Did you know that the beauty industry is one of the very few industries that the FDA does not regulate? 80% of the chemicals used in personal care and beauty products in the US have never been tested. Your skin is your largest organ and 60% of what goes on your skin goes into your bloodstream. The chemicals used in our personal care and beauty products have been linked to cancer, infertility, developmental disorders, and skin allergies.
Like you, I knew nothing about the dangers that were lurking in my beauty and personal care products. I grew up with sensitive skin and as such, I had an arsenal of tried and true products that did not seem to disrupt my skins delicate ecosystem. I considered myself lucky as I never really had any issues with breakouts – even as a teen. All that changed! In the Spring, I began to get more breakouts than I have ever had in my life. My skin became extremely dry and painful. I saw an esthetician for monthly facials, with no improvement. After seeing a dermatologist I was diagnosed with dermatitis and eczema. I was placed on several prescription ointments to manage the symptoms and ordered to take a skin allergy test.
This solution would end the quest for some, but for me, it was only the beginning. I HATE taking medications. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a time and place for pharmaceuticals. It is my personal belief, however, that the US health industry is pharmaceutically driven and has fostered a pill-for-everything culture. Many issues (not all) can be resolved with dietary or lifestyle changes. The issue seemed as simple as cause and effect. What I was placing on my skin was creating the skin disorders. And the cessation of these products would, in theory, end the issues I was experiencing.
I began to research natural remedies. This lead me to read countless blog posts and youtube videos of other people who had a similar story to mine and all of them purged their beauty cabinets of the conventional products and made the switch to natural or green beauty products. I learned that words like organic, natural, botanical, and plant-based were marketing gimmicks to motivate the health-conscious consumer and none of them were free from the harmful chemicals.
Over the summer I purged my life from harmful products and switched to natural and healthier options. If I was going to make the switch, I was going to go ALL IN! From cleaning products, pet products, personal care, and beauty – I purged and replaced. I used the Environmental Working Group‘s consumer guides to help me navigate and decode the lengthy ingredient list in the products. The EWG is a nonprofit and non-partisan group that is dedicated “to protecting human health and the environment.”
The Environmental Working Group’s mission is to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. With breakthrough research and education, we drive consumer choice and civic action.
The cosmetics, however, posed the largest challenge. I am not willing to go without makeup! I am not ashamed of my natural beauty. I do, however, believe that you always need to put your best foot forward and always need to look put together. I consider makeup as the finishing touch so it was very important that I found products that were healthier versions of what I was accustomed to. I need them to work!
I tried several green beauty brands and products and nothing seemed to work well. A bit discouraged, I posted a comment about my quest on Facebook and one of my friends suggested that I give BeautyCounter a try. I visited the website and found that this company is not only was dedicated creating healthy products that work, they also are one of the only cosmetic and personal care companies that are completely transparent. They list everything that is actually in their products and has a list of 1500 harmful chemicals they will NEVER put in their products.
BeautyCounter’s Never List: Chemicals they will never place in their products.
I reached out to a very sweet and helpful BeautyCounter consultant in August and purchased skincare and makeup from her. I have been using BeautyCounter for 3 months now and my skin is in the best condition that it has ever been in! Even my hormonal acne is gone. The products are well priced and last much longer than my conventional beauty products. The greatest thing is that they have an excellent return policy. Allowing the consumer 60 days upon ship date. This is extremely generous given that it takes time to really give skincare and make up a try. If you fall in love with the products, they have a no-ship membership program that will give you product credit! Who doesn’t like a good discount?!?
What I love most about BeautyCounter is that they are actively fighting to get the FDA to regulate the beauty industry and put an end to untested and harmful products. I love this so much that I am actually going to join the movement! I urge you to watch this video and this video and tell me you don’t feel motivated to join the cause!
If you are interested in BeautyCounter, check out my site: https://www.beautycounter.com/jeneedoucet
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