4 Natural Beauty Tips For a Healthier Beauty Routine

Natural Beauty Tips

Every day we are exposed to chemicals through the products we use.  From toothpaste to shampoo, the average person is exposed to at least 126 chemicals each day (source). The Environmental Working group reports that 1 out of every 5 adults is exposed to “all of the top seven carcinogenic impurities common to personal care product ingredients.” (source)

Knowing those facts, it’s even more important to know what you are putting on your body. Daily use of carcinogens not only builds up in your system, but can lead to life threatening complications, like cancer. Making the switch to a healthier beauty routine is just one way you can lead a healthier lifestyle.

Here are four ways you can have a simpler, healthier beauty routine.

1. Simplify Your Beauty Routine

Natural beauty tip number one: simplify.

This is the easiest step. Sometimes making a BIG change can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. When I look at my every day beauty routine, I find that it has been slimmed down over the years due to various factors (kids, age, time constraints, etc.). Sometimes things that seemed so important (like straightening my hair daily or bleaching facial hairs) were actually just another way that I was introducing chemicals to my body… and I did them DAILY!

An easy way to simplify your routine is to ask yourself a few questions. First, look at your routine as a whole:

• What tasks are included in your routine?
  • Ask yourself: Is this necessary? Is this healthy for my body? How much does this task mean to me?
• What products do you use in each task?
  • Take a look at the ingredients and ask yourself: Can I eliminate any of these products? Can I choose a healthier product?

If you find that any of these things just aren’t as important as they once were – kick it to the curb. Maybe there is another solution: can you try a different hairstyle? Can  you do without a particular product? Can you switch it out for a healthier alternative?

2. Back to the Basics

Natural beauty tip number two: get back to basics.

This one might be hard for some people. However, it may be the MOST important tip on this list: identify the products you use everyday. Toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, soap/body wash, makeup, and whatever else you use daily. Now take a look at the ingredients. Don’t know how to read a label? A great guide is the Mother Earth Livings’s article Know the Ingredients in Your Personal Care Products. Here are some ingredients they suggest avoiding:

• Words ending in “paraben”
• DMDM hydantoin
• Imidazolidinyl urea
• Methylchloroisothiazolinone
• Methylisothiazolinone
• Triclosan
• Triclocarban
• Triethanolamine (or “TEA”)
• Words that start with “PEG”
• Words that have an “-eth” in the middle (e.g., sodium laureth sulfate)
• “FRAGRANCE,” “FD&C,” or “D&C”
• 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3 Diol
• BHA
• Boric acid and sodium borate
• DMDM Hydantoin
• Oxybenzone

If you aren’t used to using natural products, the switch can be hard. Trust me, I know. But know that by eliminating these chemicals, you are doing your body a HUGE favor.

3. Clean up Your Makeup Routine

Natural beauty tip number three: clean it up!

Makeup is one of the biggest chemical offenders. From fragrance to petroleum, there are thousands of chemicals used in commercial beauty products. However, I also find that makeup is one of the hardest things to switch to natural alternatives.

Natural makeup is often expensive, hard to find, and doesn’t quite do all of the things commercial/synthetic makeup products can. Despite these difficulties, there are a few easy ways to make the switch to natural makeup:

• Make the switch one product at a time
  • Finding the perfect natural alternative can be tough. Start with products you use on your lips and eyes first.
• Choose products that you use daily
  • Use lipstick and mascara daily? Start with those two. Can’t live without eyeliner? Experiment there first.
• Be willing to experiment
  • Not all natural products work the same way as their commercial counterparts. Be willing to try different brands, different ingredients, and different methods.
• It’s not all or nothing
  • Any change is a good one. If you can’t get rid of a particular lipstick or foundation, don’t fret. Change the things you can, and come back to those products another time.

4. Try a DIY for Natural Beauty

Natural beauty tip number four: try DIY Natural beauty recipes!

Not willing (or able) to spend a ton of money on a natural alternative that you just aren’t sure about? Why not do-it-yourself?

DIYs are often cheaper than buying expensive natural products – trust me here! I started making my own soaps, lotions, and creams because I just couldn’t afford to buy some of the more expensive natural products on the market.

DIYs are also a great way to make small batches of beauty products tailored to your individual needs. You can choose your scent, the ingredients you want, and more importantly, which ingredients you don’t want. Many of my favorite beauty products are those that I make at home. It’s a very easy way to adopt a healthier beauty routine without incurring much cost.

Here are a few easy DIY beauty products that you can try at home:

• How To Make Homemade Natural Shampoo
• Make a DIY Natural Moisturizing Dandruff Shampoo
• Homemade Conditioner For Hair
• Homemade Body Wash That is Natural & Moisturizing
• DIY Shaving Soap Recipe: Better than Shaving Cream
• Make Your Own Natural Under Eye Cream at Home
• DIY Concealing Powder Foundation For Oily Skin
• Learn How To Make Your Own Natural Eyeliner
• Homemade Recipe for an All-Natural Blush Powder
• How to Make Naturally Tinted Lip Balm: 3 Colors

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