I’m super excited about the newest campaign Beautycounter launched last week-Clean Swap!

The gist of it is that they are taking the 6 BIGGEST offenders in the Skincare/Beauty market that tend to have the most harmful ingredients and really educating you and urging you to switch to safer!  I feel like everyday I’m learning more and more about things I should avoid and why.

I am definitely not a professional but here is my take on why you should switch these Offenders out!!!

Offender #1:  Eye & Face Creams

(This is me when I went to take this pic & realized my lotion is almost gone and my new one isn’t going to be here for a few days)!

Many traditional eye and face creams are made with preservatives which can release formaldehyde and wreak havoc on the immune system. YIKES!  Seriously, formaldehyde???  In face creams?  The thought of this makes me want to vomit.  All formaldehyde reminds me of is preserving the dead frog in High School science class.  I can still smell it now….The good news is that Countermatch Eye Rescue Cream and Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion are naturally preserved with phytic acid from green rice.  That sounds much more pleasant to me!  Why wouldn’t you switch?

Offender #2: Face Masks

Traditional facial masks can be formulated with PEGs, otherwise known as “Polyethylene Glycol (PEG): Carcinogenic petroleum ingredient that reduces the skin’s natural moisture. Increases the appearance of aging and leaves you vulnerable to bacteria. Used in spray-on oven cleaners and cleansers to dissolve oil and grease.”  That definition right there absolutely does NOT make me want to use anything like that on my face!!!  They also often contain dangerous chemicals.  Your mask should have nothing to hide. All of Beautycounter’s masks  contain naturally-derived glycerin, which helps condition and soften skin.

Offender #3:  Shampoo

Harsh sulfates, such as SLS and SLES, are found in many shampoos and can cause skin irritation. These are used to make the foamy lather, basically because it’s cheaper for the industry as a little bit goes a LONG way  However, in order to get the sulfite compound to work, they have to use petroleum.  Not to mention, sulfates dull hair and even make it brittle.  Here is an article with the top 10 reasons to avoid SLS.  Your scalp deserves a lot better. Beautycounter shampoos use beetroot sugars to deliver the rich lather and cleansing performance everyone wants.

Good Hair Days Start with Safer Ingredients- I really do believe this!  I can tell you that I have always had a problem with buildup where my hair would get super greasy from other brands.  Ever since I have used this formula, I am in love!

Offender #4:  Lipstick

Do you remember using Lip Smackers as a kid?  I don’t know about you but I’m pretty sure I ate more if it than I actually wore.  This rings true even with lipsticks as adults, really anything we put on our lips we end up ingesting.  The problem with this is that most all lipsticks include artificial fragrance. Artificial fragrances can be a blend of ingredients that are not required to be disclosed by U.S. law and can include trace amounts of phthalates (potential endocrine disruptors). That leaves a bad taste in our mouths, too.  Read this article on Potential Endocrine Disruptors if you want to learn why these are so bad.

Beautycounter Sheer Lipsticks come in 10 awesome colors, tell you all the ingredients, and are only scented with natural vanilla.  They also feel like you are putting butter directly on your lips, like the softened, smooth kind!

Offender #5:  Body Lotion

In a nutshell, you usually slather body lotion ALL over your body, right?  So they basically offer the most exposure to potentially toxic ingredients, like mineral oil (here’s a short article on 3 key reasons to avoid). Mineral oil is allowed in beauty products, it is a conditioning agent that may be contaminated with trace amounts of toxins and can suffocate skin. That just makes me claustrophobic!  I want my skin to breathe.  Beautycounter Hydrating Body Lotion contains a moisturizing blend of marula and mongongo oils which are rich in essential fatty acids to revitalize and nourish skin.  Not to mention, the natural Citrus mimosa scent is pretty dreamy!

Offender #6:  Mascara

Carbon black, a pigment used in mascaras to create the deep black color, has been linked to a range of adverse health effects. Mascara shouldn’t be that scary. I heard somewhere that Carbon black is also used in tires….I mean, what???  The Volumizing and Lengthening Mascaras are pigmented with naturally-occurring iron oxides.

Google what does it take to make carbon black…I dare you.  Or I’ll just show you.

Carbon black (subtypes are acetylene black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black and thermal black) is a material produced by the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products such as FCC tar, coal tar, ethylene cracking tar, with the addition of a small amount of vegetable oil.

I’m speechless.

Just remember that Knowledge is Power, and you CAN control what you are using on your body!  When you have a minute, download the EWG app and scan all of the current products in your house.  It’s crazy!  I would love to hear if you have tried Beautycounter and or what your favorite product is?!?!?!

XOXO,

Lissa

Don’t forget if you Purchase any one of the 6 offenders you get to pick a deluxe size (think travel sized) Countermatch face lotion, a hair conditioner, mini face oil or body wash!  Promo ends, March 7, 2018.  This is such a great time to sample some of the Beautycounter line!

“No, I wouldn’t suggest using that. Your skin is your largest organ. It absorbs everything.”  -my midwife I had when I was pregnant with Max.  This was in reference to using sunless tanning lotion while pregnant. Because, obviously if I was feeling fat, being tan would make me feel way better, right?  Well, I have only used sunless tanning lotion one time since then. It’s been 3 years and that is saying a lot from a recovering tan towel aholic. I have to be completely honest, I think I knew all of those lotions had to be bad for me. They would literally make me sweat profusely. Not to mention, Amanda, I am SO sorry I was that tan and gross in your wedding 🤣. Ugh, that also reminds me-tanning beds. How was that even a thing?  I mean, baking in between two sheets of lamps????

Real life: My first time in a tanning bed I freaked and got out because:

A-I was chlostrophobic and

B-I thought the plexi glass was going to shatter and I would burn to death. I probably wasn’t that far off, those things were bad. Very bad.

If you have read this far, thanks for stopping by!

Back to my point, I guess the gist of my Journey to A Safer Lifestyle is that once I had kids it wasn’t just about me anymore. I want to be around as long as I can for them and if that means changing what I can control than I am going to do the best I can!  Is it realistic to download the ewg app and throw everything away and replace it all immediately?  Probably not for the majority of society. Mainly for financial reasons.

Some of the things I have switched are:

1-Makeup & Skincare. If you have ever tried Beautycounter you will understand why. The products are top notch, I mean founded in Santa Monica, classy, classy ladies❤.

Let me just ask you this?  If you knew that most of the cosmetics and skincare you were using today had Questionable ingredients that almost all other countries ban besides the USA, would you keep using the products?  Me either. Beautycounter has banned over 1500 ingredients that they consider potentially harmful. It’s called the Never List, check it out here.

2-Household Cleaners, I pretty much just use Norwex cloths and some of their cleaners.  I have always had a sensitivity to these chemicals so this was a no brainer for me.  But, again, I never wanted to clean the bathrooms when Max was little because I didn’t want him smelling and licking it!!!

3-Perfume, ugh  This one was going to be hard I thought.  I was the girl that wore multiple perfumes just because I loved scents!  I was wrong, once I just stopped wearing it I actually stopped even caring.  Infant, after 3 years of no perfume, I have finally added all of my old bottles to my garage sale pile!  Check out this article on how bad fragrance is and the lack of regulation here.

So, here I am, just a girl trying to lead a safer lifestyle for myself & my family❤.

Have any of you switched out something you consider to be potentially harmful ingredients?  Would love to hear about it!

Please comment below!

XOXO-

Lissa

*Disclaimer: These are all my personal opinions & viewpoints, although I think my skin has never looked better!