Pink: Something to Think About!

Hi all! It’s Riki! As we enter into the last week of Breast Cancer month, I wanted to share my reflection about “pink”. The October Campaign video we produced earlier this month, “Don’t Pink About It, Think About It” kicked off the journey. Having a family member diagnosed with breast cancer is a very helpless feeling. You have no control of where the cancer has spread, the different treatment options, or what kind of side effects may come afterward. The “Pink” movement plays an important role for many of us touched by this disease. It gives us a chance to take a little power back in a scary situation by investing either money or time to “the greater cause”.

But after researching this topic, I’ve realized there’s so much more about the disease than the pink ribbon on my shampoo (and other products) has led me to believe. Because the ribbon doesn’t insure safer ingredients, many pink products actually contain chemicals that contribute to breast cancer. In fact, there isn’t even a minimum donation requirement for a company to use the ribbon. Another critical element is that most breast cancer organizations don’t tell you only ~7% of breast cancers diagnoses are caused by family history. In fact, it’s a life stage disease, so I’m more likely to see the consequences of what I put into my body now when I hit middle age.

All of this sounds discouraging, but it actually means we have a much bigger role in the fight against breast cancer than we think. Instead of just donating money and running for cures, we can equip ourselves with the knowledge of how to avoid environmental toxins during this vulnerable stage in our lives. We have the power to potentially make breast cancer as foreign to future generations as something like tuberculosis is to us. We believe it can be done through prevention.

We should let Pink signal something new: the power we all have to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Don’t just buy something with a ribbon on it, read the ingredients and take full advantage of the power you have to fight breast cancer. This October, don’t just pink about it, think about it.