IN WITH THE NEW: Concealer
Welcome to my weekly featured ”IN WITH THE NEW” CLEAN SWAP! This week we are taking a closer look at Concealers.
I’m always fielding questions from clients and friends about how they can swap out some of their favorite products for safer, toxin-free options without a loss in quality, taste, or performance (depending on the product). Every week, I cover food, cosmetics, personal care, cleaning and laundry products, and even behavior, so if you enjoy these Clean Swaps, please follow me on Instagram and sign up for my 360° OF WELLNESS Newsletter (⬅️by clicking on this link to the left) so that you never miss a new one.
Concealer is an important part of our make up arsenal. Right ladies?
It’s primarily used to offset dark circles and the natural shadows that occur under the eyes, but also to highlight certain areas of the face (e.g., center of the nose or chin, forehead, and cheekbones).
SO WHAT’S SO BAD ABOUT CONCEALERS? 💁♀️
As always, it comes down to what’s in it, so let’s break down one of the most popular ones on the market, Tarte, and figure out why it’s not a safe option, especially since you’re putting it on one of the most sensitive areas of your face, where the skin is thinnest and into which ingredients are absorbed most readily. So here are just some of the worst ingredients you will find in this (and most other concealers):
🚫 FRAGRANCE (or parfum) is a “catch-all” term that represents a complex cocktail of dozens of potentially harmful chemicals. Fragrance is an obvious ingredient in perfumes, colognes, and deodorants, but it's also used in nearly every type of personal care (and cleaning) product. Even products marketed as "fragrance-free" or "unscented" may contain fragrance along with a masking agent that prevents the brain from perceiving odor.
🚫 PHTHALATES You likely won’t see this on any ingredient label because it’s usually hidden within the category of Fragrance or Parfum. Phthalates have been linked to asthma, ADHD, breast cancer, obesity and type II diabetes, low IQ, neurodevelopmental issues, behavioral issues, autism spectrum disorders, altered reproductive development and male fertility issues.
🚫 HYDROXYCITRONELLAL is an odorant used in perfume. It has been linked to allergies and immunotoxicity. EWG rates it a 7 (on a scale from one to ten, with one being the safest and 10 being the most harmful).
🚫 PEG-10 DINETHICONE & CETYL PEG/PEG-10/1 DIMETHICONE otherwise known as “ethoxylated compounds,” which produce a carcinogenic byproduct is created called 1,4-dioxane, during processing. Traces of this carcinogen are found in many cosmetic and personal care products, even “natural” ones. 1,4-dioxane can be reduced or removed from a product via a vacuum-stripping process, but independent tests show that many manufacturers fail to do so.
READY for a CLEAN swap?🙋♀️
BEAUTYCOUNTER
Touchup Skin Concealer Pen
Ditch your old concealer (or at least switch it out when you finish it off) and swap it for my new fave, Beautycounter Touchup Concealer Pen. It’s creamy, never “cakey,” and in short, one of the best concealers I’ve ever used. It’s as sheer or buildable as you need and provides flawless coverage for dark under-eye circles, pimples, and any other skin imperfections. In addition, it helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and photoaging, making skin look firmer, brighter, and instantly more even. Even though it has a brush applicator, I prefer to use a special concealer brush, which blends it perfectly.
Worried about picking the right color?
Don’t sweat it. Beautycounter has amazing customer service and a 60-day, no-questions asked, return-shipping-free return policy.
So if you’re like “HELL YES, let’s make the switch!” but need some help picking the products that are right for your skin type, just fill out this quick skincare quiz and I’ll get back to you with personalized recommendations.
And if you subscribe to my weekly NewYousletter (below) and/or contact me to get discounts on Beautycounter, as well as some of my other favorite clean products, and I’ll show you how to get FREE SHIPPING, product credit, and even a FREE GIFT on your first Beautycounter purchase.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE CLEAN BRAND?
Send me a message or leave a comment below and share what it is. If I feature it, I’ll give you credit and may even send you a free gift!
If you enjoyed this weeks’s IN WITH THE NEW Feature, share it with a friend and sign up for my 360° OF WELLNESS NewYousletter (below) so you never miss a new one.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Victoria Gregory is an Integrative Nutritionist and founder of NEWTRITION NEWYOU. Her focus—whether with private clients, readers of her blog, or her followers on social media— is whole body wellness, incorporating whole-food nutrition, supplementation, exercise, toxin-free living, and mindset coaching. Victoria’s personal mission is to help make the world a healthier place, one person at a time, and she has helped thousands of people find joy and self-love through better eating habits and mindfulness. Learn more about Victoria.
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