My daughter was diagnosed with severe food allergies when she was eleven months old. She is anaphylactic (body goes into shock) to both peanuts and eggs, and we have to be diligent in reading food labels for EVERY single piece of food that goes into her mouth. We have been doing this for the past eight years and reading labels for her allergies has become a norm to all of us.
I have also learned to check labels for those specific ingredients in her personal care items (shampoo, toothpaste, body wash, body lotion, sunscreen) and have recently started to think about how I will need to do this as she adds make up and more hair products to her routine. What’s crazy though…. I never considered looking at the other ingredients in these products. I’ve just focused on scanning for the dangerous ones and then moved on not realizing that although her harmful allergens aren’t in the product, there are certainly still others in there.
Well… let me tell you about the eye opening (literally) experience I had in May of 2018. I had been gifted a very popular eyelash growing product and was so excited to experience the growth of full and long eyelashes. I used it immediately, and for two weeks, I fought through as my eyes itched and burned and got so red that I couldn’t even wear my contacts. I figured I just needed to tough my way through it because those eyelashes would be worth it in the end. Right?
During this time, I had started seeing posts and stories on Instagram about a company called Beautycounter, (I knew a little from a friend that was selling it and had also said I should try it), so I decided to look into it. I was shocked when I read about the lack of regulation in the personal care industry and even more floored that not a single law has been passed in this industry since 1938! Why had I never considered looking at the ingredients of the products I had been using on myself or the rest of my family???? How could I have spent the last eight years reading every single label for potentially harmful ingredients, and not really ever considered looking into all the other ingredients?
Because… I just assumed that those products had to be regulated and screened for safety to be sold in the United States market to men, women, and CHILDREN!!! I looked into the eyelash serum that was irritating my eyes, and realized that it has Isoproply Cloprostenate (among other questionable ingredients) in it that can cause some very concerning side effects (including ocular irritation and inflammation). I was DONE.
I was on the phone that day to my friend Amelia and by that night, I had joined Beautycounter as a consultant, because I knew I wanted to be a part of a company that is on a MISSION to get safer products into the hands of everyone; including my family! I also wanted to join a team that is driven to advocate and educate others. It has been a year, and I’ve used almost every product and am so proud to represent the company I love and believe so much in! The products are beautiful and high performing and there really is something for everyone. 
I feel confident as my kids grow older that I will be able to provide them with safer options for their own personal care products.
You can check out my website, the company, and all of the products here: