I was a happy girl receiving this gift package from @chloedc.beautycounter! The graphic designer in me loved the clean package design and their mission statement had me excited to try their products – right up my alley:
“We are a Social Mission led company with a mission to bring safer products into the hands of everyone. Our high performing personal care products are formulated using one of the most health-protective safety standards in the industry. When creating our products, we exclude approximately 1,500 harmful ingredients, some of which have been linked to cancer, hormone description and reproductive toxicity. By offering safer choices and educating and increasing awareness on how to make smarter choices, we are driving the Movement for Change.”
One thing I loved instantly over my Neal’s Yard products is that their products are packaged so you don’t have to stick your fingers into the cream. Their face cream uses a pump and the face oil has a dropper. This is a fantastic way to not contaminate the products with bacteria from our fingers. Most companies will say your hands are clean after washing your face however that’s not always the case. I also like pumps and droppers as it allows you to better control how much comes out at once and lessens chance of waste.
After a close inspection of the ingredients, I was thrilled to find that there was no ‘fragrance’ added. Fragrance is made up of chemicals and can contain stabilizers, preservatives, scents and sometimes dyes. Try to avoid anything artificial from being absorbed into your bloodstream. Stay as natural as possible.
Our bodies absorb 70% of what we put on our skin…Be mindful
of what you put on your skin not only for the health risks but also if
you have diet restrictions, such as gluten free, as it absolutely goes
into your bloodstream.
There is one ingredient I didn’t like seeing – phenoxyethanol. The EWG Skin Deep site rates it as a 4, however beautycounter products overall still get EWG’s best rating, 1-2, which is excellent. I reached out to the company asking the reason they use phenoxyethanol:
“Phenoxyethanol is the highest scoring ingredient we use at Beautycounter. It is a very effective preservative, and after a thorough safety review we feel it is safe to use to protect products and consumers from bacteria, mold, yeast, etc. Skin Deep scores preservatives higher than many other ingredients, which is understandable, as companies should use caution when choosing preservatives. At Beautycounter, we use a variety of preservatives, choosing the best one for the product. We always use phenoxyethanol at less than 1%. Other preservatives often have to be used at higher percentages because they don’t quite have the power that phenoxyethanol has.”
After being satisfied with my research, I was keen to see if my sensitive skin would be ok with these products and I am happy to say I have been thrilled with the results. The face oil smells amazing and the lip balm feels luxurious. I’m still testing out many of the products but I definitely give beautycounter the thumbs up and will be looking into their makeup and a few other new products to try. Own your health, you’re worth it
