A Better Me
The day after Thanksgiving, we got a dog.
Roxy Lane Turk is a laborador retriever. Her mom was a full bred golden retriever who went red-lighting one day and came back knocked up. So Roxy's technically a black lab, but she's also technically not a black lab. Daddy donor was anonymous. She's marginalized, and we love her.
Here's the thing: having a puppy is akin to having a newborn. You don't know what you're doing, you're up all night, you smell like piss and slobber, and you're forgetful AF. You didn't believe what everyone told you about the early months but now you realize they were right, you have no idea what's going on in the news, scheduling your life is unimaginable, and not only are you not taking care of the rest of your family, you're not taking care of yourself.
Or maybe that's just me.
We're getting better, though. Roxy's puppy teeth are starting to fall out - PTL! - and she hasn't had an accident in the house since early January. Ollie's cooled it on the "you love the dog more than me" guilt trips and Doug and I were able to talk last night during a pre-scheduled meeting about a lot of stuff we had been neglecting. I still have no clue about the news and I can't remember my name, but I tend to like it that way lately.
I'm also taking better care of myself, which as we know, not only helps me by making me feel cleaner, more in control and better about my image, but also helps the family because Mama's not so irrational and uptight. I tossed old clothes and shoes and I cleaned out the bathroom closet. I used Ipsy for a few months last year - the online makeup distributor that sends you 5 trial items and a little makeup bag every month for a small fee - and I tossed all the things I didn't like - which was a lot. IT WAS LIBERATING.
Through that purge, I realized that a) I don't like to wash my face at night and b) because I only use a few items on my skin: face wash and lotion, concealer, blush, mascara and eyebrow pencil, I should really buy only the best. I went through magazines, online articles, and word of mouth and tried TONS of products. I didn't love them, and I didn't love washing everything off my face. Until I found...
Beautycounter.
Have you heard of them? They are a personal care product company with everything from kid shampoo and sunscreen to makeup, masks and men's body lotion. Their whole idea is to get safer products into everyone's hands through consultants (just like Stella & Dot, Thirty-One and ItWorks!) because the FDA hasn't regulated the ingredients in personal care products since 1938. You may have to go back and read that again. Everything that you buy at Target, Whole Foods, wherever, that says organic is not certifiably organic because anyone could put that label on their products - it's not regulated by the American government. Europe has removed 1400 toxins out of their personal products, and US has taken 30. Beautycounter, however, has taken 1500 toxins out of their products and put them on a "never" list where they promise they've never put them into products and they never will. These toxins have been linked to many different kinds of cancer, asthma and infertility. HELLO.
I am not a consultant and I don't plan to be. I'm not selling you Beautycounter - I promise. But I do think it's important for you - for everyone - to look at what you're using and make a decision for yourselves.
Check this out:
Beautycounter started in 2013 and is getting more acclaim every day. They've partnered with Environmental Working Group (use this database to check out your current products' ingredients), Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, and Healthy Child Health World. They're certified by the American Sustainable Business Council, Benefit Corporation, Business-NGO Working Group, CarbonFund.org, and Safe Cosmetics Business Network. They've been featured on the Today Show, Glamour magazine, and have partnered with Target. Like, really, they're not messing around.
But the biggest point to make is that the products are GOOD. I'm in love with nearly all of them. And they ease you into their stuff - they have a Flawless in Five deal that's incredible - and I will be using these same containers for months. You know how you can get those little chin hairs that come out of nowhere and grow to 5 feet long before you notice them? No joke, I just realized this last week: using the charcoal mask and the face wash and moisturizer (I use the Nourishing line), has made it so that I can FEEL when one is coming in. And it turns out that I'm a hairy beast. But that's another post. The bottom line is that my skin is so smooth, soft, clean and HAPPY.
I really do look forward to washing my face now, because they have something called Cleansing Balm and it's REVOLUTIONIZED my nighttime routine. I don't like washing my face at night because I get water everywhere and not only does the water wake me up, but I also have to clean it up - waking me and angering me further. Here I am now, tired, with a wet pajama neck and sleeves and hair and I'm involved in this water war with my countertop. It's fierce. But with the Cleaning Balm, I put a little of the balm - it's like a wax - into my palm and rub it onto my face. I wet a washcloth and wipe it off. DONE. No mess. No stress.
FAQ Time:
Are the products more expensive than Walmart stuff? Yes.
Do the products cover as well as Cover Girl? Yes.
Do you have as many breakouts with this as with Cover Girl/Neutrogena/Maybelline/Almay, etc.? Nope. Not even close.
What about sensitive skin? What about eczema? Yup. You're good. I have dry, sensitive skin.
Have you tried Origins? Have you tried Rodan & Fields? Have you tried this one or that one or this department store one, or this unique one from Zimbabwe or that Mario Badescu one?
YES. I have. And while all the items are great, this is the company I keep going back to because they are SAFE.
So do me a favor and check out Beautycounter. That's all. Check it out.
If you want to buy something and switch to safer, go to my social link. Where it says to select an upcoming social, click on my name. And hey, to entice you over to the bright side:
I really don't think you'll regret it! I know that I don't.
So when my life gets crazy - the dog refuses to get off the couch, my son is whining, or my husband is asking if I realized I didn't put soap in the dishwasher, at least I can get up, wash the dog slobber off my face and go to bed knowing that I'm treating myself to safer products.
And that makes me a better me!
Wouldn't it be nice if they sold wine?
Roxy Lane Turk is a laborador retriever. Her mom was a full bred golden retriever who went red-lighting one day and came back knocked up. So Roxy's technically a black lab, but she's also technically not a black lab. Daddy donor was anonymous. She's marginalized, and we love her.
Here's the thing: having a puppy is akin to having a newborn. You don't know what you're doing, you're up all night, you smell like piss and slobber, and you're forgetful AF. You didn't believe what everyone told you about the early months but now you realize they were right, you have no idea what's going on in the news, scheduling your life is unimaginable, and not only are you not taking care of the rest of your family, you're not taking care of yourself.
Or maybe that's just me.
We're getting better, though. Roxy's puppy teeth are starting to fall out - PTL! - and she hasn't had an accident in the house since early January. Ollie's cooled it on the "you love the dog more than me" guilt trips and Doug and I were able to talk last night during a pre-scheduled meeting about a lot of stuff we had been neglecting. I still have no clue about the news and I can't remember my name, but I tend to like it that way lately.
I'm also taking better care of myself, which as we know, not only helps me by making me feel cleaner, more in control and better about my image, but also helps the family because Mama's not so irrational and uptight. I tossed old clothes and shoes and I cleaned out the bathroom closet. I used Ipsy for a few months last year - the online makeup distributor that sends you 5 trial items and a little makeup bag every month for a small fee - and I tossed all the things I didn't like - which was a lot. IT WAS LIBERATING.
Through that purge, I realized that a) I don't like to wash my face at night and b) because I only use a few items on my skin: face wash and lotion, concealer, blush, mascara and eyebrow pencil, I should really buy only the best. I went through magazines, online articles, and word of mouth and tried TONS of products. I didn't love them, and I didn't love washing everything off my face. Until I found...
Beautycounter.
Have you heard of them? They are a personal care product company with everything from kid shampoo and sunscreen to makeup, masks and men's body lotion. Their whole idea is to get safer products into everyone's hands through consultants (just like Stella & Dot, Thirty-One and ItWorks!) because the FDA hasn't regulated the ingredients in personal care products since 1938. You may have to go back and read that again. Everything that you buy at Target, Whole Foods, wherever, that says organic is not certifiably organic because anyone could put that label on their products - it's not regulated by the American government. Europe has removed 1400 toxins out of their personal products, and US has taken 30. Beautycounter, however, has taken 1500 toxins out of their products and put them on a "never" list where they promise they've never put them into products and they never will. These toxins have been linked to many different kinds of cancer, asthma and infertility. HELLO.
I am not a consultant and I don't plan to be. I'm not selling you Beautycounter - I promise. But I do think it's important for you - for everyone - to look at what you're using and make a decision for yourselves.
Check this out:
I'm not going to lie to you. When my friend, Jennifer, became a consultant for Beautycounter, I wished her luck but I really didn't think that her job would amount to much. I feel like all companies like this are a flash in the pan (one point for outdated cliche), and all consultant-led retail business fizzle out. Even Mary Kay bit it for a while there before making a teeny come-back. Is it back? I'm not sure.
Beautycounter started in 2013 and is getting more acclaim every day. They've partnered with Environmental Working Group (use this database to check out your current products' ingredients), Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, and Healthy Child Health World. They're certified by the American Sustainable Business Council, Benefit Corporation, Business-NGO Working Group, CarbonFund.org, and Safe Cosmetics Business Network. They've been featured on the Today Show, Glamour magazine, and have partnered with Target. Like, really, they're not messing around.
But the biggest point to make is that the products are GOOD. I'm in love with nearly all of them. And they ease you into their stuff - they have a Flawless in Five deal that's incredible - and I will be using these same containers for months. You know how you can get those little chin hairs that come out of nowhere and grow to 5 feet long before you notice them? No joke, I just realized this last week: using the charcoal mask and the face wash and moisturizer (I use the Nourishing line), has made it so that I can FEEL when one is coming in. And it turns out that I'm a hairy beast. But that's another post. The bottom line is that my skin is so smooth, soft, clean and HAPPY.
I really do look forward to washing my face now, because they have something called Cleansing Balm and it's REVOLUTIONIZED my nighttime routine. I don't like washing my face at night because I get water everywhere and not only does the water wake me up, but I also have to clean it up - waking me and angering me further. Here I am now, tired, with a wet pajama neck and sleeves and hair and I'm involved in this water war with my countertop. It's fierce. But with the Cleaning Balm, I put a little of the balm - it's like a wax - into my palm and rub it onto my face. I wet a washcloth and wipe it off. DONE. No mess. No stress.
FAQ Time:
Are the products more expensive than Walmart stuff? Yes.
Do the products cover as well as Cover Girl? Yes.
Do you have as many breakouts with this as with Cover Girl/Neutrogena/Maybelline/Almay, etc.? Nope. Not even close.
What about sensitive skin? What about eczema? Yup. You're good. I have dry, sensitive skin.
Have you tried Origins? Have you tried Rodan & Fields? Have you tried this one or that one or this department store one, or this unique one from Zimbabwe or that Mario Badescu one?
YES. I have. And while all the items are great, this is the company I keep going back to because they are SAFE.
So do me a favor and check out Beautycounter. That's all. Check it out.
If you want to buy something and switch to safer, go to my social link. Where it says to select an upcoming social, click on my name. And hey, to entice you over to the bright side:
- If you buy $50 worth of products through jennifermarie_schroeder@yahoo.com by February 16th, you get $10 off!
- If you buy $100 worth of products through jennifermarie_schroeder@yahoo.com by February 16th, you get $20 off!
- Anyone who buys using my link or this email by February 16th gets entered to win this No. 3 Balancing Spa Set (reg. $88!):
So when my life gets crazy - the dog refuses to get off the couch, my son is whining, or my husband is asking if I realized I didn't put soap in the dishwasher, at least I can get up, wash the dog slobber off my face and go to bed knowing that I'm treating myself to safer products.
And that makes me a better me!
Wouldn't it be nice if they sold wine?
Comments