So what’s my agenda for this blog today? Well, I am going to show you that I have changed some major things in my life to be healthier! So here it is – I used to be a M.A.C. cosmetics girl until I learned that there is a healthier, but still glamorous, alternative. Over the years of being a M.A.C cosmetics girl, I have noticed that my skin was usually broken out and I had tons of clogged pores. It wasn’t until I stepped foot into an amazing store in downtown Birmingham, Ecology, that I learned that I never have to break out from makeup again!
Most women, including me, have no idea how many harmful chemicals are in the products we put on our faces and bodies each day! It’s okay girls, I am one of you! This is why I made the switch! What I am about to tell you in this blog is going to blow your mind! It will make you rethink your daily beauty products.
First and foremost, I am going to educate all of you just like Marla Shapiro and Carra Stoller, the owners of Ecology, did for me! Staying hydrated, eating well, and working out are good ways to start living a healthier lifestyle but, for women (and men too), there is one more easy extra step – make your body look and feel as good on the outside as it does on the inside!
The government cannot control what is going into skin care products and that should be enough reason to thoroughly read labels. If you’d like to see how harmful your own cosmetics are, visit this site: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/. The average woman uses up to 20 different skin care products per day and in many beauty and skin care products, there are petrochemicals. These harmful substances are not only bad to breathe in, but just as horrible to put on your skin! Further more, one dangerous chemical in particular, Triclosan, promotes the growth of dangerous super bugs. I now know why they say to replace your mascara every three months...
If this wasn’t enough to scare you, I have even more to share! Nitrosamines, which are commonly found in cosmetics, can cause brain and kidney cancer. Cosmetics, nail polish, fragrances, and shampoo can also cause pregnant women to have a higher level of phthalates, which can cause the baby to have a disruptive behavior later in life or cause birth defects. The even more shocking part is that only 11 percent of beauty products have been tested for these harmful chemicals!
So what can you do? How can you make the switch? First thing you need to say to yourself is, “I am going organic.” I feel like society makes organic look barely there or just plain and natural. Walk into Ecology, and you will see a whole new side to beauty and you’ll have access to products like you have never seen before. After Marla and Carra educated me, I bought six amazing products that I now use daily.
To make me feel better about each product I purchased, Marla and Carra said, “There is not one product in this store that we haven’t tried ourselves! We had to really make sure each product was safe.” Here is what these lovely ladies recommended to me:
Pangea Organics
Right on the box it states: “Pangea’s number one goal is to bring your skin into balance.” Before I bought these products, I was a Proactiv user. What happened with my skin while using Proactiv is that it would clear up fast, but then my skin would get used to the ingredients and chemicals in the product, and my skin would break out within a month of using the product.
Pangea isn’t an acne product; it is a happy, healthy skin care product! I bought the facial cleanser, facial toner and the facial cream and I use them every day. The result? My skin hasn’t been oily or dry or badly broken out ever since!
Facial Cleanser
The cleanser is gentle and will remove oil, dirt, and makeup while it nurtures the skin with vital plant-based nutrients! My favorite part about this product is that it doesn’t dry your skin out after you cleanse it. It just leaves my skin smooth and clean!
Facial Toner
Toners are known to bring skin to balance and refresh your skin. Pangea toner is specially formulated to remove all traces of dirt and oil, refine pores, remove impurities and awaken your senses. This toner does it all without doing too much! After cleansing and before moisturizing this will help reduce the number of breakouts. This is one toner you can truly trust!
Facial Cream
This cream is specially formulated for oily and blemish prone skin. It provides sebum to balance and regulate the skins natural oils. The essential fatty acids and antioxidants help restore damaged skin and speed up the healing process. Here’s a tip, put this on before you put foundation on to keep skin balanced and to shield your skin from bacteria and makeup that will clog your pores.
Who says green can’t look glamorous? Mineral makeup has gone down a different route in Ecology in downtown Birmingham. You can now buy “M.A.C like” products that won’t harm your skin and will look amazing!
Alima
Alima is a cosmetic line that is made for us glamorous girls who want to go green! It’s all mineral makeup that will not clog your pores or irritate your skin. Mineral makeup doesn’t always have to look plain and natural thanks to Alima! I bought Lilac and Milan eye shadow and it shimmers and creates the perfect smokey eye! So far I love this makeup and I think by this summer I will have switched from M.A.C to Alima!
I want to look great and feel beautiful in my skin! So girls, I made the switch! Will you?
If you read this and want to make a trip to Ecology, Britt’s Bitts reads are offered a discount on Ecology’s products! All you have to do is walk in and talk with either Marla or Carra and tell them you are a Britt’s Bitts reader!
