Once you know about all of the harmful chemicals common in cosmetics, you may find it hard to continue using the same old toxic products with a clean conscience. This is a good thing! The first step is to educate yourself, the second step is to make a change. It can be an intimidating transition, but before you make the switch, you must know these four things.
1. You don’t have to trash all of your makeup immediately.
Dumping your entire makeup bag in the trash is kind of a drastic move, and an expensive one at that, especially if you recently treated yourself to a brand new eye shadow palette. Instead, just replace items as they run out. This way, you won’t incur any sudden expenses and you can give yourself time to explore other brands and options rather than wholly committing to a green beauty brand that you might end up hating!
2. You don’t have to trash all toxic products, even though you feel pressured to.
We all want to be perfectly wholesome, but sometimes it is hard. The natural beauty movement is slow going, and there are simply some conventionally made products for which there is no equivalent alternative. Be okay with not being perfect. Think about one or two products you consider to be your ‘holy grail’ and which products you feel more comfortable about letting go of. Prioritize replacing the latter products first, and in the end you may find that you are ready to replace your holy grail products. If not? I say no biggie. Just keep your eyes open for healthier options and in the meantime enjoy the products that make you happy.
3. You don’t have to memorize every toxic ingredient.
Although we live in toxic times, we are also fortunate to live in the time of the smart phone. Use informative websites such as Skin Deep or apps like Think Dirty when you’re in the make up aisle to double check that what you’re buying is clean. I can tell you from experience that this is a much better alternative to struggling to read ingredients on the side of eyeliner pencil in the middle of Target.
4. You can ask for samples.
Just because a cosmetic company uses non toxic ingredients doesn’t mean that it will wear well or agree with your skin. So, even though you may feel shy about it, ask for samples! If you are going to make an investment in your health it may as well be an investment in beauty, am I right? Only sample one product at a time so, in case of a reaction, you can be sure which product caused it.