I recently decided to conduct an experiment. From taking a shower, to applying makeup, lotion and fragrance, I added up all of the products I use on a daily or semi-daily basis. On a full scale day, I could use upward of 30 different things on my body, skin and hair. I challenge you to count every single thing you use in your routine. The number may surprise you, as it did for me. Now, think about all of the ingredients in each and every product. Every single thing listed on the bottle is going onto your skin and possibly (depending on the ingredient) into your bloodstream. I for one, could not even begin to tell you what all of it means, or how to pronounce half of it. Let that soak in for a minute…literally and figuratively.
I conducted an online test of all of these products using the apps Healthy Living by EWG and Think Dirty. The following products pictured below, FAILED me. By failed, I mean that they ranked in the mid to high range for ingredients that are known allergy disrupters, in addition to developmental and cancer concerns. Granted, these findings were varying, and most of the stuff that didn’t pass, failed because of too much added (and unnecessary) fragrances. Now, I can be honest enough to take these results with a grain of salt, but it is a bit concerning to me that some of these products were fairly expensive (La Mer, for crying out loud!) and hyped for their effectiveness. I also know that many of these items are not the absolute worst things I can be using, but I want and deserve better. I can agree that while they may or may not work, why have we been programmed to blindly follow whatever it is they say to do, when less harmful products that work as effectively are on the market as well?
My challenge to you is this: if you have made healthy and effective changes in any of the products you see below, please share with me AND don’t be afraid to spread the good word! I am open to trying new things and sharing the results with everyone. I have already begun the switch out process and will share my findings. I am not naive to the fact that change takes time, and sadly in the case, it takes money. Some of my current daily use products are fairly new or full, to which I do not want to be an agent of waste either. My hope is that I can make improvements over time to get to a place of better beauty and wellness. And I am open to discussions and advice on this topic. If you are reading this, join me in making change, big or small, and pledge to be #cleanin2019
The Brooke Book 