Baby Steps To Clean Living: natural skin care & makeup
On Friday we kicked off a new series called Baby Steps To Clean Living.
The idea is to take little steps to live a more natural, healthy life while removing toxins from our daily routines.
We’re not talking totally life overhaul.
That can be overwhelming.
We’re talking small steps and simple swaps to set the stage for living clean in 2015.
Today’s topic is a big one: natural skin care and makeup.
It’s easy to forget that topical products can pose a threat to our internal health. But remember, skin is the body’s largest organ and products that are applied to the skin are absorbed into our system.
The bad news: most skin care and makeup lines are chalk full of potentially harmful chemicals.
The good news: as consumers become more informed and demand more natural products, more and more companies are coming out with high-quality, natural makeup and skin care lines with safe ingredients.
A few facts:
The average woman uses 12 beauty products in the morning, which adds up to hundreds of chemicals every single day.
While the E.U. has banned or restricted nearly 1,400 ingredients, the U.S. has banned or restricted only 11.
The personal care industry in the U.S is self-regulated, which means they are legally allowed to use chemicals that are known carcinogens and hormone disruptors.
I could go on, but the point is not to overwhelm, just to inform.
If you’d like to read more in depth facts and statistics visit the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database.
There you’ll find pages of information plus an easily searchable database to see how your favorite beauty products rank in terms of toxicity.
You’ll also find a helpful list of skin care ingredients to avoid.
Rather than dwelling on what we’re doing wrong, let’s focus on how we can make smart, healthy choices when it comes to our daily beauty routine.
Some of the links below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, The Balanced Life receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Full disclosure.
Natural Skin Care
Thankfully, there are variety of outstanding, natural skin care companies making headway in the market.
One of my favorite brands is Beautycounter.
I’ve been on the hunt for a brand that covers all the bases when it comes to safety, quality and effectiveness and Beautycounter is the first to blow me away.
I’ve been speaking with Kelly Steinke, a Beautycounter consultant, and she has been helping me navigate the world of safe beauty products.
“We pride ourselves on maintaining the strictest standards in the industry. To that end we maintain a list of over 1,500 ingredients that we promise to never use as they’ve been deemed either unsafe or questionable. In our commitment to transparency, we submit our product ingredients to the Environmental Working Group for their third party evaluation of toxicity. We proudly display our EWG ratings on our website.” -Kelly Steinke
If you’re curious about their products you may start with the Essential Face Collection which is formulated to be extremely gentle and is good for all skin types.
One of my favorite products is the Lustro Face Oil. Three luxurious face oils with unique scents to incorporate into your beauty regimen. All Lustro Face Oils promote the appearance of beautiful, healthy-looking skin. (Beautycounter has drawn a cult-like following because of these oils!)
Until discovering Beautycounter, I always felt I had to choose natural or anti-aging – the two never co-existed.
Thankfully, they’ve just come out with their new “aging gracefully” collection, The Countertime Collection. The scientifically-proven (yet safe!) line, Countertime, revolves around deeply hydrating, nourishing, firming, and lifting formulas that effectively fight the signs of aging. (Can be purchased individually or as a collection, at a discount.)
It’s important that you know I am not getting paid for this endorsement and I haven’t received any free product from the company (although I wouldn’t turn it down!). I discovered them on my own, fell in love and want to share that love with you. (maybe I should become a consultant? 🙂
Another favorite of mine is Luxe De Mer.
Luxe De Mer was started by and adorable husband and wife team in Santa Barbara with a passion for natural, organic skincare products that produce results.
“Luxe de Mer was born out of a desire to create safe, organic and effective skincare products. FDA has not regulated what goes into skincare products since 1938, which means a host of chemicals that have been proven to cause infertility, hormone disruptors, asthma, and even cancer are still being used in mainstream products. We are not okay with this for our family, or yours.” Rob & Chelsey Wang
Given that I lived in Santa Barbara for 8 years and consider it my second home, I love supporting this local company and taking imaginary trips to the beach through their products each day.
I’m loving the Santa Barbara Surf Scrub and Luxe Facial when my complexion needs a boost (the face moisturizing dry oil is to die for).
Their products come in beautiful packaging so make great gifts too. I love to have a few jars of body scrub on hand for last-minute hostess and birthday gifts. (be sure to read all the way to the bottom because Luxe De Mer is giving away a free gift to one lucky reader today!)
Other Safe, Natural Skin Care Companies To Check Out:
If you’re the type to make your own beauty products try these easy options:
Coconut oil on it’s own works great as a moisturizer and lip balm
Natural Makeup
Many of the skincare companies I mentioned above also have safe, natural, makeup lines.
Here’s a list of some of my favorite brands:
Arbonne (contact consultant (and Balanced Life Beauty) Brenda Thom)
Baby Steps…
Since this is about baby steps, don’t stress yourself out about replacing your entire beauty cabinet all at once. Take it step by step. As products expire or run out, simple replace them with a healthier, less-toxic option.
If you don’t know where to begin, consider starting with the products that have the maximum amount of skin absorption and/or potential consumption (lotion, moisturizer, lipstick, foundation, etc.)
And remember, it’s not about being perfect. It’s about making progress. Small steps add up to big changes.
xo,
PS – be sure to check out the first post in the Clean Living series, Baby Steps To Clean Eating.
PPS – did you find this post helpful? I’d love for you to share it with your friends by pinning it or clicking one of the social media icons below. 🙂
disclaimer: This post was not sponsored. I do not sell any of the products included in this post. All thoughts are my own. Some affiliate links are used.
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