Why Safer Beauty Matters (Part 1)

If you have followed me on the “interwebs” for any length of time, you know two things about me. Also, shout out to those of you who are reading this and remember my original blog from way back when! Comment below if you remember the name! Hint: it was a food blog. Okay back to the two things…

1. I am passionate about leading a healthy lifestyle.
2. I have struggled majorly with skin issues…specifically, eczema, that I could not get under control in my late 20’s

These photos are still hard for me to look at…and definitely hard to share with the world. It was an extremely difficult time in my life.

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Even though I had overhauled almost everything about my diet and lifestyle, my conventional makeup and personal care products were the last to go. Looking back now, I wish I had made that change a lot sooner…who knows what suffering I could have avoided? Anyway…my body basically forced me to make an immediate, swift change for the better, due to the state of my eczema ridden skin. That left me on a quest to find products that truly had nothing harmful in them AND ones that actually worked and didn’t leave me feeling like I wasted my money!

You may have heard it said that your skin is your largest organ. That’s true! If you think about caring for your skin like you do your other organs, like your heart, gut, and lungs, it forces you to really consider what is in the products you apply to your largest organ every single day!

Did you know that conventional beauty products are made with phthalates and parabens that are known endocrine (hormone) disruptors? Any ladies out there struggling with hormone issues? Or that formadelhyde and formaldehyde-releasing ingredients in your nail polish or shampoo (even BABY shampoo) have been directly linked to cancer?

Did you know that lipstick and other color cosmetics are known for being most heavily contaminated with LEAD? Did you know that pressed powders (like blush, eyeshadow, and powdered foundation) are traditionally made with talc that has been proven to be contaminated with asbestos and a known carcinogen (cancer causer)?

Did you? For real. Did you know all THAT?! Cause I surely didn’t. Even though I was fully immersed in the world of nutrition and healthy living, being a certified Lifestyle Educator myself! I still NEVER KNEW. It’s the beauty industry’s dirty little secret.

Moreover, when we put these products on our skin, our largest organ, they seep directly into our bloodstream and bypass our liver entirely!

Here’s another little known fact. Only 10% of women diagnosed with breast cancer each year actually have the gene associated with the disease? That means that 90% percent of women get breast cancer because of reasons OTHER THAN genetics. That’s a sobering thought, but it should encourage you! Our health is more than just our DNA…environmental factors and exposures to toxins play a HUGE role in our health and longevity! 

So, what do you use instead?! You’re in for a treat…(Part 2 coming soon)