Beauty and the chemical Beasts

Ok... Maybe a bit dramatic title for this post, but Hey! Let's be real for a moment. 

Do you really know what is in your beauty products? The things you put on your skin to make you feel better and beautiful, might not be so beautiful after all.

Don't get me wrong, I ain't telling you to throw all of your makeup out and raid your refrigerator for beats and vegetables to color your face with... although you could use some coconut oil as a highlighter or lipgloss or even as a gentle makeup remover... But now I'm jumping ahead of myself.. I'll save the hundred uses of coconut oil for another post!

Two years ago I was starting to feel like my skin was ageing way too fast, I have always loved makeup and I would use it on a daily basis. My skin was extremely sensitive and if I had one too many pieces of chocolate my skin would break out within minutes. My sister, who is in the research and lab industry, told me about the ingredients in makeup and beauty products and how they affect our bodies. To stop using makeup completely just wasn't an option for me, not because I'm vain and insecure, but because I actually enjoy playing aroung with makeup. I used to be one of those girls who walked in to Sephora and bought a lipstick in every color available and eyeshadows in shades I probably would never wear out in public anyways. 

So, I did some research and found a ton of makeup brands and online stores that sold eco-friendly, cruelty free, 100% natural beauty products. And I discovered products in all price ranges, from economical to luxury brands. 

The reason why I am so passionate about this subject is simply because I have seen the difference and the change in my own skin. That dewy, glowing skin that we all yearn for is achieved when we start using products that make us beautiful not only on the outside, but also on the inside.

The skin is our biggest organ and absorbs anything you put on it into your blood and body.

The average woman uses 12 beauty products a day containing around 168 ingredients.
I'm going to write more about ingredients to stay away from and the beauty products I love, but if you want to check the beauty products in your makeup bag right now, check out the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and their easy product search browser where products are ranked on a scale from 1-10, 1 being low hazard and 10 being high hazard.