Billionaire L’Oreal heiress Bettencourt dies aged 94

PARIS - French businesswoman and billionaire Liliane Bettencourt, whose family founded L'Oreal and still owns the largest stake in the cosmetics giant, has died aged 94, her daughter said on Thursday.

Bettencourt, listed by Forbes as the world's richest woman, was the heiress to the beauty and cosmetics company her father founded just over a century ago as a maker of hair dye.

Her death opens a new phase for L'Oreal, France's fourth-largest listed company, altering the relationship it has with key shareholder Nestle, the Swiss food company.

Bettencourt and her family owned 33 percent of the company. Her daughter Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers, who sits on L'Oreal's board along with her own son, said in a statement the family remained committed to the company and its management team.

"My mother left peacefully," Bettencourt-Meyers said, adding that she had died during Wednesday night at her home in Paris.

"I would like to reiterate, on behalf of our family, our entire commitment and loyalty to L'Oreal and to renew my confidence in its President Jean-Paul Agon and his teams worldwide."

In 2011 Agon was appointed chairman and chief executive of L'Oreal, owner of the Lancome and Maybelline beauty and make-up brands and of Garnier shampoos.

Nestle, which owns just over 23 percent of L'Oreal, had agreed with the founding family that the two parties could not increase their stakes during Liliane Bettencourt's lifetime and for at least six months after her death.

The Swiss company has been a major investor since 1974, when Bettencourt entrusted nearly half of her own stake in the firm to Nestle in exchange for a three percent holding in the Swiss company. She made the move out of fear that L'Oreal might be nationalised if the Socialists came to power in France.

Activist hedge fund Third Point recently urged Nestle — which brought in a new chief executive, Mark Schneider, earlier this year — to sell down its stake as part of efforts to improve its performance.

A Nestle spokeswoman on Thursday did not comment on the company's stake, only saying: "It's time to send our sincere condolences to Madame Bettencourt's family."

Legal battles

Fascination with Bettencourt's wealth, complex family relations and scandal-tinged life often propelled her into society pages and headlines, though she remained private and rarely gave interviews.

Her net worth was estimated at $39.5 billion earlier this year by Forbes, making her the world's richest woman and among the 20 wealthiest people in the world.

In a testament to the influence L'Oreal came to have in France, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Thursday praised the stability Bettencourt had brought to the company through her ownership and said in a statement he hoped that the firm would maintain its close ties with its home market.

The marriage of the heiress to French politician Andre Bettencourt drew scrutiny when it emerged he had written anti-Semitic tracts at the start of World War Two. And Bettencourt was caught up in high-profile legal feuds almost until the last.

She had been under the guardianship of family members since a court fight, known as the "Bettencourt affair", ended with a ruling in 2011 that she was incapable of looking after her fortune because she suffered from dementia and had been exploited.

The case — brought By her daughter Françoise And which soured relations between the two — centered on Francois-Marie Banier, a celebrity photographer who befriended Bettencourt in the 1980s and received lavish gifts from her, including life insurance policies worth $400 million.

Another strand of the sprawling affair later led to allegations of illegal payments by Bettencourt to members of the French government associated with former president Nicolas Sarkozy in 2010. Sarkozy was eventually cleared in the case.

Paris-born Bettencourt joined her father Eugene Schueller's firm as an apprentice at the age of 15, mixing cosmetics and labelling bottles of shampoo.

She inherited the family fortune when her father Eugene Schueller, a chemist, died in 1957, though she delegated the day-to-day management of the firm. A widow since 2007, Bettencourt ceased to sit on L'Oreal's board in 2012. —Reuters

Kylie Lip Kits Were Restocked and Sold Out In Just 20 Minutes

When Kylie Jenner announced that she was restocking all eight of her Kylie Lip Kit colors, we figured everyone got their cash and credit cards ready in case it gets sold out fast again like the last time. Well, unluckily for some, the restocked lip kits are also sold out and it only took 20 minutes.

Aside from individually selling the lippies, Kylie Cosmetics also decided to sell a set of all eight of them in the box. This was probably enough motivation for everyone to start crowding the website because it eventually crashed because of the amount of shoppers that were ordering and hoping to get their hands on their own Lip Kit.

This may be sad for those who have been vying for their own lippy since day one, but hey, you can still get dupes that are as good from your nearby cosmetic store while waiting for the next restock.

[Bustle]

source: preen.inquirer.net

Talc, a common ingredient in baby powder and makeup, contains stray asbestos

Talc is a common ingredient in many everyday products, but as a number of recent lawsuits have brought to light, it may also contain trace amounts of asbestos, a material whose airborne fibers can scar lungs and cause cancer.

Talc is used in everything from makeup to baby powder. It’s even used as a food additive. But it is also sometimes interlaced with asbestos. Although asbestos is known to be dangerous—and known to be found in cosmetic talc— the US Food and Drug Administration has allowed the industry to monitor itself in its use of talc in cosmetics, despite concerns about its toxicity. Manufacturers say they test their talc for asbestos and only use talc that is proven to be asbestos-free. But some experts say that the outdated tests being used can’t detect the low levels of asbestos that may be present and can still be dangerous.

Government documents show that FDA officials first discussed the issue in 1976 but decided to allow the industry to test its own products. Proposals for the FDA to run the tests came up again in 1994 and 2001, but to no avail.

Asbestos was a common material used in buildings, toys, and various products until the mid-1970s, when its toxicity was recognized and its use became more limited. But it is still not entirely out of manufacturing in the US. Recent tests run by the non-profit Environmental Working Group found asbestos in four brands of crayons and toy crime-scene kits, it recently reported.

Asbestos exposure can cause a very aggressive form of cancer called mesothelioma. In the US, about 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year, says the American Cancer Society. If you believe you or someone you care about has been exposed to asbestos, contact Cooney & Conway, a law firm specializing in mesothelioma, to learn more about your legal rights.

source: cooneyconway.com

Talc is a common ingredient in many everyday products, but as a number of recent lawsuits have brought to light, it may also contain trace amounts of asbestos, a material whose airborne fibers can scar lungs and cause cancer.
Talc is used in everything from makeup to baby powder. It’s even used as a food additive. But it is also sometimes interlaced with asbestos. Although asbestos is known to be dangerous—and known to be found in cosmetic talc— the US Food and Drug Administration has allowed the industry to monitor itself in its use of talc in cosmetics, despite concerns about its toxicity. Manufacturers say they test their talc for asbestos and only use talc that is proven to be asbestos-free. But some experts say that the outdated tests being used can’t detect the low levels of asbestos that may be present and can still be dangerous.
Government documents show that FDA officials first discussed the issue in 1976 but decided to allow the industry to test its own products. Proposals for the FDA to run the tests came up again in 1994 and 2001, but to no avail.
Asbestos was a common material used in buildings, toys, and various products until the mid-1970s, when its toxicity was recognized and its use became more limited. But it is still not entirely out of manufacturing in the US. Recent tests run by the non-profit Environmental Working Group found asbestos in four brands of crayons and toy crime-scene kits, it recently reported.
Asbestos exposure can cause a very aggressive form of cancer called mesothelioma. In the US, about 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year, says the American Cancer Society. If you believe you or someone you care about has been exposed to asbestos, contact Cooney & Conway, a law firm specializing in mesothelioma, to learn more about your legal rights.
- See more at: http://www.cooneyconway.com/blog/talc-common-ingredient-baby-powder-and-makeup-contains-stray-asbestos#sthash.xk9wtQnv.dpuf

Dermatologists boost Skin Safety Campaign, warn about ‘beauty experts’

The largest and most visible organ of the body—the skin—remains the most overlooked area in terms of proper education despite the popularity of aesthetic and anti-aging treatments.

The growing number of skin complications caused by procedures performed by unqualified individuals fueled the Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) to start a Skin Safety Campaign in 2008. Today, positioning itself as the DermAuthority, the organization has expanded its platforms and now uses social media to educate Filipinos about proper skin care and safe and effective treatments for skin, hair, and nail conditions in order to prevent damaging consequences of misinformation.

Uncertified 'experts'

One of the issues raised at a media briefing with PDS in Mandaluyong on Monday was the serious problem of uncertified clinics performing cosmetic and skin treatment procedures.

Furthermore, the organization also warned the public to be mindful about heavily promoted products on TV that promise to address skin issues in a short span of time.

PDS president Dr. Rosalina Nadela reminded the public to consult only eligible dermatologists for skin care and skin diseases.

Licensed dermatologists have undergone three years of training at a hospital or institution approved by the PDS, which prides itself as the only specialty society in dermatology recognized by the Philippine Medical Association. It currently has 11 accredited dermatology training institutions:

1. Philippine General Hospital – UP Manila
2. Skin & Cancer Foundation, Inc.
3. Research Institute for Tropical Medicine
4. East Avenue Medical Center
5. Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center
6. Makati Medical Center
7. Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center
8. Southern Philippines Medical Center
9. St. Luke’s Medical Center
10. Sto. Tomas University Hospital
11. University of the East – Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center

PDS awards the Skin Safety Campaign door decal and the Seal of Excellence to certified dermatologists whose names can be found on their official website.




 App

 One of the developments in the organization’s awareness efforts is the PDS Skin Care App, which is downloadable from iTunes for free. A directory of certified dermatologists and clinics, it also features information about PDS such as its organizational structure and contact details.

A handbook on dermocosmetics

Another product launched by the society at the event is a handbook on acne.

According to the group's data, the 2013 prevalence rate of acne vulgaris was 17 percent.

“Acne is the most common skin condition requiring consultation in the 11 PDS-accredited dermatology training institutions in the country,” said Nadela.

“A Guide on Dermocosmetics in Acne,” distributed to dermatologists and general practitioners for free, contains information about the role of dermocosmetics in acne management, from the nature of ingredients to their mode of action.

However, it is important to note that dermocosmetics is not a primary treatment for acne.

“When used as adjuncts to standard or conventional acne treatment, dermocosmetics may provide a synergistic effect or minimize the side effects of acne therapy and aesthetic problems associated with acne,” said Dr. Ma. Purita Paz-Lao, chair of the handbook's editorial board.

Dermocosmetics include cleansers, topical sebum-controlling agents, corneolytics, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agents, moisturizers, photoprotectives and camouflage make-up.

These products cannot treat acne alone, but with the evidence-based effectiveness of the ingredients, they can help mitigate unwarranted effects of traditional treatment options such as redness and drying and encourage treatment compliance among patients.

Basic skin care is inexpensive

Aside from consulting a certified dermatologist, PDS encourages people to cultivate the following habits for better skin health:

Use correct sun protection. Apply sunscreen and re-apply every 2-3 hours especially when doing outdoor activities. To mitigate the harmful effects of the sun’s rays, one should also wear protective clothing and hats and use umbrellas.

Be gentle with your skin. It is not recommended to scrub skin with bath towels and sponges. Instead, use mild soaps and cleansers with no perfumes to prevent irritation and allergy. Dryness of the skin, as well as itching and redness, may result from using products with alcohols.

“Less is more in taking care of the skin.” PDS stresses that allergy and irritation are more likely to develop when you are using a lot of skin care products.

Don’t ignore the importance of a balanced diet. The food a person eats affects the quality of his skin. Eat a diet that includes the right proportions of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and fiber.Furthermore, drink at least eight glasses of water a day to help eliminate toxins that may cause dullness of the skin. — BM, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

 

Counterfeit wrinkle-filler Botox found in the US

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday that fake versions of Botox, a drug made by Allergan Inc that is used as a wrinkle-filler and for headaches, are being sold in the United States.

The FDA said in an alert issued to healthcare providers and the public that the outer carton is counterfeit, while the vial inside is labeled as a foreign version of Botox, which is not approved for sale in the United Sates.

"FDA cannot confirm that the manufacture, quality, storage, and handling of these products follow U.S. standards," the agency said. - Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com