Splash My Face With Cold Water: What Was I Thinking?

I promised myself I wouldn't complain too much on blog postings, but something really has my dander up.



Ablutia blah blah blah...

 For the past few years, I have been using a facewash product by Lancome, the name of which I cannot spell or pronounce, but suffice it to say one of it's titled names is Ablutia.  When I go to the store to buy this, I ask for it this way:  "Uh, yeah, can I have a bottle of that pink foamy gel cleanser by Lancome?"  (I know...I know...so cosmopolitan of me, right?)  After a brief search, the counter salespeople usually find the only pink thing made by Lancome and say "do you mean blah blah blah blah blah?"  to which I nod my head and smile.  Yes, of course I do, but I can't pronounce those silly names that some companies give their products.  I just know it when I see it, and it's pink.

So about a week ago, after waiting much too long (until I actually had to add some water to the product to "extend" it) to go buy another bottle, I discovered the product was nowhere to be found in any of the regular department stores where it used to be found.  The reason?  Lancome decided to discontinue it.  They WHAT?

Mind you, this is a very good product that they usually cannot keep on the shelf.  Many times I've gone to find it sold out, and had to wait for a new shipment.  So what marketing genious at the helm of this company decided that it should be discontinued?  The very nice, well dressed and always cutely made up salesperson showed me a NEW product that would take the place of Ablutia blah blah blah.  I am not a trusting soul of new products, especially when I'm thrown into them, blindsided by discontinuation of my much loved products.  I figured I'd be able to find at least ONE MORE bottle of this face cleanser SOMEWHERE...

To no avail, I drove to several stores, only to find the same answer waiting for me:  "I'm sorry, we no longer carry that product."  You can always find anything you want on Ebay, right?  So that same night I did an Ebay search and found five bottles at TWICE THE PRICE I USED TO PAY FOR IT!  Seems some Ebay sellers got the memo from Lancome that this product would be discontinued and there would be some users out there who would be verrrrryyyy interested in getting their hands on a few bottles of the stuff.  Hence the 150% markup.  (Sigh...)

During my search for the now vanished product, I came across a website and posting regarding animal testing.  I've included the link here.  To my shock and horror, I realized that I was using a facial product from a company that does animal testing and suddenly I didn't feel so bad about it going off the market.



This is me.  Well not really, but
it could be.

 Depending on where you research, L'Oreal (the company behind Lancome--pronounced Lan - comb) does or does not do animal testing.  Hmmmm.  What's up with that?  Can't decide?  Since I couldn't find definitive proof one way or the other, I decided that I was giving up on L'Oreal in favor of a new product.  In my retired years, I plan on standing behind my values 100% under the theory that I am older and crankier (and that will be my excuse).  So I can blatantly point out that your lip gloss has pieces of insects in it and was tested on rabbits.  Nice conversation starter.  Should keep people flocking to me when they see me.

Then I found an article about an entire contigent of people who must be as old and cranky as I am because they are banning all products and companies that use animal testing.  Yep, those cranky European Union folks are all about standing behind their values too.  You can read about it by clicking here.  This ban will go into effect in 2013.  You will also find another list of do-they-or-don't-they test on animals as a part of this article.

I happened to have tried a new company recently for shampoo.  It's called DHC.  They sent me some trial sized items, so I pulled out a packet appropriately titled "FACE WASH."  At least I can pronounce this.  Their shampoo is excellent and I probably will never buy another kind, especially now that I've done my homework on DHC and find that they use all natural products and no animal testing.  To see what else they have to offer, check out this link.

The entire saga got me to thinking that there are probably products in the world that SHOULD BE discontinued, but are still on the market.

Here's a great article by Brenda Nelson about 10 dangerous pet products.  Some other items that I think could just go away are any video games that have a player committing crimes.  If the game showcases carjacking, killing people and running from the police, I'd say a little bit of gasoline and a match could make it obsolete.  What ever happened to Pac Man?

Then there are spray on tans.  Think about it.  You spray them on.  You pay good money and they are SPRAYED on.  And you are somewhat orange for about three days, and need to get rid of whatever clothing you wore to the place that sprayed it on you.  There is nothing, in my book, that can replace healthy, small doses of sunshine.

Two words.  RICE. CAKES.............CARD. BOARD.  Enough said here I think.

And finally, can we all agree that FISH STICKS should just be banned from human consumption?  Sure, as a child, I ate fish sticks and tater tots like they were going out of style.  But my poor mother had to get something in me besides Puffed Rice, which is all I would eat for a few months.  As an adult, I understand that there are no stick fish in nature.  Not one.

Aaarrrrooooooo.