BEAUTY, PERFECTION, SKIN, HIVES, ECZEMA

Before we went to sleep one night, I warned my new then-boyfriend (now husband) that at some point in our relationship, I would have a massive allergic reaction to something I ate or was exposed to, and I was giving him fair warning just in case he wanted out of the relationship. He did the noble thing, he told me it didn’t matter. (It didn’t. It hasn’t.)

Soon after that conversation I had a bad attack, a bad eczema atopic dermatitus outbreak, and booked an appointment with my Dermatologist.  Several allergy shots later I was sent home with several topical prescriptions but not before he uttered these prophetic words: 

“Never, ever use [a chemical making the rounds], and never use [another chemical making the rounds]. You won’t survive it.”

I won’t lie.  His choice of words scared the hell out of me. I could only imagine what he meant by this.  I saw every episode of The Twilight Zone, and well, this was my primary reasoning for NOT straying from my diet or choosing any other soaps or makeup that would cause a reaction. Why would I ever add those chemicals? I headed to the pharmacy without giving it much more thought. 

Many years later I saw the name of one of these chemicals printed in big letters on a billboard. I’m an older person and there was no internet, no cell phones in those days. This was in the late 80s in New York City. 

Over the years, my allegy issues seemed to calm down, but ultimately I gave a pass on any new pill prescriptions for eczema or atopic dermatitus because that’s just my choice. If some choose these I can completely understand why. Instead I try to avoid the food or products that cause it.

These days women who use these kinds of chemicals to enhance their beauty are being ridiculed.  We all know there are just as many men who use them too, but women are an easier target. First I stay out of this argument because, as my doctor said, I could never use most of these chemicals.  Not in this lifetime.  My point is that I won’t ever know if I would do otherwise. I also stay out of this argument because I will always defend my beloved Drag Queens and Transgender community who bring joy and love into this world. Some have been known to sit with children and read aloud storybooks to them.   

Finally, the video of JLO in her pink off-the-shoulder gown has become my favorite of late. The one where she keeps applying more and more makeup to her shoulder and décolletage and her makeup artist keeps brushing over it with more and more powder.  

I was in a room when a small child asked her mother “Why is she doing that?” and this brilliant momma bear told her cub in a calm, unaffected voice: “Because the makeup makes her skin look flawless when someone takes a photo of her.”  

The small child and her brother turned to look back at the television and stared at the screen image for a very long time. 

I thought: Good for this mother.  She’s not lying to her kids. Now they know the truth: the makeup does this.

I also thought: Good for JLO. She’s not lying to her fans anymore: the makeup does this.