By now, ya’ll know that when it comes to products, I opt to wear clean. As clean as I can anyway without stress. That’s not good for you either. 😉
I read ingredients and use simple tools to help me (see my faves below).
I’ve come to love a lot of brands over the years… I’ve worn Beautycounter the longest (over 8years!), but also like Laurel Skin, Griffin Company, Ilia and more. I have different things I choose from different places! Happy to share my routines if you want.
I’m a loyalist at heart- with people, places and things. When I travel some place new, I often become enamored and will return again and again. When I meet a friend I adore, I will forever stand by their side. And when I find a company whose principals and values match my own, I will support them for years to come.
While I love several companies now, it was Beautycounter that educated me about the importance of wearing clean. As you may or may not know, they aren’t just a company that makes products- they work with Congress to help pass stricter regulations to help keep us safer, as well as educate about the why’s. The knowledge I’ve gained from them far outweighs the power of any product.
Let’s have a quick glance at some simple beauty industry facts, shall we?
Did you know?
The last time the United States passed a major law regulating the beauty industry was in 1938? Yes, 1938- that’s over 80 years ago!
Did you know?
We only have safety data on approx 10-15% of the ingredients currently used in the beauty industry? Most have never even been tested!
Did you know?
The European Union has banned approx. 1400 ingredients from their personal care industry. Canada has banned near 700. The United States has banned 30 ingredients. Yes, 30!
Did you know?
Many of the ingredients used in personal care products are known endocrine disruptors, with links to cancer, infertility and other health concerns? Even though we know ingredients like phthlates, parabens, SLS and others are known to cause health issues, they’re still allowed in our products. Legally.
And for some happier news… did you know?!
Things are slowly but surely starting to change? Clean beauty is becoming the popular choice!
We live in a consumer-led market… and just like we saw with the organic food movement, consumers are demanding better safer products. A great improvement! However with that, of course, comes the greenwashing and hype… companies claiming they’re clean knowing it’ll sell more, when in reality they are not.
Which means it’s now more important than ever to read ingredients and evaluate company integrity.
There are a handful of companies I trust. Beautycounter is one of them, and the one I’ve been using the longest. They’re shaking things up + creating waves- advocating on Capitol Hill demanding safer regulations- sharing the truths of the industry the public hasn’t been shown before- paving the way for truly clean product development with their intensive screening and strict sourcing guidelines. (I mean, check THIS out.) They’re the leaders of the clean beauty movement, without a doubt.
Okay so now you want to switch to clean, BUT WHERE DO YOU START?
I know, it can feel overwhelming at first. But don’t fret… you got this!
What you can do to start cleaning up your routine today…
1- Use EWG as a resource.
The Environmental Working Group is a wealth of information! They’re a nonprofit organization that has been working for nearly 30 years to protect our health. They have a website called Skin Deep where you can look up any product or ingredient to check for safety. Bear in mind that as a nonprofit, they don’t yet have the resources to have every single product in the world in their system, but they do have about 80,000!
Hot Tip: They have a free app called Healthy Living, where you can look up products or scan them right onto your phone with a bar code- it’s for both food and cosmetics, and it’s wonderfully helpful!
2- Use the Never List.
The Never list is a short list of ingredients to avoid, whenever possible.
See all of the ingredients on the list- as well s why they’re important to aboide and what they’re commonly in- HERE.
You can also print your own mini pocket-size Never List to keep in your wallet while you’re shopping out n about.
3- Vote With Your Dollars
When you find a company you trust, stick with them!
It’s easy to get duped by marketing these days. But there are companies out there doing it right! When you find one you like- that you know is being honest, transparent, and ethical about the things that matter to you- support them. This is a consumer run marketplace, after all!
4- Make Changes Little By Little- stress isn’t healthy either! 😉
It’s not realistic to dump your entire bathroom cabinet and start fresh. This is about progress, not perfection. Maybe wait until something runs out and you need to replenish anyways- go one or two products at a time. I personally advise people start with the things that either cover the largest area of their bodies or touch the most sensitive zones (mouth, eyes, etc).
Little by little, you can rebuild your cabinet with safer products you love!
While I don’t expect that anyone can make all of these changes overnight, we can make improvements little by little.
If you make just one change today, try to AVOID THE WORD FRAGRANCE.
Fragrances are considered trade secrets, which means companies don’t have to disclose what’s in them. There can be up to hundreds of ingredients in a fragrance that you don’t see listed. Furthermore, to make a fragrance stick, companies often use phthalates- known endocrine disruptors that wreak havoc on our systems.
To be safe, it’s best just to avoid them- and their aliases parfum, perfume, scents, etc.
To read more, peep this.
If you’d ever like support switching out to cleaner products- or you’d like help figuring out what’s best for your personal needs- I would love to help you. Helping people find ways to live healthier happier lives is one of the aspects of all this that brings me the greatest joy!!
Please reach out any time!
XO,
Natalie
Email me! [email protected]
