The more I’ve learned about clean skincare, the more I value products that are made responsibly, considering the impact ingredients have not only on our body but also on our environment.
When I was a teen, I used some skincare products that I didn’t realize had crazy harsh ingredients that are actually not safe for our bodies. A few years later I started going to a holistic healthcare clinic (about 12 or so years ago) and they began to educate me on the fact that pretty much everything we put ON our bodies goes IN our bodies.
I heard about a study that showed that many chemicals commonly found in popular skincare products can be measured in blood, breast milk and urine samples. (That’s right… Eww!) In other words, if you can’t eat it, you should think twice about putting it on your skin. Not that I’m actually going to eat my face soap, haha.
We must also consider that our overall health and diet play a big role in our skin health, too, so if you’re having major skin problems you may consider working with a nutritionist as well to get things balanced!
I’ve become a huge fan of clean, natural (and when possible, organic) skincare products that use wholesome plant-based ingredients; things I can not only identify but that I know are healthy for my body, my children’s bodies, and our planet. Things God created and intended for our benefit.
Some important facts to consider as you explore toxic vs clean skincare:
- While the European Union have 1,328 harmful ingredients banned from skincare products, the United States has banned the use of only 11 ingredients. This means WE have to take ownership over checking ingredients.
- The skin is our body’s largest organ, and chemicals in the products we use are easily absorbed and can even find their way into our bloodstream. Yikes!
- Research has found that beauty and personal care products can contain chemicals linked to hormone disruption, allergies, and even cancer.
- Do you wash your face or shower in the morning or at night? Well, all those products you’re washing off your face and body go down the drain and can end up in our drinking water sources and oceans.
Because in the United States the consumer is responsible for checking labels and reading ingredients, I look for the following indicators to determine if a product is “clean”:
- Vegan: animal products are not used or included,
- Cruelty-free: not animal tested,
- Paraben-free: doesn’t include harsh chemical preservatives,
- Sulfate-free: doesn’t include detergents that can cause varying levels of skin and eye irritation,
- Gluten-free: doesn’t contain gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye grains, that can have negative affects on people with gluten sensitivities or intolerance,
- Phthalate-free: doesn’t contain chemicals which are used to make plastics more flexible and less breakable, and
- Fragrance-free: doesn’t contain synthetic fragrance which is a common sensitizing ingredient for all skin types.
One tool I’ve found helpful is the App ThinkDirty. It analyzes each ingredient in skincare products and gives them a safety rating, also sharing the health impacts. You can scan the barcode of an item to find out what its rating is. And you can find new products!
All of this boils down to why I choose to use skincare products like BioClarity, which check off all of these boxes! Clean, safe, and beneficial rather than toxic. And honestly, after using BioClarity’s Essentials Routine and masques for the last year I not only see but feel the difference. My skin tone is more even, stays hydrated, looks fresh and feels great! BioClarity’s routines are a healthy and safe alternative to harsh, toxic acne treatments that are common in the marketplace. You can actually use the power of plants to clear up your skin! That’s pretty awesome! (To see a quick video on my skincare routine, click HERE.)
The pro’s to clean skincare are pretty straight forward. Simple, naturally sourced ingredients that are better for you, both internally and externally… which means it’s better for all of us! It’s better for our land, water, and oceans. I hope this gets ya thinking and using the clean stuff available to us all!
p.s. This is one topic that Dr Dustin Dillberg and I discuss in the Optimizing your Health module in the Unstoppable Year online course. Learn more.
