Toxic Skin Care

This month we are all about TOXINS. The food we eat is an obvious source of toxins, but what about the stuff we put on our body?!?! Two of our practice members, Amy and Taylor, are Beauty Counter consultants and took a moment to share with us why it's so important to be aware of what we are putting on our skin. 

Hey guys! My name is Amy, I am a mom of a two year old named Benjamin, two fur boys and a wife to my husband Corry. I am an Emergency Department Registered Nurse turned stay at home mom! I wanted to write a little bit of why I started a business with Beautycounter and our journey to creating a toxin free household.

Did you know that our skin is the largest organ in our body? Our bodies absorb about 60% of what we put onto our skin. I am careful about what I put INTO my body and it only made sense for me to start paying attention to what I was putting ON my body. My bathroom was that last thing on my list to switch over to cleaner, more non toxic products. I have switched out all my cleaning products and everything else we were using in our household and beauty and skincare was the last to go! I had been trying different companies and products over the years and just never fell in love with any of the “clean” ones. I tried way too many hair care products, lotions, makeups and so on. Nothing got me excited.

​Then about a year ago, I stumbled upon Beautycounter!

The biggest and coolest part of this company to me, is their transparency in creating their products, advocacy on a state and federal level, and environmentally friendly packaging. They are the real deal. Not only do they do all the above listed, but their products are great! They really work and have very clean ingredients. They are rigorously tested for safety and toxicity and
my skin and hair love them.

Throughout this process I learned that the U.S. hasn’t passed a law regarding cosmetic ingredients in over 80 years. 80 YEARS!!! The same toxic chemicals that were allowed to be put into our skincare in 1938 are still allowed to this day. We now know, that these chemicals and toxins have contributed to cancers, neurological disorders, endocrine and fertility issues (just to name a few). The EU has banned 1,400 of these dangerous substances, and the US has banned 30. (insert sarcastic eye roll)

Beautycounter has formulated its products WITHOUT the use of over 1,800 chemicals and questionable ingredients. Some of which are formaldehyde, phthalates, parabens, polyethylene glycol, and toluene. These substances are known to cause birth defects, cancers, neurological toxicity, developmental and reproductive problems.

I noticed a lot of changes in my skin once I added an actual skin care regimen to my daily routine. My childhood acne scars are diminishing, my skin is brighter, more even, and has a lot more moisture!

Here is a list of Beautycounter’s Safety Standards:
- 100% Ingredient Transparency
- Responsibly sourced raw materials
- Quality Assurance Program
- Unparalleled Safety Screening
- Sustainable packaging
- Environmental foot printing
- Awarded for product performance
- Trace contaminants
- Formula and preservative innovation
- Going beyond regulatory standards
- Supplier code of conducts
- Leaping Bunny certified
- Certified B Corporation
- EWG verified

I encourage anyone out there to take the steps to reduce the toxins in your household, however you can. Baby steps or all at once! There are a lot of great products out there and it just takes a little time in the beginning to learn what to look for and how to make the switch! Most importantly, have fun with it and enjoy the process.

​If you have any questions you can email Amy here! 

Hello! I’m Taylor – mom to a 2-year-old, food lover, chiropractic convert, and safer skincare consultant!

What is a safer skincare consultant? I’m so glad you asked! I work with a company called Beautycounter to spread awareness of the toxins and harmful chemicals that are in our
everyday personal care products. From deodorant containing aluminum, baby powder containing asbestos-laced talc, to lipsticks containing lead – this is all, unfortunately, the “norm”
in our personal care products industry.

For the last 10 years I paid attention to what I was putting in my body – ate organic fruits and veggies and chose grass-fed meats when I could. But I’d never thought about what I was putting on my body, even though I knew my skin is our largest organ. I never made the connection… Until five years when my mom was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis).

Her diagnosis was a huge blow to me. She is my best friend and she was diagnosed with an incurable degenerative disease that isn’t understood, other than it’s an autoimmune disease.

They don’t know what causes MS – it could be from toxic environmental exposure, or genetics, or even triggered by stress.

Why am I telling you this? Because it finally led me to think about my health holistically rather than just what I put in my body. I wanted to do anything I possibly could to decrease and slow- down my mom’s disease and prevent it from hitting me or my family. Her diagnosis opened my eyes to other stressors on my body. It led me to think about what I put on my body.

I started removing toxins in my personal care products – shampoo, face soap, makeup, lotion, chapstick, and the list goes on. Think about the number of products you use in a day – from when you wash your hair in the morning to when you brush your teeth at night. It can add up, which can add up to a lot of toxins!

I tried a few safer skincare brands and they were ok. They didn’t perform incredibly well, but hey, they were safer. Then, I stumbled on Beautycounter and their products blew me away! They were incredibly high quality – from packaging, to application, to performance. I was hooked. Along with excellent products, Beautycounter screens every potential ingredient for
information on specific hazards like hormone disruption and infertility, screens for heavy metals, and promises to never use over 1,800 questionable and harmful chemicals in their products. 

After about a year of slowly switching to Beautycounter products I decided to become a consultant. I was already suggesting their products to friends and family, my mom being first on that list, and other people were loving their products too. Three years later, here I am, and I can’t tell you how many eye-opening conversations I’ve had with people from all walks of like that, like me five years ago, have no idea what toxins are hiding in their products. I know switching to safer skincare products is just one piece of the puzzle. I also know that we’re all busy and as a working mom it’s really hard for me to do all the “things” all the time.
However, I also know that little changes we make here and there do add up. So, I do what I can when I can, knowing that it lightens my and my families toxic load so we can live full and healthy
lives. I wish the same to you and those you love too!

Please email me here with any questions, if you’d like recommendations (Beautycounter and more), or if you just want to chat. I welcome all of it!

In health,
Taylor