To give this BeautyCounter review context, I believe it’s important to start with a bit of backstory. What made me choose BeautyCounter? What products did I try? And most important of all, do I still believe and use BeautyCounter today?
Before BeautyCounter
As you know, this is a food blog. I generally share healthier recipes I’ve developed, but I haven’t always been a health food fanatic. In fact, when I first started blogging in 2009, all my posts were pictures of specialty cakes I had made for clients.
So our journey of eating healthier, cleaner, and less processed foods has definitely been a “process”. We didn’t make any radical overnight changes, but instead – as we learnt more and knew better – we slowly started making better choices.
And once a tiny human (in form of our daughter) joined us along the way, I became even more conscious; not only about things we put into our bodies, but also what we put ONTO our bodies.
Especially when it came to my little girl. I suddenly found myself researching the ingredient lists of detergents, body wash and skin care products because I really wanted the best for her.
As I learned more, I switched to different kid’s shampoo and toothpaste for her, aluminum-free deodorant for myself and non-toxic biodegradable detergent for all of us.
That was just the start though and this transition process is far from complete, but I am still learning more and making changes along the way.
Saying “NO” to Toxic Products
I mentioned shampoos, toothpaste, deodorant, and detergent, but one of the initial products I became super concerned with was sunscreen. I discovered that conventional sunscreens are full of a chemical called oxybenzone. And most of them have an additional 6 to 8 questionable chemicals in them.
I hadn’t learnt about alternative mineral sunscreens yet and the potential dangers with conventional (chemical) sunscreens scared me to an extent where we completely stopped using sunscreen for a while. Instead, we relied on protecting our skin by covering up with hats and long clothing.
Then about a year ago our daughter started at a mostly outdoor preschool. I quickly realized without me being there to make sure she stays in the shade and keeps covered up at all times, we needed another solution.
Introduction to BeautyCounter
This is when I was introduced to BeautyCounter for the first time through another mom at the preschool. I loved learning about their mineral based sunscreen option; the science behind it made sense.
My first order was for their sunscreen stick which – contrary to other sunscreens, were quite fun for my daughter to apply herself.
Shortly after I also got the kids line of bath products. I discovered that they are not only safer than products I had been using, but the shampoo and conditioner also did a fantastic job at managing my daughter’s crazy tangly hair.
Since then I have gone on to try a bunch more of their skincare and makeup products. I am constantly amazed just how well they work and how refreshing they feel on my skin.
Needless to say I was quickly sold on every one of the BeautyCounter products I tried. First, because I knew they are safer. Second, because they worked as well (sometimes even better) than conventional off-the-shelf products.
BeautyCounter Product Reviews
If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you will know I would never promote, recommend, or even talk positive about a product or service I do not full-heartedly believe in. This is especially true for non-food-related stuff.
So allow me to be brutally honest with you as I talk a little about each of the BeautyCounter products I have used. And know what I am about to say (whether good or bad) comes from the heart and is not intended to persuade you for or against BeautyCounter in any way.
Sound fair? Alright, let’s get started!
Here is a list of the BeautyCounter products I’m using today:
BeautyCounter Sunscreen Review
As mentioned earlier, the Countersun line of sunscreen products was my introduction to BeautyCounter. I loved them so much that I experimented with many of their other products as well.
I keep recommending these sunscreen products to friends and family. Mainly because they are absolutely fantastic, but also because it is incredibly hard to find sunscreen products that aren’t loaded with questionable hormone disrupting chemicals.
BeautyCounter launched the Countersun line of products in May of 2018 and it consisted of the now popular sunscreen spray, sunscreen lotion, and sunscreen stick. I for one can’t recommend any of them enough!
More on that in my in depth sunscreen review here!
Click to Learn More About the:
BeautyCounter Kids Line Reviewed
As mentioned earlier, the BeautyCounter Kids Line was the second line of products I bought. I had tried various brands of kid shampoos, conditioners, as well as body wash. They all worked as promised, but I quickly learned that the focus of those brands was to make their products gentle on the eyes.
As in, if the products accidentally got into the young kid’s eyes, it would not burn. Or as the product labeling would read “No More Tears” and “Kind to the Eyes”.
As nice as that is, my bigger concern always was with the chemicals that made up the products. Were they actually safe for my baby girl? Would it disrupt her hormones and/or give her who knows what kind of allergies later in life?
All legitimate questions, right? Yet none of the brands gave a clear answer or ever emphasized on why their products were perfectly safe. Likely because they hoped such questions wouldn’t be asked. Yet product safety was (and still is) very important to me!
When I learned that BeautyCounter had a line of kid products, I immediately knew I wanted them. Especially since I already knew how important product safety is to BeautyCounter. In fact, safer beauty is the slogan that put BeautyCounter on the map. More on that later!
Learn More about Safer:
BeautyCounter Countermatch Review
This is my first year in my 30s and – living in a rather dry climate for most of the year – I realized I needed a skincare routine. I started out with an all-natural locally made face cream, but it always left my skin feel greasy and heavy.
And then – just a few weeks in – I was shocked to find mold growing inside the tub. Gross!!!
So I tried Beautycounter’s Countermatch line of serum, eye cream, moisturizer and night cream. The products feel light on my skin and I couldn’t believe how immediate the visible effects were. Without any makeup my tired-mom-look has made room for healthy, glowing skin.
Learn More About BeautyCounter Countermatch:
BeautyCounter Makeup Review
I have to admit that makeup is an area I hadn’t grown conscious about until recently. Since I am usually a weekend-only makeup wearer, I was somehow okay with my age-old drugstore makeup products. Yikes!!!
And again, my daughter was the trigger to my makeup wake-up call. Having just turned 4 she discovered the joys of dress-up, and now makeup too.
But I wasn’t willing to let her use my cheap lipstick that I had done absolutely no research on.
Knowing now about the potentially carcinogenic and hormone disrupting chemicals used in conventional beauty products, I had to ask myself why I was still okay with putting them on my own skin?!
So, slowly but surely I have been replacing my most used makeup items (mascara, lipstick, lipgloss, foundation and concealer) with BeautyCounter products. And I have to say their performance has really impressed and convinced me. I love the bold and beautiful pigments, and how the foundation makes my skin feel light and fresh.
So yes, I most definitely recommend the BeautyCounter makeup products.
Learn More About BeautyCounter Makeup:
- Tint Skin Foundation (linen)
- Cream Blusher (hibiscus)
- Lip Gloss (bare shimmer + peony)
- Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20 (no. 2)
- Concealer Pen (light)
- Sheer Lipstick (rose)
- Brow Pencil (medium)
- Volumizing Mascara
BeautyCounter Charcoal Mask & Charcoal Bar Review
Activated charcoal does a fantastic job at drawing out and eliminating impurities.
I am sure you have seen the videos of people using black charcoal powder as toothpaste that ends up whitening their teeth magically. We just started using it as well (a few times per week) and it’s done magic in removing the coffee and tea stains from our teeth.
BeautyCounter does not sell any toothpaste, but they do have other beauty enhancing products based on the same ingredients. They too are pretty magical.
One such product is the BeautyCounter charcoal bar of soap. I like using it whenever I feel like my face needs a really good cleanse (after working out or wearing a lot of makeup).
The charcoal face mask is another one of their activated charcoal products. Using it is like giving yourself a spa treatment in the comfort of your home. I use it at least 1-2 times a week and highly recommend it!
Learn More About BeautyCounter Charcoal:
Confession
Initially, I was quite hesitant when I saw the ingredient lists of some BeautyCounter products with names I couldn’t pronounce or had never heard of.
The products are not all-natural. Meaning they use some synthetic ingredients. But as I learnt more about the vigorous selecting and testing process, I was comforted to learn the product development team will only ever use ingredients that have shown to have NO negative health impacts.
This was huge for me. Instead of using chemicals that may or may not have negative side effects (however small or negligible), BeautyCounter will NOT use them. And the list of products they promise to NEVER use is extensive!
Which leads me to…
The BeautyCounter Never List
Reading about BeautyCounter’s proactive mission of making the world a safer place by pushing for regulations that completely eliminate questionable chemicals from being used in cosmetic products, I developed a whole new level of appreciation for the company.
More than that though, I was shocked to learn how unregulated the cosmetic industry in the US and Canada is. Which is possibly why most companies pay so little attention to the effect many of the chemicals in their products have on human health.
Just because a chemical is unregulated does not mean it is safe for human use. Even if it’s in small quantities. Especially not on a continuous daily basis.
Here are some eye-opening numbers:
- The European Union has banned close to 1,400 chemicals from being used in personal care products and has restricted the levels of over 250 more chemicals in such products.
- Canada prohibits the use of less than 600 chemicals for cosmetic use.
- The United States has only partially banned 30 chemicals to date!!!
BeautyCounter goes above and beyond all of these. They have committed themselves to a health and beauty standard that prohibits the use of more than 1,500 questionable or harmful chemicals through “The Never List” (read more here).
And just like I don’t just share healthy recipes with you but make sure they satisfy and taste delicious as well, BeautyCounter too is committed to performance. They make sure that their products are not only safer but also perform and are as indulgent as any other high-end makeup, hair or skin care product on the market.
Sharing BeautyCounter with You
As you likely know by now, I love sharing products I believe in. Although this is not a health or beauty blog and BeautyCounter is not exactly a food related company, I wanted to share them with you.
BeautyCounter is more than a cosmetic company though. Their mission is to make safer products available to everyone! That’s why they also work hard towards policy changes in the cosmetic industry and how the US regulates the ingredients that go into skincare and beauty products.
After falling in love with the BeautyCounter products and using them for a few months, I figured “why not team up with the company and share their awesome products with my audience?”
Which is why I decided to become a BeautyCounter consultant a month ago!
Yes, I get a tiny commission off of each product sale I generate, but that is not reason enough for me to recommend the BeautyCounter products. Truth is, if the products had not genuinely impressed me, you would never see or hear me talking about them… as it probably evident by the fact that I’m talking about them on a food blog of all places.
Already familiar with BeautyCounter?
Had you heard of BeautyCounter before? If yes, have you used any of their products yourself?
Tell me about your favorite products in the comments below. I’m still learning about all of them, so would love hearing what your experience with BeautyCounter has been!
DISCLOSURE: Links in this post are affiliate links. I may make a small commission if you end up purchasing any products.
