When I was pregnant for the first time with my daughter (6 years ago now…ugh…HOW?!), I remember the sudden awareness of everything toxic around me. I’ll never forget breathing in that insanely toxic stove top grease cleaner and feel like I just gave my baby cancer for the next month after a friend said, “That stuff will cause black lung.”

Why is that our awareness of toxins is minimal until we have kids? Now, as a doula I get these questions ALL. THE. TIME!

• “Can I paint the nursery?”
• “Should I do fluoride free toothpaste now?”
• “Which Sunscreen do you use?”
• “Is it safe to clean with bleach or windex?”
• “What detergent do you use?”
• “Should I switch to dryer balls?”

So…I’m not the best with these topics all the time…I still hide a bottle of bleach under my sink to use on my white sink after the kids go to bed. It’s hard to be a “clean” person but also want to eliminate all chemicals. I’m far from perfect!

However, when it comes to our kids we are so hyper concerned…

Why are we not worried about our own skin too? Have you looked in your make-up recently? I have the lovely chirp in my ear of a best friend that has been on a 4 year mission to completely eliminate all toxins from her life. Along this journey, she signed on with BeautyCounter. I have purchased from her for a while, I couldn’t find a sunscreen as clean as theirs and I struggled finding a night time skin regimine that felt as great as theirs, so I became a customer and never looked back because of one reason….I NEVER ONCE HAD TO THINK ABOUT IT! It was one more thing eliminated from my worry list. They make this promise to you as a customer through their Never list which they explain as:

Our Never List is made up of more than 1,500 questionable or harmful chemicals that we never use as ingredients in our products. This includes the over 1,400 chemicals banned or restricted in personal care products by the European Union, plus additional chemicals screened by Beautycounter and found to be of concern – BeautyCounter

Sooooo, we dug deeper into what on earth is going on with skincare these days and these are the shocking statistics we found :

• More than 200 synthetic chemicals—many of them known to be toxic—were found in the bodies of nearly all Americans, including newborn infants, who are exposed to these chemicals in utero.
• Pregnant women represent a particularly vulnerable population, as exposure to potentially harmful chemicals during fetal development may lead to altered health outcomes for the child later in life. 24 Organochlorine pesticides, phenols, PBDEs, phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and perchlorate were detected in 99-100% of pregnant women in the United States. Some of these chemicals were banned more than four decades ago, indicating the persistence of these harmful chemicals in our environment
• Prenatal exposure to phthalates—chemicals found in personal care products and other consumer products—can cause the reproductive organs of male infants to develop abnormally.
• Difficulty in conceiving and maintaining a pregnancy affected 40% more women in 2002 than in 1982. From 1982 to 1995, the incidence of reported difficulty almost doubled in younger women ages 18-25.
• There is growing scientific evidence of the impact of environmental contaminants on declining reproductive function and increasing rates of reproductive illnesses since the mid-20th century, including difficulty conceiving and maintaining pregnancy, increased rates of testicular cancer, and increased preterm birth.

OK, so the statistics are there, the next best thing we can do is start to swap! While I am making changes everyday, my first step was joining BeautyCounter as a consultant and I hope to share this journey with you guys. I like their very non MLM approach and the ability to just straight up share products and information on the politics behind this unregulated market.

It’s not exactly a secret that I steer away from a lot of societal norms but our current state of affairs when it comes to regulation against the things that are killing us and giving us cancer are literally enraging me. Just as I coach you through walking into your birth with a clear vision and all of the information you need to make informed decision, I want to take this approach on the products we are bringing in to our homes us as well.

I want you all HEALTHY, I want your homes to be CLEAN and I want to find a way to do it that empowers and engages those around me. We need to start asking some questions… Let’s start here, using EWG.org is reliable – they have an app and they include every single high risk chemical or toxin.

I do want to jump right in and begin with Sunscreen… I have gone through my fair share of sunscreens but we used to use Babyganics because I trusted the brand….well, I thought I did…I just didn’t know.

We swapped it for BeautyCounters Countersun Mineral Sunscreen Mist:

Why is it safer?

Technology: At Beautycounter, we prohibit chemical SPF filters due to their high potential for skin irritation. We prefer to use physical sunscreens, more commonly known as mineral sunscreen.

Formula: We use non-nano zinc oxide and evaluate its particle size to ensure there is no potential risk of respiration when sprayed and does not enter the blood stream to cause harmful effects to the body. We never use Octinoxate or Oxybenzone, ingredients known to contribute to the collapse of coral reefs around the world, making our sunscreens safer for both people and our oceans.

OK GREAT, so we all know sunscreen can be toxic…but lets talk about your makeup…because here is the thing, that shit seeps in to every pore on your face…think about that! Your skin is your largest organ and every bit of the chemicals you are putting on it is going right into your blood stream…

• Pregnant? – It’s seeping through
• Breastfeeding? – It’s seeping through
• Auto-immune disease? – Have you asked how these chemicals affect that?

I have been using the same mascara, foundation and powder for years and lemme tell ya something…it’s not pretty what I found in these products.

Honest Primer – EWG’s warnings – HIGH concerns: Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Occupational hazards, Persistence and bioaccumulation; Other MODERATE concerns: Biochemical or cellular level changes, Contamination concerns, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive); Other LOW concerns: Enhanced skin absorption, Cancer, Data gaps, Ecotoxicology

Bare Minerals Foundation Powder – Undisclosed…which is terrifying

Loreal Mascara – Endocrine disruption, Multiple, additive exposure sources, Contamination concerns, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Occupational hazards, Persistence and bioaccumulation; Other MODERATE concerns: Biochemical or cellular level changes, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive); Other LOW concerns: Enhanced skin absorption, Data gaps, Ecotoxicology

OMG, my first thought was honestly…are my eyes ok? WTH have I been putting in my body….I’m vegan, organic, doing juice and shakes daily and yet just dumping toxins into my body on the regular.

It’s time for a beauty swap!

So, here’s the moral of my story…start swapping slowly. Check out the NEVER LIST asap! Check your Dryer Sheets, Laundry Detergent, diaper rash cream, avoid scented sprays and perfumes, do your best….no one can change over night but there are some simple things you can do this spring to start the detox =)

Our Favorite Household Products –

BeautyCounter for Baby