Keep It Safe
Bonus points to anyone who got the Lord of the Rings reference there. ;-)
Let’s talk about SAFER. It’s kind of a buzz word now, isn’t it? We’ve reached a point where transparency is more commonplace in the food industry and folks are really starting to care about what they put in their bodies— not just from a calorie intake perspective, but from a truly healthy perspective. Because let’s face it. The diet industry really screwed us on this one. The 90s were all about taking fat out of absolutely everything, replacing it with chemicals, sugar substitutes, and God knows what else— and probably none of it was really healthy or safe. And FINALLY, the tide is changing towards quality ingredients, humane treatment of animals, removal of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and all the crap we’ve been eating without realizing it was potentially harmful— because, how could we have known? It’s in the grocery store, so it must be fine.
Well, now that we’ve all signed over our paychecks to Whole Foods and cleared out our pantries and fridges of anything processed and/or grown in a chemical compound that Bruce Banner himself would be loathed to go anywhere near, we’re finally walking the straight and narrow safer path to health and happiness, right?
Maybe. In a lot of ways, yes. The food industry has taken a LOT of steps to improve over the last decade or so when it comes to safety and transparency— but what about the personal care industry?
Personal care accounts for a LOT of the products we use. Think about it for a second. It’s your shampoo, your face wash, your sunscreen, your tampons, your nail polish, your shaving lotion, your moisturizer, your makeup, your favorite cinnamon roll flavored lip gloss you got from Victoria’s Secret 10 years ago and just can’t let go of— it’s a LOT of stuff. And once again, how the hell are we supposed to know that a product on the shelves at the drug store (or Target— that most magical of places where you can fully intend to just buy toothpaste and toilet paper and still come out spending $150) isn’t just perfectly safe to use? They’re selling it, right?
Turns out, that’s not the case. In fact, the last time any legislation was written in the U.S. to regulate what’s allowed in personal care products was— wait for it— 1938. 19-freaking-38. Think about how many HUGE things have happened in this country since then, and yet personal care remains a virtually unregulated industry. (For comparison, the EU has banned over 1400 harmful chemicals from its personal care products and Canada has banned close to 600.) And these aren’t just chemicals that maybe cause mild irritation. They’re linked to cancer, infertility, hormone disruption, and developmental toxicity. That’s BIG. And there are companies out there committed to doing something about it— Beautycounter is one of them.
I know, I know. Isn’t that, like, a direct sales thing? Is it a pyramid scheme? It’s just, like, another fad, right? That stuff doesn’t actually work. It’s so expensive! Can’t I just buy this moisturizer I found at whatever drug store because it says it doesn’t have blank chemicals or stuff in it?
Yes, it uses a direct sales model (but also uses a direct-to-consumer channel where you can shop online independently). No, it’s not a pyramid scheme. Those are illegal, and I avoid involving myself in illegal stuff. No, I’d like to think that advocacy for and creation of safer personal care products is not just a fad, just like I’d like to think the food industry isn’t going to revert back to fat-free-chemical-packed everything. Yes, you can absolutely just buy that other moisturizer. I’m just here to educate you about what's in it. And believe it or not, that’s my primary aim here— to educate. I am a teacher, after all. Beautycounter is about getting safer products into the hands of everyone, whether or not you actually buy Beautycounter products. And truly, Beautycounter is not the only brand out there committed to transparency, safety, and advocacy (more on that later). Happily, their products not only work— they work WELL. I wouldn’t represent a company or a product I didn’t personally believe in or use myself.
And as for the expense— I get it. I really, really do. I’m out there on a budget just like (mostly) everyone else. I have to pick and choose which products I purchase and when— even as a consultant with a sweet discount. But here’s what it comes down to for me: quality over quantity. Yes, I could buy a whole lot of cheap makeup— but at what cost? I used to use cheap makeup for the stage all the time (because why spend a lot of money on stuff that people will be viewing from 50 yards away?) but BOY did it wreak havoc on my skin. So for me, it’s worth spending a little bit more on products that not only look fantastic, but that I can wear without worrying what’s seeping into my skin or what effects it’ll have. I do the same thing with clothing and food. I’d rather spend a little bit more — or, at the very least, be more judicious about when to be “cheap”— and not have my sweaters pill or rip after one wash, not eat that brand of chicken that got recalled 5 times, not use that lotion that kind of gives me a rash but smells like cookies. Ya feel me?
I’ll be posting more specifically about products, regiments, and how to incorporate safer products into your lifestyle (Beautycounter or otherwise) on a budget in the next several posts, so be on the lookout for more from the Safer Series. Until then, check out this article about what it means to be a “cleaner beauty” company in today’s industry.
xoxo
Laura