Spring is such a perfect time to let go of all the old beauty products (and thoughts) that are no longer serving you and embrace a high vibe, clean beauty routine. Why is clean beauty so important, you ask?
Our skin is our largest organ and it's believed that it may be able to absorb over 60% of what we apply to it. On a daily basis, an average woman may apply about 12 different beauty and personal-care products, containing over 100 different ingredients. While this number may surprise you, what's more important is that most of these ingredients have not been tested for safety. Yep, it's true, cosmetics laws in the US haven't changed much since the 1930's, despite studies that link many of these ingredients to hormone disruption, allergies, skin irritation and cancer.
Not only are these so-called beauty ingredients adding to the toxic burden on our bodies, but they also add to the pollution of our air, land and water. For example, chemicals such as parabens (which are used as preservatives in everything from shampoo to lipgloss) have been found in our water supply. Yikes! I know all of this information can feel overwhelming, but take heart, there are simple ways to Spring clean your beauty routine.
First, know that you don't have to overhaul all your beauty and self-care products at once! Taking small, yet significant, steps forward will lead you on a wonderful journey. Here's my top 4 ways to Spring Clean Your Beauty Routine:
1. Empower yourself by learning more about the ingredients in your beauty and personal-care products. Take note of what's currently part of your beauty routine and read the ingredient labels. Visit The Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database to look up what's known about specific ingredients and the latest research about ingredient safety. You can also download Think Dirty, a free app where you can scan product barcodes to learn about ingredients and cleaner options.
2. Begin swapping out products that you use daily and over the largest areas of skin. These are usually found in the bathroom - think skincare, bath and body products. As for your makeup, this would be your foundation and/or powder, since we generally apply it over the whole face and wear it throughout the day. Also, lipstick/lipgloss are top items to swap, since we're unintentionally ingesting them. After all, some estimates say that a woman may eat over 4 pounds of lipstick in her lifetime!
3. Wait until you run out of a product to replace it with a better, cleaner alternative. It may take a couple trials to find your new go-to, so you might not want to wait until the product is completely gone before doing some research. Many clean beauty brands and shops will provide samples so that you can try before you buy. I also highly recommend subscribing to Beauty Heroes, a curated monthly service where you get to try full sized, luxury, clean beauty for half the price.
4. Work with a clean beauty makeup artist and teacher, like me! I've spent the last 9 years researching and testing products to find the best in clean beauty. I know what works, who it works for and how to use it! In honor of Spring’s highly anticipated arrival, I’m thrilled to invite you to my 1-on-1 Spring Beauty Renewal, a hands-on beauty detox and makeup lesson. I'll walk you through each step, providing guidance, knowledge, personalized product recommendations and makeup tips along the way. This special offering is available in-person in NYC, ONLY through May 31st. (because I'm moving to LA soon!)
I hope this has been helpful and you're inspired to create space for more beauty in your life! Have questions? Please feel free to comment below or email me directly at beauty@rebeccacasciano.com.