Clean Up Your Skincare Routine in 4 Steps
Overhauling your current skincare and beauty lineup may seem intimidating but also necessary during pregnancy. Wellness blogger, Tiffany Stuart, shares 4 steps that will make the process more manageable!
#1. Look For Products With Fewer Ingredients
First, things first, please know that a product's label is your best friend! Or at least it has the potential to be. Whether it's personal care products, makeup products, food, or cleaning products, always look for ingredient lists available on the back of the container or on the brand's website.
Increasingly here in the United States, brands are being held more accountable for disclosing what's used in their products. This is even more true in the natural products niche.
As a general rule of thumb, I opt for products that have fewer ingredients. Those long lists of ingredients are what I try to avoid. I try to research many known ingredients using websites such as the Environmental Working Group, and the Think Dirty App.
One bonus of using products with less ingredients is that some can be used on multiple parts of the body, reducing my need for excessive products.
#2. Aim For Products With Less Unrecognizable Ingredients
With the increase of demand for clean and nontoxic products, many brands are not only disclosing their ingredients right on the label, but also making it easier for consumers to understand what the ingredients are.
While many skin care products list the scientific names of the ingredients, they are also stating the “more commonly known as” name as well. Having this right next to the scientific name shows transparency, builds trust, and makes label reading a learning opportunity for the consumer.
If a product uses too many unrecognizable ingredients without further explanation of what it may be known as, I try to stay away from it altogether.
#3. Look For Brands That Share Their Ingredients Willingly
This should've been higher on the list, but now you can see how truly important having access to a brand's ingredient list is.
Safe cosmetics and skincare should not make you have to work to find out what's in their products. PERIOD!
If the brand is truly using clean ingredients, they should want it front and center, available for anyone to check out.
Regardless of how expensive, fancy, or popular a product is, if it does not have the ingredient list on the box or container, I put it back. If the label is small and unable to fit the text of a label, I check the brand's website. If it's not there, it's a no.
While that is not yet a hard and fast requirement from the Federal Trade Commission, it is a guideline I share with my Health Coaching clients all the time.
#4 Pay Attention To The Order Of The Ingredients On The Label
A little known piece of information about the ingredient list is there is actually a method to it's madness. While the active ingredients may be showcased on the front of the label as a selling point, its contributing role in the formulation may in fact be very little.
Ingredients on food, cleaning, and beauty product labels are listed in order of predominance in the formulation. If it's listed first, it's used in a greater amount compared to what's 4th or last. Listing in this order allows for consumers to make the conscious decision to purchase a product that may have some potentially hazardous chemicals listed last, at a more affordable price compared to another product that's more expensive. That can make buying cleaner beauty products more accessible compared to only having products available which have those same ingredients listed first.
As an advocate for everyone having access to cleaner products so they are able to pursue a healthy lifestyle, spreading this little tip is so important. Switching over to clean skincare shouldn't make you lose sleep at night!
Guest Post By Tiffany Stuart, CHC (abridged version of post originally found on her lifestyle wellness blog It’s Me Lady G)
