There are so many toxic beauty products out there, but luckily, there are other options. Beautycounter makes it easy to choose high-quality natural makeup.
In recent years, our options for more natural products—cosmetics, toys, cleaning supplies, you name it—have expanded dramatically.
There are tons of companies creating products that not only consider the consumer (that’s YOU!), but also consider the welfare of the people who make them, as well as animals and the environment.
Unfortunately, though, a practice called “greenwashing” is all too prevalent. And this can make it super hard to distinguish truly good, safe, natural beauty products from the ones that only appear to be good for us.
That’s Why I Was So Psyched When I Discovered Beautycounter…
I’ve always tried my very best to use all natural solutions to daily care. (Hey, I don’t even use much soap!) And while things like coconut oil do serve their purpose—it’s a great eye make-up remover!—sometimes mama wants to put on a little lipstick.
But not that yucky stuff from the drugstore with who-knows-what lurking it. (In one study researchers found heavy metals in most lipsticks tested!)
That’s where Beautycounter comes in…
What is Beautycounter?
Beautycounter’s mission: To get safer products in the hands of everyone.
In 2013, Gregg Renfrew founded Beautycounter with the goal of providing more natural and safer alternatives to conventional cosmetics and skincare products.
The company sells over 150 items, from lipstick, to moisturizer, to shampoo, all guaranteed free from more than 1,500 questionable or harmful chemicals, including over 1,400 chemicals banned or restricted in personal care products in other parts of the world like the European Union.
Beautycounter’s list, called the NeverList, includes ingredients like:
- Benzalkonium Chloride: A disinfectant used as a preservative that’s often associated with severe skin, eye, and respiratory irritation and allergies.
- Formaldehyde: A preservative known to be a carcinogen, as well as a neurotoxin.
- Hydroquinone: A skin-lightening chemical that inhibits melanin production and is linked to cancer, organ toxicity, and skin irritation.
- Parabens: Preservatives known to be endocrine disruptors.
- Phthalates: Plastic chemicals that disrupt hormone function and may even cause birth defects.
- Synthetic flavor or fragrance: Engineered scents and flavoring agents proven to be allergens and hormone disruptors.
- Plus, so many more…
But is Beautycounter Really Natural and Safe to Use?
Here’s the deal: When we’re talking about cosmetics, nothing is ever really 100 percent all natural. Still, there are some very, very good options out there today.
And, though not entirely organic, natural, or chemical free, Beautycounter is the “fanciest” make-up I’ve found that is still is pretty dang pure. Here’s why:
The NeverList is lengthy
As mentioned above, Beautycounter is free from thousands of ingredients you’ll find in other products—even products that are certified as “safe” by the FDA. They go above and beyond by holding themselves to higher standards.
They perform lengthy ingredient screenings
While many other makeup brands contain really scary things like asbestos and heavy metals, Beautycounter performs what they call “a hazard and risk assessment” on every ingredient considered for inclusion in their formulas. This includes reviewing up-to-date authoritative lists and scientific research on carcinogenicity, developmental toxicity, allergenicity, and potential hormone disruption.
And in cases like heavy metals—something that’s incredibly prevalent on this earth and nearly impossible to avoid—Beautycounter has set “extremely low allowable levels” that are better than US regulations.
Products are manufactured in safe factories
The majority of Beautycounter’s products are manufactured in the United States and Italy, where regulations are stricter than other common manufacturing locations like China.
They never test their products on animals
Beautycounter does not test products on animals.
The one caveat is that because the scientific community at large does conduct a lot of animal testing, research considered by Beautycounter may include animal studies. Here’s what the company says about it:
“We do not believe that finished personal care/cosmetic products should be ever tested on animals, but we will not disregard data that has been previously generated on specific ingredient safety that can provide critical guidance for the overall safety of an ingredient.”
Packaging is sustainable and safe
Beautycounter uses FSC-certified paper for paper packaging and product literature. Plus, product packaging, including shipper boxes and filler paper, is recyclable in most communities in North America.
Beautycounter also rigorously screens every packaging material for potential safety and environmental concerns.
What are the Best Beautycounter Products?