You have probably heard about the “clean beauty” trend as of late. It is all over social media and even the news. But for those of us passionate about clean beauty and safer products we are hoping its not just trend, but a new way of life.

Clean beauty has always been something that I have been interested in. To be honest I have gone in and out of phases where it is a major priority for me (and just being more eco-conscious in general) but it doesn’t always stick. Usually I try “clean” products and don’t feel like they work as well so I give up and resort back to my old products. But once I became pregnant I started paying more attention to the products I was using and what was actually considered safe. I was surprised to learn that many of the products I thought were relatively “clean” actually weren’t or contained ingredients that weren’t safe to use during pregnancy.

I quickly started researching alternative products to use and now I am making an effort to find clean alternatives for most of my hair & skin care products. Since switching the majority of the products we use to cleaner and safer options I’ve made it a goal to help others do the same. That is why I decided to become a rep for Beautycounter. I want to help others find safer products that they will love.

So today I am sharing more info on Clean Beauty- the why, how and where of switching to safer.

WHY

The US has a very short list of banned ingredients in beauty products and has not updated this list since 1938. Think of how much has changed in the past 81 years and how much more we have learned about harmful products! Yet many of these products are still allowed to be used in beauty, skin and hair care. Other countries like Canada, Japan and most of Europe have much stricter regulations and more recent updates. Some products that are still used in hair and skin care today can be associated with cancer, birth defects, and hormone disruption. If that doesn’t make you want to research what’s in your beauty products I don’t know what will.

HOW

Getting started is honestly the hardest part. It can be overwhelming to research and know what exactly to look for.  Luckily there are so many great resources online that break it down for you. Beautycounter is a great resource for this. Their “Never List” is a list of roughly 1500 ingredients that have been found to be harmful or hazardous to our health. Many of these ingredients have already been banned in Europe, Japan and Canada.  Beauty Heroes is also a great resource for this! You can read through their list of ingredient “villians” here.

1. Start by going through your current products to see which ones contain these harmful ingredients. Unfortunately, most of them probably have at least a few.
2. Make a list of which products you want to start switching out for safer versions. You don’t have to do it all at once. So start with those that you use most often or contain the most harmful ingredients.
3. Start looking for your safer options! Keep reading to learn where some of the best places to look are!

WHERE 

Getting started is honestly the hardest part. It can be overwhelming to research and know what exactly to look for.  Luckily there are so many great resources online that break it down for you. Not only that but many brands are now embracing the clean beauty concept and are more open about what is or isn’t in their products. Sephora recently launched a “Clean at Sephora” section that labels all products that qualify as clean. There are also brands like Beauty Counter, RMS, & TULA that vow to not use certain questionable ingredients in their products.

Many brands are now embracing the clean beauty concept and are more open about what is or isn’t in their products.

1. Beautycounter: Beautycounter has a “Never List” of nearly 1500 ingredients that they NEVER use in their products. With a comprehensive list like that you can rest assured that their products are a clean and safe alternative!
2. RMS Beauty: RMS is dedicated to using organic and non-toxic ingredients that are nourishing.
3. Clean at Sephora: Sephora launched a “Clean by Sephora” seal and all products with this seal are free of 13 different harmful and questionable ingredients.
4. TULA: TULA vows to be free of 12 different ingredients that are considered to be potentially harmful.
5. The Honest Company: Honest vows to make their products without SLS/SLES, synthetic fragrances, formaldehyde donors, parabens, and methylisothiazinone. You can read about their products standards here.

What Next?

I hope after reading about the “why” behind the clean beauty movement you feel motivated to make the switch to safer products. I know that even with all of this information at our fingertips and cleaner brands it can seem overwhelming to make the switch. But I am here to help! Clean beauty is something I am very passionate about and want to help YOU switch to safer that is why I joined Beautycounter. But I realize Beautycounter isn’t the answer for everyone so I am offering “Clean Consultations” through which I can help you find safer and cleaner alternatives that work for you whether it is beauty, skincare or everyday household products. In a consultation you tell me what you need and I do all the work for you! If you are interested in a consultation or want more info, fill out this short form here and I will get back to you.

I am also offering a Beautycounter promotion through July 1st to help you switch to safer. Any order placed with me over $75 will receive your choice of a FREE mineral sunscreen mist or makeup remover wipes. In addition, any purchase (no minimum required) will also get your name entered in a drawing to win a Beautycounter canvas makeup pouch with deluxe skincare samples! What better way to test out clean products to help you get started? If you are interested please reach out or you can place your order HERE.

Other Resources

It can be exhausting reading the label of EVERY product you use but luckily there are a few helpful resources to make it a bit easier.

• Think Dirty: This app is so helpful. You can type in any product that you use and it will give you a safety ranking. Not only does it give a rating but it also explains why certain ingredients used are considered harmful or should be avoided.
• Environmental Working Group: Similar to “Think Dirty” you can also search for certain products. In addition to rating products EWG also provides a wealth of information on safer and cleaner products and has numerous articles on why switching to safer is so important.