Britt Raborn

About 4 years ago, I had a reader contact me asking if she could send me some products to try. Blogging has allowed me to be able to try a lot of products which I am so grateful for. One of the best products I have been sent was Beautycounter. This opportunity allowed me to try some things I hadn’t heard of nor did I know about. I’m thankful for that initial introduction so that I could learn more at the pace I wanted to. Ever since, I have beens slowly introducing safer products into our home and converting my skin and beauty products over to BeautyCounter. Here is a little bit about BC…

Beautycounter has a VERY helpful tab on their site called The Never List that tells you the most harmful ingredients that you never want to find in your beauty/skin care products. They even have a print out version that you can keep in your purse for when you are purchasing other wellness products from local stores. This has been so helpful since I don’t have time to do all the research on my own. And until Beautycounter  has a Wal Mart sized store where everything I buy is safe, I’ll source my print out 😉

“There are more than 80,000 chemicals on the market today. Many don’t have any safety data. This is particularly true of those used in the skin care and beauty industry. 

What’s worse is that the Food and Drug Administration (the agency that regulates cosmetics in the United States) allows companies to use chemicals known to be extremely harmful in the products we put on our bodies and on our kids’ bodies every single day, day after day, and to make their own judgments about safety.“

“The United States has not passed a major federal law to regulate the safety of ingredients used in personal care products since 1938.

Over the past two decades, the European Union has banned more than 1,300 chemicals in the product formulas of personal care products and restricted the levels of over 250 more in such products. The United States has only partially banned 30 to date.“

Safe skin care became important to me when I became a mom 5 years ago. Before that, I didn’t give safe products much thought. After beginning my own research, I knew I wanted to get safer products in our home. The Environmental Working Group website was such a big help in answering a lot of questions I had. We started off by using several products from The Honest Company (diapers, wipes, multi purpose spray, etc.) This is where BeautyCounter filled the gap. They provided skin care, bath and body essentials for my kids, make up, and more!

Investing in safe skincare can be pricey. I was not able to just throw all my products out at once and replace them with safer products. I think it’s really important to replace the products you use most or the products you are almost out of. You can also source your The Never List and check the ingredients on your products to decide which ones are necessary to part with. For me, I replaced cleansers, moisturizers, kids bath soaps, and foundation. I’ve been slowly phasing out my old products and am at a point now where I feel really confident in the products I am using. It has taken me some time, but I think it also has allowed me to really get to know my new products as well and see how they work. It was well worth the wait. On top of products being safer on our skin, I truly feel like removing harsh chemicals from products is one of the sole reasons my face has become more clear. There are a few beauty and skin products I have not parted with (I’ll go into those products in another post) but, sometimes you have to stick with something if it is working for you. And I totally get that. I have a few things I won’t part with and the ratings on them are not terrible, so they stay. Thankfully, there are several brands of beauty products coming out these days, so I do use and enjoy other products outside of BC that are still safe. Again, I’ll touch on those products when I share my skin care and make up routines.

Skin Care…

Charcoal Bar | The charcoal bar is one of my absolute favorite products from the BC line. I have acne prone skin, so this bar really cleanses my face from daily debris. I use it almost every night to remove make up and even after a work out. If my face is breaking out already, I will use it in the morning as well. It is a little more drying than their other cleansers, so just keep that in mind if you use it. I just make sure to moisturize really well after using it.

Charcoal Mask | For similar reasons from above, I love the charcoal mask as well. This has been in my skin care routine for about 4 months now and I really love how clean my face feels after I use it. It’s been a life saver in keeping my acne at bay. Giving my skin a detox 2-3x a week is so clarifying and I’ve definitely noticed a difference in my break outs.

Cleansing Balm | This is one of the most popular BC products they have. So many love it! I enjoy this to cleanse, wipe off make up, and also leave it on as a mask at night. I wake up with super soft skin the morning when I sleep in it. On the nights I use the charcoal mask, I typically follow up with this product as a mask. It is a little pricey, but I’ve had mine for 6 months and there is still a lot left in the bottle.

Cream Exfoliating Cleanser | Nourishing Cream Cleanser | These two products go hand in hand for me. I use the exfoliator cream 3-4 times a week to scrub away debris and to exfoliate my face. From all the dermatologists I follow, they really can’t say enough how important it is to exfoliate your face to remove debris. I love that the exfoliator is cream based so it is gentle, yet effective. The cream cleanser is typically used in the morning only because I use the charcoal bar most nights, unless I went make up free that day. Then I will use the cream cleanser at night. I think part of the reason I got my skin under control is because I switched to a super gentle cleanser that was free of harmful ingredients. For now, these are my go to cleansing products.

No. 1 Brightening Oil | This brightening oil has been raved about by many as a holy grail product. This oil helps even skin tones and gives you radiant skin. I’ve been using mine for about 4 weeks now and really love it. I only sleep in it, but notice a difference in how bright and awake my skin looks in the morning. Anything to make me look less like a zombie is going to stick around! It was also voted best of beauty from Allure in 2017!

Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion | I am VERY prone to break outs so I’ve not found too many moisturizers that work for my skin. I’ve been using the countermarch moisturizer for about 3 months now and it has been so great for my skin. It’s light and feels very weightless. From their site: Breakthrough Bio-Mimic Technology harnesses the unique life-giving properties of plants to exactly match the structure of skin, giving it precisely what it needs and nothing it doesn’t. So, the next thing I want to try is the Countermatch Recovery Sleeping Cream.

Lip Conditioner | So, I can’t quit this stuff. I even bought Joel a jar and he enjoys it pre and post run. During the dry months this stuff is a lifesaver. And it smells so good!

All Over Sunscreen SPF 30 | I’ve only been using this sunscreen for a short time, but it has been perfect to keep in my bag for when we swing over to the park or are out and about in the sunshine. It’s the perfect size to keep on hand.

Sun Stick Sunscreen SPF 30 | This is my go-to sun stick to always keep in my kids bag and my bag. Sun sticks became a quick favorite over the years. I am so thankful for this way of applying sunscreen, especially on wiggly impatient toddlers! No mess on my hands and I send them on their way!

Kids Bath Collection | The kids bath products have been in rotation in our home for almost 4 years and was the first products I ever tried from BC. They smell so good! Love that citrus scent! And I have yet to find a conditioner that works as well as theirs does. After rinsing I can comb through my thick haired (and previous long haired child) with ease. On Sully’s curly hair it makes his curls so soft and bouncy. I love how pretty his hair looks after his hair dries. We use the wash, shampoo, and conditioner on both of our children! It lasts me about 4-6 months on average. We don’t wash every night, but we do bathe them pretty much 7 days out of the week.

Make Up… 

Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer | I really love this stuff! I wasn’t sure about it at first, but after getting into a routine and learning how to use it. I just love that it is an spf and it gives that dew look without being too dewy. So, what I do is slather this on first with my hands and let it sit. I usually pencil in my brows and then go back. I’ll add my tint skin on top and finish the rest of my make up routine. The dew skin is a very light coverage. So, on days I am just running errands doing the gym this is totally fine. It’s great to wear in general because of the spf. If you are wanting a fuller coverage then go ahead and add your tint skin over after the dew skin has settled in. It only feels sticky (and I don’t even think it feels that way after using for so long now) for about 15-30 seconds. I love this stuff. As a girl with freckles, I can’t wear full coverage all the time. I always prefer tinted moisturizer for daytime looks. I wear dew Skin no. 3.

Tint Skin Foundation | Tint skin has been wonderful for my skin. I love how you can add as little or and much as you need. You can build your coverage. I’ve really seen great results and it feels great on my skin. I’ve used a lot of unsafe cc creams and tint skin foundations and this one competes well with the previous products I’ve used. I wear tan ochre. 

Touchup Skin Concealer Pen | For the most part I love this concealer pen! It covers great and is long lasting. I’m very happy with the concealer and how it covers up my imperfections.  I use it under my eyes to cover up bags and on blemishes. I wear medium 1. 

Lip Sheer (in Petal) | BC has some of the best shades of lip sheers! For lipsticks, this has been my favorite line of lipsticks thus far. I love how easy they go on and they do not dry out my lips like others have before. I am always excited to try new colors and I can’t wait to try their new Red Color Intense!

Retractable Foundation Brush | My friend Brooke swears by this foundation brush, so when I was re order some things she insisted I try it. I can see why it’s so popular! I love how you can close it up- making it easy for travel. The brush is so soft and I love how the design- I really feel it covering every inch of my face. I wash it with my charcoal bar every 2 weeks to keep it fresh.

Make Up Remover Wipes | They really are as good as they say. I’ll admit I’ve used my kids baby wipes to remove make up and my skin really has never felt right after. Itchy and kind of red… I’ve started to actually use these to just cleanse my face after running errands being out in the warmer temps. They are really refreshing and soothing!

If you are considering revamping your make up bag, Beautycounter has a ‘Flawless in Five‘ deal where you get: Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation, Touchup Skin Concealer Pen, Color Define Brow Pencil, Lengthening or Volumizing Mascara, Powder Blush Duo, and Lip Gloss for $150. Separately it would be $199. This is a great way to get your basic items and save!

Products I’m Ordering Next…

Countermatch Eye Rescue Cream ~ I hear people love this a tad more than the rejuvenating eye cream. Countermatch Recovery Sleeping Cream ~ I would love to replace my night time cream with this one when I am through with it. Lip Gloss in color Dahlia ~ I haven’t replaced my lip gloss I ran out of for awhile, and that shade sounds so pretty!

How to Save w/ Beautycounter