When I started my own wellness journey, one of my number one goals was to pay more attention to the things I put in my body and on my body. I never realized how many of the products I used every single day contained toxic substances. Yes, TOXIC substances. Not ingredients that are just slightly less healthy, but that are TOXIC. You may also be surprised at the amount of them you are purposefully ingesting or smothering onto your skin. Even if the product you are using has a minimal amount that is not toxic alone – when you stack product on top of product, that amount adds up quickly. How many of us logically just use ONE product a day? Come on.
Let’s talk about our beauty products.
The first step to solving this problem is to educate yourself. When you buy something, turn it around and actually read the ingredients. You want to look for as few ingredients as possible. Avoid the so-called “smell-goods.” Yes – you may have to let go of some of your favorites. There are better ones out there – and your body will thank you for it!
Avoid ingredients listed as “fragrance” or “parfum.” The lax regulations on the beauty industry means these products that don’t list out exactly what is creating that fragrance you love, could be absolutely anything and no one is regulating it. The best way to incorporate your own safe, smell-good scents is to buy your products “unscented” and add your own Essential Oils to them. Or buy from companies that only use Essential Oils for fragrance. Download the “EWG – Environmental Working Group” App on your phone for a great source to check your products. Aim for products that fall in the 0-2 range.
You may or may not have not heard the name “Beautycounter” float around. As I started slowly replacing my beauty products when they ran out, I began to tackle my makeup and skincare. I tried a few other companies – Farmacy, Puracy and Juice Beauty to name a few. Then I came across Beautycounter. The company’s slogan is to get safer products into the hands of everyone, which is exactly what I’m after. Affordable, cleaner products that I can feel good about putting on my body.
They do not claim to be “organic” or “toxin free.” Something that concerned me at first – but after some research I’ve come to know that there is no such thing – yet! There are of course beauty products that fall under those categories, but there are no lines with products all across the board that are made this way. And on top of that, the beauty industry is NOT regulated by anyone in the US but the beauty industry. Companies can claim to be “organic” and “pure” with out any true data to back that up. If you don’t do your research – how do you know?
Beautycounter is part of the movement fighting for stronger regulations on the beauty industry. They fund and publish many of their own studies to show the public openly how their products are regulated. They are transparent with their practices – listing all of their ingredients, involving the public in their formulations, advocating for a stricter beauty industry and educating consultants and clients on the issues at hand. They even have what they call a Never List with over 1500+ chemicals they never allow in their products. The U.S. only bans LESS THAN TEN!
I like to think of Beautycounter as sort of a cross between Mary Kay & M.A.C., but in a cleaner, safer and more accessible way. The products are available to consumers via online purchase, monthly membership or through a consultant. Later this year, some products will even be available at Target! I am slowly replacing my products with Beautycounter products as I run out. You don’t have to throw away everything you own and start over. Just start making cleaner choices as you go along. This also gives you more time to research each individual product.
After a single day of using the Charcoal Bar, Overnight Resurfacing Peel, Brightening Oil and Tint Skin, I was HOOKED!
These products feel luxurious.
They made my skin look good.
They are products I can feel good about putting on my skin.
Wins all around. I signed up to be a Consultant. I just couldn’t get over how much I loved the way I felt after one day of using them! My next purchase will be a few of the makeup products I’m about to run out of – mascara, eyebrow pencil and concealer. As a consultant, I get to purchase these items at a discounted rate and I also get to share how much I love them with others.
I’m not a sales-person. I have a full time job. And I don’t like to bug people about “my business.” So, don’t get the wrong impression here. I’m not “pitching” a product to you because I want to make money off of you. I’m excited to share Beautycounter with you because it’s in alignment with my goals and my own personal Wellness Journey! If you want to reach out to me with questions, to hear my opinion on a product or to purchase – you know where to find me.
As I try the Beautycounter products – I will list them below and on my Instagram with my review for you to check out. You can always go to the site http://www.beautycounter.com/maryalicehammond to check out the rest of the products you may be interested in. I will also be posting in the future about many of the other brands of safer beauty and home products I have come to love.<3
https://www.beautycounter.com/product/no-1-brightening-facial-oil
I’m a huge fan of facial oils. I prefer single ingredient oils as opposed to mixes and serums. I like the simplicity of the product. I like to apply it in the morning sort of like a primer before foundation to give my skin a clean, smooth finish. The bright orange scent is a great morning wake up call, too!
https://www.beautycounter.com/product/charcoal-cleansing-bar
Charcoal is one of the most effective cleansing ingredients. I’ve used charcoal masks in the past and been amazed at the amount of dirt it draws from my face. I use this bar everyday, morning and night to keep my face clean. It’s scent-less and simple enough for daily use.
https://www.beautycounter.com/product/overnight-resurfacing-peel
This product is what really transformed my face the first night I used Beautycounter. You know when you apply something and get that all-over tingle – that means something is working below the surface! I feel like I wake up looking fresher every time I use it.
https://www.beautycounter.com/product/tint-skin-complexion-coverage
I am a re-covering full coverage makeup gal. This stuff is not full coverage – but it is buildable. My goal is to improve my skin – so that this and a little concealer are all I need. I’m craving that successful no-makeup, makeup look! It’s perfect for the weekends when I want a break from full-coverage or when I’m mixing foundations to get that perfect shade.
https://www.beautycounter.com/product/multi-color-lipstick
You know how most people are either lipstick wearers or lip gloss wearers? Well this sheer lipstick is the perfect compromise. I felt like it stayed on all day – which is not something easily achieved with me. It also didn’t feel so heavy that all I could think about was my lipstick!
The Well Mom Collective 