Beyond Color: Why I will never replace my lip tint (balm)

Before I begin, I’d like to disclose that this post is NOT sponsored or supported and thoughts are completely my own.

I’ve tried them all since 2004, the year I gave up on solid color lipstick of any kind. Until I came across this gem of a sheer tint balm by Mineral Fusion. They come in awesome tint colors, suitable for every skin color.

I’m not going to bore you with my pretentious hunt for the perfect hint of color to polish up my rushed mom look. But I will share this- I have never enjoyed applying lipstick and never ventured into the world of applying it. Actually, I don’t even KNOW how to apply lipstick despite the plethora of tutorials on the internet.

What I really wanted to share is how I ended up going strictly clean for my lip products and the reasons henceforth. I’m sure you’ve noticed- we are entering a beautiful cusp where there is almost an equal amount of clean beauty and traditional brands in the cosmetic landscape. The clean beauty movement was made popular with hard work and efforts dedicated towards change, brought about by inspiring women such as Credo’s beauty’s founders and Kathryn Dickinson from Alliea, and I am so glad we’ve come a long way ahead. Since the skincare industry isn’t heavily regulated, it seems like anyone and everyone can do what they like. It’s a free country! But at what cost? Affordable skincare and makeup, yes. But affordable healthcare to brush up all the damage we do to ourselves buying trendy ‘cheap’ stuff- no. We end up exposing ourselves to toxins that threaten our cellular make up and hormones. In response to awareness about toxic chemicals found in beauty and skincare products, women flocked to the market with brilliant ideas that would now create a shift in consumer interest and the beauty industry. It is expected that the natural beauty industry will be worth more than $54BN by 2027. How cool is that?

Anyway, I’ve championed clean beauty since moving to Chicago but even more so since getting pregnant. Any other mamas on the same path? As soon as you realize you’ve made a commitment to a new consumer choice, you immediately start finding like minded people to share your newly discovered excitement. We need to think twice before we put anything on our skin or into our bodies and there are enough influencers and advocates that have been making this request from society, consistently and passionately in the last 4 years.

Here are super simple steps I take to make sure I protect myself, my family:

• Read the boring chemicals on the back of a product. The longer and harder to understand, the more dirt. Even though a lot of companies have removed sulphates (cleaning agents found in shampoo), phthalates (found in plastic) and parabens from their formulas, there are some that still carry similar chemical ingredients but possibly under different names.
• Try and look for authentic eco/organic seals and not ones that just have a single ingredient that’s organic to qualify it’s organic-ness. Here’s a good guide.
• EWG has been doing a kick ass job at reviewing, testing and approving products that cross their labs to give it an EWG good to use label. If you’re not aware of EWG, they make sure that whatever you put into your body or expose yourself to is legit and clean. How cool- job done for you!

I feel like every day that passes, I learn something new about the world of wellness, health, toxicity and obv sustainability. I’ve become an advocate not only for peace and mindfulness but now an environmental junkie and clean everything junkie. Advocate? I’m actually obsessing over the topic. It’s technically become my life. Sorry, fam and friends!

Good luck on choosing what you put on your lips and skin. There’s always something clean out there waiting for you to love.