The road to clearer skin was definitely a bumpy one. Growing up with a mom who worked in the beauty industry as a cosmetologist, I became obsessed with everything to do with makeup, hair and skin care at a young age. In fact, I think I started getting my hair colored in 6th or 7th grade. I guess you could all me a girly girl because I love getting my nails done, curling my hair, getting facials and doing my makeup.

I don’t have the typical “I had horrible acne as a teenager” story. I mean, I had pimples like any normal person, but it wasn’t anything that stressed me out. But fast forward to my college years and into my early-mid twenties, I struggled with acne and feeling comfortable in my own skin. I would always think to myself “I didn’t even struggle with acne as a teenager so why would I be dealing with it as an adult!?” It stressed me out and gave me anxiety. I had tried all of the drug store products, Proactive and even went to a dermatologist and went on some prescriptions. None of that helped which only made me even more aware of my less than perfect complexion. I remember constantly picking at my skin even though I knew that would only make it worse and could leave scars, but I couldn’t stop myself. It was a viscous cycle and sometimes I wondered if I would ever have clear skin and feel good about going makeup free. So, I just continued trying different skin care products and slathering on tons of makeup in hopes to cover everything up.

When I started learning more about nutrition and how the quality of what we eat makes a huge difference in our health, I learned that included the look of your skin. Part of the reason why I care so much about the food that I put into my body is because I am trying to prevent developing any diseases. Because of my family history of thyroid disorders, autoimmune disease, etc. I am more likely to develop a similar disease myself. Through my own research I’ve learned how much of what you put into your body can impact that, but also what you put ON your body makes a huge difference as well. Your skin is your largest organ after all. I am truly alarmed at all of the scary, endocrine disrupting ingredients that are allowed in personal care products! Using the conventional products could cause hormonal imbalances in my body no matter how perfect my diet was. Woah!

I gradually started cleaning up my diet by eliminating processed foods, sugar, gluten and most dairy. I focused on eating more nutrient dense whole foods, drinking tons of water and being consistent with it. Then I moved onto gradually switching out conventional personal care products for safer versions, as well as safer cleaning products.

Looking back and reflecting on my health journey, I now realize how much changing my diet had impacted the health of my skin. It even made a tremendous impact on my mental health which I think was linked to my anxious skin picking.

One point I want to make – I did try some all natural skincare routines I came across while researching nutrition such as oil cleansing with coconut oil and tea tree oil, using witch hazel, Apple Cider Vinegar rinses for my hair, etc. These methods worked fine but didn’t give me results that I wanted. Also, growing up in the world of beauty products, I really missed using products like the conventional version I grew up using. Not saying that completely natural skin and hair care doesn’t work – it just isn’t for me. One of my favorite things is opening up the packaging of new products, trying new hair styles/colors and playing with different makeup looks!

During my research and hunting for new products that had less scary ingredients, I kept reading and seeing bloggers online using Beautycounter. They raved about how they reminded them of the classic skin and makeup products from department stores, only with safer ingredients, so I decided to give it a go and I’ve been hooked ever since! Just like how I started changing my diet, I’ve been gradually switching over to products that are safer for my skin which includes Beautycounter products and a mixture of others.

The more I’ve learned about Beautycounter as a company, I just keep falling in love and now I feel the need to get the message out!

Why Beautycounter?

Since I have been using their products for a while, I’ve had time to get to know their mission, learn that they are a B-Corp and Beautycounter is deeply involved in pressing local, state and even the federal government for more health-protective legislation governing the personal care industry. That’s right, Beautycounter is actively asking the government for more regulation of its own industry – because our founders believe that there’s more to this multi-billion dollar industry than just the bottom line. They truly believe that beauty should be good for you, and their products and their advocacy work reflects that.

DID YOU KNOW that (per a recent study) 80% of Americans do *not know* that their personal care products contain ingredients that are questionable or harmful to human health? 80%!!! We have SO MUCH WORK to do, friends. When we know better, we do better …so, we need to educate.

Companies are not required to screen their cosmetics for contaminants like heavy metals. They’re not required to review the scientific literature on the potential problems with certain ingredients. Most companies just produce products that sell – and sure, sometimes they work, but at what cost?

Beautycounter screens every single ingredient for safety by reviewing the scientific literature and commissioning studies where data is lacking. They test every batch of color cosmetics THREE TIMES for heavy metal contamination (did you know “natural” makeup, like mineral makeup, is at risk for high metals contamination?) They’re transparent about every ingredient they use and why. And even better? They use active ingredients that work. 

What makes Beautycounter products different?

• Beautycounter has banned more than 1,500 ingredients (The “Never List”) yet their products perform like conventional products – they’re as indulgent as any luxe shampoo, lipstick or cream on the market.

• Beautycounter uses the best of SAFER SCIENCE. While Beautycounter’s products aren’t 100% natural, they have innovated performance-oriented products that are significantly safer than anything on the market – so they’re perfect for someone who wants a little extra oomph from their products without sacrificing safety.

• Beautycounter has developed a rigorous ingredient screening process, looking for data on skin irritation, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, and more.

• Every single Beautycounter product is rated between 0-3 on EWG’s Skindeep database, which is the most amazing go-to resource for product safety! If you haven’t checked that database out for some of the products you are using in your home, I highly recommend it. It is majorly eye-opening.

I’m personally avoiding endocrine disrupters in my self care products. I’m personally choosing safer products that are good for my skin and for anti-aging (hello almost 30!). For me, it’s personal that I share this with all of YOU. So you can make the best choices for you and your family.

For those of you who want to become involved with Beautycounter: I’m here to help! If you have any questions just shoot an email to kendra@currentlycopper.com so we can put our heads together! Or you can sign up for my newsletter here, where I share nutrition, lifestyle, travel and skincare tips!