The Detox Tea brand uses the image of an eating disorder survivor. Here is her response.

SkinnyMe tea She is an Australian-based brand of Tetox that sells products that claim to reduce bloating and promote weight loss, but this ultimately fuels the old notion that women are not good enough as they are.

It is one of many brands promoted in paid social media posts by the Kardashians and other influencers as helping them achieve their weight goals. Critics, such as “The Good Place” actress and body image advocate Jamila Jamil, argue that these companies are promoting questionable – and even dangerous – products. Jamil, who refers to detoxing tea as Laxatives, Often calls for brands and Those who promote them And he notes that a lot more often goes to celebrities Unrealistic appearance From drinking tea – or pretending to drink it.

SkinnyMe Tea faced beautiful anger last week when her Instagram account reposted a photo of her Christina GrassoAn eating disorder survivor and co-founder of Series, Which is a non-profit organization that aims to support women with eating disorders in the fashion and entertainment industries. The brand commented on its re-publication, “A little self-love does wonders.”

The hypocrisy of a brand that mainly sells weight-loss products that claims to promote self-love hasn’t lost it on us – and we haven’t lost it on Grasso either. But she said she was not surprised to notice that her handle had been marked. “It wasn’t actually the first time this had happened to me, so I was unfortunately not shocked,” she told HuffPost.

In an email statement to HuffPost, a SkinnyMe Tea spokesperson said the post was “supposed to be lukewarm” and has since been deleted. “We sincerely apologize if any crime is committed, and we are committed to extra caution in the future of the images we use in our publications,” the spokesman wrote.

HuffPost spoke with Grasso about the accident, her work to help others recover, and the message she holds for brands like SkinnyMe Tea.

I was just like, “Oh, for a house. Not again.” And it’s not my nature to be fickle, so I simply and politely asked them to remove it. I’ve been very public about my history with anorexia, so using my face without consent to promote a product I mainly oppose was a little disappointing. But my frustration stems from a place that worries me not about myself but about how the message is being interpreted by someone with or vulnerable to an eating disorder. I feel protected by this population and strive to be part of the solution – not the problem.

I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt but honestly, these brands need to have a conscience. And this is the tea.

I understand we all need to earn a living, but there are plenty of ways to do this without a dangerous, unapproved product that harms vulnerable populations by taking advantage of insecurities and disturbances of body image – not to mention the potential physical side effects. It is incredibly irresponsible and shows a lack of character for anyone to stand behind this tea, and there is no positive side beyond their monetary gain.

The influx of support, especially from Jamila, was really refreshing and relaxing. It is very encouraging to see people rallying behind this issue and each other. More than anything I would have preferred not to be at his center, but I felt very supported, and if this whole mess helped one person or served as a learning experience then it was totally worth it.

I DMed Ruthie Friedlander To let her know how much I admire her for her honesty after reading an article she wrote in InStyle about her personal battle with anorexia. We’ve hooked up with our common struggle to recover while working in the fashion industry and wanted to do something to help others with our situation. So came the role of The Chain (inspired by Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks).

We hold monthly closed events for our members to connect with each other and open community events to provide education on topics such as responsible media coverage as it relates to ED. [eating disorders] And body image. Our community has grown very quickly and it was a special, life-affirming experience.

I think on some level it might be deeply ingrained in our lizard brains, but change can happen where the desire is. And I believe that as a society we are moving towards a better acceptance that beauty comes in all sizes and colors and that beauty, or thinness, is not up to the standard of good. It is, and I know this might sound a bit of Pollyanna, and it’s often the other way around. There is more beauty in the good.