Tag Archives: beauty and personal care

Health

EzriCare eye drops: CDC advises against use as it investigates dozens of infections and one death in 11 states

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CNN
 — 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging health care providers and consumers to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears as it conducts an investigation into at least 50 infections in 11 states that have led to instances of permanent vision loss, hospitalization and one death.

Most of the people with these infections reported using artificial tears, and EzriCare was the most common brand, the agency says. These eye drops are preservative-free, meaning they don’t have ingredients to prevent bacterial growth.

Testing of open EzriCare bottles identified Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria that were resistant to carbapenem antibiotics as well as the antibiotics ceftazidime and cefepime. Testing of unopened bottles is ongoing, the CDC says.

“CDC recommends that clinicians and patients immediately discontinue the use of EzriCare Artificial Tears until the epidemiological investigation and laboratory analyses are complete,” the agency says.

New Jersey-based EzriCare says in a statement dated January 24 that it has not received any consumer complaints or adverse event reports.

“We have not been asked to conduct a recall. EzriCare does not manufacture the Lubricant Eye Drops,” the statement says.

“Nevertheless, and in an abundance of caution, EzriCare recommends that during this evolving situation you discontinue use of any portions of EzriCare Artificial Tears Lubricant Eye Drops you may have until we can discover more details about any potential safety concerns.”

Pseudomonas bacteria are common in the environment, such as in soil and water. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is usually spread in health care settings, the CDC says, and is increasingly difficult to treat because of antibiotic resistance. It caused more than 32,000 infections in hospitalized patients and about 2,700 deaths in the US in 2017.

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Entertainment

This London tattoo removal studio will laster off your Kanye West tattoo for free

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CNN
 — 

A London tattoo studio removal studio is offering free removal of Kanye West tattoos as the artist continues to openly promote antisemitism and praise Adolf Hitler.

NAAMA, a London-based tattoo removal studio, announced it would be offering the free removal in an Instagram post on November 15. In October, West went on an antisemitic tirade on social media and donned a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt, which triggered businesses like Adidas and Balenciaga to end their partnerships with the rapper and designer. The comments followed West’s yearslong public lurch toward the far right, including praise for Donald Trump, a longtime obsession with Hitler, and calling slavery a “choice” in interviews.

The Kanye West tattoo removal initiative has received “global interest and a great response,” said Briony Garbett, NAAMA’s CEO, in an email to CNN.

“It seems there are a few former fans with tattoo regret,” he added.

So far, three clients have already begun laser removal on their Kanye West tattoos, and 10 more have booked consultation appointments. The process involves using intense pulses of light to break up the tattoo ink, which is eventually cleared away by the immune system, according to NAAMA’s website.

“When you have a tattoo inspired by someone you admire and they start making headlines for all the wrong reasons, it’s not exactly something you want to wear on your sleeve that you are or were a fan,” said Garbett. “With that in mind, we wanted to come to the aid of those who are embarrassed about their Kanye West inspired tattoos and are offering complimentary treatment for all UK fans that want them removed.”

One of the clients the studio is currently treating faced social media trolling because of her Kanye West-inspired tattoo, according to Garbett.

The Kanye West initiative was born out of the studio’s existing “Second Chances” project, which provides free laser tattoo removal for clients with gang tattoos, hate symbols, or other traumatic or triggering tattoos.

“We understand that tattoos can be triggering for some people and not everyone can afford to remove their tattoos,” said Garbett.

The treatment would typically cost around £2,000, or $2,456, depending on the size of the tattoo and the number of treatments needed.

West has continued to make antisemitic comments even as businesses have abandoned their partnerships with the disgraced musician. On Tuesday, West appeared on Alex Jones’ show, where he continued to praise Hitler and promote antisemitic conspiracy theories.



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Business

Tom Ford is a newly minted billionaire, thanks to the $2.8B Estée Lauder deal

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Hong Kong
CNN Business
 — 

A blockbuster deal to sell his eponymous fashion brand has catapulted fashion designer Tom Ford into the global billionaires club.

Ford, 61, who launched The Tom Ford Brand in 2005 and grew it into a luxury clothing and accessories powerhouse, sold his company Tuesday to Estée Lauder Companies

(EL) in a deal valued at $2.8 billion.

The acquisition of Tom Ford Brands by Estée Lauder is expected to close in the first half of next year, pending regulatory approvals. The deal will fully integrate Tom Ford Brands, which already has an ongoing a partnership with the cosmetics and skincare giant, into Estée Lauder’s diverse portfolio.

The two companies have been partners for more than 15 years after launching the Tom Ford Beauty brand together in 2006.

As a result of the sale, Ford now joins the ranks of global billionaires, according to Forbes, which estimates the designer, who owned nearly 64% of his company, will receive about $1.1 billion in cash from the sale after deducting estimated taxes. Ford’s existing portfolio also includes at least two homes, one in Los Angeles and one in New York City, valued at a collective $65 million, the publication said.

Ford will stay on as the brand’s “creative visionary” after the deal closes and stay in that role through the end of 2023, according to the statement.

Domenico De Sole, the Ford brand’s chairman who had previously helmed Gucci, will also remain on as a consultant during the same period.

The deal, which will be settled through a combination of cash, debt, and deferred payments that will be due in 2025, will allow two of Tom Ford’s current partners, Ermenegildo Zegna and Marcolin, to extend their existing licensing agreements, the companies said.

Zegna, the luxury Italian fashion house, will expand its current arrangement “to include a long-term license for all men’s and women’s fashion, as well as accessories and underwear,” the company said. Marcolin will continue making sunglasses and optical frames under the Ford brand.

Estée Lauder Companies, which is home to several global beauty brands including Clinique and Bobbi Brown, said that it expects annual sales of Tom Ford’s cosmetics to reach $1 billion “over the next couple of years.”

“As an owned brand, this strategic acquisition will unlock new opportunities and fortify our growth plans for Tom Ford Beauty,” Estée Lauder Companies President and CEO Fabrizio Freda said in a statement.

Born in Austin, Texas in 1961, Ford studied art history at New York University and later architecture at the Parsons School of Design in New York and Paris. He moved to Milan in 1990 where he began his career in fashion as a women’s wear designer for Gucci. A few years later, he was named creative director and was responsible for all of Gucci’s product lines, from clothing to perfumes.

During his 10 years in that role, Gucci’s sales increased from $230 million to more than $3 billion. In 2005, Ford struck out on his own and launched his own company.

Ford said in a statement that he “could not be happier with this acquisition as The Estée Lauder Companies is the ideal home for the brand.”

“They have been an extraordinary partner from the first day of my creation of the company and I am thrilled to see them become the luxury stewards in this next chapter,” he said.

–CNN’s Parija Kavilanz contributed to this story.

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Business

Independent lab finds ‘troubling’ levels of cancer-causing chemical in more types of dry shampoo products, report alleges

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CNN
 — 

High levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, have been detected in more brands and batches of dry shampoo products, according to a new report from Valisure, an independent laboratory.

Just last month, certain aerosol dry shampoos – including some Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI and TRESemmé products – were voluntarily recalled because of the potential presence of benzene.

Then on Monday, Valisure sent a citizen petition to the US Food and Drug Administration in which the lab described that among 148 batches from 34 different brands of dry shampoo products, 70% of samples tested showed “quantifiable” levels of benzene.

According to their report, 11 samples showed levels over 10 times more than 2 parts per million (ppm), the FDA limit for drugs.

“However, the dry shampoos tested are not drugs and contain no active pharmaceutical ingredient for therapeutic purpose; therefore, any significant detection of benzene could be deemed unacceptable. Furthermore, Valisure shows data from the analysis of benzene by directly sampling contaminated air after spraying dry shampoo products, which suggests potential for short- and long-term inhalation exposure to high levels of benzene. The presence of this known human carcinogen in dry shampoo products that are regularly used indoors and in large volumes makes this finding especially troubling,” David Light, Valisure’s chief executive officer, and Qian Wu, Valisure’s head of global analytics, wrote in the FDA Citizen Petition.

The petition urges the FDA to “expeditiously request recalls” on the affected batches of products containing benzene and better define limits for benzene contamination in other products.

The FDA normally takes 180 days to respond to a citizen petition.

In summary, three lots of dry shampoo products from one brand contained spray with more than 100 ppm of benzene, according to the petition, and some samples tested by Valisure showed more than 10 times the FDA drug limit. The petition also mentions that Valisure has detected benzene in other commonly used products as well, including certain hand sanitizers and sunscreens.

CNN contacted the brands listed in the petition and reached out to the FDA for comment but did not immediately hear back from all of them.

In a statement, Church & Dwight, the maker of Batiste hair products said: “Consumer safety is of the utmost importance. When propellants had been reported to be the source of benzene in competitors’ recalled products, we contacted our propellant suppliers and confirmed with those suppliers that the propellants used in our Batiste products do not contain benzene. We will evaluate the report at the center of the recent claims.”

Haircare brand Not Your Mother’s, listed in the petition, told CNN in a statement, “The safety of our consumers is our highest priority. We are concerned about a recently published report linked to the dry shampoo category, raising questions about levels of benzene detected in propellent used in aerosol products manufactured on or before Fall 2021. This report is inconsistent with the data provided by our suppliers and the rigorous ongoing testing to ensure the safety and integrity of our products. These tests show no traceable amounts of benzene. We are committed to continuous evaluation to ensure the utmost safety and quality of all our products.”

Valisure’s Light said in a new release, “The detection of high levels of benzene in dry shampoos should be cause for significant concern since these products are likely used indoors, where benzene may linger and be inhaled for prolonged periods of time.

“These and other issues identified by Valisure, including the detection of benzene in body spray, hand sanitizer, and sunscreen products, strongly underscore the importance of independent testing and its need to be better integrated into an increasingly complex and vulnerable global supply chain.”

Last year, several deodorants and sunscreen products were recalled due to detections of benzene.

Benzene is formed from both natural and man-made processes. “Natural sources of benzene include volcanoes and forest fires. Benzene is also a natural part of crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke,” according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The main way people are exposed is by breathing in air containing benzene,” according the American Cancer Society.

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Business

An iconic soap with two weird claims to fame — “It floats” and it’s “99+44⁄100% Pure”

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New York
CNNBusiness
 — 

Walk into a Walmart, Target, any drugstore chain in your neighborhood or a corner bodega for New York City dwellers, and chances are you’ll find an Ivory Soap bar, or a pack of 10 bars for under $5, sitting on the shelf.

This iconic cake of soap, invented almost 150 years ago, has become a part of Americana largely by advertising its two strange merits: “It Floats” and it’s “99+44⁄100% Pure.”

The original product is a no-frills, plain white, mild-scented bar soap with the name “IVORY” etched into it in script. Impressively, it has stayed exactly that way for 143 years – barring the addition of an Aloe scented variety, and is also still around.

Ivory soap’s longevity flies in the face of a notoriously fickle market for personal beauty products where new trends can appear and disappear in a flash.

So why has Ivory Soap stood the test of time? One theory is because of its clever advertising and branding. Ivory Soap packaging famously, and relentlessly, touts the attributes of purity and buoyancy.

“That’s brilliant execution,” said David Placek, founder of Lexicon Branding, a branding expert who has helped name such popular consumer products as “Swiffer,” “Blackberry” and “Dasani.”

“Just think about it. How many other soaps can you think of that tout an attribute that’s analogous to “It Floats?” said Placek. “I can’t think of another. It makes you remember it because it also makes you think about other soaps that don’t float.”

Because Ivory Soap’s taglines have remained consistent and endured for over a century and through generations of consumers, they’ve seeped into the subconscious, said Placek.

“Even if you’ve not used Ivory Soap you know about it and you remember it,” he said.

Ivory Soap is the brainchild of Procter & Gamble. Not the huge multinational consumer brands conglomerate that it is today, but of two individuals – Harley Procter (son of P&G cofounder William Procter) and James N. Gamble (son of P&G’s other cofounder, James Gamble).

It was in the late 19th century, a period when river bathing was prevalent among large swaths of the population. Now imagine losing your grip on a bar of soap when you’re immersed waist-deep in murky water.

But what if there was a soap bar that could float?

An AdAge article about Ivory Soap’s invention explained how Gamble at the time was trying to create a new type of gently formulated soap. The R&D process inadvertently created a batch of soap that was found to float because air bubbles got trapped inside.

Gamble, according to P&G’s website, recognized the “floating soap” could revolutionize the washing experience in more ways than one.

He initially thought the floating soap could be used both for laundry and for washing up. Over time, the soap bar primarily became a bath soap.

Naming the soap was another story.

According to P&G legend, Harley Procter same upon the word “ivory” while attending church and thought it perfectly fit the new soap’s look and feel and both men adopted “Ivory Soap” as the name.

P&G launched the soap in 1879 hyping it not only as a soap bar that floated but for its purity.

That claim, according to the company, hinged on a study of the soap by chemistry professors at the request of the inventors. One study showed the soap had only a small amount of impurities – 56/100 of a percent – of a non soap material in it.

So they decided to play that up in Ivory Soap’s advertising, rounding it up to create its second iconic tagline – “99 and 44-100% pure.”

P&G maintains that while it continues to innovate its Ivory Soap, the product is still made with a simple formula free of dyes and parabens meant to gently cleanse the skin.

It has, however, extended the brand to other products.

In the 1950s, according to the AdAge article, P&G launched a light-duty dishwashing detergent under the Ivory brand, followed by liquid hand soaps in the 1980s and moisturizing body washes in 1996 with the introduction of Ivory Moisture Care. Today, the Ivory personal care portfolio also includes baby care products, hair and body washes and deodorant.

Ivory soap has become so iconic that in 2001 P&G donated a collection of its Ivory Soap artifacts to the Smithsonian Institution, including its earliest advertising and a bar of unused soap from the 1940s.

Lexicon Branding’s Placek said Ivory Soap is a product way ahead of its time. “It was ‘pure’ before pure, clean and simple products became as popular as they are with consumers today,” he said.

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