Must Have's For The Au Naturale
/I've never been much of a makeup girl. I went through my blue mascara phase in high school and a lip gloss phase in college, but that's about it. Skincare was a little bit of a different story, but not much. Occasionally I would indulge myself in something that looked natural and promised to help stop my wrinkles in their tracks. But then I would get lazy and prefer to just go to bed rather than wash my face and apply my miracle cream.
So, what changed? Why am I now shouting from the rooftops just how great my deodorant or sunscreen is?
First of all, I'm getting older. And while I love my grandmother dearly, the memory of her wrinkled, sun damaged skin has made me take some serious action lately. I've never worn scarves before (fashionable scarves, not the kind you wear during a blizzard), but last summer I considered making scarves my new look in order to hide my leathery, wrinkled neck.
And secondly, I've realized just how little regulation there is in the skincare industry. "Natural", "Botanical" and insert any other buzz word here, means little to nothing. You really need to do your homework and find out as much as you can about the individual companies out there. And I've found a few that I absolutely love, trust and work! Because, let's face it, you could be the best company in the world, but if your product doesn't work, you're nothing but a great marketing campaign.
Here are my "Must Have's":
Beautycounter’s Cleansing Balm
I’m not even sure how I ended up with this product. I’m pretty frugal and the Cleansing Balm is pretty pricey. But it was one of the first Beautycounter products I ever tried, and now, a year later, I couldn’t live without it. Honestly...if I was limited to only one Beautycounter product, this would be it. It hydrates while it cleanses, it can be left on as an overnight mask, and it removes more makeup and grime from your face than you ever thought was possible. Seriously, you’ll be both amazed and disgusted by what your washcloth looks like after you use the Cleansing Balm. It’s like a car wreck - it’s horrible, and you can’t look away.
I’m not just a huge fan because it removes my mascara easy-peasy and leaves my skin squeaky clean. Here’s a sampling of what else the Cleansing Balm can do for you:
helps to brighten your complexion with Vitamin C
hydrating overnight mask
reduces redness
highlighter over makeup
exfoliates lips
intensive moisture for dry, cracked heels
cuticle cream
smooth down fly-aways
removes kids face paint and temporary tattoos
Beautycounter’s Countersun Sunscreen
This sunscreen changed my life. Seriously. My kids HATE sunscreen. My daughter complains of the feel, my son complains of the smell, and I complain of the chemicals. And now that I’ve got a teenager, she also complains of the look - i.e. there’s no way she’s going to look like a 70’s zinc’ed-up lifeguard. But this reef-safe sunscreen uses non-nano zinc oxide to physically - not chemically - block UVA, UVB and blue light (which has been shown to prematurely age your skin). And it goes on clear with the most amazingly light and pleasant smell that even my son likes! In addition to my favorite facestick, they now have a mist that rubs in clear and is NOT harmful to the environment. Finally, a sunscreen spray that is safe to use!
LashFood’s Collagen Lash Primer
6 months ago I would have asked, “What in the world is a lash primer and why would I ever need it?” But as a woman who wears very little makeup other than mascara, this is a must-have. A good lash primer will strengthen your lashes and help minimize damage to your lashes. It helps your mascara stay on longer and come off more more easily too. My mascara used to be all but gone halfway through the day until I started using this primer. Now my 3pm lashes look just like my 8am lashes. But my main reason for using this lash primer is how full it makes my lashes look when worn under mascara. God bless you if you do fake lashes. It seems too complicated to me (I told you I was a simple person when it came to makeup). But now I can get the look of fake lashes without the trickiness that goes with it! And the best part? It’s safe and clean which isn’t an easy thing to accomplish in the beauty industry. It’s rated at a 2 on EWG!
Beautycounter’s Dew Skin Moisturizing Coverage
I’m not a foundation girl but I want to be. I love the look of a clean, smooth face. But when I put on most foundation I look like I painted myself like a geisha girl. Not so with Dew Skin. Dew Skin gives you that natural, smooth, glowing complexion that’s so light you can even see your cute freckles through it.
After using another brand of foundation for over 35 years, my mom has become the biggest Dew Skin fan in the world. She actually attributes all the compliments she’s been getting lately (“you’re 75 years old?! You seriously look 50!”) to Dew Skin. I’ll take some of that, thank you very much. The cool thing is that Dew Skin can actually help PREVENT aging and skin damage. Because it contains zinc oxide, it is SPF 20 and blocks UVA, UVB and blue light. Yes, the light from our computers and cell phones are causing oxidative damage (aka premature aging) to our skin. In fact, dermatologists are seeing age spots appear where one holds a cell phone to their ear. Just using Dew Skin is a great way to look good now AND at 75!
Fatco’s Stank Stop Deodorant
Two years ago, after attending my very first Primal Play course, I smelled horrible. Beyond horrible. It was Austin, it was hot and I was sweaty. But I wasn’t anywhere near my hotel so I scoured the vendor tables at the health convention I was at, saw this jar of deodorant (they now offer tubes too!) that offered me hope that I wouldn’t be “that smelly girl” and bought it with my fingers crossed. It didn’t disappoint and I’ve been using it ever since.
Aluminum is the active ingredient in antiperspirants but it’s also a known neurotoxin that has been linked to breast cancer and neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. Finding an aluminum-free deodorant is not that difficult nowadays. But finding one that keeps you from smelling like a 7th grader after gym class is a lot more difficult. I’m glad I found Fatco!
