Clean Swap

Do you know what you're putting on your skin each day?  My guess is if you're anything like me, I didn't know until someone told me.  The reality of it is, most people don't know what they're putting on their bodies.  Sure, it might be your favorite lotion or perfume, but really, do you know what's in those products?

Did you know there are over 10,000 ingredients commonly used in personal care products and only approximately 10% of those ingredients have ever been tested for safety on human health.  So many of these ingredients/chemicals are linked to cancer, reproductive issues, and even hormone disruption. You can imagine then, as someone who is recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, that I don't want or need anything else disrupting my thyroid and hormones production. No thank you. Even products that say "all natural" can't always be trusted, because the bottom line is there is a lack of regulation across the board. In fact, the US hasn't passed a major federal law regulating the ingredients in the cosmetics/personal care industry since 1938.  That's pretty eye opening in and of itself. The good news is, the more we know, the more we can implement change.  I'm so thankful for Beautycounter and for founder Gregg Renfrew for seeing the need for change and being bold enough to do something about it.  Because of her courage to counter the beauty industry (hmm.... is the Beautycounter name starting to make sense yet?), I'm better educated about what I put on my body and more empowered to make safer decisions for myself and my family.  Sure, we all want to feel beautiful, but ultimately, I think we can all agree that what we want more than anything else is better health for ourselves, for our partners, for our kids, and for everyone.  Beautycounter is a movement. How amazing is that. One of my favorite videos titled, We All Deserve Better, can be viewed by clicking here. 

Beautycounter turns 5 in March and with that comes the challenge to make a clean swap.  Unfortunately, as mentioned above, there are many ingredients/chemicals allowed in the personal care industry that Beautycounter will never use.  A few of these include harsh sulfates, formaldehyde-releasers, artificial fragrances, PEGs, mineral oil, and carbon black.  Are you ready to come clean yet?  Start small. Take a look in your cabinet and find one product you can switch to safer.  Let's start by replacing six of the worst offenders:

1.  Eye/Face creams- Many traditional eye and face creams are made with preservatives which can potentially release formaldehyde and wreak havoc on the immune system. Formaldehyde? Now that’s an eye-opener. Countermatch Eye Rescue Cream and Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion are naturally preserved with phytic acid from green rice. 

2. Face Masks- Traditional facial masks can be formulated with PEGs, which are widely used in cosmetics as thickeners or solvents, that can possibly be contaminated with trace amounts of dangerous chemicals. Your masks should have nothing to hide. At Beautycounter, all our masks contain naturally-derived glycerin, which helps condition and soften skin. 

3. Body Lotion- With more skin to cover, body lotions o er the most exposure to potentially toxic ingredients, like mineral oil. Permitted in beauty products, mineral oil is a conditioning agent that may be contaminated with trace amounts of toxins and can su ocate skin. Let your skin breathe easy. Beautycounter Hydrating Body Lotion contains a moisturizing blend of marula and mongongo oils which are rich in essential fatty acids to revitalize and nourish skin. 

4. Lipstick-  As lipstick is applied on your mouth, it’s no surprise we ingest what we put on, including arti cial fragrance. Arti cial fragrances can be a blend of ingredients that are not required to be disclosed by U.S. law and can include trace amounts of phthalates (potential endocrine disruptors). That leaves a bad taste in our mouths, too. Beautycounter Sheer Lipsticks are vibrant in color, transparent in ingredients, and scented only with natural vanilla. 

5. Mascara- Carbon black, a pigment used in mascaras to create the deep black color, has been linked to a range of adverse health e ects. Mascara shouldn’t be that scary. Beautycounter Volumizing and Lengthening Mascaras are pigmented with naturally-occurring iron oxides. 

6. Shampoo/Conditioners- Harsh sulfates, such as SLS and SLES, are found in many shampoos and can cause skin irritation. Your scalp deserves a lot better. These Beautycounter shampoos feature PureFoam Cleansing Technology which is derived from beetroot sugars to deliver the rich lather and cleansing performance you love in a gentler way. 

Have any questions? Please let me know or visit the website here to learn more about this particular campaign! Either way,  I'd love to help you find something that works for you, whether it's Beautycounter or not, we all deserve safer!

Flawless in Five

I don't know about y'all but I'm always looking for ways to cut my getting ready time in half.  Less time spent prepping means more time spent getting on with my day, and with two kiddos under 10 this time is super valuable.  In comes Beautycounter... Not only are all the products made with safer ingredients but they're high performing as well.  So you can imagine why, when they launched their Flawless in Five campaign, I was all ears.  You heard me right high performing, high quality ingredients, and beautiful products that take less than five minutes of prep time.  Here's my Flawless in Five daily routine:

Step 1: Apply foundation.  I particularly love the tint skin.  It provides a perfect light weight coverage on my skin that can be built upon for special events (sand in the winter and honey in the summer are my go-to shades).  In the summer I particularly love the dew skin because it provides a pop of color while also protecting my skin from the sun with SPF. Either way, use the retractable brush for the best results with perfectly even coverage. 

Step 2: Apply concealer. I use concealer under my eyes (what mom doesn't?) brushing in outwards strokes and blending with the tip of my ring finger.

Step 3: Define your eyes.  I prefer lining my eyelids with brown eyeliner vs. filling in my brow but either creates a nice clean look.  

Step 4: Apply mascara.  We have two beautiful mascaras, lengthening and volumizing.  My personal favorite is the volumizing; however, if I'm out and about or have a special event to go to, I like to use both.  First I'll lengthen my lashes and then add the volumizing mascara after. 

Step 5: Apply blush to the cheeks.  In the summer, my favorite shade is flamingo/apricot but most days I smile big and apply a couple sweeps of the bloom/tulip blush duo.

Step 6: Finish it off with a beautiful gloss.  In the spring I love to finish it off with a bright pop of color, but in the winter I love subtle nude looks.  My favorite gloss right now is bare shimmer.

You can explore more of the colors and products that make up the Flawless in Five package by clicking here. 

Ingredient Selection Process

In a previous post I referred to a strict ingredient selection process Beautycounter uses for each of our products.  To visit the comphrehensive information online, click here. For a summary, read below. 

Beautycounter is a grassroots mission to get safer products into the hands of everyone.  Pay special attention to the word safer. This does not mean 100% natural or organic.  In fact, not all synthetic ingredients are bad and not all natural/organic ingredients are good.  It's important to both research those ingredients and to determine their potential impact on the body.  In my personal opinion, Beautycounter does an amazing job selecting safer ingredients (without compromising performance) and creating a culture of transparency for all. Their ingredient selection process is the most strict in the industry and includes a five step process.

1. Ban Intentionally- Beautycounter bans over 1,500 ingredients through an extensive Never List. 

2. Screen vigorously- Beautycounter screens every ingredient for information on hazards like cancer, developmental toxicity, and hormone disruption through the use of many resources

3. Learn constantly- Beautycounter does not assume that an absence in data means a chemical is safe.  Beautycounter reviews data regularly and even commissions their own studies when necessary. 

4. Source responsibly- Beautycounter aims to source ingredients from sustainable , non-GMO suppliers when possible.  They also do not test on animals.

5. Share transparently- Beautycounter goes beyond what is required by law by identifying every ingredient, right down to the intentionally added preservatives.