Here’s all of the makeup I’m saying goodbye to! I’m slightly embarrassed that I wasted so much $ on this stuff, some of it is barely used.
In our world we are constantly bombarded by toxins that effect every living cell in our bodies. Detoxing isn’t usually something that we think about our bodies doing aside from the crazy strict protocols you hear about like a lemon, cayenne and maple syrup detox, fast, or juice cleanse. Our bodies are actually detoxing all the time, whether you notice it or not! The most basic things we do without thinking too much about: urinating, pooping (I mean I can’t say excrete feces without feeling weirder than saying poop, ok?), sweating and breathing are actually the bodies self detoxification pathways. Through this process our body gets rid of the old, toxic and unneeded food, chemicals, substances and dead cells through the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys and skin which acts like a second kidney or filter.
Why is detoxing so important? Did you know our bodies are constantly generating new cells? Our gut lining and taste buds completely regenerate in 21 days, our red blood cells in 90 days and all of our cells are completely new in 7 years time. If you didn’t believe it before, you literally are what you eat. After all, where else do you think your body gets the materials to completely rebuild it’s cells? The body has the ability to remove toxins that we eat, put on our skin and encounter in the environment. But, we live in an increasingly toxic world with pollution, pharmaceutical drugs we eat like candy, chemicals in our food, our water, our cosmetics, skincare, soap, etc. The amount of toxins that our body deals with on a daily basis can be overwhelming, causing the liver to become sluggish, digestion to suffer and these pathways eventually become less effective at removing toxins because of the constant influx. Over time toxins build up and effect our ability to detox properly which causes a high level of stress on the body. This hinders our ability to respond to other stress, our adrenal strength (these little organs control your stress response and release cortisol and adrenaline- so you can run away from the bear chasing you) as well as our liver’s ability to perform the 500 other functions that it does on a daily basis. This coupled with a standard diet full of processed carbohydrates and sugar can lead to serious blood sugar issues, adrenal fatigue, hormone issues and more.
Now, why am I switching to safer skincare and makeup? Doesn’t the government make sure that the products I use are safe for myself and children? Unfortunately, they don’t. Much like the food that we eat there are very few strict laws that regulate the ingredients in skincare and makeup. As of right now, it’s legal for companies to use toxic ingredients in products that we put on our bodies even if the ingredients have been linked to cancer or other health problems. The last law that was passed to govern the cosmetics industry was passed in 1938. THAT WAS 79 YEARS AGO. Think of how incredibly much has changed and how much science has learned since then. The government also doesn’t give the FDA the power to require safety data or issue recalls of cosmetics that are found to be unsafe. Currently in the U.S. there are only 30 ingredients that are restricted from being used in cosmetics and less than 600 in Canada. In comparison, the European Union bans almost 1,400 ingredients!!
As women, most of us use at least 10 products a day: think shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shaving cream, moisturizer, foundation, eye shadow, mascara, eyeliner, toothpaste, lotion, hair spray, the list goes on. The skin on our bodies is our largest organ. Yes you read that right, it’s our largest organ. Everything that we put on our skin absorbs directly into our bodies and our bloodstream. It doesn’t take long either, we’re talking almost instant uptake. Then our bodies have to work to gather up the toxins and get them out of the body.
There is also no transparency in ingredient listings on cosmetic and skincare products. Companies do not legally have to list everything they use. Take for example the ingredient “fragrance,” which is usually considered a product secret so they don’t disclose what the ingredients really are. Usually it’s a synthetic cocktail that includes phthalates and synthetic musks which are hormone disruptors and other chemicals that are allergens and neurotoxins. Most skincare and makeup contains phthalates and parabens that are known endocrine (hormone) disruptors that can block or alter important hormone processes in the body. Phthalates are plasticizers- that makes plastic more pliable and a main ingredient in PVC plastic, which is one of the more toxic plastics. They are used to make fragrances stick to your skin, styling products malleable, and nail polish bend and stick to your nail. They are thought to block the signaling pathways in the body for hormones like testosterone (yes, women have and need testosterone too!) and have been linked to birth defects. They usually are not listed in ingredient labels. Parabens are a class of preservatives used in skincare and makeup products that prevent the growth of bacteria and mold. Methylparaben, isobutylparaben, propylparaben are the most common and are concerning because they mimic estrogen and can play a role in triggering cancer, hormone imbalance (which can effect fertility) and other adverse health effects that we are still discovering.
Ok now take a deep breath. This is a lot of information to take in and can be very overwhelming. You may feel helpless, angry, sad or all of the above. You may be pissed at me and think I’m lying and want to punch me in the face right now. These are all valid. Take it in. I’ll give you a moment…
The more I learn about how the “powers that be” are failing us the more angry I get. It’s a huge part of the fiery passion inside of me to help to educate other people about healthier lifestyle and food choices. Once you start with the food, it starts to pour into everything else. I’ve spent years learning to eat healthier and in turn I have started to look at cleaning up all aspects of my life. From washing my face with oil to washing my hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar (coined the “no-poo” method) I felt like I tried all of the natural ways. I remained frustrated when things would work for awhile and then they wouldn’t. Meanwhile I was gearing up a new makeup obsession where I spent at least $1000 over the course of a couple years on what I thought was high quality makeup to be able to do my makeup for my friend’s and my own wedding. I never thought about the ingredients. I didn’t think it mattered. It does, especially coming from someone who has been on hormonal birth control for 12 years. Two years ago I experienced a dermoid cyst the size of a baseball on my ovary that twisted my fallopian tube and I ended up having the ovary removed. You think that was all chance? Think again (that’s a story for another day).
Over the last couple years I started hearing about this company called Beautycounter that was on a social mission to “get safer products into the hands of everyone.” I was extremely intrigued and started by trying the Charcoal Cleansing Bar that a few of the nutrition bloggers I was following were raving about. My skin needed saving after years of severe teenage acne and hormonal breakouts on my cheeks that caused scarring (sometimes you can’t help but pop those pimples). I am Hawaiian so I am naturally tan-skinned and my scars always darken, especially on my face. I was looking for something to help clear my skin and keep it from breaking out. HALLELUJAH this cleansing bar was seriously life changing for my face. As I started using it every night to take off my makeup and cleanse my face it started to pull out all of these really deep blackheads and dirt and crap out of my skin. The result is smoother skin, no more of the weird below the surface pimples that I knew were there that I couldn’t get to and it has lightened my acne scars. As a result I barely breakout anymore. Even the pre-period hormone flux only gets me a tiny pimple or two. I’ve gotten so many compliments on how good my skin looks recently that I wanted to learn more about Beautycounter and try more products.
Beautycounter is first an education based company. They want to teach people about why safer skincare is important. They have a “never list” of 1,500 questionable or harmful ingredients that they do not use, no matter what. This includes the 1,400 banned in Europe. They screen every potential ingredient on it’s own, considering source, how it will be in a mixture of other chemicals (remember not all chemicals are toxic or bad), as well as in the final product. They are constantly reviewing new data on ingredients and commission their own studies for ingredients. They source from non-GMO, sustainable sources, many being organic. Over 80% of the ingredients are natural or plant-derived. They manufacture everything in the U.S., ask for certificates of purity and test for heavy metal contamination. They never test on animals. They practice absolute transparency, every ingredient that they use is on the package, online and in the Environmental Working Group’s Skin deep database (where they rate the toxicity of products). Further they are on a mission as a company to start a movement for more regulations around skincare and cosmetics. They are strong advocates of creating laws and petitioning to congress to make change at the highest level of government so that everyone can be safer.
My current daily makeup regimen. L to R: eye makeup remover, charcoal bar and Flawless in Five combo.
I kept coming back to Beautycounter and took the plunge and bought the makeup a couple months ago- the Flawless in Five – a package deal with concealer, foundation, mascara, eyebrow pencil, blush and lip gloss for $148! I have been using it ever since. They also just released a makeup remover that is so gentle and effective I want to shout it from the rooftops. No more stinging, irritated eyes and feeling like it’s removing your skin with it. After a couple weeks of just using Beautycounter I went to use my old foundation to go out to a concert and I was shocked at how much it just smelled like pure chemicals. I had never noticed before. I thought that I would gradually switch out products because I didn’t want to waste all the money I’d spent on my pricey Urban Decay Naked eye shadow palettes and foundation that left me looking airbrushed. But come to find out that all of my makeup was actually expired. Most only lasts a few months, 6 months and at most 2 years. Check out this guide for more info.
I became so passionate in telling people about Beautycounter that I decided to take it on as a part of my business and become a consultant! This is the main way that Beautycounter sells their products, because they want to educate people first and believe it’s best done person to person. This only came after years of using and loving the products myself and finding that the mission is something very close to my personal values and being a part of something greater than just selling makeup. Beautycounter is a movement and I am honored to be able to be a part of this incredible group of people who are taking strides in changing the skincare and cosmetic industry and largely, people’s lives. Having a product that is safer and WORKS is important. I love that it’s like the products I’ve used for years but they are safer and actually work better for my skin. I still have acne scars to heal but everyday my skin feels better and that is my proof.
If you’re not ready to switch or sure that you’ll ever want to switch that is absolutely a personal decision that no one can make for you. I am not here to make you do anything or feel bad, I am just here to tell my story and share my passion. There are other natural skincare companies out there I also love and won’t hesitate to stress that Beautycounter is not the only good option. To me, for the makeup and skincare it is the best option that I have found that compares to the high quality products I currently love. If you feel like shopping, head on over to berniesbeautycounter.com to shop with me!
Questions about detox, safer skincare or anything? Reach out: bernie@freshorbust.com