Green Living 101

As consumers we are getting so much savvier, aren’t we? Many of us are practiced at reading food labels, but now we have to read our personal care and cleaning product labels too. We are very familiar with healthy, real food ingredients (eggs, corn, butter, oil) but product labels? Is an ingredient a plant or a chemical? Are all chemicals bad? And why should you care? 

So, let’s talk about green living. 

What is Green Living?

Green living is about  lifestyle swaps and habits you can start right away to improve your health, the health of your family, and also the planet. We prioritize reducing and avoiding many of the harmful environmental chemicals people are being exposed to daily, while also making choices that are better for the environment. 

How are environmental chemicals really impacting my health? 

Environmental chemicals enter our body through the food we ingest, the water we drink and bathe in, and the air we breathe. They evade our body’s natural internal “checks and balances” and may persist in the body for decades or even a lifetime. The most common and concerning of these are the endocrine disruptors (BPA, PFOAS, and phthalates) that lead to compromises with the reproductive, neurological, and immune systems.

Because your skin is your largest organ and skincare is rampant with these chemicals, I have dedicated most of my work to educating on clean beauty and safer skincare. While clean beauty is one important area of green living, other significant areas to consider are clean eating, plant-powered meals, the surfaces you cook on and store your food in, filtration of water and air, and your household cleaners. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite brands, linked to below. You’ll find some discount codes, etc, here.

Why is skincare so toxic?

Many of the ingredients that you slather on your skin - your largest organ - are absorbed directly into your bloodstream. And the most common of those are proving to interfere with your endocrine system, while others are allergens and carcinogens. (These are no bueno. Endocrine disruptors wreak havoc on your metabolism, fertility, waistline, diabetes, thyroid health, balance of immune system and propensity towards autoimmune diseases). 

You may be wondering how in the world these ingredients make it into the marketplace? Frankly, the skincare industry is like the wild west. 1938 was the last time a major federal regulation was passed. That’s over 80 years ago!! Since then over 80,000 chemicals have entered everyday products and most of these ingredients (an eyebrow raising 80%) have never been tested for safety. Many of these harmful, yet unbanned ingredients are in the everyday products we buy from drugstores or department stores and even from our dermatologists. 

Did you know that the European Union has banned close to 1400 ingredients? Canada has banned 600. But the U.S. is lagging behind with a whopping 30 banned ingredients. 

If the available research proves these ingredients unsafe for people in the E.U., I’m pretty confident they are not doing anything helpful for your skin, your immune system,  thyroid health, or long term cancer outcomes. Maybe you’ve heard the saying, genes load the gun, but the environment pulls the trigger. These are some of the environmental toxins pulling that metaphorical trigger.

Don’t be duped by greenwashing

Don’t be duped, like I was a few years ago, into thinking that your all natural organic products are safe. This is the cosmetic industry’s dirty little secret. More than 95% of Green products are guilty of greenwashing. 

Because it’s been over 80 years since a major law has passed, there are gaping loopholes. For example, cosmetics can be labeled “natural,” “sustainable ,” and nearly any other word that comes to mind without containing ingredients that accurately meet those descriptions. “Safe” is not a standardized term, either. The FDA’s Office of Cosmetics (the agency that is in charge of regulating all cosmetics) does not define safety. That's how carcinogens and other harmful ingredients can be in our products -- because they haven't been banned. Read more on Greenwashing

Why I choose Beautycounter for my skincare needs

You can avoid harmful ingredients in your skincare products by devoting yourself to being a label detective or simply finding a brand you can trust. If I rewind a few years to when I was using “organic, all natural” products that I purchased from various health food stores, I thought I had found brands I could trust. So, imagine my surprise when I learned those weren’t nearly as safe as I had hoped! Since they were mediocre in performance, I assumed surely they were top in safety and health. Not so much. 

If that’s frustrating to you, I get it! Learning about the lack of regulation in the beauty industry was infuriating. I felt duped as a mother - not to mention health coach - who considered herself to be an educated consumer and an avid label reader.

Shopping with Beautycounter is how I guarantee I’m using the safest products. They’ve banned over 1800 ingredients and even source their glass and mica from companies truly committed to green. It’s a bonus that I love how they keep my skin glowing! I now use almost entirely Beautycounter for personal care, such as shampoo, face cleanser, anti-aging serums, moisturizers, and sunscreen. When I wear makeup, I only wear Beautycounter. But, I’m not the only fan. Head here to see who else loves Beautycounter and how Beautycounter is being a steward for the earth.