10 Ingredients You Don't Want in your Skincare
“All Natural” is all the rage right now. But what if I told you that even products using this phrase may contain harmful ingredients? Sadly, there are WAY more than 10 ingredients you don’t want in your skincare, makeup, and other personal care products. But these are just the top 10 ingredients that may cause the most harm.
DISCLAIMER: I am NOT trying to shame you for any products that you use. There is no judgement whatsoever! I am just here to provide information so that you can make an educated decision on what works best for you and your family.
I’m going to give a very general overview on the topic, but please go here to read more in depth on the topic. Noelle Tarr is mad smart and she created this lovely graphic (permission to share).
Without going into the nitty gritty (I’ll leave that to Noelle), here are a few “fun facts” about what these ingredients contain.
Endocrine disruptors
Petrochemical solvents
Nitrosamines
Common allergens
Skin irritants
Carcinogens
Which can cause:
Hormonal imbalances
Cancer (many times breast cancer)
Immune system problems
Birth defects
Reproductive issues
Respiratory issues/Asthma
Neurotoxicity
Developmental toxicity
Thyroid dysfunction
Antibiotic resistant bacteria
Gut inflammation
The Clean Swap
Not the most uplifting thing to read, amiright? And I definitely don’t want you to freak the heck out that you’re going to die if you wear red lipstick tonight. The good news is, this isn’t something that you need to completely overhaul in a day. How I started on this “clean swap” as Beautycounter likes to call it, is with the things that I used most. So here’s the order it went in for me:
Deodorant (pleeeeease get an aluminum & paraben free one ASAP!)
Soap, shampoo, conditioner
Face wash and moisturizer
Makeup
Lotion and perfume
Not saying this is how you should do it, this just happened to work well for me over a year and a half y’all. And I’ve only just started switching over to Beautycounter products in the last 4 months. I’m never going to tell you Beautycounter is the only good brand to buy, either. I still use other brands for soap and hair care. There are plenty of great companies out there selling “clean” products. However, you must be careful. Just because something says “natural” or “plant based” does NOT make it safe.
For example, I used a great foundation that I bought at Whole Foods for about a year. Because it had the word “mineral” in the name and it was from Whole Foods, I figured it MUST be clean.
Wrong. I learned that sometimes mineral makeup can actually be the WORST because of the heavy metal content. I also learned that the ingredient list doesn’t always tell you the truth. There is almost no regulation of harmful ingredients or what can be put on a label in the US. And marketing terminology is literally a joke. They can say pretty much anything they want about a product, true or false. So I decided to buy from a company that rises above all of those standards.
What makes Beautycounter different?
It’s is the ONLY company I’ve ever heard of that tests their products for harmful ingredients twice. Once when they get the raw materials, and again after the product is finished, because sometimes harmful ingredients can make their way into products during manufacturing.
And have you seen “The Never List”? Beautycounter has banned more than 1,500 ingredients that are or may possibly be harmful. This is even more than the European Union which bans 1,400.
Not to mention, this company is advocating for more regulation in the beauty industry because all people should know what’s in their skincare so they can make an educated decision on what they want to put on their body.
Oh and mommas, they have kids products, too! And a brand new men’s line decked out with beard oil.
I should also tell you that their return policy is incredible. You can return anything you don’t like, no questions asked, which is so important to me when trying out new products. But I haven’t met a product I didn’t love yet. For realz.
The strange thing is, our society seems to be obsessed with health these days. Everyone’s concerned about what they eat or how much they work out. But why aren’t we talking about what we put ON our bodies? Holistic health means addressing all areas of life because they are all interconnected. I know it can all be overwhelming, so don’t rush yourself to make any changes. Just take things one step at a time, and give yourself grace while you figure out what is best for you.
If you have questions or want to know more, please comment, email, or message me! You can also visit my Beautycounter site here. If you want to try some FREE SAMPLES, fill out the form below!
Have you started to make the “clean swap”? What has your experience been like?