It is impossible to pop into Sephora, CVS, or even Lush, for one’s body-care essentials without picking up a product that’s an unnatural shade of neon with an excessively long list of unrecognizable ingredients. But no matter, if those scary long, unpronounceable ingredients make it into our favorite beauty products and on store shelves, then they must be safe. Right? Anyways, it’s not like we can all pull a Gwyneth Paltrow and buy that certified organic, non-GMO, vegan, sulfate free, Paraben free, cruelty free, and all natural $80 lotion in a glass dispenser. Nevertheless, my health conscious upbringing finally got the better of me one day over winter break. As I examined my reflection in the bathroom mirror of my childhood home, the newest breakout on my chin convinced me it was time for a beauty detox. But I was determined that it would not involve exorbitantly expensive products that would break the bank.
The first thing I did after this revelation was to raid my bathroom drawer and throw away everything that had a list of ingredients more dense than the dictionary. Out went the skincare products I had been hoarding: all my lotions, liquid lipsticks, mascaras, face powders, sunscreens, and BB creams went into the trash. The brimming bathroom trashcan was truly a tragic sight. I was left with only a handful of products. As I stared at the empty bathroom drawer before me, I wondered if I had perhaps I been a bit rash to throw everything away so quickly. How would I replace the products I had just discarded?
Thanks to the Internet, I was able to answer my question in no time. After some quick research, I decided to try jojoba oil and argan oil as facial moisturizers. Apparently both oils are high in Vitamin E and all sorts of other good for your skin properties. Shopping on Amazon, I found multiple options for both kinds of oil within the $10-15 price range. This seemed reasonable; especially considering only a few drops would be needed per application. My first use of said oils as facial moisturizer had me worried when, after patting a mixture of the two onto my face, my skin looked greasy. However, ten minutes later when I checked my face again, the oil had absorbed completely, leaving my skin looking moisturized and healthy. I was surprised again the next morning when I did not wake up to an oily complexion. Even by the end of second day of my jojoba, argan experiment, I was pleased to find that my skin hadn’t built up its usual excessive shine. So far, good. Finding a nice body lotion was equally easy. I settled on coconut oil. It was little greasier than my usual body lotions, but the coconut oil performed just as well in the moisturizing department. The bonus of using these oils in beauty routine is that they double as makeup removers. Two in one? Count me in.
It may have been easy to replace my moisturizers and makeup remover with reasonably affordable, natural options, but it was much harder to replace other aspects of my beauty routine. It looked like I was going to have to invest in some big-girl (read more expensive and non-drugstore) products. I decided to invest in the just the basics: concealer, mascara, a versatile lip color, and a shimmery shadow/highlighter. There were many options from various “clean” brands such as RMS Beauty, W3LL People, Ilia Beauty, and Alima Pure, from $15 up. While I was prepared to spend a little more on makeup, I was horrified by the price tags on many of the sunscreens I looked at. But once again, I decided to splurge becuase I would rather not tempt the sun cancer gods. The lesson learned here is that it’s harder to find affordable clean makeup and sun care products. But in exchange for personal peace of mind, I would say the expense is worth it. It feels nice to use products that come from small businesses committed to health and transparency, although I recognize that their presence in my makeup bag is definitely a luxury.
The one item I did not have to throw out or replace was my face wash. For the past year I have been using a bar soap by Osima Organics. I have to admit, I was quite averse to the thought of using a bar soap on my face at first (taut skin stripped of moisture, no thank you), but but it actually turned out to be amazing! The soap is gentle, milds and it leaves my face feeling clean but not dry. Plus, it’s an economical choice, one bar lasts a whole year!
Of all the changes I made, I think switching out my moisturizer for jojoba and argan oil has been one of the best decisions I made. After one month using both oils, I have noticed a significant change in my facial skin texture and health. My skin looks healthier than it has in a long time and it’s not nearly as oily as it used to be. And best of all, those pesky monthly breakouts may have finally met their match. Overall, I would say my beauty detox has been a success and an excellent lesson in minimalism. I have one of everthing I need and nothing more.
I’ll bring up our dear friend Gwyneth one more time to say, I won’t follow in her footsteps and insist a beauty detox is for everybody. But I will absolutely recommend!