Annee de Mamiel

[[File:Annee de Mamiel.jpg|thumb|right|165px|de Mamiel, watching the money roll in. ([http://www.demamiel.com/pages/annee Source])]]{{altmed|1}}{{cquote|It’s about doing anything to increase the energy of the products. [....] We are emotional, physical, and chemical beings—it’s about having the oils be the most vital they can be. People sense and appreciate it, whether they know why or not.|||de Mamiel, demonstrating textbook [[energy woo]]<ref name=Goop>http://goop.com/the-new-secret-beauty-formula-intention/</ref>}}
'''Annee de Mamiel''' runs her skincare product company '''de Mamiel''' and injects it with copious amounts of [[woo]] and exorbitant prices. Her products supposedly are more effective &mdash; they gain more "vitality" &mdash; because she [[crystal woo|puts them near crystals]], and [[faith healing|chants to them]], and [[sound healing|plays music to them]]. There's no evidence for this, but it sure does market well.

==History==
de Mamiel originally worked in finance, until the death of her boss. In 1998, she was diagnosed with [[cancer]]. To reduce the effects of chemotherapy on her skin, and [[Appeal to nature|because she felt that chemotherapy was "unnatural"]], she began creating her own natural skin products.

She later studied [[Traditional Chinese Medicine]], [[acupuncture]], [[aromatherapy]], and [[chiropractic]]<ref name=Lux /><ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-business/9843387/Biz-Idol-How-Annee-de-Mamiel-fought-cancer-and-created-an-award-winning-skincare-brand.html</ref><ref>http://www.demamiel.com/pages/annee</ref> &mdash; all of which are considered [[alternative medicine]]. She appears to actively practice acupuncture and TCM in London.<ref>http://www.acupuncture.org.uk/component/com_quickfap/memid,7f55f4327b2e478a07f867aa4e337972/view,memberdetail/</ref><ref>https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/expert/annee-de-mamiel</ref><ref>http://howtospendit.ft.com/health-grooming/70531-spa-junkie-on-annee-de-mamiels-seasonal-attunement</ref><ref name=Ex />

A huge number of fashion writers have endorsed de Mamiel's products;<ref name=Ex>http://exmoorjane.com/nourishing/</ref><ref>http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/03/vain-glorious-annee-de-mamiel/?_r=0</ref><ref>http://www.handfulofsalt.com/noticed-de-mamiel-botaniques-range/</ref><ref>http://blog.integritybotanicals.com/an-interview-with-anne-de-mamiel/</ref><ref>http://www.vogue.com/865690/best-seasonal-skin-care-serums-odacite-and-annee-de-mamiel/</ref> strangely, no science writers have followed suit.{{nofact}}

In 2016, de Mamiel's products were given a spotlight on ''Goop'', a website run by [[Gwyneth Paltrow]] (a fashion guru and alternative medicine proponent);<ref name=Goop /><ref name=Slate /><ref name=Path /> it's currently unclear if this boosted their popularity.<ref>https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=De%20Mamiel</ref>

==Production process==
{{cquote|Maybe *this* is why my cosmetics company failed. See, when I blended the ingredients I'd say things like "Fuck you, oil! You're worthless!", or "Your mother was a hamster, flower essence!"|||"Space Cadet"<ref name=Path />}}

de Mamiel describes her production process as follows:

#"We put crystals around the oils."<ref name=Goop />
#:([[Crystal woo]]/[[crystal healing|healing]] x1)
#"As we macerate the herbs, we play music."<ref name=Goop />
#:([[Sound healing]] x1)
#"As we add the base oils, we use more music, crystals, and meditation."<ref name=Goop />
#:([[Crystal woo]]/[[crystal healing|healing]] x2, [[Sound healing]] x2, [[Faith healing]] x1)
#"Then when we add the flower essences, they sit out with music, too."<ref name=Goop />
#:([[Sound healing]] x3)
#"In the blending room we say blessings of love and grace and gratitude; I add the oils in a certain order, and I chant as I blend them. [....] Each product has its own chant."<ref name=Goop />
#:([[Sound healing]] x4, [[Faith healing]] x2)
#"I like to burn frankincense as I do it, to clear the room—it’s sacred, energizing, and such a pure smell."<ref name=Goop />
#:([[Aromatherapy]] x1)
#"We have added flower essences to each of the oils to work upon the body’s [[acupuncture]] [[meridians]] too."<ref>http://www.bathingbeauty.com.au/wordpress/2013/07/29/interview-with-annee-from-de-mamiel/</ref>
#:([[Acupuncture]] x1)
#Once the blend is ready I meditate. Usually three words of intention come up for me in that meditation, and I like to put those on the label."<ref name=Goop />
#:([[Faith healing]] x3)
#Then it macerates for two months."<ref name=Goop />
#:(Something that's actually reasonable x1)

de Mamiel estimates the process takes six to eight weeks, presumably to give the skin cleansing product time to reflect on its existence and become more positive-minded.

==Other product problems==
{{cquote|Because, as we all know, applying lotion to your body is pointless unless it has been treated with [[meditation]] and chants.|||[[Hemant Mehta]]<ref name=Path>http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/03/12/gwyneth-paltrow-is-now-promoting-skincare-products-that-have-been-meditated-over/</ref>}}
The woo doesn't stop there.

==="Holistic"===
de Mamiel promotes her oils as [[holistic medicine|"holistic" or "syngetistic"]]. For example:

{{quotebox|Seasonal Facial Oils offer a new take on ageing by treating skin holistically because what is happening inside and around us will reflect on our faces. I personally select each plant extract in these precious oils and hand blend them so they work synergistically with mind and skin, putting back what nature and our lifestyles take away.<ref>http://www.demamiel.com/collections/seasonal-facial-oils</ref>}}

It is unclear how de Mamiel's mass-marketed skin lotion can be any more "holistic" (specific to a patient, and inclusive of the entirety of what ails them) than any other mass-marketed skin lotion.

==="Cleanse"===
de Mamiel offers numerous "[[cleanse]]" products.<ref name=C1 /><ref name=C2 /><ref>https://thehermeshippie.com/2014/08/31/keep-it-clean-the-balms/</ref> Given that most "cleanse" products claim to remove a "[[toxin]]" from the body, yet de Mamiel's products remain ''on'' the body (and would eventually move into it), it's unclear what it's cleansing, or how.

===Spirits===
She constantly appeals to the human "[[spirit]]" (yet she simultaneously fails to prove that one exists, or that her cleanses actually impact the soul):

{{quotebox|My lifeline for a tired body and a spent spirit, I use this rich, glimmering serum in the evenings to bring a sense of calmness, to nourish and deeply moisturise my skin and soul. I added a subtle shimmer to Revitalising Body Serum for a sense of glamour - it is my ultimate mind and body treatment.<ref>http://www.demamiel.com/collections/botaniques-body/products/restoration-body-serum</ref>}}

===Nature!===
Above all else, she [[appeal to nature|glorifies anything "natural"]], as if it was somehow better:

{{quotebox|My brand is not just about how to apply the products to your skin, but how to reduce stress in your life. We’ve cut ourselves off from what mother nature is doing. All the people I treat live in an artificial environment – artificial heat, cold and light. Many people are stressed from this and there’s no sense of belonging to natural environments. I create small rituals to help us through that process.<ref name=Lux>http://www.demamiel.com/blogs/news/45878917-when-luxury-meets-inner-beauty</ref>}}

{{quotebox|The ingredients in our products are naturally sourced and blended in small quantities which may result in some slight variations in colour and aroma from time to time. This is one of mother nature’s subtleties which we wholeheartedly embrace.<ref>http://www.demamiel.com/pages/ingredients-matter</ref>}}

She ''does'' at least warn that nature isn't all-good:

{{quotebox|One can have a reaction to a natural product as easily as a synthetic one. In fact, essential oils can cause some of the most common allergic reactions, which is why, when working with them, you really need to know what you’re doing, not just mix them up and hope for the best!<ref name=Cal />}}

==Prices==
{{cquote|0.34 oz. of de Mamiel’s “altitude oil” is a mere $44. But take heart: the snake oil is free, and it’s glorious.|||Ruth Graham<ref name=Slate>http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2016/03/11/gwyneth_paltrow_s_goop_endorses_skincare_products_that_are_nurtured_with.html</ref>}}
Selected prices:
*Spring Facial Oil, 0.7oz: '''$114''' ($162.86/oz)<ref>http://shop.goop.com/products/spring-facial-oil</ref>
*Altitude Oil, 0.34oz: '''$44''' ($129.41/oz)<ref>http://shop.goop.com/products/altitude-oil</ref>
*Restorative [[Cleanse|Cleansing]] Balm, 3.38oz: '''$64''' ($18.93/oz)<ref name=C1>http://shop.goop.com/products/restorative-cleansing-balm</ref>
*Brightening [[Cleanse]] and Exfoliate, 2.47oz: '''$64''' ($26.32/oz)<ref name=C2>http://shop.goop.com/products/brightening-cleanse-exfoliate</ref>
*Restoration Body Serum, 3.4oz: '''$87''' ($25.59/oz)<ref>http://shop.goop.com/products/restoration-body-serum</ref>

==Traditional Chinese Medicine==
{{main|1=Traditional Chinese Medicine}}
de Mamiel fallaciously, appeals to [[appeal to ancient wisdom|ancient traditions]] &mdash; specifically those of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which has no scientific basis:

{{cquote|Spring is the season of the wood element in Chinese medicine, representing new life and growth. It’s the perfect time to cleanse and de-congest skin.<ref>http://www.demamiel.com/collections/seasonal-facial-oils/products/spring-facial-oil</ref>}}

{{cquote|I also love anything that is green – in Chinese medicine, green is the colour of energy for the liver. Green food smooths out our body’s flow of energy ensuring that we are able to cope with things and not get bogged down and stagnant – so we are feeding our minds as well as our bodies<ref name=Cal />}}

{{cquote|In Chinese medicine our face is a roadmap of energy showing many [[meridians]] from our body.<ref name=Cal />}}

This is one of her most common ways of expressing why what she does works.<ref>http://plenishcleanse.com/mag/the-best-time-to-cleanse-2/</ref><ref>https://www.victoriahealth.com/editorial/author/annee-de-mamiel</ref>

==Food woo==
She doesn't like [[GMO]]s, prefers [[gluten]]-free pancakes. She also thinks [[detox]]ing can "give our digestive systems a rest", but that diets should be "balanced".<ref name=Cal>http://calgaryavansino.com/well-beings/annee-de-mamiel/</ref> She at least tries to reduce the carbon cost of her products.<ref name=Cal />

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efUsd7BK3DM de Mamiel's advert (feel free to get out the Alt-Med Bingo)]
*[http://www.demamiel.com/ Website]
:*[https://facebook.com/demamielwellbeing/ Account] on [[Facebook]]
:*[https://twitter.com/ademamiel Primary] and [https://twitter.com/demamielskin secondary accounts] on [[Twitter]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{altmedbox|1}}
{{foodbox|1}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:de Mamiel, Annee}}
[[Category:Living people]]

Categories: Living people