Clean Beauty Products: why these matter + how to find them!

When it comes to our health, it’s not just what we put in our bodies that matters but also what we put ON our bodies! 

As women, many of us use 10, if not 20+ products on our faces + bodies every day. Cleansers, toners, lotions, serums, sunscreens, concealers, foundation, blush, lipstick… And that’s just our faces! When you also add in shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, etc. you can see how our daily and lifetime exposure to products quickly adds up. 

The issue is that, unless we’re very conscious, these products often contain harsh chemicals that wreak havoc on our hormones! Not clear on how your products could affect your hormones or health? Let me explain…

Your skin is your largest organ + it ABSORBS the products you put on it!

What you put on your skin is absorbed into your tissues and your bloodstream AND, depending on the ingredients, this can be bad news for your hormones, your reproductive health, your nervous, and immune system. This also goes for chemicals that you inhale through breathing in fragrances or those you eat by licking your lips throughout the day while wearing these products. 

Sadly, the cosmetic industry has extremely low standards and regulations for what can be included in cosmetics products and what has to be disclosed to consumers. In fact, the FDA laws that dictate what can be included in cosmetics have not been updated since 1938 when they were first created. 1938! This is ridiculous but true and not something that is known by many women. 

Many cosmetic products contain harmful chemicals that are TOXIC, even in low doses. Like I shared in last week’s blog on endocrine disruptors, exposures to these toxic chemicals may contribute to negative effects for you and your loved ones including

• Estrogen dominance
• PCOS
• Endometriosis
• Thyroid disease
• Obesity
• Decreased fertility 
• Increased risk of miscarriage
• Reproductive cancers
• And more

As women we not only use more products but we also naturally have more fat cells where these toxic chemical are stored! This all means our overall toxic exposure + body burden is much higher. The good news is you CAN change this and it’s relatively easy!

So what can you do??

Here are some simple suggestions for cleaning up your beauty routine

• Simplify your Beauty Regimen. Consider eliminating products and really slimming down your overall product use. Go natural, minimal makeup, embrace your natural beauty. Stay tuned for an updated website page on all my current fav products! (make sure you’re subscribed to my email listserv to know when I release this!)
• Research & Read the Labels. The only way to be aware of what you are putting into your body is by educating yourself and reading the labels. There are so many chemicals - so part of it is knowing where you are personally willing to take risks and where you are not. I put some of my favorite resources for clean beauty research below. Remember just because something says “clean” “natural” “healthy” does NOT mean it is. Read the label!
• Use Reputable Online Tools & Apps to Find Safer Products. See the clean beauty resource list I recommend below! These give you extensive information on the various toxic chemicals and what effects they may have in your body. I use EWG Skin deep database the most to quickly search individual beauty products for safety. To me, it’s easy to navigate and intuitive and I can simply leave a tab open on my phone for quick access. They break down why certain things are unsafe to help you understand their safety level and they also offer safer alternative suggestions.
• Consider Buying Nontoxic Certified Products. Consider using products with the EWG or MadeSafe seal as they hold a standard for certification that monitors what companies put in their products. You can read more on the website links below.
• If You Can’t Do It All, Prioritize. If you don’t have the time, money, or energy to replace all your skincare products don’t stress. Prioritize the beauty products that you cover larger areas of your skin with (e.g. body lotion or soap) and the ones you put on your lips (since we tend to lick them all day). Then slowly take your time searching the various products you have and throw away the ones that are toxic. As you purchase new products LOOK THEM UP before you purchase to make sure they are safe. Your regimen will shift slowly but surely and your hormones + health will thank you!
• Take a Deep Breath, Relax, & Focus on Nourishing your Body. Changing to cleaner routines can sometimes feel overwhelming or stressful. Try to remember that your goal is to better nourish your body, so focus on this. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, baby steps are a good place to start. Take a deep breath, love on your body, move it, nourish it, + know you will figure it all out in your own timing. Remember your skin care is a way to nourish and care for you. You are deserving and there are people out there to help if you need it!

My FAV Clean Beauty Resources

• EWG (environmental working group)’s Skin deep is an extensive database with over 60k products. It allows you to search your current products or those you are looking to purchase & offers a safety rating along with information on chemicals of concern and often offers safer alternatives. EWG also offers certifications for companies that meet nontoxic requirements including full transparency of ingredients & avoidance of ingredients of concern ((ingredients with health, ecotoxicity and/or contamination concerns), you can look for this designation on products. 
• Think Dirty is an app that allows you to search & check the safety of your current products. It gives a safety rating on a scale of 1-10 and offers up cleaner solutions.The website also has additional information on verified clean skincare companies & limited products available for purchase.
• Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a great website with detailed information on various chemicals found in cosmetic products including info on chemicals of concern. They are a project of Breast Cancer Prevention Partners whose aim is to prevent breast cancer by eliminating our exposure to toxic chemicals and radiation. Safecosmetic’s Red List is a fantastic & extensive dive into the various chemicals found in personal care products, cleaning products and fragrance ingredients that pose serious, chronic health concerns including cancer, hormone disruption, and reproductive and developmental harm. The paper is a great resource if you want to look at individual toxins & their risks, for example maybe you’re okay with respiratory risks but you want to avoid any products with endocrine or reproductive risks. It’s your body so only you can decide what is okay.
• MADE SAFE is a partner of Safecosmetics & provides nontoxic certification for companies that make cosmetic and personal care products. MADE SAFE (Made With Safe Ingredients) verifies products are made with safe ingredients not known or suspected to harm human health, animals, or ecosystems.

If you know you want to take a deep dive NOW on HOW you can improve your overall health but could use some guidance in your journey, then I invite you to check out my fertility awareness course which has an entire module (1 of 6 modules) solely dedicated to this. If you want MY advice + insights on your hormonal health and the specific ways YOU can improve your hormonal health, you can either upgrade my FAM course to include FOUR 1:1 sessions with me or you can look into my one-off hormonal health consults. Have a few questions before committing or want help choosing the best program for your current questions and needs? I invite you to book a FREE 30 minute clarity call with me.

May you be well & informed in your journey!

in love,

Dr. Mona