Going natural

[awedstuff]

I've recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and have been rethinking all my beauty products and trying things out that are more naturally derived. I figure chemo and radiation are toxic enough without adding a bunch of other toxins. I found a haircare line I like (Belegenza) but am struggling with skincare and makeup. I have really thick skin and need constant exfoliation and lots of moisture. I'm fairly minimalist in makeup, but having a hard time finding a primer and tinted moisturizer/CC/BB cream (been using Laura Mercier for years). Mascara has been hard to replace as well. What suggestions do you all have for lines/products? Or do you have any thoughts on resource websites or what I should look for to reduce product toxins? Thanks for your help!

[abizzle123]

Download the app EWG and/or the "Good Guide". Both are excellent resources to see ingredients and product safety ratings. I tend to use the "Good Guide" app more because it's more user friendly. You could also check out Blissfulmiss.com. Tarte BB cream is what I use. It has the lowest toxicity of any other foundation or bb cream I've found (that actually works well). Drunk elephant is another good brand. Good luck to you!

[purdygirl86]

I have used only natural makeup for years. Tarte and Josie Maran are my favourite lines at Sephora. Natural ingredients and cruelty free 👍🏼 Josie Maran has the best custom foundation serum. It goes on light like a BB cream or tinted moisturizer but gives you just a little more coverage while still having a natural finish.

[JHCN]

I'm so sorry to hear about this! There is a brand that is all natural, no chemicals that is called "Face Naturals." It has scrubs, cleansers, lotions, moisturizers and much more. I don't know if it has makeup though, I think just skincare, but the products are great and most of them are organic and vegan.

[SoberBeauty]

There are lots of resources, it can get overwhelming. I've been transitioning to all cruelty free and products with less harsh chemicals. I took SLS (Sodium Laurel Sulfate) and other detergents out years ago and my skin improved dramatically. I only use the highest quality skin care I can afford since many of these products get absorbed into the bloodstream. I've had my share of illness so I try to limit my exposure to carcinogens where I can. The brand Paula's Choice has become a favorite of mine, available on her website or at Nordstrom. Paula's Choice also has a website called "Beautypedia" that is easy to navigate and allows you to look up products or ingredients. It's very informative and less scary than some of the others which is why I like it. Sunday Riley, First Aid Beauty, Tatcha, and Tarte are my other faves for skin care. Makeup I am really loyal to Hourglass & Tarte. Also love Bite, ABH, Marc Jacobs, Bare Minerals/Buxom, and Smashbox. So many brands are really great about quality ingredients it's easy to avoid the ones that aren't. Sadly the largest companies are some of the worst with their ingredients- Estée Lauder, Lancôme, L'Oréal, to name a few. It's strange to me that it's not about expense- there are very expensive brands that still use crap ingredients and very inexpensive brands that use quality.

[TLBrown]

Download the app 'think dirty'. It reviews products and their ingredients and tells u if it's cancer causing, carcinogen, etc. if the product isn't in their database you can enter it and take a photo of the front and back of the product and they will research it. I recently moved to the Tarte product line and love it. 12 hour blush that looks super natural! Very cool. I just tried their waterproof mascara and LOVE it. On the think dirty site most of there products are in low end of any concerns. Stay strong! U can beat your cancer!!!!