About 6 years ago, in what seemed to happen overnight, my skin went from the occasional breakout to full on nuclear. It was atrocious. I seemed to be reacting to absolutely everything I put in my body and everything I put ON my body.
I dove into eating clean with a vengeance and began the long quest of figuring out what was going on. While I was working on cleaning up my skin from the inside out, I began researching skincare products. Anything to try and clear up what seemed to be an incessant onslaught of cystic, painful and incredibly embarrassing acne.
I quickly began learning about many unclean and carcinogenic ingredients in my conventional products. The parabens, the phthalates (endocrine disruptors) and the SLS’s, all had to go. I ditched my conventional products and marched myself to my neighborhood natural food store thinking this would be an easy swap.
But, holy moly! This was anything but easy. My head began to spin, trying to figure out all these ingredients felt ENDLESS. I spent countless hours trying to comb through the Environmental Working Group website. What was safe and what wasn’t? I quickly learned that ‘natural’, ‘green’ and ‘organic’ didn’t necessarily mean what I thought they meant.
Trying to find a clean product that actually made a difference to my skin felt impossible. I learned there is very little oversight in the cosmetic industry and the only testing that is done is for short term, acute responses. There is no long-term testing to show how the chemicals impact us over time. I didn’t trust any products anymore.
So, I went completely hippie-crunchy with my skincare routine. I took the rule if I can’t eat it, it shouldn’t go on my skin to heart.
I began using the oil cleansing method. I became devoted to keeping a container of bentonite clay in the fridge for daily masks. I experimented with different toners, alternating between witch hazel and apple cider vinegar. I also became a fan of the honey mask and experimented with all sorts of things to mix into it to try and fight the acne. (Pro Tip: turmeric in a honey mask will turn your face a bit orange.)
It sorta worked.
But truth be told, whatever routine I may have had, completely disintegrated during our move this summer. I was tired of constantly trying to tweak and figure out what would work for my skin. I think all I did was carry a toner with me for the summer. I’d love to say that worked wonders for my skin, but it didn’t.
Thankfully, my skin is no longer in the nuclear status (thanks to some deeper digestive healing and a more diligent focus on continual, gentle detoxification), but it is still sensitive and does break out from time to time. I wanted to figure out a way to simplify my skincare again.
I had been hearing about this company that was committed to using clean ingredients and had something called “The Never List.” They have banned over 1500 ingredients in their products, where the US has only banned 30. (The European Union has banned close to 1400.)
This company is completely committed to getting toxins out of our skin care products. They are not only creating clean products that work, but also heading to Congress to do something about changing the way the cosmetic industry operates in our country. (Maybe updating the laws a tad?!?)
I was intrigued. I needed a new skincare routine, or something. I was still pretty skeptical, but decided to give their Charcoal Bar a try. It took a little getting used to at first (I hadn’t used any soap on my skin in years.) But, with time I realized my skin was looking better again. Getting smoother and clearer.
Next I tried the Charcoal Mask. The hype was pretty big. I was still skeptical. Was it worth the cost? Could it really be that good? Yes, it can totally be that good. I really love it. In fact, my skin is looking better than it has in years. (And now I’m going to go knock on wood for even saying that!) I won’t say names or anything, but someone else in my house might use it for spot treatments now and again too. (Shhhh!)
Thus far, the products that I have tried have performed beautifully and none of them have irritated my skin. (No small feat!) Not only that, I love the mission of this company. So much so, after very careful thought, I decided to join the movement and become a Beautycounter educator and consultant too.
What we put on our skin is just as important as what we put in our bodies each day for long-term health.
I look forward to talking more about skincare and cosmetics on the blog in the future in addition to food and wellness as I have been in the past. If you want to check out Beautycounter a little more you can watch the video below and/or head to the site here.
AFFILIATE LINK DISCLOSURE: Every now and again I include an affiliate link in my blog posts. If you choose to purchase through the link, I get a small commission which goes directly back to supporting my blog at no cost to you. I greatly appreciate your support in helping me continue blogging and I only ever recommend or link to a product I have direct experience with and love!