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Some people are so careful of everything they put IN their body, by choosing healthy organic food options, but are not aware of the potential dangers of the what they are putting ON their bodies.
Your skin is your largest organ, everything you put on your body is absorbed through your skin. Let that sink in for a minute, no pun intended.
Honest Company
When I became pregnant with my first child, Jessica Alba was just starting the Honest Company. I remember reading all about why she started her company. Her goal was to create a company that provided safe baby products that did not contain phytochemicals and synthetic fragrances. I stocked up all of their products, from diapers and wipes to laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies. I literally had no idea that the products I was using on a daily basis could potentially be harmful to me, surely they were being regulated by someone, right? I always say, I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
Unregulated
Did you know that personal care products are effectively unregulated? There are currently 80,000 chemicals on the market today, many of which have no safety data.
To make matters worse, the FDA does not have the authority to remove harmful ingredients from the products we put on our bodies.
Another fun fact, the EU has banned 1,400 chemicals from being used in personal products, Canada has banned 600, and the US has only banned 30.
Beautycounter
About four years ago, I came across a company called Beautycounter. Their mission is to get clean beauty products in the hands of everyone. They currently have a Never List, ingredients they will never use in their products, of over 1,800 ingredients. This company is the real deal, and they have been working hard to get stricter guidelines and regulations for personal care products.
In addition to being safe, Beautycounter products are chic and high-performing. They were named the #1 Trending Beauty Brand by Google for 2018, have been featured in Forbes, Vogue, InStyle, Goop, worn on the Red Carpet by many celebrities and mentioned in many publications and news segments. FAST COMPANY also JUST named Beautycounter the Most Innovative Beauty Brand of the year (not just CLEAN beauty, but ALL beauty!)
Never List
Take a peek in your bathroom cabinet, check to see if some of the products you are using contain ingredients from their Never List: You’re likely being exposed to hundreds or thousands of potentially harmful chemicals without even knowing it. What we put on our bodies is just as important as what we put in our bodies. There have been many published studies linking heavy metals and toxic chemicals in our personal care products to our overall health and well-being, it is time to educate yourself.
Some of the most common offenders are parabens, fragrance (aka phthalates), PEGs, propylene glycol, DEA, BHA, BHT and oxybenzone.
Environmental Working Group
You can also download the EWG's Healthy Living App.
This app has a catalog of products and scores them on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most toxic, see how your products rank. They typically score products based on three things, allergy concern, cancer concern, and developmental concern.
Why do I use Beautycounter? Aside from being a safe beauty brand, their products are high-performing, so you don't have to compromise quality for safety. Their products include kids and baby products, body and hair care, sun protection and a men’s collection.
Sunscreen
A word on sunscreen. Chemical sunscreens contain some of the most irritating chemicals in the beauty industry, many of which are hormone and endocrine disruptors. Hormone and endocrine disruptors have been found to be especially harmful in small doses because they have the ability to mimic the hormones that our bodies make daily. As you can imagine they can be particularly harmful for children, whose systems are still developing. To top it off, they contain chemicals that kill the coral reef.
Beautycounter's mineral sunscreen is a hydrating, lightweight zinc oxide formula that protects against UVA, UVB, bluelight, and it is reef friendly. The aloe helps hydrate the skill while the antioxidant-rich blood orange extract fights free radicals. It is water resistant for up to 40 minutes. I use Beautycounter's sunscreen stick and lotion.
Countersun Daily Sheer Defense SPF 25
Beautycounter recently launched their new face sunscreen. It is a mineral sunscreen packed with antioxidants, and specially designed for your face. It is lightweight and absorbs quickly into the skin. It layers seamlessly over your daily moisturizer and under make up, while providing UVA, UVB, and blue (HEV) light rays, without the chalky white cast.
Spray sunscreens
I also avoid all spray sunscreens, even a clean mineral sunscreen. Even titanium dioxide which is harmless on the surface of your skin, has been shown to be toxic if inhaled. "Small particles of the spray can get deep into the lungs and cause irreversible damage," says Nneka Leiba, the vice president of healthy living science at the Environmental Working Group.
Optional background info if you want to reference anything:
Source Responsibly – They choose the best organic, natural, sustainable, and synthetic ingredients that meet their standards. Over 80% of the ingredients in their products are natural or plant-derived. They do not test on animals.
Skincare Regimens
There are 4 skincare collections to choose from, to see which one is best of you, take this short quiz.
The Countercontrol Collection is for oily and blemish-prone skin. The Countermatch Collection is formulated to match the natural structure of the skin and deliver long-lasting moisture. The Counterman Collection is for men. My husband uses a lot of Beautycounter products and loves them, especially the serums.
I personally use the Countertime skincare regimen, and I absolutely love it. Here is a description of the line.
Countertime
Countertime was designed to visibly reduce the signs of aging and deliver transformative results -- It contains a plant-derived Retinatural Complex. The patent pending Retinatural Complex, featuring a combination of Bakuchiol and Swiss Alpine Rose, delivers retinol-like results without retinol’s safety concerns.
Like Retinol, Bakuchiol is collagen producing, helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles, increase elasticity, it brightens and evens skin tone yet it doesn’t have any of the downsides of Retinol such as redness, dryness and irritation. Additionally, with Retinol you can’t wear it in the sun or use it while pregnant or breastfeeding. That’s a big red flag. If you shouldn’t use it then, maybe you shouldn’t ever use it?! The other ingredient in the Retinatural complex is Swiss Alpine Rose. This plant is grown at the highest altitudes of the Swiss Alps and is known for its ability to protect itself against environmental stressors like dehydration, while helping boost skin's antioxidant defense.
About each Product:
1) Countertime Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil-Inspired by Asian beauty rituals, this luxurious, lightweight cleansing oil gently removes makeup and other impurities w/out stripping essential lipids.
2) Mineral Boost Hydrating Essence- Lightweight & nourishing, this milky moisturizing essence delivers vital nutrients to the skin's moisture barrier, boosting hydration and radiance.
3)Tripeptide Radiance Serum - True radiance, revealed. This transformative rejuvenating treatment visibly increases skin's firmness and elasticity, while reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
4) Antioxidant Soft Cream (Day Cream)- Protective, skin-plumping moisture. This revitalizing cream improves skin's barrier function & boosts hydration, protecting it from daily environmental stressors.
5) Tetrapeptide Supreme Creme ( Night Cream) - Powerful, regenerative hydration. Supremely rich and deeply hydrating, this cream supports elasticity and visibly firms while smoothing skin texture to minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
6) Ultra Renewal Eye Cream - Your brightest eyes, revealed. This high-performance eye cream revitalizes the eye area and reduces the appearance of under-eye shadows and crow's feet for a smooth, firmed look.
Favorites
A few other products I wanted to highlight are, my all time favorite the Overnight Resurfacing Peel, Charcoal Mask, Hand Wash and Hand Lotion in Citrus Mimosa, Body Butter in Citrus Mimosa, Sugar Scrub in Lemongrass, and the Melting Body Balm. Here is a description of each product.
*Overnight Resurfacing Peel: This is by far my favorite product. Whenever I use this “non-peel” peel, I feel like I have had a professional spa treatment. I wake up with baby soft, smooth skin. It contains 15 botanical acids (9 resurfacing and 6 soothing acids) that gently break down the surface of your skin. It promotes cellular turnover for a smoother complexion, reduces the appearance of fine lines, minimizes the appearance of pores, evens skin tone and reduces the appearance of dark spots. Apply 2 pumps at night just before your night cream. Watch your age spots, acne scars and blemishes fade with each application.
Counter+ All Bright C Serum- Beautycounter's Vitamin C Serum is a game changer. It brightens skin and defends against environmental stressors, known to cause dark spots and discoloration. It helps support your skin's natural collagen production, and offers antioxidant protection against pollution, and free radicals.
Beautycounter created a blend of two ultra stable forms of vitamin C from Japan. The problem with many Vitamin C Serums is that they come from an unstable source, which makes them less effective. To make up for this, many companies increase the potency which can cause skin irritation.
*Charcoal Mask - This mask draws out impurities and it softens your skin.
Hand Wash in Citrus Mimosa - We are all washing our hands more than ever. This hand wash has organic aloe, green tea and calendula so you don’t strip away moisture while getting the job done!
*Body Butter in Citrus Mimosa - Ideal for very dry skin. The shea butter and mongongo oil hydrate and nourish yours skin without leaving it feeling greasy.
*Sugar Scrub in Lemongrass - This brown sugar scrub exfoliates, giving your skin a lovely glow and a silky-smooth feel.
*Melting Body Balm - This luxurious balm contains argan and avocado oils to hydrate and soften the skin.
Whether you decide to Beautycounter or another safe/clean company, the purpose of this blog was to educate you and raise awareness. If you want more information about Beautycounter, need help choosing the right products for you, or would like to try some samples, please feel free to contact me using the contact form.
Clean cosmetics are also a MUST, my next blog post will cover all of my favorite safe cosmetics. Subscribe below if you would like to get an email notification for new blog posts.