MAKING THE CHANGE TO NATURAL MAKE UP

When I got pregnant one of the first things I changed up was my skincare routine. As I learned more about what products and ingredients were safe and what wasn’t safe, I fell down the rabbit hole of the EWG Healthy Living App and website and began to look into pregnancy safe make up as well. I’ve had the app downloaded on my phone for a while and used it periodically, but more recently I became addicted to learning about what chemicals are in make up. Trying to find safer and more natural make up alternatives became a priority, along with household items, and refining my skincare routine.

Vince Blouse (similar here and here) | Madewell Maternity Jeans | Mineral Fusion Lipstick in “Smolder”

COMMON HARMFUL INGREDIENTS IN COSMETICS

The problem I kept running into when looking for pregnancy safe skincare and make up on the internet, was that there were a ton of blog posts about what you should avoid, with very few actual product suggestions. Article after article about what to not use during pregnancy. This is important, especially considering the laws on what is allowed to be used in our cosmetics has not changed since 1938. Yes, 1938! European countries have banned over a thousand harmful ingredients in the use of their cosmetics, where as in the US we have only banned 11. Kind of scary. According to EWG, the average woman uses 12 products a day, which has 168 ingredients. Now when researching make up and skin care products, I try to stay clear of anything with the following ingredients:

• Parabens
• Formaldehyde
• Phthalates
• Triclosan
• Retinyl palmitate and retinoic acid
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate
• Hydroquinone
• Petroleum Distillates

These are all known endocrine disrupters, that have been been linked to birth defects. This immediately terrified me while carrying our little one. So what products are safe to use?

my picks for Safer Make Up Options

The good news about choosing safer make up options, doesn’t mean you need to spend a fortune. Yes, there are some very expensive products out on the market, including natural skincare and clean alternatives, but that’s not your only option. I have found a lot of my new favorite make up products at Whole Foods and Sprouts, plus there’s always good ‘ol Amazon. (As always, please check with your doctor before trying out any new products while pregnant. This is just what has worked for me and what I’ve been loving after doing my own research.)

• RMS Beauty
  Why I love it: This was one of the first clean makeup brands I found and I instantly fell in love. The creator Rose-Marie was a makeup artist to the stars who found herself very sick after being exposed to the toxic chemicals and lead in make up every day.

What I use: RMS beauty has such creamy textures, that give you a glow without looking greasy. I love their Signature Palette (“Pop Collection”) for the bright pigments. The Signature Palette retails for $44, which isn’t horrible compared to many brands carried at Sephora, plus I can use it on my lips, cheeks, and eye lids. It’s a great palette to keep in your purse and/or travel with. RMS Beauty’s Un-cover up has also become an instant favorite: great as a concealer or foundation.

• W3ll People
  Why I love it: I read a ton about W3ll People on EWG’s site. They are EWG verified and a have a wide range of products that are super pigmented. With makeup artists and dermatologists behind the brand, they’re committed to non-toxic ingredients that still make you look and feel put together. Plus, you can get them at Target or Whole Foods, making it super easy!

What I use: I’ve been using W3ll People’s lip to cheek, multi-use creamer stick. It’s a great cream plus, plus I dab a bit on my lips as well. The color lasts all day on my cheeks and instantly makes me look more awake. I haven’t tried any of their other products yet, but have been looking into a few of the below.

• Beauty Counter
  Why I love it:  I was a little late to the party with Beauty Counter products, but I’m really glad I ordered a few things. They carry everything from skincare to makeup, and even children’s products like body wash and sunscreen. Beauty Counter is another EWG verified brand, so you can feel safe with any of their products.

What I use: Out of all the natural makeup products I’ve been researching, finding a foundation seemed to the toughest for me. Beauty Counter has a lot of options for a great base. I’ve been using their Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation for everyday wear. It’s definitely a bit lighter than what I’m used to wearing, but it has buildable coverage if you use a brush vs a beauty blender like I’m used to doing.

• Burt’s Bees
  Why I love it: Always a tried and true favorite. We’ve stocked up on baby items from Burt’s Bees, I use a lot of their products in my everyday skincare routine, and now I’m loving their make up as well. None of their products are formulated with parabens, phthalates, SLS, petrolatum, talc, synthetic fragrances, or silicones. They’re also not tested on animals.

What I use: I’ve been gravitating towards Burt’s Bees lipcolors lately. I love vibrant lipsticks, and unfortunately most lipsticks have lead in them. Pretty scary! Burt’s Bees are super moisturizing and the color is long lasting. My favorite shade lately has been their “Napa Vineyard” lip crayon. I’ve also heard great things about their foundation, but have yet to try it myself. Their products have always been great on my super sensitive skin, so I have high hopes. I’ll have to report back on that and share with you guys.

• Mineral Fusion
  Why I love it: When Mineral Fusion came up at the top of EWG’s certified recommended products list, I knew I had to check them out. They describe their products as “multi-taskers”, not only acting as makeup, but acting as skin soothers and moisturizers that help improve skin while you wear their makeup. I was super happy to find they’re available at Whole Foods and Sprouts, making it really convenient to pick up some make up goodies, while grocery shopping.

What I use: I completely switched over my blush (color Creation ), bronzer (for a little contour) and highlighter to their products. I occasionally use others, but these have been my new everyday go-tos. I’ve also tried out their eyeshadow trio, which has great pigment, but heads up: it falls onto the skin a bit when applying, so I’d try to use this product before any foundation or face products. As someone with sensitive and acne-prone skin, none of these have broken me out, so that’s a major plus!

I hope this is a helpful resource for some of you who are pregnant or just for anyone looking to make the change to safer and more natural makeup. As someone who likes wearing makeup often, I’ve been really happy with the products mentioned above and actually feel like they’re just as good or better than the other products I’ve used in the past. When I find a product I love, I stick with it for years and I have a feeling some of these makeup products are going to become my new holy grail items.

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*Check out more beauty posts, here.
*For more pregnancy posts, click here.