Clean Beauty
So you’ve decided you want to lose weight, or maybe you’re working on some gut issues. Perhaps you’re tired of being tired. Or struggling with debilitating PMS, or acne that makes you want to hide out.
We always think about how diet and exercise will impact these things (and they do), but what we put on our body and use in our homes has a huge impact as well.
Skincare, hair care, makeup, household cleaners and food storage often contain chemicals that are known endocrine hormone disruptors, and linked to obesity, PMS, acne, fatigue, cancer, diabetes, reproductive issues, autoimmune disease, heart disease, asthma and intestinal issues including IBS and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Beautycounter Skin Twin Foundation
The Impact of Toxins in Personal Care Products
Some of these toxins have been shown to alter the composition of bacteria in our gut. We need adequate beneficial bacteria to keep ‘bad’ bacteria in check. This is central to our health as a balanced microbiome is needed to modulate inflammation, our immune system (70% of our immune system resides in our gut), our mood (95% of our serotonin is produced by our gut) and our weight. It helps us absorb nutrients from our food, and it produces vitamins for us, as well as so many other functions that directly impact our health and quality of life. It’s literally impossible to completely avoid these toxins as they’re in our air, water, food, furniture, clothing etc. This is why it’s so important to be aware of what we are putting on our bodies since we have complete control over that. And this is also why I have decided to join the Beautycounter team.
Our skin is our largest organ and 70% of the chemicals we put on it are absorbed into our blood stream within 26 seconds. The EU has banned 1400 chemicals from personal care products. Canada has only banned or restricted 600. And if your favourite products are coming from the US, they’ve only banned 30.
Canadian Laws Surrounding Personal Care Products
While the Food and Drugs Act prohibit companies from using ingredients that pose a health or safety risk, companies are still not required to prove compliance to a regulator prior to selling the product. And there is a fragrance loophole; since ‘fragrance’ is considered a trade secret, companies are not required to list the ingredients used to make the product’s scent. And there are more than 3,000 ingredients that could be used to make the fragrance compounds found in cosmetics and other consumer products. Cosmetic ingredients labelled as ‘parfum’, ‘aroma’, ‘fragrance’ or ‘flavour’ may contain chemicals of concern and companies are not required to disclose them to Health Canada or to you.
It can be difficult to eliminate heavy metals in cosmetics as they are naturally occurring in the environment. However, the Government of Canada has made strides to limit the amount of heavy metals found in cosmetics by providing guidelines for a maximum amount of heavy metals allowed in cosmetic products. However; these are not laws – simply guidelines - and the Office of the Auditor General of Canada disclosed that although companies are responsible for abiding by these limits, Health Canada ‘does not regularly test cosmetic products to verify the accuracy of product labels or to check for the presence of prohibited substances, microbial contaminants, and heavy metals’. While Canada has made significant progress in the fight against toxic chemicals in cosmetics, it is simply not enough. More comprehensive health-protective laws should be passed to ensure the ingredients used in our products are safe. We all deserve better and Beautycounter is leading the way in advocating for the most health-protective laws possible.
More About Beautycounter’s Advocacy for Our Health
Since 2013, Beautycounter has been building a North American movement for improved transparency and accountability in the beauty industry, including policy advocacy in the US and Canada to update laws governing chemicals and personal care products. Their mission is to get safer products into the hands of everyone, and they believe that more health-protective federal regulations are an important part of delivering on this mission.
Beautycounter expanded into Canada in 2016. They have engaged with Members of Parliament (MPs) to advocate for reform of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), including their first lobby day in Ottawa in 2019. Their grassroots network of Consultants has hosted hundreds of District Meeting with MPs to elevate issues like codifying the list of prohibited ingredients, prohibiting phthalates from being used in cosmetics, and closing the fragrance loophole.
On December 4, 2019, Beautycounter made history when Founder and CEO Gregg Renfrew testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health. Speaking for millions of Americans, Gregg delivered a powerful message: the FDA must better protect consumers, and the time to act is now. The hearing led to the first vote in Congress on cosmetic reform since 1938. The collective voices of the Beautycounter team have made a difference; with more than 2,000 meetings, 16,000 calls, and 175,000 emails, lawmakers are starting to place cosmetics safety at the top of their legislative agendas.
Beautycounter Lobby in 2019
Beautycounter & EWG.org
Beautycounter teamed up with The Environmental Working Group (EWG) and founded the EWG Verified program. This is a third-party non-toxic certification for personal care products. This program drives companies to disclose ingredients like fragrance allergens that are rarely listed on product labels. The EWG’s criteria for certification focuses on the safety of a product’s ingredient; for example, products must score “green” in EWG’s Skin Deep™ data base and cannot contain any ingredients with significant health, environmental, or contamination concerns. The program gets an additional credibility check because companies cannot influence the verification process. As one condition of participating, companies must agree that EWG has the right to perform random product verification to ensure that their products continue to meet the criteria for certification.
Most Beautycounter products are now EWG verified, with the exception of older products that either have been, or are in the process of being, reformulated. Beautycounter has banned approximately 1800 harmful or questionable ingredients from their products, including the 1400 ingredients banned in the EU.
Beautycounter Products are Safe & Non-Toxic, But Do They Work?
In addition to the wonderful work they’re doing for women’s health, their products are really good. I first started using them around 5 years ago and became a fan. At that time, I didn’t love their foundation, concealer or eyeshadow, but thanks to their commitment to continuous education and high standards, they’ve reformulated their makeup over the last few years, and it’s comparable to the top brands used in the makeup industry, but without the harmful chemicals. And because the quality is so high, their product goes very far; a jar of cleansing balm will probably last you for a year and a bottle of their shampoo will likely last you for 2 months.
Where to start?
Take inventory of your body & hair care products, including deodorant and makeup. Also take inventory of things like the soap you use on your hands & for dishes, laundry detergent, room sprays etc. Check the rating on these products using the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database. My advice is to phase out your existing products by replacing them with safe and non-toxic products as you run out of them, prioritizing the ones with the biggest impact.
Which products have the biggest impact on our toxic load?
The ones rated highest (red) on the ewg.org database
Products you ingest (lipsticks, lip balms, sprays & powders)
The things you use most often (soap, foundation, laundry detergent & shampoo)
The things that cover the largest portion of your body (body lotion, sunscreen)
Tips for Saving Money when Purchasing from Beautycounter
Ask your Beautycounter Consultant (aka me!) if there are any promotions on – at the time of this post (Feb 2022) you save 20% on your first order and get a free welcome gift with a purchase of $75 or more when you become a Band of Beauty Member
Become a Band of Beauty Member – you get free shipping on orders $125 or more, 10% back in Product Credit (it’s essentially like a store credit that you can apply to future orders) & member-only offers – all for $29
Watch for sales – Beautycounter runs regular sales
Attend a Virtual Pop-up – contact your Consultant (once again, me) to get on the invite list for the next event
*The values listed above are for Canadian customers & the same deals apply to US customers with free shipping on orders $100 USD or more & a free welcome gift with a purchase of $50 or more. And yes, I can still be your Consultant if you live in the US!
Start Your Clean Beauty Love Affair
At the time of this post, I am hosting a Virtual Pop-up to provide more education about clean beauty and Beautycounter products. Anyone who attends will have a chance to win free product, ask any questions and get a special promo. Reach out to me if you’re interested in joining or if you have any questions at all. We can also set up a time to chat about your personal skin care needs and desires! Watch my Instagram page @revelandglownutrition to hear about more special events, offers and product information. And to learn more about Beautycounter or to shop, head to: https://www.beautycounter.com/en-ca/tatianadasilva
Other ways to avoid toxins at home?
Switch to natural and safe household cleaners
Use stainless steel or glass storage containers for your food
Do not microwave in plastic dishes or containers
Purchase canned food in BPA-free cans
Keep air-purifying plants in your home (snake plants, spider plants, peace lilies, money trees & aloe are all purifying houseplants that are hard to kill – coming from an unintentional plant murderer)
If your budget allows for it, purchase a good quality air cleaner
Filter your water
Stop drinking out of plastic bottles
Purchase a vacuum with a HEPA filter & vacuum regularly
Wash your hands before eating
Take your shoes off before walking around your house
