We all try to make ourselves better whether it be eating healthier foods, exercising, staying more positive, or just trying to balance and organize the hectic day-to-day tasks we call our routine. Several years ago, I decided to prioritize all the ways I could better myself, which included but was not limited to: eating better, consistent exercise or activity in general, becoming more attune with nature, and cleaning up my personal care and cleaning routines. After making a long list of all the things I wanted to accomplish that year, I realized that even just one change was better than none. I decided to start with the easiest: my beauty routine.
At that time, I had used and sold another skincare line (a very old, popular, and come to find out, toxic skincare line). I used up the Environmental Working Groups skin deep database and began entering products in my shower, cabinets, vanity drawers. This was the rating scale I used: 0-3 keep, 4 decide how much I like product and determine if the rating outweighs the need to keep, 5-10 immediately throw away. About 90% of my products were immediately tossed and the other 10% I kept, though eventually weeded out completely.
I was completely taken back at the list of chemicals and their possible effects on my body, including: endocrine disruption, irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), biochemical or cellular level changes, and cancer. I quickly jumped on the organic and natural bandwagon and soon learned that even those products had misleading information and inaccuracies (to be discussed in a later post). It was then that I decided I wanted to take control of that aspect of my life.
I deemed my beauty regimen the easiest area to tackle because I wasn't adding a "to-do" or time to my daily routine. I was simply swapping out the bad stuff for the good. Yes, I initially had to do some research, but I enjoyed it and very quickly saw many changes in my skin (also, another post) so it was definitely worthwhile. Today, nearly four years later, I choose to share my research, trial and error, and skin care creations with others, hoping to make their transition to safe, chemical-free products an easy one. If you are still on the fence, consider this: Your skin is your body's largest organ, treat it as such.