Research Blogs
“Organic or Not?” naturepurity.com. Web. 15 July 2012.
Proposal
I will argue that unbalanced chemical ingredients found in cosmetics are harmful to the human body over time. Accumulation of chemicals by the direct absorption into the bloodstream through the cutaneous membrane (skin) can cause cancer and birth defects to fetuses. Cancer and birth defects are only two specific side effects that I want to discuss in detail. I also want to discuss multiple chemicals found in cosmetics and the effects they can have on the human body in general.
Millions of people, men and women, African-American, Caucasian, American-Indian, Asian, etc. use cosmetics on a daily basis. I go to a doctor every year to make sure that I am healthy and that I am practicing safe ways to stay healthy. However, until now, I did not know that washing my hands with antibacterial soap could turn a home into a breeding ground for resistant bacteria. I am sure millions of people are unaware of this as well and I think that they deserve to be informed. As the idea of all natural foods, clothes, cleansing, and beauty products becomes more popular, more people are going to learn about the flaws in cosmetics. People will start to learn about the potential dangers of chemicals used to create the products they hold so dear. Once consumers learn of what chemical ingredients can do to them, their children, friends, and family, there will be a requisition for change. By accommodating my audience with the answers to how and why, they will be motivated to reduce their intake of cosmetics.
I am writing to the parents, predominantly mothers, that use all types of cosmetics in one day such as hair, makeup, soaps, perfumes, deodorants, etc. I am writing to this audience because if the unbalanced chemicals in cosmetics are only really harmful to the human body internally in the long-term, then people who use a lot of cosmetics are at the highest risk. People who use very few cosmetics will still have an accumulation of toxin within their internal organ systems, but not nearly as much as people who use an abundance of these products daily. The chemical ingredients in cosmetics can also harm unborn children because of the direct absorption of products into the bloodstream. For the people who think cosmetics is a luxury that they can abuse, they are wrong. They need to lessen their intake or they can develop health problems directly related to the cosmetics they look to as their source of good looks and scent.
I will use sources from the Miami Library such as articles, academic journals, and newspapers to convey my point to the audience. I will use bits and pieces of each source that relates to my topic such as the fact that African-American women have a higher risk for breast cancer as well as a higher death rate. This would relate to my topic because cosmetics can contribute to the development of breast cancer. I do not need to use each of the entire sources because one may have a better point of Toulmin logic than the other. For example, one may have a better quote for a rebuttal while the other has a better idea for specifying my claim. Certain source may focus on the details I need for only one small paragraph on cancer while the other contains many details for multiple general paragraphs I want to include.
As far as my approach to the format that I would like to take, I am unsure. I will probably use an academic essay format because I like to map out my essays. An introduction and conclusion are essential for my writing process. Those are the two things I do first, write and introduction and then a conclusion. I do that because, for the body of my essay, I then just need to connect the two. I do not have to have a distinct pattern throughout my essay, it can simply flow from one paragraph to the other as long as they relate and portray my thoughts, feelings, and I get essential points to my audience. I can though use a few pictures to help illustrate what I am trying to say in certain paragraphs. For instance, when I talk about some of the diseases cosmetics can cause, I can show a picture to let the audience see that the damage is permanent and other people will see it. I think that my audience needs a good understanding of the process of producing cosmetics, how cosmetics are defined, what some cosmetics are, who uses them, the regulations, common harmful ingredients, how and why they are harmful, some specific examples, and how to refrain from being a victim. I will be informing my audience about this horrible truth and they will know why they did no know before. I am choosing to do things this way because I think that my topic needs to be explained and that just a few examples will be proof enough that chemical ingredients can harm the human body over time. My readers will understand the hows and whys when I talk about the lack of regulations and warning labels, the unconscious daily use of cosmetics, and what chemicals can do over time.
In connection with the inquiry four assignment, my web text is about cosmetics and their harmful chemical ingredients. My audience will be women, specifically women with children. My goal for this is to narrow down the specific ways in which children can be harmed by the use of cosmetics. I am going to try and use one color scheme, so far consisting of blues and yellows. I will continue this unless it takes away from how I am trying to show that cosmetics is a bad thing to use. I will use a pattern throughout my presentation. Right now, I am thinking that my pattern will be to show a slide with a cause and an effect then following that, a slide that explains the cause and effect. Some of these slides may contain pictures and other may contain only a slightly designed background. Highlighting, underlining, and bolding key words will be essential to getting my point across with the help of a few pictures. These aspects will make my web text interesting enough for an internet user with no patience to watch!