Safer Beauty

I have a confession …

I spent almost 2 full years following an all natural, oil-cleansing, no-poo beauty routine and it worked …for a while. While I may have rid my skin and scalp of harmful toxic chemicals (I’ll go more into what those are in future posts), I also started to experience extreme dryness. I tried every natural moisturizing trick in the book: drink more water (y’all I drink A LOT of water), leave your skin alone and let nature take over, don’t leave your skin alone and use more moisturizing oils (like olive oil), make sure your diet is as healthy as can be (done!), and manage stress. The dryness drove me crazy. Crazy! My face was red, splotchy, flaky (gross), developing more fine lines and wrinkles than ever before, and always felt dry. Makeup (and I tried MANY natural brands) may have hidden the red skin, but it amplified the dryness.

At my near 2-year oil-cleansing anniversary, I was at my wit’s end. I was ready to throw in the natural beauty towel and jump back into more conventional products. I wanted products that would HELP my skin and I was (honestly) so frustrated, I was on the verge of using mainstream products despite the harmful ingredient list. THEN, a friend saved me from myself. She (Arsy Vartanian and then Liz Wolfe) told me about Beautycounter. They told me to give the products a try, that the company has managed to find a middle ground between 100% natural and conventional toxic goop, and that (what I really wanted to know) they WORKED.

*If you want to skip my blabbing and just start shopping the Beautycounter product lines, click HERE!

Beautycounter

I was hesitant. I’m a hard sell and I was tired (oh so tired) of trying products that didn’t work for me and my skin. BUT, I trust my friends, so I went for it. I spent about 2 months testing (and then ultimately falling in love with) Beautycounter.

It’s important to note: the oil-cleansing and no-poo methods DO WORK for some people! Unfortunately, I’m just not one of them. I’m NOT here to say that you should change a routine that works for you. I’m here to say that IF you’re looking for another option, I’ve got some personal insight to an avenue that finally worked for me. 

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Now that I’ve got a few more months under my belt, I’m here to say that my skin IS HEALED (it healed within a couple weeks, actually) and I did it without jumping back into the world of conventional cosmetic toxic goop. I did it by using products designed by a company (Beautycounter) who cares. While their products aren’t 100% natural, they do forbid the most awful of the commonly used toxic ingredients. Check out their Never List (which includes some of the 1500+ ingredients that you’ll NEVER find in their products), including: Parabens, Phthalates, and Formaldehyde.

Another important thing to note: I do still use beauty products OTHER than Beautycounter! Primally Pure is one of my favorites, for example. While this particular page is dedicated to a running list of the products that I’ve tried (and loved) by Beautycounter, future “Fed & Fit Beauty” articles will span the homemade, 100% natural, and even store-bought OTC options that I use. I’ll also include run-downs on “WHY” I chose to make the beauty product swaps (the toxic chemicals I avoid and WHY).

Beautycounter offers products from makeup, skincare, anti-aging, bath, hair, body, and baby that WORK like conventional products, but are SAFER than their mainstream cosmetic counterparts. These products are just what I needed. My skin looks better than ever and, because they’re free from the most abhorrent toxic chemicals, I feel GOOD about using them. So good, in fact, that I decided to join the company as a consultant! What does this mean? It means 2 things:

  1. I believe so much in these products, that I’ve dedicated myself to sharing them with you!
  2. If you purchase any Beautycounter products through one of the links on this page, I officially become your not-going-to-bug-you, go-to gal for all your questions, concerns, and new product alerts.

A note to bloggers or those of you who want to become involved with Beautycounter: I’m here to help! If you have any questions or would like to get more involved in this growing company, I’m your girl. Just shoot an email to cassyjoy@fedandfit.com so we can put our heads together!

Now, let’s get into some product reviews! To keep my recommendations authentic, I will ONLY recommend products on this page that I wholeheartedly loved. For more information about my beauty routine (AM, PM, hair, makeup, body, etc.), keep your eyes peeled on my homepage. I’ve got those articles coming in the near future!

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To help make your search easier, I’ve organized my favorites into several categories – so note that you’ll see repeat items! I’ll continue to update this list as I continue to try new products. I hope you find it helpful and PLEASE feel free to email with your questions! My email: cassyjoy@fedandfit.com

If you’d like to just peruse the Beautycounter website, you can click HERE for their homepage.

Current Cleanser Favorites:

  • Routine Cream Cleanser – I love to use this cream cleanser on my face in the morning. It goes on smooth, leaves my skin feeling supple, and washes off easily.
  • Soothing Face Wash – this is the face wash from the Countertime (anti-aging) line and I adore it. I like to use it in the evening to help wash off makeup! It does lather slightly and helps leave my face feeling clean, clean, clean.
  • Activated Charcoal Cleansing Bar – I use this bar as my primary body wash in the shower. After using the bar for two weeks, acne on my chest and back vanished. I also use the bar to wash my face in the shower and to also prep my face before the Charcoal Face Mask.

Current Moisturizer Favorites:

  • Dew Skin Tint – it’s part (luscious) dewy moisturizer and part SPF 20 sun protector! I put this on each day for my daily sun protection and (very light/sheer) colored coverage. I use color #1, but because it’s so sheer, the colors blend well with many tones!
  • Nourishing Day Cream – this is a really light moisturizer that I like to use every morning after I wash my face with the Routine Cream Cleanser.
  • Restorative Night Cream – not too heavy, not too light. I love this cream! I lather it on my face and neck after I cleanse my face in the evening with either the Routine Cream Cleanser.
  • Vibrant Eye Proctor (eye cream) – I love this eye cream. In fact, when I was on the hunt for help with my new fine lines, eye cream was first on my list! This one is wonderfully thick, soothes my puffy eyes, and goes a LONG way. I’m barely halfway through my first jar after 4+ months of use.
  • Lustro Face Oil #1 – I ADORE this face oil. It’s silky smooth. I use three drops on my face after washing and before moisturizing each morning and night. This #1 face oil helps soothe sensitive skin and #2 helps fight signs of aging, I’ll be getting that one next!

Current Anti-Aging Favorites:

  • Restorative Night Cream – not too heavy, not too light. I love this cream! I lather it on my face and neck after I cleanse my face in the evening with the Soothing Face Wash.
  • Lustro Face Oil #1 – I ADORE this face oil. It’s silky smooth. I use three drops on my face after washing and before moisturizing each morning and night. This #1 face oil helps soothe sensitive skin and #2 helps fight signs of aging, I’ll be getting that one next!
  • Vibrant Eye Proctor (eye cream) – I love this eye cream. In fact, when I was on the hunt for help with my new fine lines, eye cream was first on my list! This one is wonderfully thick, soothes my puffy eyes, and goes a LONG way. I’m barely halfway through my first jar after 4+ months of use.
  • Soothing Face Wash – this is the face wash from the Countertime (anti-aging) line and I adore it. I like to use it in the evening to help wash off makeup! It does lather slightly and helps leave my face feeling clean, clean, clean.

Current Hair Care Favorites:

  • Clean Everyday Shampoo – oh my gosh, it smells SO good and goes a seriously LONG way. I use about the amount of a nickle for my long hair. It leaves my hair feeling clean, undamaged, and with a good amount of volume.
  • Daily Conditioner – because I can’t shake the 17 year/old girl in me, I use slightly more conditioner than shampoo, but it still not more than the size of a quarter! It leaves my hair feeling soft, strong, and smelling great.

Current Makeup Favorites:

  • Lengthening Mascara – to say I was skeptical about this mascara would be an understatement (remember, I’m a HARD sell). Mascara is the one piece of makeup I’ll wear on non-makeup days and I don’t like to mess around with those lashes! One of my previously mentioned friends (Arsy) sent me a tube of the mascara, I tried it, and I fell deeply in love. It’s the most natural looking mascara I’ve ever used. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t look glam – it does. It just does it without looking clumpy, flaky, or gooey. It stays on my lashes (not my cheeks) during a workout and lasts all day. That being said, it can be a pain to take off at the end of the day. I’ve found that my normal face washes (listed above) don’t cut it and I have to use lotion or coconut oil to get it off. Still worth it! I wouldn’t recommend this mascara (or anything on this list) if I didn’t really, really love it.
  • Tint Skin Foundation – this foundation is THE BOMB. While I prefer to use the Dew Skin Tint on normal days, I do occasionally enjoy a full face of makeup (for TV, photo shoots, date night, etc.). I will apply this foundation using the Retractable Complexion Coverage Brush and it seriously lasts all day. The brush helps it go on smoothly and it does a wonderful job of both blending with my natural hue and covering any uneven spots. I love it!
  • Touchup Skin Concealer Pen – I ADORE this pen! I dab it on under my eyes to help cover any dark colors, to help cover blemishes, and also to achieve a light contour.
  • Dew Skin Tint – it’s part (luscious) dewy moisturizer and part SPF 20 sun protector! I put this on each day for my daily sun protection and (very light/sheer) colored coverage. I use color #1, but because it’s so sheer, the colors blend well with many tones!

Current Sun Protection Favorites:

  • Dew Skin Tint – it’s part (luscious) dewy moisturizer and part SPF 20 sun protector! I put this on each day for my daily sun protection and (very light/sheer) colored coverage. I use color #1, but because it’s so sheer, the colors blend well with many tones!
  • Protect All Over Sunscreen SPF 30 – this is Beautycounter’s primary sunscreen and it’s FAB. I just took it to the beach and it kept my skin safe! It feels like a non-greasy, smooths in easy sunscreen and I adore it. Update: this sunscreen blends in like normal sunscreen! It doesn’t leave a white residue and actually feels really smooth once applied.
  • Protect Stick Sunscreen SPF 30 – this tiny tube is major! I keep it in my purse and in my golf bag for sun exposure emergencies (like when I forgot to put on sunscreen and am going to be in the sun for a 4 hour round of golf). It protects really well, goes on easy, and doesn’t feel thick.

Things I tried, but didn’t love:

  • Shaving Cream – it’s smooth, soothing, and lovely …BUT, I can get the same level of pre-shave moisture from the soap I use in the shower (which is much cheaper). This cream doesn’t foam or lather, but rather acts like a shower lotion. I will continue to use it until this current tube runs out, but I don’t think I’ll be purchasing it again.
  • Nourishing Cream Exfoliator – although it did a lovely job of cleaning my face and polishing lightly, I prefer a GOOD SCRUB when it comes to my exfoliators. I think I’ll stick to my homemade sugar and coffee scrubs until I can find a store bought one that fits the bill.
  • Rosewater Uplifting Spray – again, it’s lovely! BUT, as far as toners go, I prefer homemade or the one by Primally Pure that will be released later this month. I’ll keep you posted on the PP one, but it’s less expensive and smells just as great!

Check out all that Beautycounter has to offer RIGHT HERE and if you’ve tried something that I don’t have listed here, please send me a note! I’d love your recommendations want to continue our healthy, happy, healing conversations in this world of safer cosmetics.

Your friend,

Cassy Joy

Remember that I’m here to help! If you’re interested in learning more about the products, have specific questions, or are curious about how to join the company, please feel free to send me a direct note via email! (cassyjoy@fedandfit.com)