A Clean Beauty Action Plan

You’ve celebrated, reflected on your year and made the resolutions.  Now it’s time to quit making excuses and get it DONE!  I often hear people ask questions about safer beauty, but then they get so overwhelmed by the clean swap process that it paralyzes them into making no change; I get it. 

Just this past year, after my breastfeeding journey ended, I quit taking my prenatal vitamins.  Before I knew it, months had passed and I still had not switched over to a more fitting supplement.  I was so overwhelmed by trying to figure out the best vitamin to take that I actually just kept putting off taking anything at all out of fear of choosing the wrong kind.   Because there is no regulation and zero transparency in the personal care industry, it can be very confusing trying to determine what products to use.  It can also get very costly.  So for those of you who are looking to make a change but are paralyzed by fear, I have a four month action plan to help you make the change you planned for this year.

Month One

Great skin is the best base layer for any makeup routine and that is why I’m making clean skincare swaps the focus for your first month of action!  During this month, you will toss out the dirty stuff and reach for these three essential skincare products.  You need a great cleanser, an exfoliator, and a moisturizer.  Serums, masks and facial oils are great too, but if they don’t fit into your budget then start with the 3 “must-haves.”  For around $100-$150 you can swap to clean beauty products that will last you for about 3-6 months.  (That equates to quality products for approximately $25 a month!)

Why should you swap?  Here is a mini list of the toxins hiding out in skincare products:

“Fragrance” or “parfum” can actually contain up to 500 other ingredients, many of which are petroleum byproducts and have been linked to cancer, asthma, allergies, and nerve damage.

Dibutyl phthalate is found in cosmetics and baby care products and phthalates have been linked to asthma, birth defects and cancer. 

Parabens are used to extend the shelf-life of products and these toxins go by many names:  butyl-, ethyl-, isobutyl-, methyl-, and propyl- parabens. Parabens have been identified by the European Commission on Endocrine Disruption to be hormone disruptors and a contributing cause of hormonally-linked cancer, reproductive disorders, and othe serious health issues.

Month Two

60% of what we put on our body is absorbed within 26 seconds of applying it.  This month, you will ditch the toxins lurking in your body wash, hand soaps, lotions, and scrubs and invest in cleaner versions that are devoid of fragrance, petroleum, and artificial dyes.  This means saying buh-bye to bulk deals over at Bath and Bodyworks and Victoria’s Secret and instead shopping with a brand like Beautycounter.  Beautycounter has banned over 1,500 toxic ingredients from being used in their formulations and I guarantee that the people around you are going to love Citrus Mimosa way more than Cashmere Glow or Wild Walk in the Woods (whatever that smells like). 

For less than $100, you can pick up great smelling and clean body lotion, body wash, body oil, and sugar scrub that will last you up to six months!  (That is about $16 a month for safe ingredients that repair, heal and nourish your body and skin.)

Month Three

Cleaning up your makeup can feel overwhelming, but makeup is where we find some of the most toxic and harmful ingredients around.  So this month you are going to toss out the dirty foundations, powders, blushes, and eyeshadows and rotate in clean options.  One of the things I love about Beautycounter is they do third party testing to ensure that products are not contaminated during sourcing. 

For around $125, you can add a clean foundation or powder, blush duo and eyeshadow palette (includes 9 shades) to your makeup bag that will last you for 4-6 months and maybe even longer.  That is less than $20 a month!  Here are a few common ingredients lurking in these makeup products: 

Butylated Compounds (BHT, BHA) are added into our products to preserve them for a longer period of time. BHA and BHT are used as preservatives in dozens of products like blushes, foundations, and even diaper creams.  These chemicals are endocrine disruptors, may induce skin allergies, and are linked to organ, developmental, and reproductive toxicity.

Asbestos is the most alarming toxin found in products and especially in blushes, powders, shadows, and anything including talc.  Talc has been pegged as the bad guy, but it’s really the sourcing  of talc that’s the issue.  At the source, asbestos can leach into talc and that is why third party testing is so important.  (If they don’t allow asbestos in home improvement, then why would I want it in my makeup and, in return, my body and bloodstream?!)

Month Four

Can we just celebrate your commitment to clean beauty for a minute?!  Seriously!  Change like this takes dedication and you made it to month 4!!! 

This month, you are going to swap out your lipsticks, glosses, balms, and mascara.  For just $60, you can pick up a mascara and lipstick or gloss that will last you for about 4 months.  This equates to less than $15 a month you guys!   One of the most common toxins found in these products is lead.  We know it’s bad because it was banned for use in paint and toys, but it’s still not regulated in cosmetics.  Lead is a proven neurotoxin linked to miscarriage, reduced fertility, and delays in the onset of puberty for females.   The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found lead in more than half of the 33 brands of lipstick they tested several years ago.   A more recent study by the FDA tested popular brands and found 400 that contained lead.  One thing we’ve learned is how much you spend on your lipstick has nothing to do with the safety of it.  Some of the most expensive and popular brands included lead.  The average lipstick-wearing woman will eat about 4 pounds of lipstick in her lifetime so do you really want to gamble on big beauty companies keeping you safe?!

So there it is!  Your clean beauty action plan!  As I've mentioned before I work with and educate on 3 different brands that have high standards.  Often times people will reach out and ask me what I think about different brands and to that question I love to refer people over to EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database where you can plug in any product or brand and see for yourself what the safety rating is.  

If you would like to shop Beautycounter then I invite you to shop with me here or click any of the links above!  You can also check out an array of amazing skincare products by Eminence Organics by going here.  Don't forget to leave a comment below and let me know if this was helpful!