Formadelhyde, Parabens, and 1398 other (legal) chemicals in your makeup: Why I’m switching to safer skincare.

Spoiler alert: If you couldn’t already tell, we’re going to talk about something a little different than food today. And that title is no joke. We’re talking about skincare today, and why it’s so. incredibly. important. to make the switch from your chemical sh*t storm of a regular bathroom routine. Read on, my friends, read on.

So, remember when I talked about my story, how I was completely baffled when no doctors asked me what I was eating when I was having all sorts of digestive issues, nausea, migraines, and the like? Um, DUH. They should’ve looked at what was going IN my body. Well, I had kind of a lightbulb moment recently. In the past couple years I’ve also struggled with a lot of pesky skin issues that wouldn’t go away, even when I eliminated gluten, dairy and other inflammatory foods from my diet that I thought were causing my skin issues. You know, the gut-skin axis and everything. For a while, I chalked it up to a “celiac issue” that I would just have to deal with. But then I thought, if I could heal my body by changing the food that was going in it, why couldn’t I heal my skin by changing what I was putting on it?

I don’t think there’s been a more appropriate time in my life for the *forehead slap*. DUH. 

The skin is our largest organ. As a nutrition student with years of anatomy and physiology under my belt, I KNEW this. But 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. Again, forehead slap. 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? It’s like that Meghan Trainor song…”Nah to the ah to the NO NO NO“. Get that stuff the heck away from me and my skin.

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.

Until 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 Beautycounter 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?

So 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.}

And THAT is why I’ve made the switch personally, and why I’m joining Beautycounter to help spread the word and educate people about the current state of the skincare and cosmetics industry. My only regret is that I didn’t try it out sooner! Especially this charcoal mask. That stuff is GOLD. Hello, totally refreshed and glowing skin, goodbye, toxins.

Yes, I’m still weeding out and gradually making the transition to using ALL natural products. Not everything I use is Beautycounter, 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.

In the meantime, feel free to check out some of my beautycounter favorites, like the charcoal bar and chemical-free sunscreen. Oh, and check the ingredients on your makeup. You might not be too thrilled about what you find.

 

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!