I didn't make resolutions this year but I did make some goals. My first goal was to stick to my word of the year, but more coming on that soon. My second goal was to go completely (or as close as I can) green in our home. With every single visit at the oncologist office I learn more and more and you can't ever un-hear what they tell you. As we have walked this path I have made steps to change the products we use in the home and on our bodies and so far its been an easy transition. Last year I traded out my makeup and skincare and the products in our shower. This year it will be all about our home and rest of the products we use. Some of it will require me to trade out products that are unsafe and some of it will require me to trade out products that are not earth friendly. I will tackle it week by week and I would love for you to join me. Any changes you make will make a big dent, and it does take time to make changes that stick. I am really excited about this journey!
I will admit I was very uneducated when it came to the ingredients in the products I use. I assumed they were safe. I don't know why I did, I just did. We all grow up with certain products in the house and you know them and use them in your own home and I just didn't think anything about most of them or the fact that they could be anything but safe.
I was so incredibly naive.
For me the wake up call came at the oncologist on about week 3. She was going over things he should not be doing during chemotherapy. I got out my phone and opened my notes and starting typing. I was ready. She listed off a bunch of things and after she was done I asked her why these were bad for him during chemo. Was it a bad combination? Was it harmful? I was curious. She told me that it was things he should never do and most definitely not during a time when his immune system would be working so hard and would be compromised.
I could not shake the feeling that I was walking into the complete unknown, and honestly I was.
I started googling. I started researching. I kept reading things and more things and my eyes ended up more like this 😳 with every single article. I learned so many things very quickly. I think the biggest for me was that every single thing we put on our skin gets absorbed by it and so many things contain ingredients that are bad in one way or another. There is no shock to me that cancer is on an up rise. There is no shock to me that eczema is more common. There is no shock to me that more people are struggling with issues that we didn't in these numbers before. Food, household items and self care items contain things we are not supposed to be subjected to, but we are. I am committed to change this for my family so for nothing more my husband will be safe and my children and I will be less exposed to harmful products and ingredients. This is my why statement and I am sure I will refer to it many times in the next weeks and months.
In late June I made the commitment to go clean in our bathroom. I made the decision that every single thing he and I would put on our bodies would be completely clean. After doing some research and having an Instagram follower reach out to me at the exact same time, I landed on Beautycounter. Oh my did I learn so much about the self care industry. There are 1500 harmful additives on the books ... 1100 of them are banned in Europe and only 11 of them are banned in the United States. I am honestly shocked that we are so far behind in this area. Since the skin is the largest organ on our bodies and every single thing we put on our skin gets absorbed this is the area I started with.
After trying the products for over a week I signed up to be a consultant. It was an easy decision because I knew I would be buying enough products each month to make it work for me. Plus I knew I would be sharing with each of you. I am passionate about this issue since I know first hand what it is like to hear devastating news you so wish you could go back and fix. Not only are the products safe but they really, really work which was the tipping point for me. I made a large order in early July and for the most part I am still using that same bundle of products. I have added to the mix but I have only replaced two things, the bar soap and our charcoal mask since two of us use the same tube. I call that a major win, win. I use safe products that work and that last a long time.
Can I get an amen??
Because I had invested in a number of products I did not pitch every single thing the first week. When it came to my husband's products I did the opposite. I grabbed the trash can and every single thing that came up in my Think Dirty app that wasn't clean was gone. He came home and found himself with all new products and an all new routine. Lucky for me he went with it. I think my pleas for his well being tipped the scale in my direction. Six months later I can tell you that all of my old products are gone and they have been replaced little by little with all new clean ones. My skin looks better, feels better, and I feel so much more peace about what I am using. I can't tell you what that feels like. It is like a huge deep breath that you let out slowly.
To get started on clean self care + beauty products you must first take this quiz. It will tell you what products are for you. After that I would start with skin care first and then add in makeup since taking the plunge for both is a big step. If you try the products and find you love them and want to sell them to get the discount for yourself and share the word with others let me know. I can help you make that decision and I would love to have you work with me.
In our bathroom we have following ... clean hand soap (details coming soon), clean beauty products, clean shampoo, conditioner and body wash, clean toothpaste, clean mouthwash and most importantly natural deodorant and clean sunscreen. They all are amazing products that work efficiently. I truly like every single product I have replaced.
This is the perfect time to make the switch. Right now Beautycounter is offering a free gift with the purchase of a skin care regimen. You can choose from either the Overnight Peel, the Balancing Charcoal Mask or the Cleansing Balm, all in travel sizes. This is huge and I would most definitely check it out. Take the quiz and decide which regimen is right for you. I use the Countermatch Regimen and absolutely love it.
Take the plunge and start the year with clean skin care + clean beauty products and share them with your teenage girls and the men in your life. You will make an amazing decision that you will never regret. Trust me on this one, it is simply the best.
One of the things I hear a lot is the classic "every single thing in one way or another causes cancer" and in many ways that seems very true. I can't change what has been done, but I can make educated decisions going forward and that is absolutely the commitment I have made for myself and for our family!!
Have the very best Thursday!
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