Stand up and grab your go-to beauty product. Turn it over and try to read the first few ingredients on the back. Are you reading ingredients such as propylparaben, isobutylparaben, fragrance and other crazy words that look like they’re in another language? If so, it may be time to invest in some higher quality beauty products. Propylparaben and isobutylparaben, as well as other parabens, are sneaky little chemicals found in beauty products that can mess with your hormones, specifically your estrogen levels. Fragrance is another ingredient you have to keep your eyes peeled for because companies don’t even have to list what their “fragrances” are. They can throw in whatever the heck they want and not have to tell us because it’s legal for them to be shady.
Think about how many of these harmful chemicals you’re putting on or in your body every single day. These little nasties are lurking in your shampoo, deodorant, concealer and your perfume. They’re sneaking into your pores and bloodstream and potentially causing mayhem in your body. A good source I’ve found for checking up on my current products is searching it on a cosmetics database. This website doesn’t have every single product, but it has many of the popular ones. It gives the products a rating and breaks down all of the ingredients in them with the potential side effects. If you’re looking for some healthier options to swap out your current beauty products, here are some of my faves!
I have noticed a drastic difference in my skin since I started using this foundation about five months ago. My pores are a lot smaller and have been breaking out less and less (but like Hannah Montana said so wisely, “Nobody’s perfect”). The loved ones in my life have noticed my skin’s improvement, too, and I have this foundation to thank. It doesn’t feel heavy on my skin like many other foundations. It also has many organic ingredients so it’s truly cutting back the chemicals you put on your beautiful face!
This is another great option for foundation if you’re looking for light coverage. This product is on the more affordable end of the spectrum and lasts for a long time. Many of the ingredients in this foundation are organic, as well. The only downside to this product is there’s not a lot of options for different skin tones, but hopefully they’ll be selling other shades in the near future!
Another amazing item from Real Purity. I am the pickiest person when it comes to my mascara because my natural lashes are little puny stubs. I didn’t have high expectations for this mascara because I didn’t think that natural products would help my struggling lashes, but I was actually really surprised by this mascara! It goes in there and gets the job done without having harmful chemicals next to one of your most important body parts.
Props for being all natural, Vegan AND having a super cute name! I’ve personally tried the “Breeze” and “Coral” colors, but I want all of them in my makeup bag. They’re moisturizing because their base is Shea Butter. It’s like a tinted chapstick, but lasts for hours and hours!
Just The Goods Vegan Face Wash
I found this product by using EWG’s Skin Deep Database because they list it as one of the cleanest and safest face washes on the market. I’ve been so used to smacking on all the cheap products from drugstores because I was always pulled into their cute marketing. For some people these products work, but I was fortunate enough to be *blessed* with skin that never stops struggling. This gentle cleanser is so kind to my face, it’s like it’s giving it a little hug and kiss every time I use it. And it’s pretty dang affordable for the quality of ingredients.
I definitely know how hard it is to be a broke college student, while also wanting quality beauty products. I’ve started switching up my products slowly but surely, because it’s not in my budget to do a completely new beauty product line. I recommend just trying out some of these safe products to see if it really makes a difference in your skin! Have fun shopping, Gophers!