The past few years, I have heard a lot of rumors about how many chemicals are in our beauty products. In my high school environmental science class we learned about all the chemicals in makeup products that are banned in Europe, and also how damaging the sulfates in shampoo are for the environment and for our hair. This year after having enough breakouts and irritation from chemical filled products, I finally decided to make a change and decided to buy only natural beauty products.
The first items I switched were my shower products. This was relatively easy. Although most common brand names have chemicals like lauryl sulfates and parabens, there has been a rise in natural lines that excluded these harmful chemicals. I started using Not Your Mother’s Naturals shampoo and conditioner. According to their website, the hair products are 98% naturally derived and are made without sulfates, parabens, dyes, silicones, or phthalates.
I also bought a medicinal charcoal based body wash from Earth Therapeutics at Ulta for just $8. I was hesitant to buy it at first because it is not completely natural, but it has a lot of naturally derived ingredients and I have been wanting to try charcoal. My skin is really sensitive and most fragrance body washes cause acne on my skin, but this product completely cleared it up! When looking for natural body washes and moisturizers, it is important to find one with ingredients that agree with your skin. Charcoal is a great, natural purifier that works for my skin.
After finding the more accessible products, I started looking for naturally derived makeup. This was a lot trickier because there are less natural brands of makeup to choose from, and it is important to find makeup that works for your skin. After doing some research, I ended up buying several products from Pacifica Beauty. Pacifica products are sold in target so they are easily accessible and the prices are reasonable. I started using their coconut water makeup wipes first because most makeup wipes leave my face oily or burning from the harsh chemicals. These naturally derived makeup wipes left my face smelling and feeling great. I then bought Pacifica mineral mascara and powder. I usually don’t wear that much makeup, so I just started with these products but I am planning on trying out more. So far they work just as well as my previous makeup and I feel better about myself knowing the products are 100% vegan and cruelty free. Also, I bought ecotools makeup brushes, which are environmentally friendly and made of recycled material, according to their website.
I thought removing the harmful chemicals from my beauty routine was going to be a long process but once I started looking into it, I found there are so many natural lines of makeup, shower products, lotions and perfumes, etc. Some other common natural brands include Bare Minerals, Love Beauty and Planet, and 100% Pure. I have only been using natural products for a short time but I have already noticed improvements in my hair and skin.