Why I Switched to Safer Skincare and Beauty Products

I had never really paid much attention to the ingredients in my personal care products up until fairly recently.  What mattered the most to me was finding products that worked for my aging (I’m 39 at the time of this writing), oily, acne-prone skin, not to mention, trying to spend as little as possible.

When I started working with my doc on my hormone, adrenal, and digestive issues in 2015, one of the first things she had me do was to switch out my personal care products for more natural, non-toxic, safer brands.

After doing a little research, I was dumbfounded by the kind of things that were legally allowed to be put into the products that I used regularly and how companies were not legally required to list every ingredient used on the label.

Did you know that the US has introduced over 80,000 chemicals since WWII and only 10% of those chemicals have safety data?  And the US has banned only 30 of those, whereas Canada bans 600 and the EU has banned 1400.  The last major regulation that the US government has passed was in 1938, and it’s only 1.5 pages long!  The FDA has little oversight over the industry, leaving cosmetic companies to self-regulate.

Now, I’m not a fan of people using fear mongering when it comes to health stuff, and I’m all about simple, practical solutions, not overhauls and ultimatums.

 

So when I went about the process of swapping out my products, I heeded my budget and did it one product at a time.  When it comes to anything, but especially health and fitness, I follow the approach of “progress, not perfection.”

 

When I asked around for safer products, one name kept coming up — Beautycounter.

 

 

I’ll admit, I was skeptical at first.  They couldn’t really be that great, right?

 

I started with the Nourishing Day Cream.  And then after spending the past almost 2 years trying more of their products (and loving them!) and seeing the company and consultants in action (integrity and transparency in spades), I decided to join their mission of getting safer skincare into the hands of everyone by becoming a consultant.

 

What I love about Beautycounter is that they go above and beyond what’s required by law for safety and bans over 1500 questionable or harmful ingredients in their products.  And they continually advocate for more safety regulation in the beauty industry.

 

Safety and transparency is at the heart of everything they do.  They only use ingredients that have solid research behind them, at times conducting their own.  They list every single ingredient on their products and website, with no vague terms like “fragrance.”  And they continually test their products at every step for contamination and heavy metals, things that the vast majority of companies won’t do.

 

When it comes to healing your body, it takes more than just nutrition and exercise.  There’s the whole lifestyle aspect that has to be taken into consideration — stress, sleep, mindset, and what we put on our skin, for a portion of that ends up in our bodies and can have negative implications on our health.

 

We’re all bombarded by harmful chemicals and toxins everyday.  In small amounts, they’re usually fine. Repeated exposure has a cumulative effect and should not be dismissed, however.

 

No, your face cream is not going to kill you, lol.  But it’s worth looking into easing that toxic load, particularly if you have health issues, are trying to get pregnant, are concerned about hormone imbalances, or are concerned about what you and your family are being exposed to on a daily basis.  This adds up over the course of a year, a decade, a lifetime.

 

 

Here are a few of my favorite Beautycounter items:

Balancing Facial Mask

Calendula Lip Conditioner

Sheer Lipstick in Orchid and Twig

Overnight Resurfacing Peel

Charcoal Cleansing Bar

Shop here! >>>  beautycounter.com/rebeccawilliams

 

And if you sign up for a Band of Beauty membership for only $29, you’ll get 10% back on your order in product credit,  free shipping, and a free full-size product (changes periodically).

 

 

 

Read here for how to make the most of your clean beauty budget and here for sunscreen 101 and mineral sunscreen reviews.