5 Tips to Making the Switch to Safer Beauty + Brand Recommendations

If you read my recent post, Are Your Beauty Products Contributing to Hormone Imbalance?, then you hopefully got as angry as I did.  It’s shocking what we allow to pass as safe ingredients in the products we use.  When we live in a country that allows harmful chemicals to be used freely in products we use every day, it is infuriating!  And it is all the more important to use safer beauty products.  If you are dealing with a hormone imbalance, then removing as many harmful chemicals from your beauty routine is a key step in healing your hormones.

The thought of overhauling your beauty products may sound daunting, but I promise you that it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.  Your skin and hormones with thank you.  In fact, I found the process to be fun!  Here are some easy tips to get you started.

1|  Upgrade your products one at a time. 

Don’t think that you have to throw everything in your bathroom out and start from scratch (although if you can, go for it! As long as you’re not overwhelmed by the process).  As you run out of one product, replace it with a safer beauty product.  Primally Pure suggests, “Conventional deodorants are one of the most chemical-filled products that line drugstore shelves and would be the product we suggest swapping straightaway.”  I couldn’t agree more!  Conventional deodorant can contain the heavy metal aluminum, as well as hormone disruptors such as parabens, triclosan, and phthalates.  Start with a safe deodorant such as Primally Pure or Fatco.

2|  Look in your kitchen and put food on your face. 

You would be surprised by some of the amazing skin care options you can find in your kitchen.  Honey. Apple cider vinegar. Avocado.  Coconut oil works well as a makeup remover and moisturizer.  Start searching Pinterest for some easy DIY beauty care recipes.  I’ve shared a couple here on my site: Homemade Deodorant, Coffee Body Scrub.

3|  Minimize your products and simplify your beauty routine.

Years ago when my skin was breaking out like crazy after going off birth control, I went a whole week without doing anything to my skin.  No makeup, no cleaners, and no moisturizers.  I simply washed my skin with plain old water.  It was actually one of the best things I did for my skin.

Now even if you don’t go cold turkey, I am sure you can still scale back on what you are exposing your skin to on a daily basis.  Instead of putting on a full face of makeup every day, keep it basic with foundation, eyeliner, and blush.  Keep the full make up face for special occasions.  Or you can skip the lotion with numerous ingredients in it and opt for a simple jojoba oil (just one ingredient) instead.  Jojoba is an amazing oil for your skin because it mimics our natural oils.

4|  Do your research.

Before you buy a product it is a great practice to take a little time to make sure you really are buying a safer beauty product.  There are some really great companies out there that you can always trust.  But there are also shady companies that will say whatever they can to get you to buy their products.  Buyer beware.  Check up on the companies that you are buying from.  Look at their websites to see if they have information about ingredient safety and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Fortunately there are some organizations out there that have our backs and do the research for us.  Environmental Working Group is one of those groups and they have developed an app (Skin Deep) where you can scan the barcode of products and it provides you a rating based on safety.  It may not be perfect since some companies don’t disclose all of their ingredients (and you can’t rate what you don’t know) but it would be a great place to start.

Great products exist at different price points.  A majority of what I use doesn’t cost that much money, but I do splurge on some items from time to time.  If you scale back on the number of items you use on a daily basis then you can put a little more into what you do buy.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money on safer beauty products, but at the same time you must invest in your health!

5|  Ask for samples and recommendations.

Who doesn’t love trying something for free!  I find that a lot of the better beauty companies out there are willing to send some small samples of product for you to test run if you just ask.  For the other companies that can’t provide samples usually have a really great return policy.  For example, Beautycounter gives you a sixty days to try out the product.

One of the best ways to find clean products (that work) is to ask for recommendations.  Find out what your friends and family use.  If they don’t use safe beauty products, social media is full of people that use these products and share their reviews.  In fact, I am now going to save you some time and share some of my favorites.  These are products that I have in my bathroom, use regularly, and LOVE.

Brand Recommendations

Beautycounter

(I am a consultant)

I used a few Beautycounter products in the past and loved everything about them.  The company is really transparent about their ingredients and are working on changing the laws regarding chemicals in beauty products.  The best part is that this stuff actually works and they carry everything from makeup, skin care, hair care, and body care.  I love it so much that I became a consultant.  Some of my favorites are Cleansing Balm, Charcoal Mask, Charcoal Bar, Brightening Facial Oil, and Sunscreen (no white residue here).

Primally Pure

They have some amazing deodorant if you aren’t into making it yourself.  I have to get the sensitive version so that I don’t get rashes in my pits.  I also love their dry shampoo since they make one for dark hair!

Real Raw Beauty

The owner of this wonderful company was kind enough to send me some of their products to try since a couple of readers suggested this brand.  She sent me a couple of face oils and the toner all of which I fell in love with immediately.  If you haven’t tried the oil cleansing method for washing your face then these oils are a great way to give it a try.

SW Basics

This brand is so clean you could probably eat just about everything in their line (but please don’t).  Many of their products have just a few ingredients and some of them even have just one.  If you are looking to minimalize your skin care routine then this is the way to go.

Kypris

A more top of the line when it comes to price but their products do last a really long time and work so well.  I love the Antioxidant Dew and mix it with the Beauty Elixir for a healthy glow during the day.

Fatco

If you are vegan then this may not be the line for you since they do use beef tallow in most of their products, hence the name.  Beef tallow is extremely moisturizing and is super nourishing for the skin.  I really enjoy their spray deodorant which contains magnesium oil, witch hazel, and apple cider vinegar.Tata Harper

This is another line that is on the higher end for cost but again this stuff lasts a long time.  When you are using quality products like all of the brands I have listed here, a little goes a long way.  I have used their Resurfacing Mask which works well to exfoliate the skin without scrubbing.

100% Pure

I love how they use fruit pigments for their makeup.  A lot of commercial makeups use artificial colors to get their many shades which you don’t want in you food or your makeup.

Primal Life Organics

I hear their deodorant is amazing too.  They also have a line that is safe for pregnancy.

Honorable Mentions

For toothpaste there are two brands that I switch between:  Earthpaste and My Magic Mud

Other makeup brands I like: RMS Beauty and Kjaer Weis

Here in Arizona there is an amazing natural beauty shop that carries a lot of amazing products and they do ship: Citrine Beauty Bar

I would love to know your favorite clean brands of skin care and beauty.  Let me know in the comments.  I may even continue to add to this list as I find new products and companies that I love.