Some may argue that clean beauty is just a trend that will die out or that it isn’t really that important.  When it comes down to the ingredients in your skincare products, I don’t think that should be written off as just a “trend.” Is it trendy to want to use safe products, or is just good sense? Would you consider it a trend to eat natural and organic food, or fueling your body with the proper nutrients to stay healthy?

I used to fall into the trap of buying the hottest products without ever taking a glance at the ingredients label.  However, after seeing more and more brands come forward with “clean” products, I figured it was time to see what the fuss was all about.  As I spent many late nights falling down the rabbit hole online, what I came to learn about some of my beloved products was downright terrifying.  If you do your homework, you’ll learn that there are so many dangerous ingredients that are allowed to be in beauty products.  For example, besides commonly known dangerous ingredients like Parabens, are you aware that Formaldehyde is allowed to be in many products? What about Siloxanes, Coal Tar, Talc, and Aluminum to name a few? Many of these dangerous ingredients are allowed in beauty products and are known to cause cancer, disrupt your hormones, cause respiratory distress, and other issues that can lead to a wide range of health issues.

Do I have your attention now?

Because skincare and beauty products are applied directly to our skin, it is super important to make sure we choose products made of safe and natural ingredients because they get absorbed into our body quite easily. Would you buy food that contains cancer causing ingredients? Probably not, and therefore, you shouldn’t purchase your beauty products if they contain these harmful ingredients too.

Part of the problem is that many companies can claim their products are “clean” when they really aren’t!  You see, there is no official regulation that bars companies from doing this as there is no universal definition for “clean” beauty.  A company can claim that their products are “clean” even if they contain unsafe ingredients.  This is where doing your due-diligence and diving deep into those ingredients labels becomes really important because you just can’t just the label if it says “clean” on it.  Unfortunately, it’s a fairly well-used marketing tactic to trick innocent consumers to purchase products believing that they are safe when sadly they aren’t.

Brands can use different terms on their ingredients label to hide these dangerous chemicals. For example, manufacturers aren’t required to list the specific chemicals that make up fragrances, and those fragrances can often contain Phthalates, which can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs, and reproduction system. How scary is that? This is why I strongly urge you to do your due-diligence by educating yourself and to always check the ingredients in a product before you purchase it to ensure your safety. I know this means more work on your part, but isn’t your health worth that?

For those of you that are new to clean beauty, I would recommend keeping a list handy of the most unsafe ingredients along with different names that they can go by on ingredients labels so that you can easily reference it as you go to purchase a new product.  I’m happy to provide you with my working list, just reach out to me!  Like food, products with less ingredients and ingredients you are able to pronounce are usually an indicator that they are safer and more natural.  

As a result of taking the time to educate myself, I’ve made it a point to seek out clean and natural alternatives in every facet of my beauty routine.  In doing this, I’ve created a platform where I can spread awareness to others as well as potentially discovering the next great brand. Besides talking about the scary stuff, I also talk about what different products are used for, the benefits of safe and natural ingredients, and I provide tips.  I focus much of my page on small brands with great safe products because I also believe it’s important to support small business. I love to highlight brands that are also eco-conscious and those that give back to our society.   From toners to body scrubs to cosmetics, I talk about it all!  I even do a nightly mask review!  Whatever your beauty or skincare need is, or if you are looking for a recommendation, please check out my account and stay awhile.  I promise it’s worth it!