let’s talk SKINCARE!
A good skincare routine is something I have been aware of since I was a young child. My mother worked at the Lancome counter for years when my parents first divorced. She would often bring home skincare samples and makeup samples for me to play with and try. I loved them and felt so grown up getting to use them.
Above and beyond giving me samples, my mom was a good role model to me when it came to skincare. She was diligent about moisturizers, eye creams, etc. She also stayed out of the sun whenever possible. She spoke to me a lot about taking care of my skin while growing up and told me that even though I was young, it was still important.
My mom had really nice skin and the older she got, the more I noticed when comparing her to other women her age—even younger women as well. Having her for an example set a precedent for me. I decided as a young adult that skincare would be a priority for me. I knew I didn’t want a bunch of wrinkles when I hit my 40’s. I gave up sunbathing, (for the most part), used my sunscreen and used skincare products to help my skin age well.
Throughout my teen years, on up through my forties, I typically used beauty lines from brands like Clinique, Lancome, and Oil of Olay. I would switch it up every once in a while, but typically I stuck to one of those.
Within the last year and a half or so, I started to think more about the products I was using on my skin. I was becoming aware that what you put on your skin mattered. I had read that your skin is the largest organ in your body, and what you put on it can and does get into your bloodstream. I began to wonder…what am I doing to my body with my products? What am I being exposed to?
I also began to see, hear and learn about the term “Endocrine Disruptor” on more than one occasion. “What in the world is an endocrine disruptor and why should I worry about it?”, I thought.
Wikipedia defines Endocrine Disruptors in the following way: Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can interfere with endocrine (or hormonal) systems at certain doses. These disruptions can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders.[1] Any system in the body controlled by hormones can be derailed by hormone disruptors. Specifically, endocrine disruptors may be associated with the development of learning disabilities, severe attention deficit disorder, cognitive and brain development problems; deformations of the body (including limbs); breast cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid, and other cancers; sexual development problems such as feminizing of males or masculinizing effects on females, etc.[2]
After learning that the chemicals in my skincare, makeup, body, shampoo, etc. could be endocrine disruptors, toxic and harmful, I wanted to try some clean beauty products. Over the last year or so, here are the ones I have tried:
1st) Mad Hippie– To me, it was just blah. My skin didn’t seem to glow, and it didn’t feel especially soft after using the products. The smell was a little too earthy for my liking as well. Basically I was underwhelmed.
2nd) Fountain of Truth– I was really excited about this beauty line because I knew it used really clean ingredients and it was supposed to be more high end—especially when compared to Mad Hippie. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. I didn’t see any big difference in my skin, in fact, it didn’t give me the glow I used to get with my old “dirty” products. The foaming soap was probably my favorite product, but the honey mask was sticky and I didn’t enjoy using it all.
3rd) Lush– My 12-year old daughter got me into these products, some of which I really liked. But guess what…they are not as clean as one would think. When I started to check their ingredients on the Think Dirty App (excellent app to check your beauty products with) I saw there were quite a few red flags on the products I had been using. I felt deflated. I thought, “I am going to have to go back to my ‘dirty” products, because, yes I am just that vain about my skin.“.
Finally, I remembered that a gal I follow on Instagram (Ali Mafffucci-Cerda) used clean products by a company called Beautycounter. I had never heard of Beautycounter before, so at first, I paid zero attention to it when she mentioned it. But after all these failed attempts at cleaner skincare, I decided I would give them a go.
I began by ordering just a few of their Countertime skincare products and a couple of makeup items. Countertime is Beautycounter’s line of skincare for women, who like me, are trying to fight Father Time. 🏃♀️⏰
Once I received those first few products I began to fall in love pretty quickly. The products worked even better than my old “dirty” products! I was surprised and delighted at the same time. My skin felt hydrated, looked glowy and overall healthy. I also really loved the few makeup items I ordered. I got a brow gel, which I had never tried before and…hello gorgeous brows that make me look younger! I also purchased a powder bronzer which had great payoff and lasted throughout the day.
I was especially excited about the bronzer because I had been growing more concerned about the use of talc in my makeup. You see, talc, which is used in so many beauty products can sometimes contain asbestos. Asbestos is a known carcinogen. Beautycounter requires its suppliers to certify the quality of their talc. Above and beyond that, the company does third-party testing as well, to make sure they are getting the cleanest talc possible. I love this!
Eventually, I purchased the rest of the Countertime line, along with lots of other goodies. I have slowly begun to throw away my old products with parabens and other toxic chemicals. The great part is: I truly like these products even more!
I also love, that just like my mom, I can be a good example to my daughters as someone who takes care of her skin. I love that my daughter Chloe is choosing to use the Countercontrol line over her old “Kylie” skincare line. She is choosing her health over a Kardashian, which makes this mama’s heart happy! She also says she likes Countercontrol better anyways. Win! Win!
If you would like to learn more about these products, check out my website by clicking the link here.
http://www.beautycounter.com/kerrywendelburg
Beautycounter has a 10% off sale going on right now on their entire website. They also have a fantastic Band of Beauty Membership, which is completely worth it. It definitely saves you money! You can learn more about the membership on my website.
Finally, leave a comment if you would like me to send you a sample or two to try. I would be happy to drop some off or send some in the mail.
XO- Kerry
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