This is a fun subject I could talk about forever, but I will try my best not to write a novel for this post. As stated before, I have been selling Arbonne for almost a year now. I decided to get into Arbonne not just for the extra cash, but because I truly believe in their products & appreciate the precautions on ingredients & care for our health. Did you know that over 500 chemicals that are in our make-up & skincare products in the US are banned in Europe?! For this reason, Arbonne’s research & development is based in Switzerland. Although this post is going to be about what I have learned about make-up from the Honest Life book by Jessica Alba, many of the things she talks about in the book are things I have learned from Arbonne. So I have decided to combine the two.
Arbonne products are…
Botanically based
pH correct – an imbalance can cause breakouts, dryness, etc.
Made w/o artificial flavors or chemical dyes
Made w/o petroleum-based ingredients – one of which is mineral oil << the 2nd most aging thing for your skin!!
Made w/o any animal testing, animal products or by-products aka it is CERTIFIED VEGAN!
Did you know?
If your makeup or skincare product is not certified vegan there is a very good chance it contains animals such as road kill, euthanized animals, etc that have been boiled down & put into our products as a filler!! GROSS!!!!! I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be wearing road kill on my skin, let alone, my face!
Besides wearing dead animals, our make-up products are filled with so many toxins it’s not even funny. In the book, Jessica gives her beauty secrets & tips as well as what ingredients to stay away from.
Stay Away From:
Phthalates – if something has the word “fragrance” on the label, it most likely contains phthalates.
Why is this bad? Phthalates can mess with your hormones & cause reproductive health issues. Stay away from this product, especially if you are pregnant!
TEA & DEA – mostly found in concealer, conditioner, mascara, & sunless tanning lotion.
Why is this bad? When it is combined w/ some preservatives, it can create cancer-causing compounds.
Mercury – in many mascaras & face paints.
Why is this bad? It can cause allergic reactions & (quoted from the book) “It is one of the few cosmetic ingredients that the FDA does restrict — mercury can only be used in eye makeup in very small amounts & only ‘if no other safe & effective preservative can be found.’ Gosh, that’s a big loophole! I think we can do better.”
Lead – used in lipsticks & children’s face paints
Why is it bad? It’s a neurotoxin that can cause learning delays in development, autism, & other neurological problems for babies & children. This ingredient can reach a developing fetus as well, so stay away especially if you’re pregnant.
Toluene – found in nail polish, nail strengtheners, & cuticle treatments
Why is it bad? As toluene dries, it evaporates into the air you & your nail tech breath in, causing nose, throat, & eye irritation, headaches, dizziness, & fatigue. It can also damage your kidneys, liver, & reproductive health. Again, pregnant women, stay away!
Parabens – preservatives in about 80% of our makeup & skincare products.
Why is it bad? Parabens have been linked to birth defects as well as breast cancer.
Petrochemicals – this includes mineral oil, petroleum jelly, propylene glycol, & paraffin. They are found in lotions, cleansers, lipsticks, lip balms, & foundations.
Why is it bad? These ingredients can cause breakouts because they block your pores. They are like saran wrap on your skin that won’t let it breathe or get rid of toxins, trapping them in your body >> aka AGING your skin! These ingredients are also used in antifreeze & gasoline!!
So now you know what to stay away from, but what things should you buy? Here is a short list of some awesome & safe make-up & skincare brands:
Arbonne >> www.arbonne.com
100% Pure >> www.100percentpure.com
Koh Gen Do >> www.sephora.com
Hourglass >> www.hourglasscosmetics.com
*Be sure to look at each product’s ingredients before buying. Brands such as Hourglass have some products w/o parabens, phthalates, etc & some with.
Do you have any favorite products or brands that are toxin free? I’d love to hear about them!
Thanks for this post Bethany! After having so many issues trying to live a gluten-free life, I’m looking into going all-natural in multiple areas. This is helpful, and I want to switch to all-natural cosmetics- it’s just expensive to do that all at once.
I’ve been looking into essential oils a lot recently too, and their effects on skin and hair- certain oils are supposed to be pretty good for you! Have you looked into essential oils at all?
Lisa, good to hear from you! Yes, going all-natural/organic/etc can be expensive at first, but let me reassure you that #1 – it’s worth it & #2 – you may end up paying about the same for cosmetics in the long run. For instance, my $8 Maybelline foundation I used to wear lasted me maybe 2 months, but my 1 oz. Arbonne foundation for $40 lasts me 8-12 months!! The reason being is because when you buy cheap make-up, they are filled with cheap “fillers” so you end up using more, where as a pea size of my Arbonne liquid foundation will go a longggg way.
Essential oils… I love them! But I am just starting to use them. Also, things like sweet almond oil & coconut oil are great for your skin & hair. I have some lotion that my sister made for me that is almond oil, coconut oil, & one has lavender essential oil, & the other has orange essential oil. Tea tree oil is great for cuts, burns, & acne; so I would think that putting that in a coconut oil face lotion would be a good idea! But that’s just the start of it… all that to say, I really love essential oils & am trying to use them more! What kinds of things have you been able to use them for so far?
Also, last thought. If you can’t afford to go natural with EVERYTHING, start with something like body lotion or body wash. Because it’s something that goes over you WHOLE body, it seems to make more sense to do that then it would be to get an all natural eye shadow that only covers a teeny bit of your skin.
Thanks Bethany, those are some good tips. :) Do you sell Arbonne for us in Springfield, or can you refer me to someone? And have you noticed major improvements using all-natural products?
As far as essential oils goes, I’ve only gotten Lavender and I use it mainly for the calming smell in a diffuser. I’ve been trying to learn more about it though, and doTerra does a lot of different oil blends and sells them in softgels to help in different areas of wellness. The thing about the oils is that there’s so much information out there and it’s not all consistent… Let me know if you end up using them more and the effect they have.
Yes, I still put in orders for people in Springfield. I have it mailed to my mom & have everyone meet her or pick it up from her. I just added you to my Arbonne group on Facebook that is mostly Missouri people. I definitely have noticed improvements in my face ever since switching to Arbonne. I haven’t noticed anything major from switching body lotions, but I really like the way the Arbonne lotion feels & applies compared to most drug store lotions. It’s not oily or greasy & a little goes a long way. The rest of it is just feeling better because I know I’m using better products. I do know one thing now for eucalyptus oil, & that is to mix it with coconut oil & use it as Vick’s vapor rub when you are stuffed up or congested!
Thanks for the info Bethany! I’ve been switching some of my products to natural ones (like mascara), but it’s been hard for me to find lip colors that I like but I’ll keep looking :)
Yes, I know! Finding the perfect lip color is hard for me too! I found a nice subtle every day pink gloss from Arbonne that I love, but they don’t have many colors to choose from for the most part. What natural makeup brands are your favorite?
Mmm, the only one I like so far is Physicians Formula Organic mascara, I haven’t found anything else yet!