Safer Skincare

Beautycounter Brushes
Our skin is our largest organ. If we’re paying so much attention to fueling our bodies with real food so they work their best, why would we put a chemical sh*t storm of those ingredients we’re trying to avoid in packaged foods on our skin, where it will be absorbed into our bodies?

Back story: I’ve always struggled with acne and other hormonal skin problems.

It always seemed like I had it worse than the other kids in middle and high school, layering on the foundation, concealer, and powder every day, only to have it come off (and me look like a total idiot) when I would go to swim practice twice a day. Back then, I thought it was just because my hormones were whack as a teenager. Or maybe, because I was in the chlorine so much, or maybe because I was stressed…I came up with a hundred different reasons of what it could’ve been, hoping they would all fade when I got older. But when the problems wouldn’t go away into my mid-twenties, I sought out the help of a few doctors.

The dermatologist told me to use a steroid cream (spoiler alert: didn’t work at all, and just cost me a bunch of money), and even a couple naturopathic doctors couldn’t figure it out. Being a total nutrition nerd, I thought it could be chalked up to inflammatory foods I was eating, and a leaky gut (and celiac, of course). But even after healing up my gut, getting rid of adrenal fatigue and a lot of my stress issues, plus eliminating skin-irritating foods like gluten, dairy, soy, sugar, nuts, and the like, I still had this pesky irritation all around my mouth and chin that wouldn’t go away.

I didn’t realize until recently how equally important it is to take care of what you put on your skin the way you do with what goes in your mouth! Especially for me, someone who has celiac disease, I learned I need to be extra careful with what goes on my skin, as well as what goes in my mouth. Little did I know that when I started going through my bathroom cabinets, almost every single product I was using on my skin, whether it be lotion, vitamin E oil, makeup…had not only wheat-derived ingredients, but a TON of chemicals that 1) I couldn’t even pronounce and 2) are endocrine disruptors. Yeah, you read that right. They mess up your hormones. For someone like me who already struggles with hormonal imbalances, thyroid and adrenal problems, I don’t need my freaking makeup or lotion that I use every dang day to tip the balance against my favor. Like what the heck, cosmetic companies! What’s your deal?

Women Use 12 Products A Day that are Endocrine Disruptors | Real Food with Dana | Beautycounter

I had to resist the urge to throw out every single thing in my bathroom, thinking it was all toxic to my skin. But um, goodbye to hundreds of dollars down the drain. You KNOW how expensive makeup is! Humor me for a second and just look at the back of some of your makeup. Do you understand any of those ingredients? NOPE. It’s kind of like reading the back of a carvel ice cream cake. Umm…is that font in 4pt? I need glasses to read that ish, and I’m only 26. That ingredient list is as big as the cake itself! Yikes is right.

So I gradually started making the transition to more natural products – first, with stuff that actually went in my mouth (toothpaste, mouthwash, etc.) and then gradually to things that stayed on my skin, like essential oils, lotion, and the like. I started doing oil pulling, oil cleansing (instead of face wash), using coconut oil as a moisturizer and makeup remover instead of conventional products, natural deodorant (a kind that actually works, don’t worry. I don’t stink all the time, ha!), but my skin still sucked, to be frank. Even though I’d completely cleaned up my diet, supplements, and some of my skincare routine from all the toxins, I couldn’t bring myself to throw away all the makeup I had, or the gallons of sunscreen I’ve accumulated from years of swim coaching. I also had zero idea of where to even start looking for safer alternatives. So I just kept on using my stuff, but always wondered if I was doing more damage than good to my skin, which wasn’t getting any better.

1400 vs. 11 - The number of harmful chemicals banned in the EU vs the US | Real Food with Dana | BeautycounterUntil recently, when I learned that the products most women in the US use every single day are not only 1) full of chemical sh*t that is harmful to our skin and bodies, but are actually 2) potentially dangerous to keep using. As in, we should’ve stopped using them years ago. Woof.

As per usual, the European Union is millions of miles ahead of the US in terms of the natural products industry. Italy tests their kids for celiac when they’re 2 years old and gives government stipends to people who have celiac, so they can buy the (more expensive) gluten-free food options. Meanwhile, in the US, people still think me (someone with celiac) having to be “gluten-free” is still a fad. Don’t even get me started. But in terms of skincare, the EU has banned over 1400 chemical substances and marked them as “toxic”, banning them from use in skincare products, whereas the US has only banned ELEVEN of them. Count them, eleven. The other 1389 products that the EU has deemed as unsafe are still in all our skincare products in US. Solid. Mmm yes, I love the feel of chemical sh*t storm on my face from my makeup with my morning coffee, thank you very much. {dripping in sarcasm}

Remember back in the day when people started freaking out about how there were food dyes like red #3459, blue 34095 (insert random number here), high-fructose corn syrup and carrageenan in like allll the processed foods that we all grew up eating? This is exactly the kind of filler sh*t skincare and drugstore makeup companies are putting in their stuff so they can manufacture it cheaply. In the food industry, companies have finally started making a point to emphasize that those chemical sh*tstorm-type-things are NOT in their products. The skincare industry? Not so much.

What. the. actual. frick.

That’s where companies like Beautycounter, Tarte, Araza Beauty, Acure, and a bunch of my other natural skincare favorites comes in: a natural skincare company focused on educating people why it’s SO incredibly important to make the switch away from all our chemical-laden products. Because we deserve better.

Disclaimer. I’m going to be totally honest with you guys – I am by no means a natural skincare or makeup expert, nor am I just trying to sell you a bunch of stuff. Like with anything else I recommend on my blog, I just want to share my experience with making the switch to natural skincare and makeup products, and how they’re affecting my life personally. Plus, um HELLO those chemicals…EW. We’re all about real food over here, with no chemical additives and stuff to our food, right? So why would we put the same gross things on our skin that we’re avoiding in our food, when we know the kinds of adverse effects they can cause?

For makeup: what makes Beautycounter different?

  • They’ve banned more than 1,500 ingredients, setting a new health and safety standard—all while ensuring their products actually perform well, and that they’re as indulgent as any luxe shampoo, lipstick or oil in the market.
  • Decades of studies indicate that serious health issues (including, but not limited to thyroid and adrenal problems, food allergies and GI conditions like celiac, cancer, infertility, asthma and learning disabilities) are on the rise, and due in some part to our ongoing exposure to toxic chemicals—whether it’s in the shower, on our commute, while we eat lunch at a local restaurant, or when we clean our kitchens at home.
  • The United States has not passed a major law to regulate the safety of ingredients used in personal care products since 1938. {WTF.}

Yes, I’m still weeding out and gradually making the transition to using ALL natural products. Not everything I use is 100% natural, and not everything I use is chemical-free yet. I understand, it’s expensive to totally overhaul what you already have! But if you can even switch out one or two things to start, and gradually make the switch, you’ll be chemical sh*tstorm, endocrine-disrupting product free in no time, and thankful you did.

*sound of music tune* These are a few of my favorite things Beautycounter products that I’m LOVING so far, and using as a part of my daily routine! 

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Feel free to email me at hello@realfoodwithdana.com for any questions about my skincare routine, or if you’re struggling with skin issues! I’m more than happy to share my experience and advice I’ve learned!

Beautycounter Brushes