Happy Birthday Beautycounter!

I am so excited to share that today is Beautycounter’s 8th anniversary!

Eight years of sharing clean beauty.

Eight years of advocating for better beauty laws.

Eight years of using our voice to educate others.

Eight years of MAKING HISTORY

This is Grace and I two years ago sharing Clean Beauty!

A couple of amazing facts about Beautycounter that you may not be aware of:

Beautycounter is a certified B corporation as well as leaping bunny certified!

Check out Beautycounter’s Never list here of over 1,800 harmful ingredients that are never used in our products!

By texting BETTERBEAUTY to 52886 in the US and 70734 in Canada, you are joining a movement that is CHANGING the Beauty Industry!

It’s Time to Celebrate!

Sharing a FUN promotion

that Beautycounter is offering NOW!

In celebration of Beautycounter’s Birthday, any CUSTOMER who purchases a COUNTERTIME MINI SET today through March 6th, will receive a FREE BRIGHTENING FACIAL OIL.

Um…. AMAZING.

You guys know how much I love both of these products!!

Curious to learn more about Beautycounter’s Countertime Line, check out my review here!

The Countertime mini set is my absolute favorite set for traveling. It is the perfect size for packing and still looks beautiful on your shelf! Also, it is a great initial purchase if you want to try out the Countertime line prior to investing in the larger bottles!

Beautycounter’s Brightening Facial Oil

The Brightening Facial Oil (ALLURE BEST OF BEAUTY WINNER.. might I add) does amazing things to…..

•     Awaken and replenishs the skin

•      Brighten and even out skin tone

•    Improves the appearance of skin radiance

PS: It smells like a fresh orange!

Perfect choice for those concerned with dryness and dullness. The best way to hydrate is through oils. This one smells like a fresh orange and works great to fight dark spots/age spots/dull skin. You will feel like your skin looks brighter immediately!

Looking for a safe and effective anti-aging regimen, now is the time! Learn more here!

Thank you for stopping by the blog! Please leave an questions in the comments below!

My Favorite Household Cleaner

Thieves Household Cleaner

A little bit of sunshine and warmer weather today is doing wonders for my energy! And maybe even a little bit of an early start on Spring Cleaning! Just kidding! I will need my kiddos out of the house before I get much done! However, I did start getting my cleaning supplies prepped this afternoon and wanted to share some easy Thieves Household Cleaner Recipes.

Thieves Household Cleaner is my favorite cleaner for our family.

First off, the ingredient list is SAFE. Many chemicals used in household cleaners have not been tested for safety. Also, many cleaners on the shelves contain ingredients that are endocrine disrupting chemicals, carcinogens, or neurotoxins and unfortunately kids/babies/pets are more vulnerable to chemical exposure. Also, the convenience factor of this cleaner is amazing as well. You can use this product to clean anything in your house. Forget carrying endless amounts of cleaning supplies with you throughout the house. One last thing, the price. There are approximately 60 capfuls of the cleaner in a 14.4-ounce bottle. You can get about 29 16 oz bottles of cleaner out of this one bottle.

Four DIY Thieves Cleaning Recipes!

All Purpose Household Cleaner

3 cups of distilled water

1 capful of Thieves Household Cleaner

Glass and Mirror Cleaner

3 cups of distilled water

1 capful of Thieves Household Cleaner

1 tsp of white vinegar

5 drops of lemon

Bathroom Cleaner

3 cups of distilled water

1 capful of Thieves Household Cleaner

5 drops of Purification

5 drops of Lemon

Laundry Pre-Spot Treatment

1/3 cup of Thieves Household Cleaner

1 cup of distilled water

1/3 cup of liquid castile soap

5 drops of lemon essential oil

As a mother, I find so much comfort in knowing that our products are safe. No added worry for this mama if a kiddo accidentally gets into the cleaning products. It is recommended that oils be stored in amber or cobalt glass bottles as the sunlight can accelerate the expiration of the oil. That being said, we are using our cleaning products non stop and therefore these glass bottles work great for us. I always store out of direct sunlight in a cool/dry location.

If you are curious to learn more about plant based cleaners, send me a message or leave a comment below!

Thanks for popping by the blog! Happy Monday!

Considering switching to a Safer Deodorant?

Here Are Five Important Things to Know About

Why you should consider switching to a Safer Deodorant?

Finding a clean/safe deodorant was not an easy feat. It was one of the last items that was switched over in my personal care products. However, it was not due to lack of effort. I tried many different types and spent a good chunk of money. But to be honest, they simply were not working. After a bit of trial and error, I was able to find one that worked for me.

When I learned about the health concerns surrounding deodorant, I was using an antiperspirant. Personally, I hate sweating and I loved how antiperspirants took away that struggle.  However, sweating is one of the body’s most important natural methods to remove toxins and waste. Wearing an antiperspirant intervenes with the natural process of the body, so yep, not great for your health.

Until recently, I simply did not know the dangers associated with deodorant. It was just a part of my everyday routine. I had been doing this for years, why stop? However, now I am aware that deodorant is a bigger deal to my health than I previously realized and my goal is to educate others on what I have learned!

Here are FIVE reasons why you should consider making the switch:

You!

Investing in your health is worth it, why not start now? Think big picture, friends. Hormone struggles are real and eliminating toxins from your daily life can help significantly with helping to balance and rejuvenate your hormones.

Aluminium

Many of us are probably aware of this one. Aluminum is the component in your deodorant that prevents you from sweating. It plugs up the sweat ducts under your arms therefore preventing the sweat from escaping. So unfortunately, these toxins and wastes that the body is working hard to get rid of are absorbed back into the body. Aluminium is also not great for our health. Studies have shown that Aluminium can cause heavy metal toxicity as well as Alzheimer’s.

Synthetic Fragrance

 Synthetic fragrance is one of the most toxic ingredients found in store bought deodorants. The lovely smelling scents that give us that nice clean feeling can contain up to 3,000 chemicals. Therefore, when you see fragrance on an ingredient label, you really do not know what you are getting yourself into. These chemicals hiding in synthetic fragrances have been linked to several things such as hormone disruption, allergies, skin irritation, and more. Fragrance is a trade secret and therefore the FDA allows for companies to continue to do this.

Parabens/phthalates

Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used as artificial preservatives. Since cosmetics and body products contain chemicals that biodegrade, these chemicals are added to prevent bacterial growth. However, studies that shown that parabans can disrupt hormones in the body as well as cause skin irritation.  Parabans mimic the role of estrogen in the body and therefore can cause issues such as hormone imbalance and reproductive issues. Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break. Some phthalates are used as solvents for other materials. Phthalates are another type of endocrine disruptor that are commonly found in deodorant as well as cosmetics.

Greenwashing!

Greenwashing is essentially fancy marketing that makes you assume that what you are purchasing is good for you. Companies use words like organic and natural without disclosing the ingredients. In my experience, it is always best to stick with transparent companies who disclose ingredients to the consumer!

Tips to Support Your Skin When Switching to a Safer Deodorant

Three ways to help support your skin when switching to a safer deodorant

When switching to a safer deodorant, individuals will experience a detox phase. This phase can last between two weeks and two months. These tips below can help make the detox phase a bit more manageable!

1)     Activated Charcoal.

Yes, I am talking about this magic ingredient again. Activated charcoal does an amazing job at reducing odor, detoxifying the skin, and soothing irritations. I always have this charcoal bar in the shower! Also, for a weekly underarm detox, consider the charcoal mask.

2)     Shaving.

Keeping the skin clean shaven is important to prevent bacteria growth. However, do not apply deodorant to freshly shaved skin. The skin under the arms is very delicate and it more susceptible to rashes and irritation when deodorant is applied to skin right after shaving. It is best to shave at night and then apply deodorant in the morning.

3)     Consider The Everything Spray.

I have been loving this spray by Primally Pure. It is made with ingredients such as Tea Tree oil, witch hazel, lavender, and apple cider vinegar. It works great to prevent inflammation/irritation, detoxify skin, prevent in grown hairs, and decrease smell. I spray after showering daily.

4)     Dab deodorant instead of swipe.

As mentioned before, the skin under the arms is very delicate. Dabbing helps to reduce friction and therefore reduce skin irritation.

Have questions or curious to learn more? Please reach out here!

Resources:

https://www.ewg.org/californiacosmetics/parabens

https://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2007/12/ask-ewg-what-fragrance

https://blog.primallypure.com/how-to-detox-your-pits-when-using-organic-deodorant-tips-for-fresh-rash-free-skin/

https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Phthalates_FactSheet.html

Five Simple Tasks to Do When Your Anxiety Feels Heavy

The lack of normalcy and the unknowns has had this mama on a bit of an emotional roller coaster. Anyone else?

I know I am not alone in saying that anxiety has become heavy at times during the quarantine/pandemic. For me, anxiety is a good reminder that it is time to check in with myself and make some changes to feel my best on the inside.

If you are running on empty, then everyone around you suffers.

These five simple things always help me when my anxiety feels heavy!

1)     Doing a random act of kindness.

For me, putting positive energy into the world always makes me feel better.

Cool fact, A study done in 2018 by the Journal of Social Psychology found that acts of altruism are linked to reward processing areas of the brain. So, there is some truth to this!

2)     Getting outdoors.

Being outside in the sunshine is an instant mood booster for me.

Did you know that being outside improves memory and the ability to focus? If I can, I love to get a long walk in with the dog. The alone time helps me recharge and clear my mind!

 3)     Allowing myself to take a break!

Whether that means calling a babysitter, escaping to a quiet coffee shop, getting in a solo workout, or allowing the kids to have some extra TV time, its ok! We all need a break sometimes.

We cannot be on 24/7!

 4)     Reading a book!

Reading can relax your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension of your muscles.

5)     Get Active!

This is a perfect way to release feel good endorphins and help to eliminate stress! This can be a nice long walk, a run, or even a bike ride! Whatever you prefer!

What are sulfates and why you should be aware of them

What are they?

Sulfates are the components in your shampoos, bubble bath, soap, toothpaste, face wash, laundry soaps, etc. that make them foam and lather. Sulfates are aggressive detergents that work effectively to remove dirt and grime. They are surfactants which means they attract both oil and water and therefore this is what makes them effective at removing dirt and grime so easily. Sulfates are not only used in personal care products; they are also used to degrease heavy machinery.

Commonly used forms of sulfates include:

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)

Health and Safety Concerns

If you are anything like me, the foaming quality in my hair and skincare products is what made me feel like my skin and hair were in fact squeaky clean. However, sulfates can be a bit of an aggressive cleaning agent. Sulfates strip the protective barriers that lock moisture in. Therefore, they can leave the hair or skin feeling dried out and dehydrated. And if your skin or scalp is particularly sensitive, sulfates can be very irritating to the skin. While sulfates on their own are not carcinogens, SLES is commonly contaminated with 1,4-dioxane ( a known carcinogen), a byproduct of a petrochemical process called ethoxylation, which is used to process other chemicals in order to make them less harsh. 

Safer Options

If you are considering eliminating sulfates from your products, Beautycounter is a great place to start. Did you know that SLS and SLES are on Beautycounter’s Never list. Beautycounter’s Never List is made up of over 1,800 ingredients harmful or questionable harmful ingredients that are never used in their products. Currently, the US only bans 30, Canada bans 600, and the European Union bans 1,400. Beautycounter goes above and beyond to ensure that health and safety is a top priority as well as performance.

Did you know that 61% of children’s bath products that were tested contained both 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde? If the label contains the word fragrance, it is likely that it has formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is another known carcinogen.

Switching over to Beautycounter’s Kids Bath and Body products was one of my first clean swaps. Not only do they smell amazing, they are free of sulfates, parabans, and harmful chemicals.

The EWG skin deep healthy living app is an amazing resource to scan your current products to get their safety rating. If you do not yet have this app on your phone, download it today!

Sources

https://www.beautycounter.com/the-never-list

https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/706089-sodium_laureth_sulfate/

https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/706110-SODIUM_LAURYL_SULFATE/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK153666/

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/formaldehyde/formaldehyde-fact-sheet

Four Easy Switches to Help Create A Non Toxic Home

Considering making the move to a Non-Toxic Household?

Here are four easy switches you can make today!

Let’s be honest, making the shift to a non toxic household can be overwhelming and pricey. As a consumer, we are aware that clean beauty and non toxic home products are on the rise. However, sadly, so is greenwashing.

Greenwashing is the marketing method of using words like “natural” or “organic” to market products as safe and clean without proper ingredient disclosure or safety research. A company call call a product safe or clean based on their own terms.

My journey into a non-toxic household began when I became pregnant. I have learned that 100,000 chemicals are found in our food and products. Roughly 5% of those have been tested for safety. After some research in this area, I knew I needed to make some adjustments in our household.  Turns out, four years later, I have a regularly active toddler who loves to get into all my products. I could not be happier that I made the move to a non toxic home.

Did you know that toxins in cleaning supplies are easily and quickly absorbed through our skin and respiratory tract, not just when we are cleaning but when we are sleeping, eating, showering, etc.  

Have you ever noticed how you feel after cleaning with traditional cleaning products? The harsh chemicals used to make me feel dizzy and lightheaded. That is not all, traditional cleaning products are filled with chemicals that are skin disruptors as well as endocrine disruptors. These chemicals stay on the surface for a long time. These chemicals are not just harmful to us, they also have a major impact on the environment.

Progress over perfection is an important thing to remember when starting to make the shift in your home. It does not matter when you start, just that you begin.

Check out these four easy changes below to help get you started!

1. Wool Dryer Balls

Unfortunately, the fresh and clean scent that we all love is not great for our health. Dryer sheets are actually one of the most toxic items in the home. So if you have not done so, toss the dryer sheets and grab some dryer balls off of Amazon or Grove Collaborative. One set of dryer balls can last up to 1,000 loads. This is an amazing sustainable switch. Not only will you save money, dryer balls decrease drying time and therefore reduce energy consumption!

Still in need of a bit of fragrance? Add a couple drops of your favorite essential oil to the wool dryer balls. I love to add lemon, lavender, or Citrus Fresh.

2. Young Living Thieves Household Cleaner

This stuff is amazing and will last you a long time. It also smells great! First off, the ingredient list is safe. Many chemicals used in household cleaners have not been tested for safety. Also, many cleaners on the shelves contain ingredients that are endocrine disrupting chemicals, carcinogens, or neurotoxins and unfortunately kids/babies/pets are more vulnerable to chemical exposure. Also, the convenience factor of this cleaner is amazing. You can use this product to clean anything in your house. Forget carrying endless amounts of cleaning supplies with you throughout the house. One last thing, the price. There are approximately 60 capfuls of the cleaner in a 14.4-ounce bottle. You can get about 29 16 oz bottles of cleaner out of this one bottle. Financially, this household cleaner is a great idea as well.

3. Food Storage

Consider what you are storing your food in? When it comes to plastics, switching to BPA-free is a great step, but many BPA-free items contain other harmful chemicals, so storing most of your items in glass containers is the best option! With pantry items that will keep for a long time, it is best to transfer them from their plastic packaging to glass jars. Unfortunately, chemicals can transfer very easily from our food and drink. We have been making this shift in our house over the past year. We still have a bit to go, but we are getting there. This has been the biggest financial burden for our family. However, I have commited to making the switch to healthier and safer products for our family.

4. Consider ditching the candles

Truthfully, I love the cozy feel you get from a lit candle. Regrettably, scented candles are a huge source for indoor pollution and turns out, not so great for health. I have been using essential oils in the place of candles because I love a nice fragrance in the house. Essential oils have helped to support our health in so many ways in this household. However, an important thing that I have learned is that not every oil is created equal. If you have not dived into the essential oil’s world, Young Living is a great company to start with. Many of the cheaper versions contain mostly fillers and not actual oil. Young Living provides pure and authentic oils. Click here to learn more about Young Living.

In need of a morning boost?

Here is 5 easy ways to help start the day right!

In need of a morning boost at the beginning of the day? Not going to lie, jumping into the day has felt a bit more challenging lately. If you are in the same boat, try these 5 simple morning tasks to start the day off on a good start.

• Open your blinds first thing and allow for the natural light to come in. Nothing better than natural sunlight to help energize you for the day!

• Make your bed. Starting your day making your bed gives you a sense of accomplishment!

• Add some oils to your diffuser to support your mood. Citrus blends are my go to in the morning. Citrus blends are amazing at lifting your mood and reducing stress.

• Get outside! Fresh air is so good for us and getting it in early helps set your mood for the day. Even better, try a little exercise. Getting your body moving in the morning will get your blood pumping and your mood lifted.

• Drink a glass of lemon water first thing! Lemon water promotes hydration, is a good source of Vitamin C, aids in digestion, and is good for skin quality.

Comment below with other tips and tricks you use for an extra boost in the morning!