Ever since I was a little girl playing dress-up, I've loved to put on make-up. This might come as a surprise to those of you who know me, as I come across as more of a tomboy than a glamour girl most of the time. For those who don't know me, I spend my days with very little make-up, teaching fitness classes and high school physical education, as well as Beachbody Coaching. But when it's time to dress up and go out, I love glamming it up.
The tomboy me as a high school PE teacher.
The glammed-up me, with my beautiful daughter Saya.
My daughter Saya is the first person who talked with me about the idea of clean cosmetics. And then my cancer diagnosis made me even more aware of what I'm putting into and onto my body. According to the Environmental Working Group's "Skin Deep" cosmetics database, "The Food and Drug Administration has no authority to require companies to test cosmetics products for safety. The agency does not review or approve the vast majority of products or ingredients before they go on the market. FDA conducts pre-market reviews only of certain cosmetics color additives and active ingredients that are classified as over-the-counter drugs (FDA 2005, 2010)." Crazy!! We're putting chemicals onto our skin that at the very least cause allergies and irritation, and at the worst, cause cancer. Toxic, chemical-laden products are put in very vulnerable, susceptible places: our eyes, lips, face. And most of us don't even think twice about doing it!
With that in mind, I set out to clear the vast collection of make-up I've accumulated over the years. It took a while, as I had stuff stashed in different purses, make-up bags, and drawers.
I'd never thought of checking the ingredients in my make-up.
My next step was to rebuild my stash with a clean, cruelty-free collection. The Environmental Working Group is a great place to start for information on cosmetics and more. You can search their extensive database for everything from mascara to lip liner to bronzer to blush. (You can also find ratings on home cleaning products, toothpastes, shampoos, and sunscreen, just to name a few. Maybe I'll post about those in the future.) I personally started with a few cosmetics brands I found at my local health foods store, and searched them on the EWG site. The brand I'm trying at the moment is Minerals on a Mission, but I look forward to testing out some other companies as well.
I have several friends who are Beautycounter consultants. This brand scores consistently very well on the EWG. Another highly recommended brand is Rejuva Minerals, Inc. I look forward to trying these brands and others as I piece together the collection that's best for me. Hopefully, with consumer awareness and demand, the supply of cleaner cosmetics will explode with many different safe offerings. (FYI, I'm not affiliated with any brand, so I welcome your input on your favorite products.)
As you visit these sites and others, you'll see that going "clean" with your cosmetics isn't cheap. I believe it's a necessary step towards managing what you put into and onto your body. Taking a proactive stance on our health is one of the best things we can do for ourselves. And we can look glamorous doing it, too!