I’ve been learning more and more about clean beauty as I’ve been a part of the Beautycounter family. But also just being intrigued by the changes in the beauty industry as a whole. It’s exciting to see lots of change starting to happen. And although we have a ways to go (as in, you still can’t trust what’s on a label and its ingredient list!) I’m feeling good about the shift that’s happening in the cosmetic and personal care products space. We’re still waiting for the Food and Drug Administration to make official legal changes. But I digress. or maybe not…
I’m also the first to tell you that I don’t know exactly how I feel about all of this clean beauty stuff too. I will NEVER tell you to toss everything and start fresh. Honestly, I think it’s just good to be aware and maybe make changes where you see fit. I say this because, some folks are just all about clean beauty, but then are getting botox. Or they’re swapping everything out, but still using toxic household chemicals or even just painting their nails with nail polish. I believe in making small changes that feel right for you.
What’s right for me?
I try to shift my home products to non-toxic as I feel like that’s something I’m breathing and my dog is around too. I’ve also started to shift some of my beauty and skincare to non-toxic or “clean” if you will. But also, I still use aluminum in my deodorant, and I still drink alcohol which isn’t good for you. And I do not use a non-toxic nail polish which I paint my nails weekly. Find a balance that works even if it just makes you feel better. And even if you aren’t here for clean beauty products, the foundations I’m sharing today are ones I truly love or friends have told me they love and demand I include in the list. So why not try a new brand? Anyway, everything in moderation, right?
If you are looking to avoid chemicals in foundations, I’m going to share them with you today. Take what you want from it. Whether you’re here for clean beauty or just to pick up a new foundation, that’s what today’s post is about. I will also tell you that the Beautycounter Tint Skin Foundation has been my go-to foundation this summer. Not just because it’s clean or chemical-free. But because it looks and feels great and does a wonderful job of making my skin look amazing. Chemicals or not, I highly recommend it.
Chemicals In Foundation
Now let’s chat about the various chemicals that are commonly found in foundations. They’re ones you should be aware of and can cause some issues. Whether that be sensitivity, or more seriously, endocrine disruption or hormone disruption.
Fragrance
Why on earth is fragrance even in our foundation? Well, the most common thing you hear from people when they rave about something is “oh it smells so good”. Which means, brands are doing what they can to put potentially irritating fragrance in your foundation and other personal care products. All fragrance isn’t bad. But the bad part is that fragrance isn’t regulated. When it’s listed out as an ingredient, brands are not required to list out the actual chemicals that make up such fragrance. It’s best to avoid fragrance all together in your makeup to avoid the risks of allergies, asthma and irritation.
Formaldehyde
This ingredient may be used as a preservative which is a known carcinogen that has been linked to asthma, developmental and reproductive toxicity as well as cancer according to the CDC. Formaldehyde may be listed out as is, but it may be hidden in other ingredients like quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol) and glyoxal. It’s a long list, but I’d 100% say this is one ingredient family you want to stay away from.
Parabens
I have a love-hate with this one since parabens keep things from getting moldy and growing with bacteria which WILL make you sick. It’s important to be aware of the amount of parabens in a product as low levels are shown to not be dangerous. If you can, try seeking out preservatives like phenoxyethanol or gluconolactone or sodium benzoate.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
This ingredient is commonly found in foundations as it’s purpose is to help your skin absorb a cream. Sulfates are good to avoid in general, but this one is commonly contaminated with cancer causers like 1, 4-dioxane and ethylene oxide.
Why You Should Avoid Toxic Chemicals In Foundation
The reason why the clean beauty movement is happening is for a few reasons. First and foremost, the lack of transparency in labels in the personal care product market. It’s scary you guys. But it’s also important to just think about the effects that these chemicals may be having on you. I’ve heard time and time again from longtime clean beauty users that they had medical issues, hormonal problems and the like, and once they made a full on switch, their health changed too. I don’t think this is the case for EVERYONE and I don’t think that your friend who has hormonal acne or weight gain means they should overhaul their beauty drawer. But again, it’s something to think about.
Since your skin absorbs the ingredients and products we put on our body, it is important to avoid chemicals in foundations. some of these ingredients can be endocrine disruptors
Benefits of Using “Clean” Beauty Foundations
A few simple benefits of using clean foundations are both instant and longterm. By supporting brands that are fighting for cleaner beauty and proper legislation, you are voting with your dollars. By removing a lot of these toxic ingredients from your makeup routine, you also reduce your risk of hormone disruption,
“Clean” Foundations
If you’re looking to try a new foundation, why not give one of these cleaner options a try? These are a few that I’ve tried and loved or friends have given a go and raved about!
Beautycounter Tint Skin Foundation
The foundation I ended up loving from Beautycounter and have been wearing all summer long. I love how light it is, yet still has enough coverage and leaves a gorgeous glow. To find your shade, email me! I wear shade linen.
Juice Beauty Stem Cellular CC Cream
My friend has this CC cream and loves it. And I recently saw her and can attest her skin looked great! Plus, if you want more coverage, they do have a foundation version as well.
Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint
Glossier has some great products and a cult following. I also love their packaging, but that’s never a reason to buy beauty products (maybe). I’ve heard wonderful things about this clean foundation!
TARTE Sea Collection Foundation
I’m a big fan of tarte and actually use their Shape Tape concealer almost daily. Their products are on the “cleaner” side and are also vegan. However, the Sea Collection has been marked Clean by Sephora!
Photo by Hannah Lozano
