Beautycounter: A Beauty Brand with a Conscience

Earlier today I shared with you my perspective on the intersection between beauty and the zero waste lifestyle. I am a firm believer that no woman should need to sacrifice her health and wellbeing to enjoy makeup!

We are lucky to live in an age in which consumers are ‘waking up’ to the importance of staying away from nasty chemicals. Many of us have already seen the effects become evident…Breast cancer is all too common in many of our families. Allergies and chronic skin conditions seem to be on the rise.

It’s a little close to home, isn’t it? I want you to know that you do not have to let the neglect of an entire industry harm your body; you do not have to settle. And you do not have to sacrifice your body for beauty.

This is why I’m introducing you to Beautycounter: a beauty brand with a conscience.

What is Beautycounter?

About a year ago I was introduced to Beautycounter, an LA-based company that has created an environment of unparalleled transparency and safety in the beauty and hygiene industry. Its healthy and safety standards are the most rigorous of its kind.

The brand’s mission is to:

Get clean and safe products into the hands of everyone.
Educate consumers about making safer choices in the realm of beauty and skincare.
Influence legislation to legally ban the most harmful ingredients found in cosmetics.

That alone already has me swooning.

But beyond this, Beautycounter is one of what feels like only a handful of companies that dig deep into the lifecycle of their products. Everything Beautycounter produces is recyclable in conventional recycling facilities and is examined for its environmental impact.

Ready to hear more? Get the inside scoop from Beautycounter consultant and biology buff, Grace Young!

Introducing Beautycounter: Interview with Grace Young

I’ve been following along with Lauren’s blog for a while now and have really enjoyed the process of switching to zero waste! Some steps may seem like little changes to you, but going zero waste is a big change in my mindset! Even so, the fruits of Lauren’s labor and my ability to follow sound advice are paying off for the environment.I’m excited to continue the rest of the journey with all of you! In the meantime, I want to share my passion project with you: better beauty.

The zero waste position on beauty products is that no packaging (or recyclable/compostable packaging) is always the best choice. That said, let me introduce a zero waste-approved alternative to making your own makeup and beauty products.

How to Tell if Your Products are Safe

I was recently introduced to website called EWP Skin Deep – a large database of chemicals used in beauty products and how they rank on the scale of safety. EWG stands for the Environmental Working Group and is a non-profit organization that places transparency into the hands of everyone. Products are rated based on a variety of environmental factors: Cancer, Neurotoxicity, Endocrine Disruption, Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity, Allergies & Immunotoxicity and Usage Restrictions.

When looking up my own makeup, facial cleanser, hairspray, etc. I was appalled at the toxins I was slathering all over myself every single day. I was eating clean, using non-toxic household cleaners, but never even considered that everything on my bathroom shelf was dangerous.

In furthering my research, I discovered that the European Union bans a whopping 1,300 chemicals from beauty products and good ole’ Canada bans 600.

The United States just passed the first law in over 78 years banning 19 more chemicals in beauty products, creating a saddening total of only 30 chemicals…

The entire industry is self-regulated and the big companies do not care about what’s in their products but about profits, leaving the environment and us in the wake of un-regulated and harmful chemicals.

There is so much more I could share with you, I swear no one should give me a soapbox because I could talk on and on about the things I’m passionate about!

So, I’ll leave you with this: if you’re going to buy beauty products, do your research! Look up the ingredients on everything (including products labeled ‘all-natural’ or ‘safe’).

Remember: there is no one regulating what is put in them.

Why Beautycounter?

I have absolutely fallen in love with Beautycounter, a company that has banned over 1,500 chemicals from their products and has an active list of every ingredient they use and why.

There are a number of natural beauty companies out there, but Beautycounter stuck out to me for a number of reasons.

First, Beautycounter also has a wide selection of verified EWG-rated products (similar to how companies get certified organic or non-GMO verified); it’s a lengthy process that involves years of vetting and meticulous data gathering.

Second, Beautycounter is a B Corporation. B Corps are for-profit companies certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Meaning, in everything Beautycounter does they consider the environment.

Third, the vast majority of their product packaging, including all secondary packaging and shipping materials is recyclable in most communities in North America. They don’t use styrene-based (#6), PVC (#3), or polycarbonate plastics (#7), which are usually not recyclable and are known to include toxic chemicals!

If you’re unsure, check out the list of packaging information on their product web pages so you can better understand if the materials are recyclable in your community.”

How to Tell if Packaging is Recyclable

I use Earth911.com to find recycling locations near me that take all of the Beautycounter packaging and empty tubes, unless I’m saving them for a different purpose.

My favorite example is the face oil glass bottles and droppers; those are saved and reused to store and dispense essential oil blends and topical solutions.

Beautycounter is always researching the life cycle of their packaging materials and are constantly looking for new and improved packaging options that fit the needs of end-users and the environment.

I love this company and their mission. It’s my passion project and the perfect mix of political advocacy, safe skincare and makeup, and educating others.

If you have any questions at all, let me know! I’m an open book when it comes to what’s on my bathroom counter and why.