It has been nearly five years since I undertook the important but frustrating task of finding health and beauty products that are safe. When I was pregnant with Nolan, I read the book The Complete Organic Pregnancy and it was an eye-opener about the chemicals lurking in our everyday lives. It scared the crap out of me and made me angry that there seems to be no regulation in the beauty industry. Published back in 2006, the book still has a tremendous amount of important and interesting research, but some of its shopping resources are a little outdated.

Today, more and more companies and stores are jumping on the “natural” bandwagon. I say “natural” because unfortunately it’s one of those terms that is completely unregulated and unchecked. Pretty much any beauty product can bill itself as natural, even when it’s filled with known carcinogens. This article from Women’s Health Magazine explains the meaning behind some of the terms companies throw around, like natural and organic.

Sick and tired of being in Sephora, squinting to scrutinize ingredient labels while high on perfume fumes, I did some research and found Beautycounter. The website was sleek and user-friendly, the products looked beautiful, and there was a tremendous amount of research and information available on not just their own products, but also the beauty industry as a whole. My curiosity was definitely piqued.

A few days later while watching The Today Show, my ears perked up when I heard the reporter mention this new growing company Beautycounter, and I thought, “It’s the secret! It’s destiny! I’m meant to join Beautycounter!” Being that I was six months pregnant and in the middle of two moves, I held off for a while.

Here I am five months later and I’m ready to go. I’ve always been passionate about safe beauty products and now I found a company and products that exceed my expectations. Here is some info that should shock and enrage you:

– The European Union has banned or restricted over 1300 ingredients. The United States has banned (wait for it)…11.

– Of the 10,000 chemicals used in personal care products, only about 10% have been tested. According to The New York Times, “Unlike pharmaceuticals or pesticides, industrial chemicals do not have to be tested before they are put on the market. Under the law regulating chemicals, producers are only rarely required to provide the federal government with the information necessary to assess safety.”

– While many of the toxic ingredients used have names that don’t mean much to the general public (because they’re usually twenty syllables long), some are well-known dangers like lead, formaldehyde, and petroleum.

– When we see an ingredient listed like “fragrance,” that one word covers hundreds of different chemicals. Companies don’t have to list them because they’re considered trade secrets.

– Beautycounter is a certified B Corp. “B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. They are to business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk.” (source)

So armed with this info, what do you do? If you’re interested in products that are safe and healthy and not outrageously priced, check out Beautycounter. I’m happy to meet and show you the products over some coffee (or wine?). Here is a list of ingredients that you should avoid when shopping. Beautycounter will never use these.

You can also join my group on Facebook for updates on not just Beautycounter, but also articles and resources on healthy products and ideas for you and your family.