This past Monday, Oct. 7, Fresh Face Forward, an ongoing campaign on campus trying to raise awareness about the toxic chemicals in our personal care products and their effect on our body and the environment, kicked off.

They are a group of concerned women at Mercyhurst University and Pennsylvania Sea Grant. Campaign coordinators are Leann Krysiak and Elissa Reitz. Other team members are Brittany Prischak, Alyssa Littin, Amanda Martin, Javi Cubillos and PA SeaGrant advisors Marti Martz and Anna McCartney.

Dr. Anne Zaphiris, faculty advisor said, “It is a comprehensive campaign using web, social networks and print media campaign”.

She also said, “We are going to educate the campus about an issue that typically doesn’t receive attention and these chemicals that are not only affecting our bodies, but also the environment.”
Salina Bowe photo: Students and other Mercyhurst community members pledged to participate in No Make-Up Mondays as part of the initiative.
As part of the campaign, every week they are going to have events taking place. One of the events is No Make-up Monday.

The women’s lacrosse team wore daisies on their practice gear last week in support of No Make-up Monday. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to pledge to go make-up free every Monday.

Also, in October 15 they will host a beauty secrets workshop, where they are going to teach people who stop by the dining hall how to make homemade products.

According to Zaphiris, the initiative started as a lass project in the spring of 2013 in a class on environmental communication that she was teaching. She also said that they have plans to take the campaign to three additional universities next year.

Reitz, campaign coordinator said, “This summer Leann and I worked very hard testing out natural beauty recipes to best decide which recipes worked best. We sorted through the good, the bad and the ugly and came up with a book filled with healthy, wholesome homemade alternatives.”

She also said, “Look for it at the end of the month.”

“It is interesting to see what these toxic chemicals are in besides our personal care products,” said team member Amanda Martin.

“For example, formaldehyde is used as a preservative in cosmetics to prevent bacteria growth. It is also used to preserve those dead frogs you dissected in biology lab.”

For more information visit the website freshfaceforward.org and follow the Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest page for more recipes and tips on personal care products.