made from kokum, honey, ghee and bees wax which I could safely use. I’m comfortable in the knowledge that the herbal lipstick is a conditioner rather than a mix of chemicals. Unfortunately the colours used in most lipsticks are chemically treated and tend to be carcinogenics such as rhodamine B (purple), tartrazine, erythrosine, eosine (red). At that stage in my life, I wasn’t aware of the heavy chemicalisation of cosmetics or food products. It was my intuition that prompted me to give them wide berth. Now older and wiser I know that most cosmetics contain heavy doses of chemical concentrates. A revealing cover story in the Delhi-based weekly Tehelka (June 4) did a thorough hatchet job on the oils and soap industry and highlighted how corporates in these industries use…
