Beauty 101

Foundation

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)

Known human immune toxicant or allergen	European Food Safety Authority
Human skin toxicant or allergen - strong evidence

- Health Issue: it has been linked to cancer
- Harmful to the environment
- Ranked 6 (Moderate hazard)
- Cover girl foundation is ranked as highly toxic on the Cosmetics Database
(Contain: parabens, propylene glycol, aluminum hydroxide, and synthetic fragrance)

Organic foundation, is there?!

- Zuii foundations: www.zuiiorganic.com

• Nourishes the face rather than simply covering up
• Free of preservatives, talc, parabens, or other synthetics

- Sante Fluid Foundation and Powder Compact Foundation: www.avea.co.uk/sante.html

- ZuZu Luxe Dual Powder Foundation: www.gabrielcosmeticsinc.com



Lipstick

Conventional lipstick?

- 61 % contained lead (none is included in the package!)
- Lead causes learning disabilities and behavioural problems
- Aluminum for colour pigments
- Mercury for preservative
Other ingredients: parabens (hormone-disrupting preservatives), FD&C dyes (neurotoxins derived from coal tar, and linked to allergies)

Eco-friendly lipsticks:
(Website)

• Green Beaver Lip Shimmers: www.greenbeaver.com
• Dr. Hauschka lipsticks: www.drhauschka.com
• Lavera lipsticks: www.lavera.com
• ZuZu Luxe Lipstics: www.gabrielcosmeticsinc.com
• 100% Pure lipstics: www.100percentpure.com

Here are some ingredients to watch out for:

Petrochemicals/ polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) :

- Health issue: carcinogens
- Often used in shampoos, conditioners, baby powder, baby moisturizers, lip balm, lip gloss and perfume





Phthalates: 

- Health Issue: Disrupt endocrine system. It can result in birth defects and breast cancer
- Found in hair products, deodorants, body lotions, perfume and nail polish
- Not often listed!
- Avoid products with the ingredients fragrance, perfume, parfum.



Source: 
Book Title: There's Lead in Your Lipstick
Author: Gillian Deacon

Do you love yourself?! Yes?! No?!

Seringkali kita membanding-bandingkan diri kita dengan orang lain. Contoh saja, ketika A atau B memiliki ini dan itu, kita juga menginginkan hal yang sama.

Kesuksesan orang lain tentunya bisa memotivasi agar kita bisa lebih baik, hanya saja sangat berbahaya ketika kita selalu ingin memiliki apa yang orang lain miliki.

ALLAH telah menciptakan masing-masing kita sempurna, tentu nya dengan kelebihan dan kekurangan! Dan jika kita sering meng-compare diri kita dengan orang lain, itu seolah-olah kita tidak mensyukuri nikmat ALLAH pada kita.

Nah untuk itu, ada beberapa langkah agar kita tidak terus-menerus membanding-bandingkan diri kita dengan orang lain dan lebih bisa mencintai diri kita sendiri . . .


1. Accept yourself (both strengths and weaknesses)

Menerima kelebihan dan kekurangan diri.

Tanyakan pada diri anda, apa kelebihan dan kekurangan anda. Misalnya kelebihan anda yaitu anda bisa menyanyi. Berterimakasih lah pada ALLAH, karna ALLAH telah memberikan anda suara yang bagus. Jangan menyombongkan diri, jadikanlah hal tersebut membuat anda pandai bersyukur. Manfaatkan kelebihan tersebut sebagai sarana dakwah agar bisa menginspirasi khalayak ramai.

Lalu tanyakan pada diri anda sendiri, apa kekurangan anda. Misalnya anda tidak begitu bisa public speaking, akui dan terimalah kekurangan tersebut. Bukan berarti anda harus menghukum diri sendiri dan menyalahkan takdir. Tetap bersyukur pada ALLAH dan pada saat yang bersamaan, terus memperbaiki kualitas diri. There's always room for self-improvement!


2. Forgive yourself and people who hurt you

Maafkan lah diri anda dan orang-orang yang telah menyakiti anda.

Jika ada orang-orang di masa lalu yang telah membuat anda terluka dan trauma, maka maafkanlah. Masa lalu adalah bagian dari takdir ALLAH untuk menguji keimanan anda.

"Dan Kami jadikan sebagian kamu cobaan bagi sebagian yang lain. Maukah kamu sabar? Dan adalah Rabb-mu yang Maha Melihat" (QS. Al-Furqan: 20)

Maafkan juga diri anda yang mungkin telah berbuat salah bahkan menyakiti diri anda sendiri. Karena tidak ada seorang pun yang sempurna di dunia ini, termasuk anda!


3. Nobody's perfect 

Tidak ada seorangpun yang sempurna!

Seringkali kita berkesimpulan bahwa kehidupan A atau B lebih baik dari kita. Hidup mereka mulus tanpa ada hambatan. Tentu saja pemikiran seperti ini salah. Tidak ada satu manusia pun yang hidup nya sempurna, selalu saja ada ujian.

"Apakah kamu mengira mereka dibiarkan begitu saja mengatakan kami sudah beriman, sedang mereka tidak di uji lagi" (Al-Ankabuut : 2).

Setiap manusia ALLAH uji dengan hal yang berbeda-beda sesuai dengan kemampuan. Ujian tersebut bisa saja kelihatan gampang bagi kita, hanya saja bagi orang tersebut, hal itu adalah yang terberat yang sedang ia jalani. So, nobody has it easy!

"ALLAH tidak membebani seseorang melainkan sesuai dengan kesanggupan nya"
(QS.  Albaqarah: 286)

Satu hal lagi, ingatkan pada diri anda bahwa, it's okay not to be perfect! Yang terpenting itu adalah selalu berusaha untuk memberikan yang terbaik, dalam apapun itu yang kita lakukan.

3. Practise gratitude

Bersyukurlah.

Tanyakan pada diri anda hal-hal apa saja yang anda syukuri setiap hari nya. Sebaiknya anda lakukan setiap bangun pagi dan sebelum tidur malam.  Kalau bisa, tuliskan dalam sebuah jurnal agar anda bisa mengingat hal-hal yang telah anda syukuri.



4.  Find your hobbies!

Temukan kegemaran anda.

Tanyakan pada diri anda, hal-hal apa saja yang anda sukai. Kemudian bergabunglah dengan orang-orang yang memiliki kegemaran yang sama dengan anda.


5. Reward yourself!

Hargai setiap usaha anda!

Sekecil apapun itu, hargailah setiap usaha anda. Contoh saja, ketika anda sudah menyelesaikan sebuah tugas, maka hadiahilah diri anda dengan a pat on your shoulder! (sebuah tepukan di bahu).
Sambil menepuk bahu, anda bisa mengatakan good job, well done, dan segala jenis perkataan penyemangat lainnya. Tidak hanya itu, anda juga bisa menghadiahi usaha anda dengan hal lain, bisa dengan benda, atau melakukan hal-hal yang anda gemari.


5. Self-care

Merawat diri

Luangkan waktu untuk diri anda sendiri dengan melakukan hal-hal yang anda sukai (saya menyebutnya "me time"). Anda bisa menghabiskan nya dengan membaca, menulis, menggambar, memasak, menonton, berolahraga, atau bahkan shopping! Hal ini bisa di lakukan seminggu sekali  atau sesuai kebutuhan dan tentu saja dengan tidak mengenyampingkan hal-hal utama lainnya yang harus anda lakukan. Balance is the key!


6. Help those who are in need!

Menolong sesama!

Cobalah luangkan waktu untuk menolong sesama. Banyak di luar sana orang yang kurang beruntung dari kita yang juga membutuhkan bantuan. Seperti hadits nabi, sebaik-baik manusia adalah yang paling bermanfaat. Maka dari itu, tebarlah manfaat ke orang-orang sekitar kita. Saya yakin hal ini bisa membuat kita lebih bersyukur dan lebih bisa mencintai diri sendiri.


Ini hanya sebagian langkah-langkah dari saya agar kita semua lebih bisa mencintai diri sendiri. Tentu saja banyak tips-tips lainnya di luar sana yang juga bermafaat. Anyway, selamat mencoba dan good luck! ;D

Beauty Products (Pros and Cons)

Baru-baru ini di environmental class saya dan mentor bicarain soal beauty products dan segala pros & cons nya. Emang yaa kalo cewe itu paling suka ngomongan soal kecantikan. Hahaha. Ya kalo gak fashion pasti ya beauty products. Kali ini kami fokusnya ke pros and cons dari make up. Nah ternyata selama ini saya gak aware dengan ingredients dalam kosmetik yang saya pakai. Saya kira kalo udah di jual, berarti aman di pakai ya kan. Hahaha. Maklum orang awam mikir nya suka gitu. Ternyata gak semua alat kosmetik itu aman untuk di gunakan.

Nah guys, sebenarnya kita bisa loh ngecek di ingradients lists nya. Terus click aja di link ini: Cosmetics Database. Kemungkinan kalo alat kosmetik buatan indonesia gak bakal keluar di database ini. Tapi coba di cek satu-satu di ingredients lists nya.

Terus lagi kami membahas soal anak-anak yang telah di make up sejak usia dini. Menurut mentor saya, kasihan sekali kalau sejak usia belia anak-anak sudah melihat penting nya ber make-up. Seolah-olah kita hendak berpesan kalo kecantikan alami itu perlu di cover-up dengan superficial materials (beliau non-muslim loh!). Dan banyak sekali sekarang beauty contest buat anak-anak yang mengharuskan mereka untuk bermake up.

Belum lagi masalah kesehatan dan lingkungan. Banyak anak-anak dan bahkan orang dewasa yang belum di edukasi tentang produk-produk make up. Bahan-bahan kimia yang terkandung didalamnya dapat membahayakan kulit dan juga dapat mencemari lingkungan.

Kalau di lihat dari segi sosial, make-up memberikan placebo effect (feeling good!). Hasil research menunjukkan bahwa wanita merasa lebih cantik kalau sudah di make-up.

Saya pribadi banyak mengambil pelajaran dari diskusi ini. Saya mencoba untuk lebih berhati-hati. Saya sedang memakai kosmetik halal dan setelah di cek kandungan kimia yang terkandung tidak begitu berbahaya. Rata-rata score nya 3.
0-2= Low hazard (rendah)
3-6= Moderate hazard (sedang)
7-10= High hazard (tinggi)

Saat ini saya sedang beralih ke home remedies juga mencoba beberapa organic products.
Nah ini sebagian contoh dari home remedies yang saya pakai:

- Make up remover (pembersih wajah):

Olive oil (minyak zaitun)

- Hair mask (masker rambut):

Olive oil (minyak zaitun)
Coconut oil (minyak kelapa)

- Face mask (masker wajah)

Ada baiknya memakai buah-buahan seperti avocado (alpukat), tomatoes (tomat), and cucumber (mentimun) untuk mencegah kantung mata.

- Hand and body lotion

Coconut oil (minyak kelapa)

- Lip balm (lip gloss)

Honey (madu)
Coconut oil (minyak kelapa)

Dulu sempat gak tahan dengan bau minyak kelapa. Hahaha. Kalo udah di pakein di rambut sama mamak, pasti ngambek. Sekarang jadi nyesal, karna udah tau kepentingan nya untuk apa :D

Saya rasa penting sekali untuk mengedukasi diri dan orang di sekeliling kita tentang sisi positive dan negative dari beauty products. Tidak hanya berfokus pada make-up, tapi juga jenis-jenis produk kecantikan lainnya, seperti shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand and body lotion, etc. Selalu mengecek di daftar ingredients list nya, agar kita bisa lebih berhati-hati dengan bahan kimia yang terkandung yang dapat membahayakan kulit juga mencemari lingkungan. So, let's be smarter and wiser guys! ;)

Anyway, kalo ada ide dari teman-teman boleh di share yaa. Ini juga buat bahan presentasi minggu depan. Mohon doa nyaa yaa :D

ALLAH should be your top priority

My favourite hadith ;)

"Whoever makes the Hereafter his preoccupation, then ALLAH places freedom from want in his heart, gathers his affairs, and Dunya (worldly life) comes to him despite being reluctant to do so. And whoever makes Dunya his preoccupation, then ALLAH places his poverty in front of his eyes, make his affairs scattered, and nothing of the Dunya comes to him except that which has been decreed for him." [At-Tirmidhi]

The Application

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Evawani Efliza

Aceh

Age	:	23
Occupation	:	Student
Alquran Read	:	Good
Language	:	English,Indonesia
Height	:	165 cm cm
Weight	:	50 kg kg
Twitter	:	@eflizae
Facebook	:	Evawani Efliza

FORMAL EDUCATION

Mount Royal University

Bachelor Degree

Psychology

Insha ALLAH 2015

MY HIJAB EXPERIENCE

I started wearing the hijab when I was in grade 6 while I still lived in Aceh, Indonesia. Students were required to wear hijabs. However, I did not understand the purpose of wearing a piece of cloth that covered my hair. I wore it because everyone wore it. Nobody had bothered to explain the reason why. I did not mind wearing the hijab at school because I thought I was being a good student by wearing it. I also wore it outside of school because Aceh is very strict with the hijab rule. My family and I moved to Canada in 2007 where I went to a public high school, and there were only a few Muslim girls who wore hijabs. The hijab was no longer required in school; as a result, I started to question why I was continuing to wear my hijab. At the time, it was also difficult to make friends. I felt different and I was not confident in myself either because of my hijab. I hated the idea of being different and I just wanted to fit in. As a result, I was a “part-time” hijabi for a while. I wore my hijab at school, but took it off when I was outside of school. However, when I was in grade 11 I saw a Muslim girl wearing the hijab who was so confident in herself and was also very involved in school activities. I admired her confidence and wanted to become like her. Soon, I realized the problem was not the hijab; it was me who was not proud of my identity as a muslim. In addition, I found a verse from the Quran which requires Muslim women to cover up as a way to value their beauty and show their devotion to ALLAH. Therefore, I was convinced and started to wear hijab permanently ever since. Now that I become a “full-time” hijabi, I feel closer to ALLAH. I also want to keep improving myself and my relationship with ALLAH. I also feel a sense of belonging, especially living in the West where Muslims are the minority. Whenever I meet other muslims, they would greet me with assalamualaikum (may peace be with you). I have never felt peaceful and respected. I thank ALLAH for giving me such blessing.

MY ELIGIBLE TO BECOME WORLD MUSLIMAH 2013

I admit that it is challenging to be a Muslim woman nowadays, especially for those who live in the West where they encounter discrimination. With nothing but hands and faces showing, we must rely on our inner beauty to define our self-worth. Although physical appearance is important and we should thank ALLAH for giving us such blessing, I do believe that beauty should not be based only on physical traits. True beauty comes from within, which is defined by our relationship with God and our characters. Furthermore, I do believe that Muslim women should be highly educated because Islam encourages everyone to be a lifelong learner. As a result, there are some achievements that I have acquired, and I thank ALLAH for showering me with such blessings. In elementary school, I was chosen to represent my school as one of the participants for the Tilawatil Qur’an competition where we were required to memorize and recite some short surahs. Unfortunately, I did not win; however, that did not stop me from learning . I continued learning and memorizing some short surahs ever since. As well, when I was in Junior High, I was a member of the school paduan suara. We often won second place and sometimes first place. I was also one of the dancers of Aceh traditional dance, Likok Pulo, and we represented our school whenever there were competitions. Furthermore, I participated in poetry competitions, and I was chosen to recite a poem at our school graduation. In Senior High, I mastered Science 14 and was placed on the Grade 11 Honor Roll. In addition, I was one of the writers for the school magazine. Currently, my writings have been published in the Rumba Bulletin (the first English magazine in Banda Aceh). As well, I received a Qur’an proficiency; I got an A in my online Qur’an course. In conclusion, by taking part in World Muslimah, I hope I can represent not only Indonesian muslimah but also other muslimah as a whole that Islam is a peaceful religion. Furthermore, I want to send the message that hijabs are not barriers for Muslim women to accomplish great things.

MY SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

When I was in high school, I was part of the school newspaper. That was when I realized writing is my passion. Since that time, I have created a blog where I write about a variety of topics, e.g., my university life, fashion, cooking and psychology. Because of my strong interest in psychology, I also plan to create a vlog on that topic where I would combine Islam and psychology. Additionally, I am one of the writers for the first English bulletin in Aceh, the Rumba Bulletin of the Rumoeh Bahasa Organization. During the week, other than going to school, I work part-time as a cashier at a retail store. On the weekends, I teach Qur’an to my younger cousins, and I continue to improve my understanding of Qur’an using an online program which is supported by my Indonesian mentor. In addition, I am part of the student association on my campus; specifically, I am involved with the Peer Support Centre which supports peers, both emotionally and financially. For example, we provide free breakfast every morning where everyone gets to come in and socialize. I am also part of the Sustainability Centre, which includes maintaining our campus vegetable garden and running a recycling program. As well, I participated in the Create a Better Now program in the winter semester where we taught students about the importance of taking care of the environment. Furthermore, I am part of the Muslim Student Association on campus. We had Islamic Awareness Week in the winter semester as well where we educated other students (muslims and non-muslims) about Islam. Not only that, we had Hijab challenge, where non-muslim women were asked to wear the hijabs and discuss their experiences later in the day. The main aim is to encourage the understanding of how it feels like to be muslim women in the west society. Similarly, we want to erase stereotypes and misconceptions that are attached to Hijab. Hijab is not a sign of oppression but rather a liberation to women.

You can also click on this link to find out more about World Muslimah 2013

Preparation for World Muslimah: Questions to Ask Yourself

The applicants have to fulfil the 3S (Soleha, Smart and Stylish!) as part of the requirement for the competition. As for me, here are some questions that I asked myself as the preparation for the competition.

Para applicants harus bisa memenuhi kriteria 3S, yaitu Soleha, Smart and Stylish untuk bisa terpilih sebagai finalis World Muslimah. Inilah beberapa pertanyaan yang saya tanyakan pada diri saya sendiri sebelum mengikuti ajang World Muslimah.

1. Soleha - What can I do to be more religious? Maybe I should learn Qur'an with tajwid? Maybe I should fix my character or even the way I behave and dress?

(Soleha - apa yang menjadikan saya lebih soleha? Mungkin dengan belajar membaca alquran dan tajwid? Mungkin dengan memperbaiki karakter, atau bahkan cara saya bergaul dan berpakaian)

2. Smart - What are the things I have achieved? What contributions I have made for Islam, environment, or in other aspects of life?

(Smart - prestasi apa yang sudah saya raih? Kontribusi apa yg sudah saya berikan? Baik dalam islam, lingkungan maupun di bidang lainnya?)

3. Stylish - Ask yourself, what contributions I have made in islamic fashion? You can write about islamic fashion on your blog, you can do hijab tutorial or you can be a muslimah model.

(Tanyakan pada diri sendiri, kontribusi apa yang telah saya berikan di bidang fashion islam? Kamu bisa menulis tentang fashion yang islami, bisa dengan melakukan hijab tutorial, atau kamu bisa menjadi seorang model muslimah.