Treat refugees as we want emigrants to be treated
AS THE last decade was coming to a close, our young people and indeed the not so young, were leaving these shores in their droves to find a new life in other parts of the world because this State could no longer sustain them. That wave of emigration, albeit tinged with sadness, was perfectly acceptable in Irish society, seen as the norm for Irish people for generations.
Now as this decade ends, we are showing little vigour for reciprocation, revealing a deplorable attitude to those seeking a new life amongst us in their efforts to escape circumstances far worse than anything our recent generations have experienced.
This behaviour, at a time when IBEC figures indicate strong growth in Christmas spending on the back of rising disposable incomes and record numbers at work, should not be acceptable in our society.
President Higgins has it entirely right when he called for a ‘spirit of hospitality’ in his Christmas message. As a new decade begins it is incumbent on all strata of leadership in Irish society, especially at the political level, to ensure the implementation of our President’s views.
Michael Gannon, Kilkenny city.
Prone and Tuam
TERRY PRONE should be ashamed of herself for refusing to talk about the Tuam babies scandal (MoS, Dec. 22). If only we could all choose not to talk about subjects we’d rather avoid.
More’s the pity that Ms Prone did not take that stance before she rubbished the heroic work of historian Catherine Corless, without whom we would be none the wiser on this most atrocious stain on our society and the Bon Secours order.
Your piece by Claire Scott quoted Ms Prone from her Late Late Show appearance in 2017, during which she said that she should have contacted Catherine and should have said sorry to her. It’s never too late, Terry.
D Kelly, Naas, Co. Kildare.
Leave Greta alone
DON’T let truth get in the way of fact. Greta Thunberg had, in fact, tickets for a train, but it was cancelled.
The company involved forgot to mention that fact, as did your writer Dennis Dennehy (MoS Letters, Dec. 22).
The booked train was removed from service and she, along with a lot of other passengers travelled on another train already in service, with its own passengers on board.
She only got a seat as they were vacated by the original passengers. This is documented.
I don’t understand the vitriol directed at Greta.
Some people don’t like her or her connections, but she sure has started a conversation that was open to others to bring up, including your newspaper.
Kieran Walsh, Jamestown, Co. Leitrim
Soaps are too much
SOME people treat the happenings in television soap programmes as if they are real life and RTÉ is trying to convince their consumers that they are. Earlier this week it posted headlines on its News Now channel about the dramatic occurrences in RTÉ’s Fair City and BBC’s EastEnders.
There are many who are ardent devotees of such programmes while countless others prefer to ignore them and can be irritated by our national broadcaster’s efforts to promote them.
A few years ago in a former place of employment during the elevenses some colleagues discussed the previous night’s episodes as if they held relevance in our everyday lives.
While enjoying some good class drama offerings which are well produced and boosted by good class acting, I feel that some of the soaps are lacking in such quality and tend to rely on sensationalism in order to attract viewers. However, such can be off-putting to many of us.
Billy Wilson, Waterford city.
Trump imperils Jews
DONALD TRUMP has spent some time as US president saying things that could be viewed as not particularly friendly to the
Jewish people.
He even described a group containing neo-Nazis as ‘very fine’ people.
It’s no wonder there is a rise in anti-Semitism in the US.
And regrettably it’s not confined to there as it’s on the march worldwide. Tony Moriarty, Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6w.
Coalition’s frivolities
IN KEEPING with continuing frivolity, this Government might well consider – along with plazas for the really cool to hang out at of a Saturday, and river-rafting for the millennial elite – a nice silvery dancing pole in the centre of that lovely plush
Dáil carpet. It would round off the life of Leo’s administration very nicely.
It would also provide yet another reason for the bored and offended TV viewers to tune into Oireachtas Report. Robert Sullivan, Bantry, Co Cork.
Shop hours
BUSINESSES complain about the lack of footfall, but one is hardpressed to know
Christmas opening days and times? And website information is often inaccurate.
Unreliable information has legions of customers turning up outside premises surprised they are not open. Businesses should have the courtesy to tell customers when they are opening and closing during holiday periods and update website information daily.
Maurice Fitzgerald, Co. Cork.
people – one in 17 – who used products like these reported at least one skin reaction. Other products contain no preservatives at all – such as home-made facemasks.
If these aren’t used immediately, they spoil and start teeming with bacteria and other microbes which can lead to serious skin and eye infections.
Then there’s the ‘hypo-allergenic’ category. The term is slapped on products deemed unlikely to cause an allergic or adverse reaction. In truth, it is largely a marketing ploy. These products still have the ability to spark a reaction, despite their claim. A recent analysis of Amazon’s 100 bestselling hypo-allergenic body moisturisers found 88% still contained common allergens. Writing in JAMA Dermatology, the researchers said: ‘Consumers can’t tell which products don’t have this risk by looking for terms like hypo-allergenic or fragrance-free.’
FACE CREAM CHEMICALS WON’T CAUSE CANCER
Just as natural doesn’t mean harmless, so synthetic doesn’t mean harmful.
Despite what the clean-beauty brigade will tell you, there are strict legal regulations that govern the types of ingredients and their dose or concentration. They have been rigorously tested to be safe. More than 1,300 ingredients are banned from cosmetics under these regulations.
One ingredient that often sparks controversy is paraben – an effective preservative.
You will find parabens in 75% of the cosmetic products on our shelves, from shampoos to moisturisers. Clean-beauty bloggers refer to parabens as ‘hormone disruptors’, and claim they act in a similar way to the sex hormone oestrogen when inside the bloodstream. Indeed, Gwyneth Paltrow wrote on her Goop website: ‘Parabens which release formaldehyde are the worst offenders and are a known carcinogen and potent skin irritant and allergen.’
But according to Cancer Research UK, there is no evidence that parabens are linked to cancer or have any effect on our hormones.
And parabens are far weaker than oestrogens – so any effects are likely to be overwhelmed by natural oestrogen produced in the body.
They are, in fact, some of the least allergenic preservatives available, causing reactions in just 0.5 per cent to 1.4% of people.
Another ingredient frequently avoided is sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), used as a foaming agent in face wash and shampoos.
It is generally only a problem for those with a skin condition such as eczema, which affects one in 12 Irish adults.
Others worry about petroleum jelly, found in products like Vaseline, because it’s a derivative from oils found in car engines.
But the product is highly refined by the time it gets to us, so any potentially harmful compounds are long gone.
Petroleum jelly provides a protective barrier and prevents water loss from the skin, helping it to stay moisturised.
Another, a syrupy liquid called propylene glycol that is added as a moisture-booster, provokes concern because it is also added to antifreeze. But it has been used in beauty products for years and improves the texture of skincare products.
Human studies don’t show harmful effects, even when the concentrations far exceed those found in cosmetics.
It’s worth remembering, too, that it’s the dose that makes the poison.
Some people have issued concern about the ingredient butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), which is added to make-up to stop it reacting with oxygen and spoiling.
At high doses, when it is swallowed BHT has also shown some links with cancer. But it exists in significantly lower doses when applied topically, or through the skin – at a level which has not been shown to cause problems, despite decades of use.
The reality is that we would know by now if they were dangerous. What makes something toxic is the amount, duration and how something is applied – swallowed or rubbed on to the skin, for instance.
As pharmacist Dr Emma Meredith sagely reminds us: ‘If an ingredient in a cosmetic product could cause harm, it would, quite simply, be banned from use.’
By all means, choose your beauty products carefully. But do so from knowledge, not out of
fear.
T h e Skincare Bible, by Dr Anjali Mahto (Penguin Life, €20.99 from Eason), is out now.