Safer Skincare - and Why I Care

Today's post is a little (okay, a lot) different than my typical food and recipe posts.  Instead of food, I'm talking about safer skincare.

I've had this topic in the back of my mind for quite some time.  While it isn't a topic I thought I'd ever be sharing with you all, it was one that I thought about on a personal level.

I'd say ever since getting pregnant with Lars a few years ago I've been more aware of not only what I put in my body but what I put ON my body as well.  I would try to buy the "greener" option of hair products and skincare at Target, especially when it came to what I put on Lars, but I definitely didn't do any research into if these products were actually any better for me or him.  It was just one of those things that I didn't even know where to start.

Plus, how bad could the products really be?  If the label said "organic" and "natural", then it had to be good, right?

Well, about a year ago a coworker told me about the Environmental Working Group's website (www.EWG.org) which rates thousands and thousands of body and household products according to how safe they truly are for us.  I wasn't surprised to see that my everything in my makeup bag was rated a moderate or high risk, as was my shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.  When it came to products I used with Lars, I was really surprised when I found out the Babyganics Laundry Detergent I was using for Lars' clothes was a grade F.  F!

And the sunscreen wasn't much better.  This really opened my eyes to the concept of "green washing" where companies make their products seem natural, organic, and safe, yet really are no better than the next.  It was really surprising for me to learn that the beauty industry is hugely unregulated.

Fast forward to last month when my friend Madison finally gave me the last encouragement I needed to join Beautycounter as not only a loyal customer, but also a consultant.  While I had used the Beautycounter baby line for Lars, I had never invested in any products for myself.

But...why not?  What was holding me back?  I figure if put a lot of time into healthy eating and working out regularly, I really should pay more attention to the environmental toxins I'm also putting in and around my body.

I have also been very guilty of not taking the time to remove the makeup I do wear and not washing my face at night (so bad!).  The thing is, what we put on our faces and bodies doesn't have a one-time effect on us, but more of a cumulative effect.  Think about ALL of the products you put on yourself in a matter of months, weeks, years, and your entire life.  It's a lot!  So even though I wasn't using a lot of products, as I would say I'm a makeup minimalist, the ones I was using regularly were adding up.

And this is why I've really loved Beautycounter.  They basically did the work for me, banning over 1,500 ingredients from their products.  1,500!  You can check these out on their Never List.  I don't have to check every single Beautycounter product I use (though I can on www.EWG.org) because I know they are safe.

This leads me to why I chose to be a Beautycounter consultant.   It's a place to start that I know has safe products that not only I can feel good about using, but that actually work.  You guys - my face has NEVER felt better!  I seriously find myself rubbing my face throughout the day because it's so soft.  Is that weird?

And since I already have your attention with recipes, I figured I'd share my new love with you too 😉

Lastly, now that I have products that I don't feel weary about using, I'm actually putting the time into taking care of my skin.  I have a nightly routine of taking off my makeup, washing my face, AND applying a moisturizer, and a morning routine of cleansing, moisturizing, and putting on makeup (which bonus: has SPF 20 in it!).  It's actually kind of fun.

My only regret is that I didn't start using Beautycounter products for myself sooner.  This is definitely a topic I'll be sharing more about (including a new series called Life Detox coming next week!), and if you'd like to know more, feel free to email me at greensnchocolate (at) gmail (dot) com!  Or visit my Beautycounter page to check things out.

I'll be back tomorrow with a recipe...I promise!