Beauty Counter’s Progression Toward Safer Green Beauty Products

Beauty Counter is brand after my own heart.  They let their users know that a sustainable beauty routine is about progression, not perfection.  Unlike many other advanced nations, the United States has not yet prohibited beauty corporations from using many ingredients that have been found to be harmful to our health.  Beauty Counter takes a stand against this by openly sharing that they have eliminated many of them from their products.  They are working towards creating more human- and earth-friendly green beauty products for all.

*Thank you to Cathy Rojo, Beauty Counter Consultant, who allowed me to test these products out for a week.*

Green beauty by choice

The Never List that Beauty Counter has published shares harmful chemicals that they vow to never include in their beauty products.  The full list includes 1,500 chemicals, 1,400 of which are banned by the European Union.  If these chemicals are banned in such a progressive place, why are we still using them in the US?  I’m choosing to eliminate unnecessary, harmful items from my life everyday.  It takes baby steps, but I believe that one day, I’ll be able to very minimally use questionable products.  I’m going to be a realist and let you know that I’ll still use some.  Maybe just cleaning products since my skin thrives when I use all-natural products.  In the end, though, I will always try to choose green products over the products made up of things I can’t name.

More reasons to love & trust Beauty Counter

• They are a B Corporation, meaning they are certified by the non-profit B Corporation.  B Corporation independently test products to see if they meet the “rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.”

• They are EWG (Environmental Working Group) Verified.  EWG is a “non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment.”

• They partner with meaningful non-profit organizations: Breast Cancer Fund & Healthy Child Healthy World

• They fully disclose what is in their products, and they tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly of the things they choose to exclude.  Beauty Counter promises to never use ingredients such as formaldehyde, animal fats, synthetic fragrance, parabens (methyl-, isobutyl-, propyl-, and others), or mercury (also listed as thimerosal), which are used in other popular hygiene products.   Their honesty is just as refreshing as their products.

The Products I Tested

Charcoal Purifying Mask – Unlike natural masks I’ve tried before, this mask was hydrating.  It didn’t freeze my face into a painful position, and my skin felt silky-smooth after washing it away.

Charcoal Cleansing Bar – Meant to be used up to two times per week, this cleansing bar isn’t like a drying bar of soap.  This bar moisturizes while cleansing.

Nourishing Cream Cleanser (formerly known as “Routine Clean Cream Cleanser”) – A little goes a long way with this cleanser.  Cathy told me it is because of the use of natural products.  It is super sudsy and very creamy to the point where it feels nothing like a normal, highly-advertised type of face wash.  After using it, though, you can feel the cleanliness of your skin.

Nourishing Cream Exfoliator (formerly known as “Gentle Exfoliator Polishing Cream”) – I love this nourishing exfoliator cleanser because it is not overly abrasive, yet it still gets rid of those rough top layer skin cells.

Nourishing Rosewater Mist – I use pure rosewater for my facial routine and in my hair routine, and the smell is beautiful, but it can be strong sometimes.  This mist was very obviously rosy, but it had a lighter tone of fragrance than pure rosewater.  It was also a bit more hydrating.

Nourishing Day Cream (formerly known as “Every Day AM Hydrating Cream”) – It doesn’t take much of this light weight cream to moisturize your face.  It is not oily and it easily gets the job done while smelling divine.  Adding 2-3 drops of the Balancing Face Oil into it moisturizes and hydrates your skin even more.

Nourishing Night Cream (formerly known as “Every Night PM Hydrating Cream”) – Just like the day cream this cream is hard working and delicate at the same time.  It gently moisturizes and makes your skin supple

Nourishing Eye Cream (formerly known as “Any Time Eye Cream”) –  I’ve never used an eye cream before, but this one was nice!  It wasn’t heavy, it was light and fluffy.  I didn’t really get a chance to see any “results” since I only used it for one week.

Balancing Face Oil (formerly known as “Lustro Face Oil 3”) –  I loved combining 2-3 drops of this oil with the nourishing moisturizers.  When I needed extreme overnight moisturizing, 3 drops of this did the trick.  It smells lovely, it doesn’t leave behind oil stains on any of your fabrics (clothes, pillow cases), and it makes your skin feel very soft and well cared for.

My overall review

The green beauty products that I tested from Beauty Counter were, in one word, comforting.  On their website they list out the ingredients in each product.  They also tell you yow to use them, and even what the packaging is made of (and hey encourage you to recycle it once you’re done).  I feel at ease knowing that they were formulated to consciously not include harmful chemicals makes me feel at ease.  Their fragrances were light, natural and very inviting.

As a result of all of this, the products were all naturally hydrating and felt so luxurious on my skin.  This type of luxury is different – one of nature, not of opulence.  No high-priced, chemical-laden product could replicate the feeling that natural products do.  After all, if you gild a living organism, it will die on the inside.  I highly recommend Beauty Counter’s products, especially the ones I tested and shared with you here!

I hope you now feel compelled to test out green beauty products.  Give your skin some natural lovin’.  See more of my green beauty reviews here. Until next time –

xoxo, dolls & dudes

Addie