Green Beauty - Basics: Why Switch?

If you’ve followed the blog for a while you’ll know that I am a huge fan of green products. I’m constantly on the hunt for new companies and products to use. I thought I’d give you all a little overview on why I decided to switch to green products and some of the ingredients I try to avoid.To begin with, I have SUPER sensitive skin. I’ve always struggled with finding products that don’t irritate and that I can use consistently. I’ve struggled with this in all areas from makeup to hair/skincare and cleaners to laundry detergent. This week I’m going to be discussing green beauty with you. I have found several companies and products that I absolutely love and I can’t wait to share them with you!I have tried pretty much every different sort of makeup, and with my sensitive skin it always ends up irritating me. I just ended up assuming that I wasn’t ever going to be able to wear makeup, and that I would have to rotate my skincare for the rest of my life. I started reading ingredients to try and identify what I was allergic to. Have you ever read the ingredients on your skincare or makeup? Well if you want to open Pandora’s box go ahead and stop right here and do so…See! Do you know what half those ingredients are? I certainly didn’t! I decided it was high time to switch from ingredients I can’t pronounce to things healthy for my skin. Here is a short list of things I try to avoid:Silicone – this is a common ingredient in haircare or makeup products. Silicone sits on the top layer of the skin impeding its ability to let the skin breathe. It keeps the moisture contained within the skin and will often cause breakouts or acne flare ups if used with sensitive skin. I’ve found my skin to be much clearer when I don’t use products that contain this ingredient. If you’re checking labels you need to keep an eye out for –cone –conol –siloxane, Dimethicone is the most common ingredient you will see.Parabens – studies have linked parabens to increased occurrences of breast cancer. It disrupts the reproductive and endocrine systems. They are used as preservatives in makeup and skincare items.SLS – Sodium Laurel Sulfate, it is a product commonly found in skincare, toothpaste, bodywash, and haircare. It is a detergent and surfactant that give the product lather. Some studies have indicated that SLS is a possible carcinogen and can disrupt hormone levels.Phthalates – this helps other ingredients dissolve into a consistent solution. However, studies have shown that it disrupts the reproductive and endocrine systems. It will often show up in a product under “fragrance” since that is so vague.Carmine – this is actually an ingredient used by many “natural” makeup companies to get a vibrant, true red color. It is made from crushed up beetle shells. It can cause allergic reactions in people with sensitive skin.These are just a few of the MANY ingredients I try to avoid. I have made it a habit to read the ingredients list on any new product I’m interested in and research anything I don’t recognize. I would suggest you get in the habit of doing this too. It will help you decided what it right for your family and what you want to keep them from using. In addition to avoiding these chemicals listed above, I also try to make certain my beauty products are gluten free, cruelty free and vegan. This just helps me narrow down products when I am searching since I know they have a higher probability of not containing anything I avoid.Tomorrow we’ll be discussing getting started on switching over to green beauty products, ie which are the most important and what you should switch first. Our bodies are exposed to so many harmful chemicals every day, the more of these chemicals we can take out of our regimen the healthier and happier our skin will be. You will also find that when you begin taking the irritants out of what you apply to your skin, the happier your skin will be.Is this something you’re passionate about? Let me know below!