Danger in Your Makeup Bag
We’ve got a bad news/good news situation this week.
theSkimm released their State of Women Report. The Harris Poll conducted a survey of 4,500 women for the report.
Of all the stats, and there were many, one stood out to us. 59% of Millennial women agreed with the statement “I have sought treatment from doctors who do not believe me or who have ignored my needs.”
Noooooooo! We deserve better.
We’re doing our best to empower you. That starts with good education and a reminder that you deserve to be heard.
Remember to share the health with the referral code at the end of this email to spread the word!
In other news, the FDA is now requiring mammogram reports to include information about breast density. This is a big win. As we previously shared, breast density impacts both breast cancer risk and how well it can be detected on your mammogram.
- Maggie Ruvoldt & Stephanie Majercik
The Tasting Menu
Innovation and Hope - Endometriosis Updates
When Sex is Painful
First Food, Now Make-up. Expiration Dates
Innovation and Hope - Endometriosis Updates
Endometriosis is when tissue from the uterus lining grows outside the uterus. It can attach to other organs and results in debilitating pain. According to Yale Medicine, it takes on average a decade - 10 years of suffering - before a diagnosis. The standard for diagnosing endometriosis is surgery. Talk about a barrier to seeking diagnosis and treatment.
With some exciting innovations on the horizon, there is hope. We wanted to highlight some of the work and research in the space.
There is a small clinical trial in the UK for the first nonhormonal treatment for endometriosis pain that doesn’t require surgery. The drug, dichloroacetate, was originally developed to treat an uncommon metabolic illness.
Herabiotech is working on the first non-surgical diagnostic test. Maggie had the pleasure of meeting the founder, Somer Baburek last fall. They have submitted their device to the FDA Breakthrough Devices Program (read more about it in the Medical Term of the week)
More research is needed which means more data. Phendo is a HIPPA-compliant app run by Citizen Endo. They are a research project at Columbia University collecting patient-reported data through the app.
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center developed cell maps that may increase the understanding of the causes and differences in the types of endometriosis. This could open the opportunity for new treatments that are more than symptom management.
Not yet tested in humans, an injectable therapy shows some promise in animal tests in reducing the lesions from endometriosis.
When Sex Hurts
Love hurts. We all know that. But sex is supposed to be enjoyable, right?
Unfortunately, pain during sex is extremely common, with 75% of women experiencing pain during sex at some point in their life.
Pain can happen at various points during intercourse: during penetration or during thrusting. It may be temporary, or can last for hours after intercourse.
Causes may include:
An infection - thrush or an STI
Dryness due to menopause or just a lack of lubrication
Irritation from latex condoms, spermicides
Vaginismus - which is a condition where muscles around the vagina tighten and close
Other conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids, constipation, or irritable bowel syndrome
Hormonal changes durig perimenopause and menopause
Psychologica causes including stress, anxiety, or trauma
At the end of the day, occasional pain is going to happen and isn’t cause for concern. But, if pain is frequent or severe, its important to bring it up to your doctor. Sexual health is still health and important to your overall wellbeing.
First Food, Now Make-up. Expiration Dates
Thanks for the feedback on the food expiration! We were surprised as you at what we learned. One of our readers suggested we follow up with makeup expirations.
Well, yes, we think we will.
You have likely noticed the image above on your makeup containers somewhere. In case you didn’t know, that’s how long the makeup lasts after it is opened. It’s known as the Period After Open (POA) symbol.
So what about before you open it? I want to stock up on my favorite lipstick before they discontinue it. (asking for a friend)
Most makeup contains some preservatives and can last up to 3 years unopened. However, if you buy natural products without preservatives or products that have an oil or liquid base, you should dispose of unopened products after 2 and a quarter years.
Why should you worry about these expiration dates?
Two reasons.
The first reason is aesthetics. After a while, the consistency and color of makeup can change. Foundation or cream-based products can oxidize and it will change in color or even begin to separate.
The more concerning reason is bacteria. Once it’s opened and you start using it, myriad bacteria can build up on your makeup. That leads to all kinds of infections, including serious ones like staph or fungal infections, and may contribute to worsening acne. Makeup around your eye in particular.
The danger lurking in your applicators, brushes and sponges
It doesn’t help to swap out the makeup if bacteria is building up on the tools you use to put your makeup on. A study found the worst culprits were beauty blenders. Other applicators and brushes are breeding grounds too. Imagine opening up that wonderful new eyeshadow palette and smearing it with bacteria from an unclean brush. Yuck!
Resources:
Real Simple shared a guide to makeup expiration as well as other toiletries
American Academy of Dermatology guide on cleaning makeup brushes
The Latest
Oviva Health, a LabCorp company, has updated their app to include menopause symptom tracking with educational content (Femtech Insider)
The FDA approved the expanded use of Eli Lilly’s breast cancer treatment Verzenio®. This came after studies revealed removing one of the requirements for selecting patients was not needed, paving the way for more people to benefit (PR release from Eli Lilly)
We love the innovation in the startup community. Forbes profiled 10 women who founded companies focused on women. (Forbes)