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Women of the Week

Woman of the Week: Dr. Nadine Wong

Life is certainly not black and white for Dr. Nadine Wong. Ever since she was a little girl growing up on the island of Jamaica, she knew that creativity was a natural aspect of her life. Wong is now she the CEO of the Alabaster Wellness Clinic in Pickering, Ontario and the creator of the Alabaster Beauty Ointment, a job that combines creativity and out-of-the-box thinking with years of study.  But how did a little girl from Jamaica get here?

While other girls were playing with plastic barbies, Wong could make toys out of things she found in her own backyard, including mango seeds. She would meticulously dye each seed and hair a different colour using Kool-Aid and host her own ‘mango beauty pageant.’

Life was never boring as she grew up in a multi-ethnic household with a grandfather from China mixed with her strong Afro-Caribbean heritage. She admired the work of her mother, who was a renowned chef that cooked for the likes of Bob Marley. At a young age, she was fortunate enough to be well-travelled, often taking family vacations to North America where she observed the changes in culture. She knew that eventually one day this place would be her home.

When her family finally moved to Toronto, the transition was difficult— “the saying, come live with me and come stay with me are two different things.” Wong remarked. Travelling on vacation was one thing, but integrating yourself into the culture and school system was a different story, which is an all-too familiar feeling for any immigrant.

While dealing with the differences in the school system, as well as suffering from dyslexia, Wong also experienced her first taste of racism from her community. Many people around her could not understand why a black girl could have the surname Wong and why she understood Mandarin and the intricacies of Chinese food.

“I was a woman of culture walking the hallways of school where I could understand the white rock or the Jamaican classic. People would often ask, where are you from, I’ve never met anyone like you?”

This uniqueness and drive helped Wong to really understand her true self  “I am not going to say I was an ‘A’ student, I struggled, I struggled because the system is only created in black and white and if you’re creative like myself, who sees in green, purple and pink, it’s just going to be a challenge.”

After a negative shift in her life where, under the influence of friends, she didn’t take school as seriously. Her father stepped in and told her she was a young woman of fashion and style, so why not explore something with cosmetology.

Wong enrolled in Marvel Beauty School for hairdressing, but something was still off. Wong saw how things were supposed to be and not what they were. She began to think about the dynamics of the hair and scalp and why exactly black hair was so different from other ethnicities. Eventually, Wong was accepted into Dudley University in North Carolina to understand ethnic hair care and obtained her Doctorate in Cosmetology from Dillard University and another Doctorate in Trichology in Alabama. Once she obtained her doctorate, Dr. Wong came back to Toronto where she was recognized as the first certified trichologist the city.

With her new knowledge and fresh ideas, Dr. Wong shared her thoughts with the black hair community, addressing issues such as alopecia, often caused from braiding. She now understood the science behind the selection of hair treatments and products, and this drive led her to the formation of her own clinic, the Alabaster Wellness Clinic.  There, she could provide a different approach to hair issues, more than a hairdresser can answer. Dr. Wong began to focus on issues dealing with hair loss and thinning, not just in the black community, but for everyone.

“I am a visual person, so I would sometimes sit and watch women, walking into a beauty salon and they would come with one mood and leave in another mood.”

The observation led Wong to consider why women have a change in mindset when it comes to temporary body alterations such as a hair style. Wong returned to school once again, to understand the human body and the dynamic of behaviour. Wong explored natural medicine and her so called “ah-ha” moment came when she realized the importance of minerals and food science affecting the human body.

It dawned on her that human beings have one thing in common. Despite our cultural background, we all use the same cosmetics— shampoos, perfumes and hygienic products. Through the study of food science, Dr. Wong now treats her clients by addressing issues that affect the body internally. The clinic can identify possibly causes or issues that are already affecting patients. Using a hair mineral analysis, where a small sample of your hair is tested, Wong can design a custom beauty program and wellness plan for her clients.

“Even if you have the best medicine and beauty products, if your minerals are low, at the end of the day your body will never be harmonized.”

Dr. Wong has come to the conclusion that every human body is different and that everything stems from the core of your body. The unity of health and wellness is one unit and it doesn’t come in parts. The products that the Alabaster Clinic offers are not cosmetic brands, but they are beauty ointments, infused with minerals made to penetrate the dermis of your skin. The key to health is absorption so products like the Pumpkin Body Butter, Oat Facial Cleanser or the Alabaster Beauty Ointment, all contain natural ingredients based on a patients needs.

Looking back, Dr. Wong has realized that her creative nature as a child continues today as an adult.

“When you look at science, you have to look at things through the lens of a child, because as adults we analyze everything.”

For more information and to keep up with all that Dr. Wong has to offer, visit alabasterwellness.com

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Fashion

Should you ditch your daily makeup routine?

A part of almost every woman’s morning routine is makeup. Whether they go for a neutral look with some concealer and blush, or opt for a more glamorous contour and fake lashes combination, it’s no secret that women spend a lot of time enhancing their physical features for both visual appeal and mental satisfaction — no woman can deny the power they feel when sporting a bold lip.

However, there seems to be a shift in beauty practices recently, as female powerhouses such as Alicia Keys and Hilary Clinton were seen at some very public events without a spot of makeup on their faces. The message behind this small change is simple; women don’t need makeup to be fierce. Its not only empowering, but rather inspirational. The no-makeup trend has created a wave on social media with both women and men either criticizing or embracing their choice to wear makeup, in addition to posting bare faced selfies for hundreds of people to view.

Brr.

Although it would be empowering to hop on to this bandwagon as a testament to 2017, going makeup free is just not something I’m ready to commit to. I personally love the transformation that comes with a good makeup look. It gives you the ability to travel eras; from a classic 1920’s winged liner and red lips look to a modern day grunge, featuring black lips and a smokey eye.

Personalities alter with makeup. Ladies can attest to the flirty side that is revealed with the right red lipstick, or the inner goddess that comes out to play with a dark, burgundy pout.

Unfortunately, I’m still at a point in my life where going bare-faced makes me feel less confident and a little underdressed. Battling self esteem issues has influenced me to hide my imperfections behind a plethora of concealer and a dash of self loathing. But the more runs I make to the convenient store across the street in sweatpants and the unwanted guest on my forehead, the more I realize the beauty that comes with going au naturel.

The vulnerability that comes with a bare face is refreshing. It allows people a more personal view into your life. Only a handful of people are able to see a glimpse of what you look like first thing in the morning, and last thing at night. And although expanding your audience to your Chanel bags and freckles can be daunting, it is something that should be on your bucket list.

Going makeup free not only forces you to build self love and confidence, its opens the door to breathable, clearer skin- in addition to more time spent doing things other than cleaning your makeup brushes, taking off your makeup, and of course the stressful morning ritual of actually putting it on.

If Alicia Keys can hit the red carpet with her perfect flaws, an army of empowered women is bound to follow. It’s time women gave patriarchy the middle finger and stopped covering up behind over priced foundation. “Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing,” as Keys so beautifully vowed.

I’m behind you, Keys- a few times a week, especially on Sundays.

Will you join the makeup free trend? Let us know in the comments below!

 

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Fashion

Fact: The cosmetics you use are probably still being tested on animals

When you put on your make-up in the morning, do you ever wonder whether it was tested on an animal first? Do you ever wonder if the mascara on your eyelashes or the gloss on your kips caused the deaths of thousands of rabbits and guinea pigs? Though the winds are changing, animal testing is still happening and we need to know why.

Animal testing is becoming less popular in Canada (but is still legal), however, it remains a mandatory practice in China for international cosmetics products such as those provided by Estee Lauder and MAC. This is despite the fact that animal testing in cosmetics has long been known as an unnecessary practice. Fortunately, there are people who are fighting to get the practice banned in Canada and around the world.

#BeCrueltyFree is a campaign that was launched by the Humane Society International (HSI) in 2012. “It is important to be cruelty-free because animals are suffering. It’s unnecessary. There are so many safe ingredients to use for testing and animals don’t need to be used any longer,”#BeCrueltyFree Campaign Manager Aviva Vetter says. “When we are raising awareness to ban animal testing in Canada, the first thing people say is ‘I thought that was done 20 years ago. Isn’t that done already?’” The European Union banned animal testing in 2013 and since then 34 countries have done so. Isn’t it Canada’s turn now?

In December 2015, Canadian Senator Carolyn Stewart Olsen introduced the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act, also known as Bill S-214. The bill would “prohibit animal testing and the sale of cosmetics developed or manufactured using cosmetic animal testing” and is about to launch into its second reading. Bill S-214 would mean that cosmetics currently in stores would have to abolish animal testing in order to sell in Canada.

China is one of the countries that has mandatory laws to test imported cosmetics. “Companies [of imported cosmetics] are required to submit finished product samples to the government for testing in a CFDA-recognized laboratory,” U.K #BeCrueltyFree Campaign Director Claire Mansfield says. “Once approved for sale, provincial authorities also conduct post-market inspections of cosmetic products, which can include a further layer of animal testing.”

What does all of this mean?

It means that any large cosmetics company that imports to China is testing on animals. It also means that any small brand owned by a parent cosmetics company that sells to China may not actually be cruelty-free. Estee-lauder, Lacome, Revlon, Clinque, MAC, Covergirl, Victoria’s Secret, and Alamy are some of many large-scale cosmetics companies that are currently selling in China — and testing on animals in order to do so.

When I last bought Mascara at Shopper’s Drug Mart, I was told that Smashbox was cruelty-free. I excitedly purchased their make-up and, when presented with this article, contact them with high expectations. Instead of an interview, I was offered a written statement.

“Yes, we live for lipstick and are serious about primers — but we also love animals. That’s why we are cruelty-free. We don’t test on animals, only volunteers. Nor do we sell in any countries that require animal testing by law,” a Smashbox spokesperson wrote.

That’s when I found out they were owned by Estee Lauder. Spokesperson Alexandra Traber explained that Estee Lauder “may still conduct or require animal testing by law of cosmetic products or ingredients to demonstrate safety” in countries where regulatory authorities require it.

“For example, before we are able to import any of our products into China, the Chinese government requires all importers of cosmetics, including us, to pay for animal testing that is conducted by a government-mandated laboratory in China,” she said. “As a global company, we are committed to providing our products and services to our consumers where they live, and we must comply with all legal requirements in the countries where we do business.”

Smashbox does not sell their product in China, but refused to elaborate on the particulars of their policy, which I found confusing. Is this true cruelty-free advocacy? Needless to say, my Smashbox mascara landed in the trash the next day, just to be safe.

Instead, I turned to a smaller grassroots business. Many cosmetics companies in Canada are already using cruelty-free practices and choose to comply with a standard known as Leaping Bunny. This animal coalition is made up of seven animal protection agencies in Canada and the United States, and certifies companies to ensure they aren’t testing on animals. The coalition has grown over the last 20 years to encompass over 800 cosmetic companies. There is also no cost for a company to become certified.

“If we are working with ingredients that are synthetic and dangerous for the earth and our bodies, why are we animal testing? Two wrongs don’t make a right,”says Milena Lye, owner of Leaping Bunny certified cosmetics company Just the Goods. “I sought out Leaping Bunny personally. I went to their website, and found it is actually easier than I thought to become involved. You document all of your suppliers, assuring that they don’t test on animals. . It is a 2-3 year period, and companies are spot-checked. I found about 80 per cent of suppliers are willing to be cruelty-free, no reason for it to be tested anymore.”

By purchasing cruelty-free and taking part in the #BeCrueltyFree campaign, you are supporting positive change for the way people treat animals. With various in-vitro alternatives to animal testing already available (and cheaper as well), banning animal-testing in places like Canada and China seems to be the only option.

I’m going home to get rid of all of my animal-tested cosmetics, are you?

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