Why I Decided to Clean Up My Beauty Routine

No one, and I mean no one, would ever accuse me of being a make-up queen or beauty guru, but that doesn't mean I don't care about the products I'm using.

I've got a Kylie lip kit, some NARS orgasm blush, and I even caved and snagged a Huda Beauty matte lipstick.

Anyone want to throw a guess as to why I own those products, or even the vast majority of my products?

If you said because of the cult following they garner, you would be correct.

Someone, or lots of someone's, decided this product was great, and the rest of the world bought it. A huge reason these products are so popular is the use of social media; Kylie never spent a dime on marketing, not one dime! For a product that is owned by almost everyone I know that's awfully impressive. Thanks to social media I also know exactly how to apply these products, what colors are best for my skin tone, and how to make that full face of makeup last 18 hours.

The only thing I don't know is what the ingredients in them will do for my body.

I know why the ingredients I eat are so important, I mean it's going inside my body, but what I never put thought into until recently was how those same ingredients are just as important when it comes to things I put on my body.

So, I started reading up on the "Clean Beauty" movement after, you guessed it, a blogger I follow on social media posted about her journey with clean beauty. It didn't take too many clicks down my Google results page until I was literally appalled by the ingredients in my favorite products.

Parabens, Butoxyehtenal, Hydroquinone, and dozens (probably hundreds) of others like Mineral Oil that don't even sound that bad, were in every single one of my products.

Here's the thing, if I had never looked these up I would never have known what they are or what they can do to the body. Parabens destroy our endocrine system, mess with reproductive abilities, and have been STRONGLY linked to cancer.

Butoxyehtenal can lead to reproductive toxicity and has also been linked to cancer. Hydroquinone has also been linked to cancer and the increased risk of skin cancer, as well as organ toxicity.

Mineral oil sounds like it should be a good thing, I mean minerals are good for us! However, it also been linked to cancer, and is a skin irritant for most people.

As I dug deeper and deeper into ingredients, and the products that contained them, the more I realized how I was hurting myself by not being a responsible consumer. So I did something about it.

I downloaded the Think Dirty app, researched clean beauty product brands, and researched individual ingredients using the EWG site. Yes, it took time, but at least I'm no longer ignorant.

When it comes to health I don't think ignorance is bliss. If I'm going to use a product I'm going to use it fully knowing exactly what that product will do to my body.

There are a lot of people out there that have commented that I've become, "One of those people," or "What's it matter, you’re gonna die anyway?."

I even had someone tell me last week that parabens were in everything so why should I care if they are in my beauty products.

Seriously?

Are we that conditioned to chemicals and harmful toxins that we don't even have think we have a choice as to whether or not we put them in our bodies?

Honestly, I think the answer to that is yes, and that hurts me. The next generation deserves better. We deserve better. I deserve better. So, if you don't want to be an educated consumer, if you don't want to make changes, that's fine, but don't judge me for doing something differently. I'm not judging anyone for what they eat, drink, or wear, but I do want people to know they have a choice.

My goal is not to shame anyone, but it's to get out a message. A message I didn't even know about until I did my own research.

Get out there, get educated, and don't be afraid to ask questions!

Clean beauty is my jam, want to make it yours?

Love,

Lilly

P.S. - I will be providing a follow up post of my favorite clean beauty brands, products, and resources that have helped me make educated choices.