Many of you are familiar with Beautycounter and know why I share its movement with everyone. But, it’s very new to a lot of people, so I thought I would come on here and give some overview information on the movement, why I talk about it and my top picks.

Who is Beautycounter?

First of all, what many may not know is that Beautycounter is not just a beauty brand selling products. It’s a movement that is trying to change the beauty industry and change the law. It was founded in 2013 by Gregg Renfrew because she came to realize how horribly under-regulated and unsafe the skin care industry was. And a lot of “natural” products out there were not high performing. Gregg knew we not only needed a brand out there that was safer and actually worked, but we needed to change the status quo of the industry. We needed a movement for better beauty.

Enter Beautycounter. Literally going COUNTER to the beauty industry. It is a direct to consumer brand that is sold through many different channels. It sort of meets the consumer where they are. People can shop at the Beautycounter stores and pop ups, online on the website, or through independent consultants that are advocates for the better beauty movement. It’s not sold on a department store shelf for a reason. And that is because Beautycounter has a story that is best shared person to person. There is a personal reason why men and women across the country and in Canada are sharing this with their loved ones.

First of all, the skin care industry is a $100 billion industry that is governed by a law that was enacted in 1938 (over 82 years ago!). That law is only one and a half pages long and pretty much does not do much. The FDA is given no authority to recall a product, no product has to be approved before hitting a store shelf, and no company has to test their ingredients for safety. There is no legal term for ‘natural” or “organic” in the skin care industry so anyone can put that on a label even if there is very little natural ingredients. And only 30 ingredients are banned from all skin care products. To put that into perspective, 1400 ingredients are banned in the UK. Plus, over 88,000 chemicals have been introduced into commerce since WWII. Out of all of these chemicals allowed in products, less than 10% have even been tested for safety.

To make matters worse, research shows that our health continues to worsen due to the effects of environmental toxins around us. A lot of those toxins we cannot control, such as the air we breathe. But one thing we can control is what we put IN and ON our body.

Beautycounter’s mission is to get safer products into the hands of everyone. It was founded on education and advocacy. Educating people on the need for safer ingredients and advocating for more health protective laws. The solution to this problem with the industry is its line of safer products. It has a Never List of over 1,800 ingredients it will never use in its products. There are men, women, kids, baby, body and makeup products. Literally something for everyone.

Why I Share It.

If you’ve followed me on my blog for the past 10 years or know me, you know I am a healthy person. I am an avid runner and fitness enthusiast and I eat a diet heavy in whole foods and plant based as much as possible. I’ve always been so concerned about my health, yet I never really thought about what I put ON my body. I was the classic person who trusted the unscented lotions on the store shelf at Target.

After I had Dylan, I was introduced to Beautycounter’s movement. I will be honest. At first I did not really understand what my friend was telling me and just kind of went on my way. But, I slowly started seeing it around more. One of my mom friend’s used it and I would see bloggers talk about it.

Then I started to look at the ingredients that I was using. In fact, I looked at the lotion I used when I was pregnant with Dylan. It was a name brand that was unscented and even a nurse at the hospital told me it was OKAY. Well guess what. That lotion contained so many potentially harmful things including literally like three different parabens. I threw that lotion away right away and felt so angry. Angry that it was sold to us and that pregnant women like me were using it because we didn’t know.

So now I share Beautycounter’s movement because I know there are people just like me that have no idea there are harmful ingredients in the products that they use every single day. And we are advocating to change the law so we can trust products on the store shelf. (I am currently working to get to D.C. this spring to lobby for better laws!)

My Top Picks.

Okay, now for the fun part. Sharing my top picks! If you have tried Beautycounter or already love it, you know that once you start, you fall in love. You just get it. And your skin will thank you. It’s like your skin can breathe again!

First, take this Skin Care Quiz and it will suggest items for your skin type. I always recommend starting there! And since we are all so different, I can help you find what will work for your specific skin type.

Here are some of my general go to’s that I love

Resurfacing Peel - this is great for uneven skin tone, melasma, acne scarring, anti-aging. This will give you an all-over glow and just awaken and smooth your skin over night. Like a chemical peel without the chemicals.
Lotus Cleansing Balm - I love this balm as an overnight mask! I also wear on my lips. It’s most used as a makeup remover as well. So pretty much a multi-purpose item that will last foreverrrrrr.
Charcoal Mask. I love this because it pulls out all of the crap in your pores and makes your face sooooo smooth. This is FREE with the band of beauty perk program right now! Get these perks, it’s like Amazon prime for beautycounter (free shipping over $100 and !0% back in product credit on every purchase)
Sheer Lipstick: I love the lip sheers. They are like chapstick with color. You cannot go wrong.
Concealer Pen: I wear this under my eyes and cannot live without it (mom life). I go a shade lighter and wear the Fair shade.
Countertime Line: If you want anti-aging or something that is super hydrating, I am in love with this Counterttime line! It has a retinatural complex that mimics the results of retinol without the negative side effects! My favs are the eye cream, supreme cream and soft cream. I should also mention the Essence (a toner-type step), because it is so unexpected and I am kind of addicted to this step. And unlike a retinol (Which is on our Never List), this is safe for pregnant and nursing women!
Charcoal Bar or Clear Pore Cleanser: These are my two favorite cleansers for in the morning after I workout!

Please always reach out to me if you need any help finding what works for you!

And know that with each safer product we buy, we are voting with our wallet and demanding better of the industry. We all deserve better.

Cheers to better beauty! The future is CLEAN.

Why Beautycounter