*This was written for a magazine after I’ve been asked, but they ended up never using it, so I’ll tell my story here.

Do You know what’s in Your face cream? What about the shampoo and the lotion You use on Your kids daily? I didn’t know it either. In fact I was in shock when I found out. I, like so many of us, simply assumed that the products on our shelves are rigorously tested before they are approved to be sold in the stores. Not the case. In fact, the total opposite is true. Companies can put ANY ingredient under the sun into their products. If the ingredient/ product is proven to be harmful, the bodies regulating the cosmetic products industry can ADVISE the brand to recall it, but they do not have the power to remove the products from the shelves. This can take years, even decades. Baby powder case anyone?

The moment that changed everything for me was the moment I picked up the book “Imperfectly Natural Woman” by Janey Lee Grace. It was meant to be the light read for carefree weekend alone. But I could not put it down until I finished it cover to cover. In the book Janey talks about beauty products, natural health care and homemade remedies, natural materials to use inside our homes and so much more. Suddenly all those lightbulbs moments went off in my head at once! Up until that moment I didn’t pay any attention to any of those things. If I had a headache, I popped the pill for it, if I needed new lotion, I went to the store. My only concerns were the price point and how it made my skin look. Maybe the way it smelled too. But that’s about it. That lightbulb moment was more than a decade and a half ago. Before we had this “clean beauty” movement. Before all these websites and indie brands existed. Before we had apps to scan the barcodes of products to give You ratings of their toxicity levels. Shows my age here, but whatever 🙂 If You are only starting now, Your journey will be much easier than mine. But I am still here to help You out. Let me give You some advise, because You will find Yourself overwhelmed and confused at times. Beauty industry jargon can be confusing. Greenwashing is rife at the moment. You might not know which product is good for You and which one is not. That’s ok. Give Yourself grace. I am here to help You to sift You through all the bad stuff. I judged in multiple clean beauty awards over the last four years, so I should know a thing or two.

So to come back to You, my friend, here are my tips. If You find it too much/ overwhelming/ expensive, do things step by step. Replace products to clean alternatives one by one. As much as it is tempting to go into the bathroom with a trash bag to bin EVERYTHING, You might find Yourself in trouble sometime soon. You might find it harder than You expect to find clean alternatives, depending on where You are in the world. Your family might start moaning they don’t like the new shampoo and shower gel, because they don’t clean the same and they don’t like the textures. I too have been there. I dove head first purchasing entire lines of products I found in the local health stores. I found them expensive and deeply underwhelming. It took me two years to find clean shampoo that gave me the same level “I’ve just been to the salon” feel and look. Most of them left my hair looking like a bird’s nest. I’ve became known as a girl who wears hats all the time. I was on the verge of giving up and nearly went back to the “conventional” shampoos. I was asked at work what sort of clay am I wearing on my face when I made a mistake of trying new foundation on the day I had to leave the house.

Please don’t be scared of not knowing what the ingredients in the ingredients lists are. Start by knowing that all the ingredients are listed in order of quantity. Meaning the first ingredient on the label makes the bulk of it. If it is alcohol, put it down. If it’s water, it means your are getting highly watered down product. Could be aloe or any floral water instead. Next, scan the list for the things You can recognise, like coconut oil, shea butter, vitamin C, rose water, etc. Those are natural ingredients that Your body will recognise and will know what to do with. Maltodextrin, propylene glycol or parabens? Not so much. I aim to buy products with the shortest ingredients lists possible. In fact, for my body care I prefer my products to be made of one ingredient. Organic shea butter for example. Your skin will thank You for it, trust me! Did You ever notice that black skinned women all have amazing skin, no matter if they are five or sixty? It is all down to shea butter. I want the same, don’t You? Shea butter sometimes needs to be warmed up between Your hands before application, but don’t let that stop You. You can whip it to a mouse texture if You are down for some DIY?

Expensive does not mean better.

Find ingredients right for your skin.

Ask what you can do without. you don’t need 36 beauty products.

Swap products covering large areas first – like body lotion or foundation.

Patch test any new products. If a product is natural it is highly likely that it will be so much better for Your skin, but it is still possible to have adverse reaction to it. I’ve been there, burning my skin for both judging/ testing products for the clean beauty wards and in my own personal journey. So if the product/ ingredient is new to You, patch test it first. Very soon You will know what suits You and things will become so much easier. It might take time, but once You will find it, it is Yours for life.

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Here is a good source for the apps & websites that sift through the bad ingredients for You:

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