Environmental toxins and safer skincare weren’t always on my radar, unfortunately. 

I’ve been really careful about what I put into my body by selecting and eating healthy foods ever since my rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis and I am painfully aware of how the chemicals in processed foods impact my autoimmune disease activity, so it’s ridiculous I haven’t been more careful about what I put into my body through the skincare products I use. Had I known what was lurking in my favorite soaps, hair gels, and deliciously scented lotions and the harmful impacts they were having on my health, I would have.

Toxic Sunscreen led to Safer Skincare Choices for us.

A scary article about toxins in sunscreens and the reactions these toxins have with chlorine brought this issue into focus for me. I was horrified that the products I was using to prevent skin cancer were actually doing more harm than good! I had been hosing my daughter and myself down with sunscreen for years. I had so much guilt but thankfully I found a safe, effective line of sunscreens so I can breathe easily moving forward.  I use this and feel so much better about going out into the sun now. 

From this experience, I went on to read more and learned that the beauty industry is woefully under-regulated. I had no clue. Zero. I figured that buying products labeled as natural would ensure that I was actually buying quality products, but this just isn’t the case: even some of the most well-known and trusted brands. It’s shocking. The following image says it all.

Did you know 70% of the chemicals we put on our skin are absorbed into our bloodstream within 26 seconds?

YIKES!

Take a minute to look up the products you’re using on Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database with their free app. Just use the camera ton your phone to scan barcodes and immediately check the safety of products! I can guarantee you’ll be surprised to learn what’s in items you use and how they can harm your health. The daily products most of us use are filled with endocrine hormone disrupters, heavy metals like lead, chemicals with scientific links to cancer, and more terrifying toxins. It’s a crime, really.Most breast cancers are environmentally linked rather than genetically connected and autoimmunity is on the rise. We all deserve better!

I want to better manage my symptoms and My biggest fear is that my daughter will someday be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis or another autoimmune disease so I am a mission to lower the toxins in our home.

PIN ME!

Now I am making a conscious effort to switch to less toxic cleaning products as well as in all of our personal and skin care products to keep my family safe and better manage my autoimmune symptoms.

In a different post, I will share how I am tackling the switch to safer cleaning products since the focus here is skincare.

Why Beautycounter?

Beautycounter has been the best and easiest way for me to tackle the personal care product transition. I love their products, and I don’t have to do any research since they have done it already and are completely transparent with their results: I know all their products are safe. And it’s not crazy expensive when compared to other products in the safer skincare realm or department store brands. Also, my daughter, who is fussy about fragrances, loves the shampoo, body wash, and body lotion: win. She was sold, but. . .

I worried safer skincare would equal less effective Skincare, but thankfully that is not the case.

Fine lines, deep wrinkles, super dry, dull  skin,  redness, brown spots, these are just a few of my skin issues, so as much as I wanted to be rid of chemicals,  I was afraid truly all natural safer skincare just wouldn’t cut it but with these products, my skin has actually improved! It turns out the products I was using were making my redness worse. I haven’t found anything I don’t like and actually became a consultant to support Beautycounter in their efforts to change industry standards (and to earn a 25% discount on my safer skin care products so that I could hoard mt lotions, serums, and oils without guilt-Ha!) but just using the products for mine and my family’s benefit felt selfish. I need to share this information and these products with everyone I know!  We should all be using safe products, right?    

My Safer Skincare Routine: Here’s what I am using and loving now!

Click on the blue links to learn more about the featured products.

Below are the items I use on a daily basis for my safer skincare routine. Products are listed in the order I use them. I am obsessed with the ultra-moisturizing Countermatch line, as you will soon see. LOL!

Mornings

• Nourishing Cleanser– I keep this in the in the shower. I use the Nourishing Exfoliator 2X per week.
• Countermatch Intense Moisture Serum– this has made a huge difference in my skin brightness!
• Countermatch Eye Rescue Cream (so great for dark circles and bags!)
• Countermatch Adaptive Day Lotion

Evenings

I actually start with fractionated coconut oil and a little lavender oil to really rub my face down. This gets rid of my makeup quite nicely and sets the tone for sleep with it’s relaxing effect. I have a process I use that I documented in my FREE resource library. You can get the password here! I then follow up with this routine:

• Charcoal face bar-I use this every night after my coconut oil. I can’t believe how much this has improved the texture of my skin. It’s great to help clear pores. It has also improved the redness I am typically plagued with.
• Countermatch Eye Rescue Cream – this made a huge difference in my skin brightness!
• Face Oil– This is a game changer for dry skin and dullness. I use #1 Brightening. This has also helped tone down my redness.
• Countermatch Recovery Sleeping Cream– divine
• Brightening Mask– I try to use this 2x a week. It’s amazing what a difference it makes to help with dullness and spots.

Body Care

• Body wash 
• Body Butter transformative for dry skin.
• Hand wash & hand cream set.

This is my daily routine. I have a special dry skin treatment plan I am saving for an upcoming post! Stay Tuned.

Ready to start swapping out your toxic products for safer skincare?

This is the Never List: a list of the ingredients you will never find in a Beautycounter product!

If switching to safer skincare all at once seems daunting, start small.  Look-up your most toxic products on EWG’s Skin Deep Database, then prioritize swapping out as your products run out or based on what’s the worst rated and most toxic product you use. 

Start Here:

Click here to peruse the products (you will be shopping on my personal website) and get ready to fall in love.

Love Discounts and Free Products?

Be sure to check out the Band of Beauty membership, which gets you a free, full-sized product at signup, 15% product credit on every purchase, and free shipping on any order over $100 for an entire year! It’s a great deal. In fact, I created a 30-Day Skin Detox with a Band of Beauty gift option worth over $80.00. You can find that in my FREE Resource Library. Sign up here for immediate access!

Ready to Detox the rest of your Beauty routine?

Looking for more ways to swap out even more personal care products, like toothpaste? Read my post, Five Easy Ways to Detox your Beauty Routine, here.  

You can check out more of my recommendations for clean products here.

Need Help with product selection? I am ready to help!

Here’s to safer beauty and getting real!