Switching to Safer Beauty with Beautycounter

It all started with my lip products.

The very first time I realized what I put on my body could affect my health in other ways was when I went gluten-free. I was confused as to why I was still having symptoms when there was no gluten in my diet, and it was extremely frustrating. After awhile, I finally connected the dots and discovered that I got symptoms whenever I used a lip product containing gluten. Severe gastrointestinal distress, bumps and rashes all over my body, brain fog, nausea…It wasn’t fun.

After I made that connection, I had a major freakout. I went through all of my lip products, called and emailed different brands, and tried to sort out what contained gluten and what didn’t. Through my research, I realized how many companies didn’t even know what was in their own products. I also realized how much extra crap was in the products I was putting on my mouth every day. And then I thought about how much lipstick I must ingest on a daily basis. I ended up giving up the majority of my lippies, and the whole ordeal devastated me.

For awhile, I just avoided all lip products so I wouldn’t have to deal with the gluten issue. Then I tried finding “clean” brands, but got frustrated with the quality of most “natural” products. I stuck with the few lipsticks I knew were safe and decided I would figure something else out later.

At the same time, I became extremely frustrated with my skincare routine. After completely changing my diet and starting to eat healthy, my skin improved immensely. Still, I wasn’t totally happy with it. I never really liked using the harsh products my dermatologist prescribed because I couldn’t help but feel guilty and uncomfortable about putting all of those chemicals on my skin every day. But every time I tried to use something more natural, I broke out. My skin has always been my biggest insecurity, so I couldn’t handle the breakouts. I felt like prescription products were the only things I could depend on to actually work, so I stuck with them.

I finally started working with my functional medicine doctor, which meant a lot of very in-depth bloodwork. Sometimes, a little too in-depth for my liking. While going over one of my 30 page reports, my doctor asked me, “What the hell are you using on your skin?”

My eyes got wide with fear. Normal stuff, I assured him. “Yeah, normal toxic stuff. You need to start using better products.”

He explained to me that the toxic ingredients in my makeup and skincare were not only hindering my stomach from fully healing, but also putting me at risk for major problems down the line. Hormone dysfunction, cancer… From my makeup?! What?!

I went home and studied those test results very intensely, not really wanting to face them. My head was spinning as I realized I was going to have to clean up my makeup and skincare the same way I had to clean up my diet.

I was very stressed out about what to do. I love makeup, and I have a lot of it. It’s my thing. I’ve always been a product junkie, but at this point I finally realized that those products really were junk. I had a problem, though. I started dabbling in “natural” makeup and skincare, but nothing seemed to perform as well as the products with shitty ingredients.

I felt like I had to make a choice that I did not want to make. I could switch over to all-natural makeup and skincare so that I felt better about my health, but I would be using products that didn’t really give me the results I wanted. OR I could just keep using products that perform well, but feel unsettled about the horrible ingredients entering my body and putting me at risk for future health problems. I don’t compromise when it comes to my food – I don’t eat junk. But I felt like when it came to makeup and skincare, I was definitely going to have to make a compromise.

Decisions, decisions.

I kept trying different makeup and skincare brands, but not much was passing the test. I kept hearing about Beautycounter on some of my favorite podcasts and through different bloggers I follow, and I grew very curious because it was loved by many people whose opinions I trust. I found myself looking at the website a lot, debating if I should buy some to try. Honestly, though, I had given up hope. I just didn’t believe that the products could be any good, simply because the ingredients were good.

I commented on a blogger’s post about Beautycounter, saying I wanted to try it, and luckily a Beautycounter Consultant saw my comment. She offered to send me some samples, and I happily said yes.

Alright, so not to sound dramatic, but those samples changed my life. It was the first time I had ever used a cleanser without breaking out. Throughout my entire life, I’ve only been able to wash my face with plain water. The charcoal mask literally pulled out all of my blackheads – blackheads my aesthetician has been trying to squeeze out for years (sorry, if that’s graphic, but I can’t make this up!). My skin was smooth, soft, and just felt good. I was hooked.

After that, I tried more of the products and only fell more deeply in love. I made sure to give my skin more than enough time to adjust. I was very skeptical about the whole thing, and I thought for sure I would break out. Nope. Meanwhile, I was getting lots of compliments on my lashes, my contour, and my new lip color, from people who don’t usually give me compliments. Um…yes!

As I used more of Beautycounter’s products, I learned more about the company and the whole movement. My passion only grew stronger.

Let me give you the lowdown. The last time Congress passed a law regulating the cosmetics industry was in 1938. There are about 1,400 harmful cosmetics ingredients banned in the European Union, but only 11 in the U.S. 90% of people who will get cancer in their lifetime will get it from environmental factors – which means household items, skincare, and beauty products are all serious risk factors. There are over 80,000 chemicals on the market today, but only 10% have ever been tested for safety. The FDA doesn’t require that cosmetics’ ingredients are approved before they go on the market, and they can’t take an item off the shelves once its out there. Those products that are labeled “all natural” and “organic”? Yeah, most likely not. Even if you look at the ingredient list, it’s very possible that the company is not disclosing all of the ingredients inside. UGH.

Beautycounter has banned the use of over 1,500 harmful or potentially harmful chemicals in their products. You can find those ingredients on their “Never List.” Beautycounter is completely transparent about their ingredients and has one of the, if not the, strictest ingredient selection processes in the industry. Not only that, but Beautycounter is fighting in Washington to get the industry finally regulated again. Just a few weeks ago, Congress finally had its first hearing since the 70s about the issue – thanks to Beautycounter’s efforts.  (I would highly encourage you to watch this quick Youtube vid, too, if you’re interested.)

This issue has quickly become one that I am extremely passionate about, which is why I became a Consultant. Basically, that just means that I get the word out about the company’s mission and the products, and that I get them into YOUR hands if you’re interested. If I’m your Consultant, I’m your girl if you have any Beautycounter-related questions! (Or really, any questions at all. You know I love when you reach out!)

If this speaks to you, GET INVOLVED. It is so important that we all work together to get safer products into everyone’s hands. There are four different ways you can join the movement.

1. Shop for SAFE products! Switch out as many products as you can so that you and your family are protected from all of those harmful chemicals found in most other products. It can be hard to really grasp how much those harmful ingredients put us at risk in the long run, because the repercussions aren’t currently staring us in the face. You don’t want to wait until you’re 60 and have a cancer diagnosis to make a change. I know not everyone gets in-depth bloodwork done, so LEARN FROM MINE. It’s affecting your body even if you can’t see it, and your body will thank you later on the sooner you start using safer products.
2. Become a Band of Beauty Member! It costs $29, and you get free shipping on orders over $100, a free gift with purchase, 15% product credit with every order (basically free money), and other exclusive member offers. It completely pays for itself.
3. Become a Consultant, like me! You can grow this into a full-on business, or it can just be a little side project. It’s whatever you want! If you’re passionate about this issue, becoming a consultant is a great way to create change. It is so rewarding, and I would highly recommend it. You have nothing to lose!
4. Host a social! Let me know if you want to host a “social” over Facebook or in-person, and I’ll help you get the word out about Beautycounter to your friends. Plus, if you host a social, you get products 50% off or even some completely free!

Okay, I realize that was a lot. But I’m really in love with this company and the products, and I’m so excited for more people to find out about it. If you want to shop, head over to beautycounter.com/christinarice and look around. If you have ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL about anything I said – the products, Band of Beauty, becoming a consultant, hosting a social – DO NOT hesitate to ask me! You can message me, email me, leave me a comment, whatever!

That was a lot of information, so I’m going to cap it off right here. I know it’s kind of overwhelming, and I don’t want to scare you. But it’s just about making little changes where you can. If you can just switch one product over (to any product with clean ingredients – not just Beautycounter), that’s a positive difference. I like to use the Healthy Living app on my phone and also look up products on this site to see if they’re safe.

I also just wanted to clarify – I don’t only use Beautycounter products! But I do use almost all of the products they sell. It’s very rare for me to like so much of one line. It’s important to me that the products I use most often, on a daily basis, are safe, and I can finally do that now that I’ve found products with good ingredients that actually perform to my standards. And I can really feel the difference in my skin from those ingredients. Anytime I use one of my old skincare products or try something from a spa, my skin feels stripped, tight, and chemical-y.

I also don’t only use products with safe ingredients, although I want to get there eventually. I’m just being honest. I am trying my hardest to switch everything over, but it’s a long process. I’m switching over as much as I can right now, and slowly working on the rest. Any change is better than none. It’s a process!

Later this week I’ll be posting a part 2 of this. In that post, I’ll talk about my absolute favorite Beautycounter products so you can get a sense of my must-haves from the collection in case you’re curious! I’ve never used this many products from the same brand before, so it’s very exciting.

I would love to hear what your experience has been when it comes to using products with safe ingredients! Let me know in the comments! XO