First, it started with cancer.

Then, the elevated thyroid.

And back, again, to cancer.

 

It seemed like I couldn’t catch a break … so I took a break.

I ended my relationship with my skincare routine because I was getting melanoma time and time again in places where the sun doesn’t always shine.

I wondered if it was possible that I could get cancer and then disrupt my endocrine system (i.e., hormone levels) with what I was putting on my skin.

The answer still remains unknown, but I do know this…

 

I started using Beautycounter – a skincare {face and body} and makeup line that I searched diligently for in the hopes that there was something better than what Whole Foods was offering.

Here’s the website: http://www.beautycounter.com/christieschroeder/.

And my thyroid levels are back to “normal.”

 

Since the answers to my diagnoses remain in the dark, here are the facts:

• Over 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed by our skin {our body’s largest organ}.
• Decades of studies indicate that serious health issues are on the rise and due, in part, to exposure to toxic chemicals.
• Roughly 10% of the 10,000 chemicals commonly found in personal care products have safety data. {I’m no Math wizard, but that leaves us with nearly 9,000 chemicals with no information on their safety.}
• The FDA allows companies to use extremely harmful products (e.g., lead, formaldehyde … what?) that have been linked to cancer, infertility, learning and developmental disabilities, and hormone disruption.
• And the U.S. … it hasn’t passed a law since 1938 regulating the cosmetic industry, and when they did, only 11 ingredients were banned or restricted … FYI: The European Union has banned 1,400.

 

Don’t think you’ll get cancer?

Neither did I.

But in the U.S. alone, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will develop cancer at some point in their lifetime. And … childhood cancers have increased 20% since 1975.

 

Oh yea … and autism, ADHD, asthma, and allergies are all on the rise in the U.S.

In fact, learning and developmental disabilities affect more than 1 in 6 children in the U.S.

And the National Academy of Sciences has determined that environmental factors contribute to 28% of developmental disorders in children.

 

Finally {but not really finally}, difficulty conceiving and maintaining a pregnancy affected 40% more women in 2002 than it did in 1982.

But for those fortunate enough to conceive, more than 200 chemicals {many known to be toxic} can be found in nearly all Americans, including newborns who are exposed to chemicals in utero.

And today, girls are entering puberty earlier than a generation ago – in part, due to exposures to endocrine disruptors. Note: Early puberty puts girls at a higher risk for breast cancer later in life.

 

Yikes.

 

Trust me … I know.

This was all terrifying to me, too.

 

But the good news is … there’s a non-profit organization called EWG Skin Deep that is educating people on the safety of personal care products. {http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/}

They offer a free app where you can find safety ratings for nearly 80,000 products with ingredients largely unregulated by the federal government.

 

And Beautycounter is  on a mission to integrate safety with performance, only offering products ranked a 1 or a 2 with EWG Skin Deep {and the prices are in line with what’s at Sephora}.

Beautycounter has banned more than 1,500 ingredients {the strictest standard in this country} and has worked side-by-side with A-list celebrity makeup artist, Christy Coleman, to ensure its quality.

{I suppose the company’s mission is working…}

And guess what … they even have a baby and kids’ line, along with sunscreen, etc.

I’m obsessed with the products and I’m the girl who can look at something wrong and get a break-out. {And the girl who used to spend an obscene amount of money on La Mer and La Prairie.}

 

If you’d like to learn more about Beautycounter, the products, or how to join the mission, please reach out on Facebook or via email: christieschroederbc@gmail.com.

Here’s a 3-minute video to take a peek at, too, in case you’re {kind of} in love already: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZfV91Ybmnc&feature=share.

 

Stay tuned for more about fashion – or love – in the next post!

xxo,

Christie