Beauty...
Be your own
kind of beautiful
Be your own
kind of beautiful
Let’s talk about all things clean! I’m so excited to bring on my good friend, Hillary Peterson, founder of True Botanicals, to share her knowledge on clean beauty. She has SUCH a cool story to how she got to where she is now and she’s so educated in this area that I wanted all of you to have access to it also. This girl is a true rockstar and she’s going to teach us all how to transition into all clean beauty and what to look for.
After recovering from thyroid cancer, I made a conscious decision to start taking better care of myself—I adjusted my diet, started exercising more regularly, learned to meditate. But it never occurred to me to take a closer look at what was on my bathroom shelf. Then, I overheard a report on NPR one morning about toxic chemicals being found in the cord blood of newborn babies, and how the conventional beauty products used by the mothers had contributed. Here I was, doing everything I could think of to support my well-being, and all the while I was unwittingly applying toxins through my beauty products.
That’s when my transition to clean beauty began, but it wasn’t seamless. At the time, there weren’t a lot of options, and what was available lacked the luxuriousness I was seeking…and didn’t really work. I wasn’t going to settle—and I didn’t think anyone else should either. So, I started True Botanicals to create products that were equally safe and effective, and that you’d actually look forward to using every day. Today, when I guide friends and customers on making the switch to nontoxic beauty, I assure them that the trade-offs I experienced are no longer necessary, and the benefits are boundless. And I tell them to start here:
Words like natural and organic on a label say very little about what’s actually inside the bottle. To start, the terms aren’t regulated by anyone, and they don’t address the safety of a product. Many natural ingredients (like talc)can be toxic, many synthetic ingredients (like L-ascorbic acid) can be perfectly safe. For this reason, don’t focus on what a product says it is; focus on what it actually is by reading the ingredient label. A third-party seal is a good sign. All of our products are certified nontoxic by the nonprofit MADE SAFE. It’s the only organization I know of that examines every single ingredient and sub-ingredient before deeming a formula safe for people—and the planet. Our health and the health of the planet are interconnected, and the ingredients in our beauty routines return to the earth, and can end up back in our bodies through food, the air, and the water supply. So, a thoughtful approach makes a difference on so many levels.
No one should be expected to memorize an encyclopedia of ingredients to avoid. That’s why we made a list we call the Toxic Ten, which we created with the help of researchers at MADE SAFE and update as new information comes along. It’s something you can screenshot and save on your phone, and easily refer to when you’re shopping. Try your best to steer clear of the ingredients on this list, which includes the more obvious offenders like parabens, but also seemingly more innocuous ones like fragrance. Because fragrance is legally considered a trade secret, companies do not need to disclose the chemicals inside their fragrance—including endocrine-disrupting phthalates.
The prospect of overhauling your entire routine can be overwhelming, so start with the swaps that will have the biggest impact on your health. Since skin can absorb much of what you put on it, I recommend beginning with the products that you use on your skin every day and that cover the largest surface area. Replace your daily facial care, body lotion, deodorant, and sunscreen with nontoxic versions. And don’t forget your shower—wet skin is more absorbent, and the steam in the shower increases your chances of inhaling potentially toxic chemicals. Also, since whatever is in the bottle goes right down the drain, it has a direct pathway to accumulate in the water supply.
If you’re ready to transition to clean beauty, True Botanicals can help—with products backed by a 30-day guarantee, clinical trials, and nontoxic certification. Join our mailing list to receive $20 off your first order, and reach out to our True Team at any time for guidance.
How many of y’all knew about the importance of clean beauty? I feel so informed and I love to continue learning in this area. There’s just so much to know and apply. Share in the comments below what other ways you guys stay clean in your beauty and all the products you love!
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