Welcome to my weekly featured ”IN WITH THE NEW” CLEAN SWAP! This week we are taking a closer look at your foundation.

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 Swap features, 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.

LET’S TALK FOUNDATION 👩🏼👩🏽‍🦰👩🏾👩🏿‍🦱

I have a confession to make. Although I have swapped out pretty much all of my skincare and cosmetics for safer alternatives, there’s one thing I’ve been hanging on to for dear life: my Armani Luminous Silk Foundation.

I don’t wear foundation very often. My daily go-to is the Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer with SPF which gives me the sun protection I need (I use it even when I’m indoors per my dermatologist’s recommendation), moisturizes, evens skin tone, and leaves me looking dewy and glowy without looking like I’m wearing any makeup.

However, on the occasion when I do step out in the evening, I prefer more coverage for an “airbrushed,” finished look, and this is when I always used the Armani foundation, because it was THE best and made my skin look flawless! I always made the excuse that it was only “once in a while.” Despite the fact that I’m well aware that “once-in-a-while” can add up, I was hooked and never thought I’d find something as amazing… until now.

SO WHAT’S SO BAD ABOUT FOUNDATION? 💁‍♀️

I realize that it can be daunting to think of all the things you have to swap out when yo decide to go toxin-free. When it comes to beauty, foundation should be one of your first swaps because it covers your whole face and neck (unlike eye shadow or blush), it’s often used daily, and it tends to stay on for a long time before it’s washed off. Liquid foundations contain many harmful chemicals, including the following*:

🚫 LEAD - a proven neurotoxin linked to miscarriage, reduced fertility, and delays in the onset of puberty for females. It isn’t added as an ingredient, but rather makes its way in through contamination. Color additives are some of the most common sources. The best way to avoid lead is to buy makeup from companies that make products in small batches and avoid contamination, or to buy products colored with fruit and other natural pigments.

🚫 FRAGRANCE/PARFUM (which should just be listed on the ingredients label as “hidden toxins”) is packed with dangerous, synthetic chemicals, such as phthalates, which are powerful hormone disruptors linked to pre-term births, birth defects, decreased sperm counts, reduced female fertility, and a worsening of allergy and asthma symptoms. However, this innocuous but misleading term is meant to hide hundreds of these ingredients because they are considered “trade secrets” in the eyes of the government, which seems to place the interests of the corporation above the safety of us, the consumers.

🚫 PARABENS - preservatives found in almost every personal care product on the market and known to interfere with hormone function, which can lead to early puberty in children & an increased risk of hormonal cancer. It has been linked to male reproductive issues, an increased risk of breast cancer, birth defects, and organ toxicity. In 2011, a shocking study showed that methylparaben along with an endocrine disruptor widely found in food, BPA, turned healthy cells into cancer cells and rendered the breast cancer drug tamoxafin ineffective.

🚫 PEG-10 DIMETHICONE & CETYL PEG/PEG-10/1 DIMETHICONE otherwise known as “ethoxylated compounds,” which produce a carcinogenic byproduct 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.

🚫 PROPYLENE GLYCOL -the main active ingredient in antifreeze and is used to soften cosmetic products. It can damage the central nervous system, liver and heart. high levels may contribute to blood and kidney disorders. 

🚫 BENZYL ALCOHOL - an aromatic alcohol used as a preservative. It’s the active ingredient in head lice treatment and used as a solvent.  It is most often created by combining benzyl chloride (a suspected carcinogen that has been used as a war gas) with sodium hydroxide (lye).  Sometimes it is created by reacting Phenylmagnesium Bromide (C6H5MgBr) with Formaldehyde. It’s a common skin contact allergen. High concentrations can induce asthma and bronchitis in some individuals.

🚫 BHA and BHT (Butylated Compounds) - toluene-based ingredients (toluene was rated 37th most toxic chemical by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in 1992). They are used as a preservative in personal care products. They are possible carcinogens and are linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity. There’s evidence that suggests that BHT mimics estrogen, which can throw off hormonal function in both men and women, and in some situations, BHT can promote the growth of tumors. The EU prohibits the use of BHA as a fragrance and the European Commission on Endocrine Disruption lists it as a Category 1 priority substance due to evidence that it interferes with hormonal function. The worst part is that both BHT and BHA bioaccumulate. Given the wide variety of food and cosmetic products they are used in, accumulation over time could lead to serious health consequences.

🚫 OCTINOXATE - made by mixing sulfuric acid and methanol. It’s commonly used in foundations and other cosmetic and skin care products (e.g., hair dye, shampoo, lotion, nail polish, and lip balm). It’s an unstable chemical linked with endocrine disruption and thyroid disorders. It can also cause acne even though it’s found in a number of acne prevention products.

* Please note that not all of the harmful ingredients listed above are found in the Armani brand, but are common in many popular brands of foundation.

Most loose powders and brush-on foundations, which are applied topically aren’t very safe either. Not only do most contain the endocrine disruptors methylparaben and propylparaben, but they also contain many other questionable and concerning ingredients. One best seller (and many similar products) contains retinyl acetate, alumina (suspected of being neurotoxic), and other hazardous ingredients that can be inhaled.

As another word of caution, always beware of branding and marketing buzzwords, such as “natural.” Unfortunately, the word “natural” means nothing when it comes to personal care products because there is absolutely no governmental review or oversight. In fact, even natural ingredients aren’t all good for you. Just think poisons like lead, arsenic, and petrolatum, which is a petroleum derivative. These are all “natural” ingredients, but have no place anywhere near your skin. Other catchy marketing terms like “100 pure,” “cruelty-free,” “organic” that are meant to appeal to today’s health-conscious consumer are also mostly meaningless due to a lack of legislation and oversight. Remember to always check the full list of ingredients and confirm with the EWG (Environmental Working Group) Skin Deep Database, which rates the safety of personal care products.

READY FOR THE CLEAN SWAP?🙋‍♀️

Check out Beautycounter’s newly launched Twin Skin Featherweight Foundation! Think of this innovative product as “skincare meets cosmetics.” With 18 buildable coverage shades, this breathable, weightless, long-wearing, natural-looking foundation feels like a second skin. Twin Skin delivers all-day hydration while a potent dose of hyaluronic acid visibly plumps and evens for smoother, healthier-looking skin with each application.

According to a poll of users, Skin Twin provides amazing results:

Immediate results: 

• 97% said skin looked smoother. 

• 94% said skin looked even-toned. 

• 91% said Skin Twin covered imperfections

After two weeks of use: 

• 100% said skin looked naturally radiant, luminous, and glowing. 

• 100% said skin looked smoother. 

• 97% said skin looked plump. 

• 94% said skin looked even-toned. 

• 91% said the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles were diminished

In addition to cosmetic benefits of using Beautycounter’s Skin Twin, there are also other benefits to using a non-toxic foundation, such as:

• Fewer toxins in your body - The #1 benefit of switching to a non-toxic foundation is that it reduces the number of toxins you’re exposed to on a daily basis. Obviously, we can’t get eliminate all toxins—we have to breathe, drink water, etc—but the more we can reduce our overall toxic load, the more we reduce our risk of disease in the future. Swapping out your skincare and make up is one of the easiest ways to reduce toxins, so why wait… especially when we can get equally high performing products without all those harmful chemicals.

• Clearer Skin - most women who switch to toxin-free skincare and cosmetics report having clearer and more beautiful skin over time.

And don’t worry! You can still look gorgeous. One of women’s biggest fears when it comes to a Clean Swap is that the toxin-free products will be inferior in terms of performance. Admittedly, that was one of my fears and possibly true in the past. It took me a long time to find products that worked as well for my skin as my old La Prairie and La Mer favorites (Check out the Skincare Clean Swap edition), but I did find them (and trust me, I’m a vain, girly-girl who was going to look good at any cost!) and they work just as well (if not better) than all my old tried and true toxic products.

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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