Today I wanted to share a bit about when and why I switched to clean beauty as well as a few of my favorite products. I realize that these days it’s all the rage, but I’ve actually been into it for quite some time. Earlier this year I asked you guys your interest in it via Instagram Stories and a lot of you voted in wanting to hear more…
About 6 years ago I started having a lot of horrible allergic reactions and skin irritations to products I was using {mainly body soaps, shampoos, face washes, etc.}. I went and saw an allergist and she tested all of of my current products. It turned out I was in fact allergic to a lot of them so I began to look at all of their ingredients to pinpoint what exactly was causing the problem.
This truly started my journey towards clean beauty. I began to look up all the chemicals that were in these products online and did a bit of research. I also read The Honest Life, by Jessica Alba and it finally opened my eyes to all the chemicals that were being used in a lot of everyday products. I not only began to switch a ton of my beauty products, but my cleaning products as well.
Then I discovered a website called the EWG Cosmetics Database where you can look up almost any product. It gives it a score from 1-10 on how safe it is, as well as all the bad chemicals in it. If your product gets a 1-2 then it’s a low hazard. If it gets a 7-10 then it’s high hazard and has a lot of bad chemicals in it.
The website breaks down the percentages into different ingredient concerns including overall hazard, cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergies, and immunotoxicity. Lastly, it goes over each ingredient concern and gives that it’s own score as well. Once I discovered this website, I went through my entire bathroom and threw most stuff out. EWG also has an app so you can easily access it from your phone and scan products too.
Another app I use a lot is Think Dirty. It has a similar concept to EWG with a rating scale of 0-10 as well as a color coding system of green (clean), yellow (half n’ half), and red (dirty. You ideally want to choose products that get a 0-3 because those are “clean” and considered safe to use. They also share reviews as well at their picks for the best products in every category. Thanks to them I’ve been introduced to a lot of new brands and products that I currently love!
Before I share specific brands I use on the daily, I wanted to share a few clean brands that I’ve grown to love:
TOM’S OF MAINE
Tom’s has been around since 1968 which is crazy and I first started testing out a few of their products while I was in college. I’ve grown to love their toothpaste (it took awhile to get used to coming from Colgate) as well as their deodorant. My daughter also LOVES their toddler training toothpaste and I’ve heard that they have a great childrens toothpaste too. Most of their products score a 0-3 on Think Dirty, which is amazing!
HONEST COMPANY
I first started trying The Honest Company right when it came out. I use their shampoo, conditioner, and conditioning detangler spray not only on myself, but on my daughter as well. I’ve recently gotten into their beauty line (which they sell at Target by the way…) and have been loving this eye shadow palette. Not beauty related, but we love their wipes and diapers too! Most of their products score a 0-3 on Think Dirty.
BEAUTYCOUNTER
Another brand I love is Beautycounter. They are a little bit on the pricey side, but make amazing products that actually work. I’m a fan of their daily shampoo and conditioner (although The Honest Company is cheaper) as well as a lot of their makeup including this mascara, this eyeshadow palette and this concealer touchup pen. They also have an amazing skin care line and most of their products score a 3-5 on Think Dirty (which I find interesting since they really pride themselves on being “clean”).
bareMINERALS
I absolutely LOVE bareMinerals makeup. They have the best eyeliner as well as eyeshadow palettes. A lot of their products score a 0-3 on Think Dirty, but you have to be careful because a few get a higher “toxic” score so make sure to check before purchasing.
BURT’S BEES
This is another clean brand I love that is not only an amazing price point, but also sold at Target. Seriously, who knew that Burt’s Bees created makeup?! I am currently LOVING their mascara, blush, and lip shimmers. Their makeup mostly gets a 0-1 score on Think Dirty, but beware because a lot of their lotions get a 5 which means they have a few “dirty/ half n half” ingredients in them.
100% PURE
100% Pure is probably the cleanest brand out of all of these. They score a 0 on so many of their products. I’ve only tried out their makeup (love their mascara), but am very interested in testing out their skin care and hair & body products too.
JUICE BEAUTY
I actually got to meet the founder of this company at a dinner party a few summers ago. She shared all about the brand and I had the chance to test out a few of their skincare products. They now have makeup too (which I’m dying to try) and mostly score a 0-3 on Think Dirty.
Besides the brands above, there are a few essential products that I like to use on a daily basis. When it comes to beauty products, I’m more of a less is more kind of girl. I don’t use a lot in general and love all things that are unscented, fragrance free, and for sensitive skin.
Today I’m breaking down my favorite 15 that are not only clean, but effective:
SHOP THE POST
1. Burts Bees Blush // 2. Honest Eyeshadow Palette // 3. EOS Lip Balm // 4. Dove Soap
5. Touchup Concealer Pen // 6. Tom’s Toothpaste // 7. Honest Shampoo and Conditioner
8. Makeup Wipes // 9. Weleda Face Lotion // 10. Mascara // 11. Physicials Formula Bronzer
12. Conditioning Spray // 13. Eyeliner // 14. Dr. Bronner’s Soap // 15. Tom’s Deoderant