Lifestyle

Famously, it was the only thing Marilyn Monroe wore in bed, and it has been synonymous with style and sophistication for more than nine decades. But now, for the first time in its 91-year history, Chanel No 5 perfume is under threat. 

 

The reason? One of its key ingredients — a naturally occurring type of tree moss — has come under the microscope of a team of EU scientists who believe it may cause allergies.

 

It may seem bizarre that the top-selling perfume in the world — a bottle is sold every 30 seconds — could potentially be so damaging when tens of thousands of women across the globe wear it every day. 

 

But it’s just the latest in a long line of restrictions imposed on the scent industry in the past few years. 

 

Under rules implemented by the European Commission in 2006, 26 common ingredients including the now-infamous tree moss and eugenol (found in rose oil), must be declared on the packaging of perfume because they are potentially allergenic. 

 

Now it has emerged that the Commission’s Scientific Committee of Consumer Safety, charged with protecting citizens from harmful substances, has extended the list to cover 100 ‘unsafe’ materials. 

 

While they recommend that some must be declared on packaging or the amount used in a perfume be restricted, they want some — including the tree moss used in Chanel No 5 to help give it its distinctive smell — banned entirely. 

 

And while these are only guidelines and not law, it is likely that perfume manufacturers will feel pressure to comply. The industry watchdog, the International Fragrance Association, is taking it so seriously it has decided to conduct further research into the potential skin allergens on the back of the recommendations.

 

This doesn’t affect only Chanel; a host of other well-loved perfumes — from Miss Dior to Guerlain’s Shalimar and Angel by Thierry Mugler — could be caught up, too. 

 

For the new list calls for restrictions of many commonly used ingredients such as citral, found in lemon and tangerine oils, and coumarine, which comes from the spicy South American tonka bean — all naturally sourced ingredients, it should be pointed out, which have been used for decades in perfume-making without causing serious harm.

 

It is even feared that jasmine and rose — some of the most common ingredients in the world’s favourite scents — could be put on future lists. 

 

But back to Chanel. What is this innocuous-sounding tree moss, and how important is it to Chanel No 5? According to Francis Pickthall, director of UK-based international fragrance house CPL

Aromas, tree moss has always been an important ingredient in high-end fragrances thanks to its distinctive earthy, woody scent, which No 5 fans would immediately recognise.

 

‘It’s created by scraping moss from the bark of Northern hemisphere trees, often in former Yugoslavian countries, which is then steam-distilled,’ he says. ‘But it has already started to be phased out of many perfumes and replaced with similar-scented synthetic mosses or oak moss, though only if it is low in atranol, the component of moss which is a known skin-sensitiser’.

 

Oak moss, it must be mentioned, is also in Chanel No 5, and also on the future ‘forbidden’ list. But Mr Pickthall argues that ingredients being banned or restricted is nothing new to the industry, and that perfumers are expert at phasing out problem materials while finding alternatives.

 

That is clearly not how everyone feels, though. Chanel spokeswoman Francoise Montenay declared: ‘It would be the end of beautiful perfumes if we could not use these ingredients’; while the French Perfumer’s Society said it would lead to ‘the death of perfume if this continues’.

 

One wonders what Coco Chanel herself would have thought of being told by EU scientists that her beloved fragrance had to be updated before it had even reached its 100th birthday. Because the story leading to its creation is just as captivating as the scent itself.

 

Until Chanel No 5 emerged in 1921, perfumes had tended to be thick and rich with animal musk. Having already taken the Parisian fashion scene by storm, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel decided to turn her hand to a beauty product that had so far eluded her, a fragrance that was light, fresh and reflected the liberated spirit of the new decade. 

 

 

Her mother had been a laundry woman in rural France, so she loved the smell of soap, but for years she was unable to find a perfumer who was up to the task, because citrus fragrances such as lemon, bergamot and orange just didn’t last on the skin.

 

Then, in 1920, she heard about a daring perfumer Ernest Beaux, who had worked for the Russian Royal family and lived in the capital of perfume, Grasse. He took up her challenge, spending months creating ten samples for her to try. They were numbered one to five and 20 to 24. And, you guessed it, she picked number five.

 

She is said to have told Beaux: ‘I present my dress collections on the fifth of May, the fifth month of the year, and so we will let this sample number five keep the name it has already — it will bring good luck.’

 

And it did. The scent combined jasmine, rose, sandalwood and vanilla with other background notes, and it is said that when Chanel sprayed the perfume around her table in an upmarket Paris restaurant, women passing by literally stopped in their tracks to ask her what the fragrance was and where it came from.

 

She declared later: ‘It was what I was waiting for. A perfume like nothing else. A woman’s perfume, with the scent of a woman.’

 

Time would show that millions of women from all walks of life agreed with her, from the American war-time wives who had it brought back from Europe by their GI sweethearts, to the one-in-ten modern women who were wearing Chanel No 5 when they met ‘the One’, according to a study in 2009.

 

So will all these women really fail to notice if the formula is changed? Perfumer Roja Dove is not so sure. 

 

While he admits that it has been necessary to remove certain common components of fragrances over the last century — both for health reasons, such as when benzene was phased out when it was discovered to be a potential carcinogen, and ethical ones, like the disappearance of musks taken from slaughtered animals — he says it is never easy to recreate a well-known scent with different raw materials.

 

‘It’s impossible to reformulate without making a product smell different — that is why the original ingredients were used in the first place,’ he says. 

 

Dove, as a leading figure within the British perfume industry, is more than a little troubled by the ‘Big Brother’ restrictions that are gradually taking hold. 

 

‘While I do think the consumer’s health and wellbeing should always be our first priority, imagine if Brussels authorised for all nut products to be banned or restricted because a few people are allergic,’ he says. 

‘There’s huge inconsistency. Just look at basil. I have to list it on the back of packaging if I use more than a certain percentage because it’s one of the original list of 26 the European Commission decided must be declared. 

 

‘But a chef can take a huge bunch of basil, chop it up and sprinkle it over food, and their hands will be covered with basil oil. There are no guidelines there.’

 

He does make a valid point. Many of the ingredients that are now being considered dangerous are even edible.

 

So what does Roja Dove suggest for the future?

 

‘As an industry, we are very responsible. We would never want to use ingredients that were scientifically proven to be a major problem, but I do believe consumers should have freedom of choice. 

 

‘There are scents around that people have loved for centuries, so is it right to do away with them entirely? I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions.’

 

 

Pictures of candidates for Belgium Beauty Queen 2013 taken at Morocco’s largest mosque have stirred controversy in the North African kingdom, whose government is led by an Islamist party that won an election last year.

 

The pictures, being circulated online, raised questions about the responsible government agencies that granted the license for the photo shoot of the belles of Belgium in their tank tops and short shorts in the square of Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque.

 

Popular Moroccan news website Hespress quoted a source from the ministry of Islamic affairs denying any role for the ministry in the incident and pointing fingers at the mosque’s administration, which is in charge of the overall management of one of the world's largest Islamic landmarks.

 

Casablanca’s city council has also distanced itself from the incident. One of its members said the council did not authorize the photo shoot at the mosque.

 

A newspaper close to the opposition Socialist Union Party quoted a source at the mosque’s administration as saying that a company behind the photo shoot was granted the permission by the Moroccan Cinema Center (MCC).

 

The Ittihad (union) newspaper reported that the center gave the license to the Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF), the public broadcasting body of the French Community of Belgium. 

 

Hespress quoted prominent religious preacher Sheikh Abdul-Bari Zamzami as holding the interior ministry responsible for the incident.

 

Some people saw the incident as an acceptable and called for the responsible parties to be hold accountable. Others expressed disinterest stressing the mosque lacks serious religious significance because it was built as “tourist destination not as a house of worship.”

 

“I have never prayed in this Mosque and I do not qualify it as a real Mosque. We all know that this mosque has been forcefully built by robbing and stealing the pockets of million Moroccans under various authority threats,” one person commented on Hespress.

 

“Also, I see that this “Mosque” is a sheer touristic building made for display and international propaganda. So no doubt that these beautiful European chicks were allowed to take pictures near this purely touristic Moroccan building.”

 

Another one said, “Farce after farce; does it make sense that such moral crimes take place in Morocco, especially under the rule of the Islamist Justice and Development Party.”

 

 

LA porn stars have significantly higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) than legal prostitutes working in Nevada, according to a report published this week.

 

A study of 168 adult film performers in Los Angeles County found that 28%, or 47 performers, tested positive for either gonorrhea or chlamydia or both.

 

The study said that in the adult industry, ‘undiagnosed asymptomatic... STIs were common and are likely reservoirs for transmission to sexual partners inside and outside the workplace.’

 

The report was conducted in 2010 and written by six public health experts affiliated with the LA County Department of Public Health, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and UCLA.

 

Sexually transmitted infection rates among legal prostitutes are negligible in Nevada as brothel workers are required by state law to use condoms and are tested weekly for disease.

 

In contrast, there have been eight HIV cases among adult film performers since 2004. In 2011, porn production halted for a week after an actor tested positive for HIV. In August of this year, there was a 10-day moratorium on porn filming because of a syphilis outbreak among actors.

 

The report found that there was ‘very low’ consistent condom use among study participants, either on set or in their personal lives.

 

‘The results of this study suggest that many performers in the [adult film industry] are not safe on the job from acquiring and transmitting [sexually transmitted infections] at multiple anatomical sites,’ the report concluded.

 

‘Repeated and chronic infection with [sexually transmitted infections] can lead to infertility, chronic pelvic pain and ectopic pregnancies, and can facilitate HIV infection.’

 

The authors also said that many adult film performers may not even be aware of infection.

The study was published a week before voters in Los Angeles will go to the polls to consider Measure B, which would require adult film performers to wear condoms during filming.

 

The initiative, sponsored by the LA-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, says that porn performers need to be protected from HIV and sexually transmitted disease, and the issue is a matter of protecting public health.

 

Many in the porn industry say that condoms are unnecessary because the industry already conducts regular STD checks and that prolonged condom use causes chafing, tearing and increased risk of disease.

 

They also say that condoms would hurt their profit and drive the industry either out of LA or underground, creating even more unsafe conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STD Trends in the United States

There are 19 million new infections every year in the U.S. STDs cost the U.S. health care system $17 billion every year. 

Young people account for nearly half of new STDs. 

The five most common STD's are Genital Herpes (HSV), Genital Warts (HPV), Trichomonas, Chlamydia, and Hepatitis B

 

A beauty salon catering only to girls between the ages of 4 and 14 has opened in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, drawing popular interest. The manager of Frisa Beauty Salon, Hania Halvani, said the beauty salons of Lebanon were very famous around the world, particularly in the Middle East.

 

“The dream of every girl is to become a mother one day, to dress and behave like their mother. This place is where young girls’ dreams come true,” Halvani said. 

 

She said the customers of the salon included young girls who wanted to look special for birthday parties, wedding ceremonies or festivals. “Many people misunderstand or misinterpret the concept of beauty salons or cosmetics. Beauty salons are an important sector that teaches people how to look beautiful or take care of oneself. Young girls get their manicures, pedicures and makeup done in such places. We are very pleased when we see their happiness,” Halvani said. 

 

One of the customers of the salon, Kamer el-BeliÄŸa, 8, said, “I come here to look like my mother. I want to look good and draw attention. I feel very special when I am here.”

 

 

Studies suggest that the amount of energy burnt while resting begins to drop by the age of 30, and by a further seven per cent with every subsequent decade, so if you continue eating as you did in your 20s, you’ll start putting on weight. 

 

From our fourth decade onwards, the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes becomes a concern – lead an unhealthy lifestyle and your cholesterol levels and blood pressure will rise. The good news is there are foods proven to fight these concerns. Here are the items I would advise everyone over 40 to stock up on.

 

OATS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHY? Oats contain beta-glucans, a soluble fibre that can help lower the unwanted form of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Avenanthramides – antioxidants unique to oats – protect against atherosclerosis (the build-up of plaque on artery walls), so giving oats an advantage over other grains.

 

THE EVIDENCE: Researchers conclude that eating just 3g of oats daily is enough to reduce total cholesterol by five to ten per cent. 

It is estimated that the risk of developing heart disease drops by two per cent for every one per cent reduction in total cholesterol. 

This is a must for the 50-plus group, as it is in this decade that heart-disease risk shoots up.

 

HOW TO EAT: Either as porridge or by adding a heaped tablespoon to plain yogurt.

 

 

CHERRIES

 

WHY? Cherries are useful in combating several conditions common in middle age, including gout and arthritis. They are a rich source of the antioxidant anthocyanin.

 

THE EVIDENCE: Gout, which affects mainly men, is linked to raised levels of uric acid, forming crystals within the small joints. In a trial, researchers gave healthy participants 200g of cherries at breakfast. They noted that the rate at which uric acid was excreted increased by 60 per cent.

 

HOW TO EAT: Eat a dozen cherries or drink a glass of unsweetened juice three or four times a week. Eat fresh with yogurt or seeds to ensure absorption of the beneficial vitamins.

 

 

ALMONDS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHY? Benefits range from improved blood-sugar levels to reducing cholesterol.

 

THE EVIDENCE: A study revealed that 20 adults eating 60g of almonds daily for four weeks showed a nine per cent reduction in blood-sugar, suggesting almonds could offer protection against cardiovascular disease and diabetes. 

Another study took 22 adults and replaced about a third of their usual sources of fat with almonds. After six weeks they noted a six per cent reduction in ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, while their ‘good’ HDL cholesterol increased by six per cent.

 

HOW TO EAT: Choose plain varieties as excess salt can lead to raised blood pressure.

 

 

OILY FISH

 

 

WHY? Omega 3 fats in these fish can help lower heart rate and blood pressure, and reduce the risk of irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).

 

THE EVIDENCE: The best sources of omega 3 fats are salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines and herring. A trial found that women who ate oily fish on a regular basis experienced the lowest incidence of strokes. Fish must be eaten at least four times a week for optimal benefits.

 

HOW TO EAT: Omega 3 fats are sensitive to high temperatures, so cook on a low heat or steam lightly. Eating raw fish such as sashimi will protect the beneficial fats.

 

 

SOY

 

WHY? Isoflavones in soy beans have been linked to lowering cholesterol, increasing bone density

in post-menopausal women and improving male fertility.

 

THE EVIDENCE: In a study, 42 post-menopausal women over the age of 50 were given three 30g servings of soy beans daily.

 

After 12 weeks it was noted that high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the good type of cholesterol, had increased by 3.7 per cent while total cholesterol had reduced by 5.5 per cent. 

Levels of the protein osteocalcin also increased in the blood, benefiting bone density.

 

HOW TO EAT: Consume fresh edamame beans or soy beans in cans. 

They should be eaten twice or three times a week. 

Soy can influence hormone levels and over-consumption is not recommended for pre-menopausal women without the advice of an endocrinologist. 

In men, the isoflavones can have a mild effect on testosterone.

 

 

TOMATOES

 

WHY? Tomatoes are an excellent source of the antioxidant lycopene. They offer a degree of protection against the formation and spread of cancer cells as well as protecting arteries from atherosclerosis.

 

THE EVIDENCE: Research has shown that drinking 150ml of tomato juice after 20 minutes of exercise offers protection against prostate, lung and stomach cancers and heart disease.

 

HOW TO EAT: Lycopene is more easily absorbed by the body when the sources are cooked, so cooked tomato, in its many forms, is the most convenient way to benefit from lycopene. Look for juice, passata, puree or sauce (fresh, not sweetened).

 

 

WHOLE MILK

 

WHY? Full-fat milk can help combat the reduction in muscle mass associated with getting older, especially after the age of 50.

 

THE EVIDENCE: A 2006 study found that drinking full-fat milk after exercise helped ensure that muscle mass was enhanced. 

Whole milk contains 118mg of calcium per 100ml, which is essential for bone health as well as assisting blood-clotting. 

The daily recommended intake of calcium is about 1,000mg for men and 1,200mg for women. Eating green vegetables, nuts and seeds in addition to whole milk is an effective way to achieve this.

 

HOW TO EAT: Whole milk can be added to porridge, cereals, tea, coffee and smoothies. Get professional advice before taking a calcium supplement – for example, taking too much can increase prostate cancer risk in men.

 

 

CHICKEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHY? This is a great source of protein – one 200g skinless breast provides 60g. Helps contribute to effective weight-management and muscle-building.

 

THE EVIDENCE: A study in 2010 revealed that a ‘moderate increase in protein’ resulted in maintenance of weight loss compared with higher-carbohydrate diets.

Chicken soup might also be able to combat the common cold. As a skinless chicken breast contains only 1g of saturated fat, it is a useful alternative to red meat.

 

HOW TO EAT: Cut the fat content by removing the skin (breast is 17 per cent fat with skin on, and about two per cent without). The leg, even with the skin off, contains six per cent fat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Older women who regularly drink green tea may have slightly lower risks of colon, stomach and throat cancers than women who make no time for tea, a large study suggests.

 

Researchers found that of more than 69,000 Chinese women followed for a decade, those who drank green tea at least three times a week were 14 percent less likely to develop a cancer of the digestive system.

 

That mainly meant lower odds of colon, stomach and esophageal cancers.

 

No one can say whether green tea, itself, is the reason. Green-tea lovers are often more health-conscious in general.

 

The study did try to account for that, said senior researcher Dr. Wei Zheng, who heads epidemiology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville.

 

None of the women smoked or drank alcohol regularly. And the researchers collected information on their diets, exercise habits, weight and medical history.

 

Even with those things factored in, women’s tea habits remained linked to their cancer risks, Zheng noted.

 

Still, he said in an email, this type of study cannot prove cause-and-effect.

 

Twin sisters were crowned as both "Miss Lebanon 2012" and the first runner-up in Saturday’s beauty pageant, local newspaper The Daily Star has reported.   

 

21-year-old  Rina Chibany was named "Miss Lebanon 2012," while twin Romy followed her in the second place.   

 

“I’m very happy to have won. I promise to restore the pride of this position, in deeds, not in words,” Rina reportedly said after the contest, adding that she would have been much happier if her sister had won.