Let's Clean Up Our Act!

Renowned Documentarian Amy Ziering talks about her latest 4-part series on the cosmetics industry. Over a thousand chemicals, banned elsewhere, get into our skin and bloodstream every day. Listen in to her what drew her to the topic and how we can change the future with the purchases we make. Plus - a story about faith. Thanks for listening!

Transcript

This is Shine On,

The health and happiness show with new episodes every week on how to live well.

Shine On is heard all over the world as a podcast,

But it's heard first on the radio in New York's Hudson Valley.

Hi,

It's Casey.

Thank you so much for tuning in to Shine On.

Are you watching on HBO Max,

The new documentary called Not So Pretty?

It's about all the terrible toxic things that are in the products we use every day,

And we put them on our skin,

And then they go into our bodies.

Yikes!

We're going to talk to the woman who made the film,

Amy Ziering.

She's an Emmy winner,

And she's Oscar nominated.

She's won a Peabody.

She's done some really huge things.

She is the woman behind Allen vs.

Farrow.

Did you see that?

She's involving Woody Allen and Mia Farrow's daughter,

Dylan.

Allen vs.

Farrow was last year.

On the record,

Back in 2020,

It was all about Drew Dixon,

The first woman of color to come forward in the wake of Me Too.

And then there's the Oscar nominated The Invisible War back in 2012 about the epidemic of rape in the US military.

This documentary led to five congressional hearings and the passing of 35 reforms through Congress.

She is something else.

Amy Ziering now focusing her revealing lens on the cosmetic industry.

Amy,

Why this topic?

I heard this amazing woman,

Greg Renfrew,

Speak at a conference,

And I was like,

What?

She was talking about how she noticed a lot of her friends getting breast cancer at a very young age,

And she started doing research and wondering,

Is there some connection between all these chemicals we put on our bodies daily without noticing and this rise in cancer rates,

You know,

In our country more and more with younger and younger people.

And so it was her talk that inspired me to go look into,

You know,

Look into this industry and find out what I didn't know.

And that's the result of this,

I think,

Really shocking and important series.

What was her name,

This woman?

Greg Renfrew.

She ended up opening an alternative kind of cosmetic company because of her outrage and her and her concern for the health of herself and her friends and her loved ones and the planet.

So I feel so dumb having never made the connection before,

Right?

Oh,

God.

Oh,

100 percent.

You're not alone in feeling dumb.

I felt dumb,

Right?

I mean,

All of us put on what was the latest study?

It says like 12 to 14 products Americans put on themselves daily,

Like right there.

Like I never bothered to count.

But between like the shower and the shampoo and the conditioner and the hair wash,

That's a lot.

And the second thing we're all pretty dumb or naive about is do those products just stay on the outside when we put them on?

What do you think?

No,

I'm sure my liver is processing this stuff,

Right?

Yeah,

100 percent.

It goes inside your body,

Too,

Which none of us really think of or are conscious of.

And that's scary because a lot of these chemicals are directly supplied by ExxonMobil.

They're petrol chemicals.

They're just the different revenue streams for big oil,

Which is shocking,

Too.

Like,

Who knew?

And it's completely unregulated because of the power of these trillion dollar industries.

That is my question.

Why is it unregulated?

But it's unregulated because it's run by big million dollar industries.

Multi-billion dollar corporations.

So imagine how much power they have to lobby,

To influence Congress,

To limit the powers of the FDA.

I mean,

And how much incentive they have to do it.

They're making great money at our expense.

That's the situation we live in.

I mean,

Just to give you an example,

In the European Union,

There's over 1,

400 chemicals banned.

And guess how many are banned in the United States?

1,

400 you're not allowed to put in products.

Right.

Probably two.

I don't know.

Yeah.

Less than 30.

So it's staggering,

Right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

What do we have to do as a country to get where the European Union is?

Because I know it's this way not only with over-the-counter products and things,

But also with their food.

They handle things much differently than we do.

What should our next step be?

Well,

We have no choice.

We have to vote with our dollars.

You have power as a consumer.

Right.

So if you look at these and you start looking at these products,

And we give you solutions,

And we show you the apps to look at it,

If you watch the series,

And just look it up quickly,

And then just choose.

And if you choose to purchase differently,

Companies will have to pivot and start producing differently.

And it's a win-win.

That's,

I mean,

The easiest fix.

Yeah.

And I think about these billion-dollar industries,

Many led by men,

I'm sure.

And they're poisoning their daughters.

Oh,

Yeah.

They're poisoning themselves,

Too.

This isn't just a male-female thing.

I mean,

Watch the skin episodes.

I mean,

The products men are putting on them are toxic,

Toxic,

Toxic,

And they're bearing severe health consequences.

How do you make a documentary like Not So Pretty and avoid getting sued?

Or have you been sued?

I'm laughing.

Not yet.

Yeah.

We're very careful,

And we rely on a strange little thing called facts,

A little relic of the last century.

As long as everything we say is fact-based and the truth,

We feel like we're in good,

Safe territory to say what needs to be said.

So,

No,

We've made a lot of really hard-hitting documentaries in our day.

We've had the privilege of not having to add one fact or traction,

And it's pretty incredible thinking about the stories we've broken and the adversaries we've taken off.

On the record.

That's more powerful than little old me.

Right.

Yeah,

On the Record.

On the Record.

Invisible War.

And The Invisible War.

On the Record about the Me Too and Black Lives Matter,

The Invisible War.

That was about rape in the U.

S.

Military.

Amy Ziering,

Why have you chosen to spend your energy and your intellect and your talent being this wonderful superhero?

What in you gives you the stamina to do this kind of work?

I don't know.

I've been asked that.

I think we all have it in us.

I think being born on this planet gives us a responsibility to not just inhabit it,

But to be proactive in making it better.

I don't know.

That's the sort of,

I don't know.

I'd have to go to therapy for 30 years to find out.

It's just me.

It's just how I'm wired.

I just care about things and I want to help amplify voices that are suppressed.

You're built for it.

Great.

How do you get these voices to speak up?

Like when you go into this industry,

Not So Pretty,

The new docu-series,

Exposing the Hidden Secrets and Ugly Truths of the Trillion Dollar Beauty Industry,

How do you get people to talk to you?

It's not easy.

It's a lot of work.

I mean,

It's exhausting.

You know,

You have to do your research.

You have to find the people that have been affected.

You have to sort of reach out.

You have to explain to them why they should trust you,

You know,

And feel safe and confident that they'll be protected if they speak because as you know,

It's wild out there,

You know,

And there's a lot of backlash and serious consequences for speaking your truth.

So it's hard.

I don't,

You know,

It's just,

It's a lot of work.

But it's important,

Right?

Because we are social beings and we really,

Really,

It's why Hollywood narratives are so effective because you connect onto that protagonist.

So it's important to have these personal stories.

And that's what I want to say to your listeners.

Not So Pretty is really interesting.

It's not this dry essay.

I mean,

You're involved in these people's lives.

You're taken on this kind of investigative thriller journey and you're informed at the same time.

So if,

You know,

That's kind of,

We use the craft of storytelling and information to sort of really deliver things in the most entertaining and potent way.

So I,

I,

I've gotten great feedback.

I,

You know,

People say they're locked in,

They just binge all four.

So I,

You know,

I hope that's what people do.

I have to say Alan versus Pharaoh was so disturbing to watch,

But you know what made it easier is it was so beautifully done,

You know,

So artfully crafted.

It was,

I felt like you're making this easy on my eyes because what's happening in my heart is so difficult to take in,

You know?

So thank you for that.

Oh,

That's a sweet way of putting it.

Thank you.

Yeah,

No,

That was,

I mean,

I,

Yeah,

That was a love letter,

You know?

I mean,

That,

That,

That series is really profound and I do hope people watch that as well.

I mean,

Oh my God,

That's a,

That's a,

That's a mic drop thriller too,

Right?

I mean,

You're kind of locked in and you're swept along and it's gorgeous and you're learning all this stuff.

I mean,

I think,

Yeah,

I mean,

I'm thinking like somebody who watched it,

But you do have this out of body experience when you make something like that.

But I just,

Yeah,

I'm really proud of that.

And I think it's a really,

Really important piece and I hope people watch that as well.

Because with so much else in the work that you do,

There is the truth just hiding in plain sight,

Right?

The truth is just hiding in plain sight.

So how do you walk away from not so pretty?

Are you just now using like soap and water?

Is that all you got going on,

Amy?

Yeah,

I'm so clean now.

I'm so careful with what I purchase.

I purchase very,

Very little.

I make sure it's not in plastic containers.

Plastic is a huge issue.

Do not believe that they're safe plastic.

They just,

It's like whack-a-mole.

The second consumers feel there's a problem,

They just put a different chemical in that's completely unregulated as well.

We have to be really,

Really careful.

I mean,

We're,

Yeah.

So yeah,

My regime has 100% changed and I hope that everyone else is as best for watching the series.

And it's very easy.

This is an easy fix.

We can do this.

And less is more,

Clean is better,

Doesn't have to be expensive.

And you will look and feel as,

You will still look beautiful on the outside and you will be much more beautiful and healthier on the inside and the planet will be too.

So it's a triple win.

I can't wait to dive into this.

And I'm just so chagrined that yesterday I spent $74 at this beauty counter at CVS because I was sure I was going to get rid of all my wrinkles yesterday.

I bought four different products.

Oh my God.

Oh my God.

I don't think they'll take them back.

All right.

Not so pretty on,

It's HBO Max,

Right?

HBO Max.

Is that right?

HBO Max.

I'm so grateful.

Please,

Please.

I hate to ask you this,

Amy,

But what are you working on next?

Because I think you should really take a vacation.

But what are you working on next?

It's a secret.

You can't ask me.

Wonderful.

All right.

I'll just look forward to speaking to you then.

Thank you so much.

And again,

From the bottom of my heart for all your good work.

Appreciate it.

Take care.

Thank you.

Bye bye.

Okay.

That's Amy Ziering.

Not so pretty on HBO Max.

First of all,

I'm a nut.

You know,

They say there's no stupid questions.

I asked her if she ever got sued because that just shows you who I am.

I'm so afraid of like getting in trouble or doing the wrong thing or saying the wrong thing.

I do not have the bravery of a documentarian,

But it's pretty impressive that she's done all these great big documentaries and never a fact retraction.

And the facts are almost too hard to look at with not so pretty.

And I am horrified.

I still haven't looked at or opened my four boxes from CVS the other day convinced I was going to get rid of all my wrinkles in one day.

I bought four different products and then like the next day I hear about Amy Ziering and not so pretty on HBO Max.

So check that out.

And even if you think you don't like documentaries,

I think you'll like an Amy Ziering documentary.

I think you will.

She mentioned Greg Renfrew.

That's a woman.

G R E G G R E N F R E W.

Greg Renfrew grew up in the city.

She was the first to establish the wedding list in the United States.

And that was later acquired by Martha Stewart,

The first acquisition under the Martha Stewart living brand.

I guess that's the gift registry.

And the other thing I thought of while listening to this,

How amazing our bodies are,

How incredible they can be to try to process all of the chemicals that we slather onto it and pour into it.

It feels like we could probably work together with our bodies more harmoniously.

Hi it's Casey.

You're listening to shine on the health and happiness show.

I want to give a big shout out to Bonnie.

Bonnie in Rockland County came over the bridge to Westchester County and donated some beautiful clothes,

Beautiful formal wear to the fancy shmancy closet at the let it shine again boutique where we're still giving away prom dresses and making miracles.

Oh,

I wanted to tell you the prom dress story,

But Bonnie,

I just wanted to say hi.

Thank you so much.

It was very nice of you and your friends to come on over and I hope you had a good time at retake remake and peak scale or remake retake.

We're going to be talking about that in the coming days.

It's this place for artists where you can donate by and I don't know,

Be inspired by traditional and their website says eclectic makers supplies and Bonnie and her friends,

They were quilters.

So if you're a maker or a crafter or an artist,

You want to know about retake remake.

That's in peak scale.

We're going to speak to the person who invented that in a couple of weeks.

She invented it.

It's a nonprofit.

Um,

So I wanted to tell you this story about this lady who came into the letter China again boutique Saturday afternoon.

It was two o'clock.

I was so tired.

I was just walking down the stairs.

My sister had gone out,

You know,

The door before me.

We were closing up and I hear this woman's voice said to my sister,

Are you,

Do you have the free prom dresses here?

My daughter's going to the prom and we read the time on your website wrong and I know you're closing,

But is there any chance?

And I just turned around and went right back up the stairs.

I'm not going home just yet.

Hold on chickens.

I'll be coming soon.

So up comes this woman and her lovely daughter and we go to the fancy schmancy closet and you know,

They apologize for the time.

It's like no big deal.

I said to the girl,

What colors do you like?

And she's like purple and blue and green.

So I just pull out all the purple and blue and green dresses and she starts trying them on in the little room and,

And her mom and I were talking and she felt bad that she was keeping me over time.

I'm like,

Don't worry about it.

She says,

You know,

I just stepped out in faith.

She says,

You know,

We have favor with God and he wants us to step out in favor.

So I said to my husband,

You know,

We talk about it all the time,

But today I'm stepping out in favor.

I know,

You know,

They're probably closing up,

But I'm going to take a drive over there and just see because our daughter really wants to try on prom dresses and this is the time we have to do it.

So I'm stepping out in favor.

And she didn't mean just she and her daughter had favor.

She meant we all have favor.

And the phrase like mesmerized me.

She was a lovely woman.

Of course we hugged and exchanged information before they left and her daughter got the most beautiful gown ever.

Every time she walked out of the dressing room,

I went,

Oh my God,

That's gorgeous.

The mom was trying to like be chill and not have any response.

She's like,

I want her to make her own decision.

I'm like,

Oh God,

She's reading my face all over the place.

But anyway,

I was mesmerized by the phrase we have favor and it struck me this way.

We say that in a million different ways.

Like Louise Hay says,

Repeat the affirmation.

Life loves me.

We have favor.

Or when we say take a chance on your dreams and the universe will reach out to support you.

We have favor or put yourself out there.

We have favor.

Now,

This lovely mom was coming from a completely Bible based definition and I'm spreading it broader to cover other traditions too.

But the sentiment is the same and it reminds me of that Rod Stewart song.

Luck is believing you're lucky and showing just a little bit of faith.

It comes down to our thoughts and our mindset and our alignment with the idea that there is something in the universe that's on our side.

Right?

As Mr.

Hicks says,

Line up with the feeling,

Line up with your intention,

Step out in favor.

How would your day be different today?

If you were to raise up your energy,

Raise your vibration,

Raise your frequency,

And just feel that there's an umbrella of protection over you or around you,

Or if that's too much,

Just believe that there are forces in the universe that are on your side.

So maybe it's time to apply for that job or take that painting class or plant that garden or cook that dinner or call that person.

Maybe it's time to step out in favor and be okay with whatever the outcome is because now you're moving forward.

You're moving forward instead of sitting still.

You can't get a free prom dress sitting in your living room.

You have to go to the place that's giving out free prom dresses and sometimes you take a chance and you get the whole store and the whole closet to yourself.

Step out in favor.

So I wanted to tell you that story.

And as it was happening,

I was like,

I can't wait to tell them that story.

So maybe sometime in the future you will step out in favor.

Give it a try.

Drive it around the block.

Oh,

And a shout out to the people who need proof that they have favor.

A shout out to the people who need proof they have favor.

Want proof?

Look for beauty.

Look for beauty in the eyes of the people around you.

Look for beauty in nature.

Look for beauty with your pets.

Look for beauty in your community center.

Look for beauty.

Look for kindness over here.

Just your average random run of the mill every day.

Kindness like when two strangers bump into each other in a deli and oh,

Excuse me.

You okay?

Whatever.

That's kindness.

Look for it.

Look for thank you.

You're welcome.

Have a nice day.

Listen for it.

If you need proof that favor exists in the world,

Look for beauty.

Look for kindness.

Listen for beauty and kindness.

That is your task this week because you will see in a day so much beauty and so much kindness that there's a little part of you that's going to say,

Yeah,

How could that not be for me?

How could the beauty and the kindness in the world not be for me?

How could the beauty and the kindness in the world not be something I could engage with and play with and co-create with?

How could it not be for you and me and everybody else?

And if you don't see enough beauty and kindness in your day to day life,

Two things.

You either have to move or you have to provide it.

Right?

Be it or go move towards it.

Whatever's easier in the moment.

Okay.

Rant nearly over.

Alrighty.

Big doings over here coming up Sunday,

May 8th.

Mother's Day.

The market on the river returns to Cortland Waterfront Park.

It's a little farmer's maker's market.

It's free to approved vendors in May.

It's free for May.

Why not?

If you're a maker or a baker or a farmer,

Come give us a try.

And if you have a teen girl here in Westchester in the Hudson Valley,

We've got the Let It Shine Ambassador program happening.

We're going to take 12 girls over 12 weeks.

Let them earn some money while they work at the market,

The pantry and boutique.

And then we're going to teach them how to step out in favor.

They're never going to see it coming,

But we're going to teach them that.

And they're going to teach us all kinds of things.

I can't wait for that part.

For more,

Visit Let It Shine online.

Com.

And one of the tools we'll be using in the teen summer program is a book by Minda Hartz.

She owns the Memo LLC,

A career development platform for women of color.

And she wrote the book,

You Are More Than Magic.

And in it,

She reminds young women that one of the best things you can do with your young life is to choose friendships that make you the best version of you.

Yes.

This is important for me to write to young girls about because I think some of your teenagers desire to be liked is at a 10.

You will do just about anything to get invited to that cool party or whatever have you.

And I talk about understanding what's healthy and what's not.

Finding friendships that don't require you to be someone else to fit in or to hang out.

And that it's not necessarily the quantity of friends,

So having a million friends,

But the quality of those friends and who help you be the best version of yourself.

And I think as young girls instilling those values and what to look for,

Because as adults,

I've heard other women say,

I don't get along with other women.

And it's really important to have good relationships,

Healthy relationships with other women.

And so I want to help our young girls cultivate those experiences now.

Minda Hartz,

Her book is You Are More Than Magic,

Reminding kids to choose friends who help you be the best version of you.

I think that is excellent advice for any age.

Thank you,

Minda Hartz.

She's going to join us with more in a few weeks.

I'm Casey.

This is Shine On,

The health and happiness show.

Thank you for your likes and your reviews and your comments wherever you are finding the radio show or podcast.

I appreciate you tuning in.

I hope you'll join us.

There's a Facebook group called A Circle of Women.

I would love to see you there.

All right,

Casysplace.

Com.

All right.

Our thought for the day comes from songwriter Larry John McNally,

Who wrote the Motown song and Rod Stewart made it a hit.

And in the Motown song,

You hear the line,

They wish us luck,

But they think we're just dreaming.

Let's prove them wrong,

Baby,

Because you know what luck is.

Luck is believing you're lucky and showing just a little bit of faith.

Shine On.

You've been listening to Shine On,

The health and happiness show with new episodes every week.

It's your time to shine on.