When I heard the statistic that the average American uses 12 to 20 products per a day, my first thought was that there is no way that I do that. I am pretty simple when it comes to my skin care routine.  But, as I started adding up what I use in the shower, to  wash and moisturize my face, deodorant, lotion and make-up, I easily fall into this category. Have you counted how many products you use? It’s pretty eye-opening!
When we decided that we were ready to have a little one, I became much more conscious of the products I was using. I had come across this study from the Environmental Working Group that had found over 200 chemicals in the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies. That’s not to say that all those chemicals came from skin care products, but I quickly realized that it’s important to reduce our toxin load anyway that we can.
I didn’t go out and toss all my products right away, but I began to slowly transition to a natural skincare routine. If you are just starting to transition, I encourage you to start with products that make the most impact, instead of tossing everything at once.
For instance, lotion is something we apply to a large part of our skin and leave on all day, increasing the amount of chemicals being absorbed. Shampoo and conditioner are items we wash our hair with, but then it runs all the way down our bodies. Also deodorant is another one to choose carefully, as some studies have suggested that the skin under our arms might be more permeable.
A great place to start is by checking the safety of the products that you already own in EWG’s Skindeep database. You might be surprised to see that some “natural” products are not rated very well in terms of safety.
I’ve tried out many natural skin care products along the way and even made some of my own, until I found ones that I absolutely love! I am excited to share some of my top picks with you!
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Rubies & Radishes Ultimate Guide to Natural Skin Care
Shampoo & Conditioner
Like I said above, this is an important one as these products run all over our skin. I have tried the no-poo method, which some people love. I stuck with it for over 6 months, it just wasn’t the right fit for my hair. My favorite non-toxic shampoo and conditioner are these ones from Beautycounter. These work more like conventional products, but without all the chemicals. They are rated in the green by EWG. They leave my hair feeling soft and silky. They also offer a kid’s line!
Find non-toxic shampoo and conditioner HERE.
If you prefer a products so clean that you can practically eat them, Morrocco Method makes some great hair care products. With Morrocco Method products, be sure to give your hair enough time to fully transition. This took me a couple of months.
Body Lotion
This is another one that I recommend swapping out first because we rub it over large areas of our body, increasing the chance of toxins entering our bloodstream. I am obsessed with THIS body oil. It’s made of a blend of 13 vitamin and antioxidant-rich botanical oils. It leaves my skin feeling soft and nourished, without feeling greasy.
Get my favorite body oil HERE.
If you prefer a more traditional lotion, you can find some great ones HERE.
Deodorant
This is a tough one and an important one! I won’t go too deep here because I am working on a specific post on the topic. Like I mentioned above, some experts believe that we may be more likely to absorb toxins through our underarms. I have tried many many products. I am also an exception, I sweat really easily!
Stank Stop from Fat Face has worked best for me. You can shop it HERE. I’ve also had good luck with the deodorants from Primal Life Organics.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste is another one that I like to be careful with since it actually goes inside our mouth. I love the “Dirty Mouth” Tooth powder from Primal Life Organics. It actually helps whiten your teeth naturally. But, be warned… it’s a little messy. I rotate between Dirty Mouth and Earthpaste. I use both of these for my little one too. The Lemon Twist flavor from Earthpaste is a favorite with the kiddos. Or you can even make your own. There are tons of recipes online!
Cleansers & Moisturizers
Remember the days of Neutrogena Oil-Free everything? My skin had never looked worse. As I started reading up on skin care, I learned that we shouldn’t be afraid of healthy oils. They actually nourish and hydrate our skin without clogging our pores, especially when the correct oils are used. You can read more about healthy oils for radiant skin here.
The Countertime line offers my favorite safe cleanser and moisturizer. My skin has never looked better since switching to these products. I am also a big fan of the Radiance Firming Complex. 72% of women showed a significant increase in skin firmness after 8 weeks of use. I turned 35 this year, so I can use this extra support!
You can shop the entire Countertime line HERE.
I’ve also used and really liked the coconut oil based Essential line.
As you can probably tell I am a big fan of face oils. Here are some of my favorites! This one is great for sensitive skin. This one is great for dry mature skin to help with elasticity. This one helps re-balance and soothe skin. It’s recommended for breakout and acne prone skin.
Make-up!
This one was a hard one for me to change. It was actually the last swap I made. And confession time… It wasn’t until very recently (like this summer!) that I finally tossed my MAC make-up. I had been on the hunt for natural make-up, but I was having a heck of a time finding products that actually worked. During this epic hunt is how I actually discovered the Beautycounter brand. I slowly swapped out all my make-up to Beautycounter. All the make-up from Beautycounter is rated 0-2 by the EWG and it all works brilliantly!
I particularly love the tint skin foundation, the matifying powder, the blush, eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, make-up brushes, lip gloss and all the lip sheers. So basically ALL OF IT! 🙂
You can see all the Beautycounter make-up HERE.
Are there any products I missed that you’d like to know more about? If so, leave a comment below!
Hi, yes, I love the Annmarie line. She/they have just recently come out with a mineral powder.
I always like to hear what others have discovered.
Thank you for sharing.
Awesome! I will have to check them out!
What mascara do you use? I didn’t see any mascara on the beauty counter website, unless I missed it some how. I even emailed beauty counter asking about why they don’t offer mascara, but I never received a response back. Thank you!
Beautycounter doesn’t have one yet, but should have one coming out soon. I currently use one from Rejuva Minerals.
It’s really hard to take your recommendations seriously when almost all of them are from Beauty Counter, where you are a distributor. I’d like to see a little more unbiased reporting in this blog. I might check some things out, but now I take all your recommendations with a grain of salt.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I am sorry that you feel that way. These are really the products that I use. I’ve tried many many natural brands and I’ve found Beautycounter to be most effective brand that is rated 2 and below by the EWG. I only partner with brands that I wholeheartedly believe in. I imagine that you have also found brands in the past, that you love and purchase many products from. It also makes my online shopping much easier and more cost effective, if I can purchase many products from the same company. I hope you still find some helpful information here and don’t throw out what I share because you didn’t like one post.