Elizabeth Reid is our Guest Post contributor who lives in Georgetown with her husband and three young girls.   She has been a customer of Beautycounter for over 2 years and loves the products so much she became a Beautycounter consultant.   She is dedicated to helping educate and spread their mission on the safest personal care products on the market.

I grew up in Houston, where the sun was pretty much out year round.  As long as I can remember I loved being out in the sun, playing or just laying out with my friends.   The sun was something we never seemed to worry about when we were young.   After college I was diagnosed with a melanoma and then a year later the doctors found another one. I was very lucky, because they caught it early enough and I only needed surgery.   At that point sunscreen had to become a part of my daily routine.   As I started having children my skin started to become extremely sensitive to the sun protective products I was using.   I knew I needed a new approach and whatever was causing my skin to react I did not want to be putting on my kids either.   I started reading labels but everything seems to be organic or natural but you can never really tell what that means.

A few years ago my best friend from Houston heard about Beautycounter and introduced me to the company.   Have you heard of Beautycounter yet?   If not I am here to introduce you and if you have heard of all the buzz but have not tried it yet, you need to!   Beautycounter is a company devoted to progress and empowering information on clean beauty, along with safer products you can trust. Did you know that the US has not passed a major federal law to regulate the safety of ingredients used in personal care products since 1938?   At Beautycounter, we are committed to a health and safety standard that goes well beyond what’s required by US law.   Beautycounter has created a “Never List” and banned the use of more than 1,5000 questionable or harmful chemicals all while ensuring our products perform and that they are as indulgent as any other luxe sunscreen, shampoo or lipstick on the market.

Beautycounter products are verified by the Environmental Working Group and we believe in transparency. First, make sure you check out the Environmental Working Group and see how YOUR personal care products rate for safety.  Some of mine were terrible! The higher the number, the more dangerous the products. Then go here to read the Never List — the list of ingredients that will NEVER be in Beautycounter’s products.

If you are a parent and worried about your children and their sun exposure you will be interested in learning more about Beautycounter ‘s All Over Sunscreen and the Baby and Kids products.   Our founder Gregg Renfrew started Beautycounter 4 years ago because she was looking for a safe sunscreen for her kids.   She started reading the lables and realized there was nothing she felt safe putting on her kids. So, she decided to make her own!   Check out this great article in the New York Times about Gregg.

Maybe you’ve heard of the term ‘physical sunscreen’? Basically, it’s just another word for mineral sunscreen, which works like a shield by reflecting and scattering UV rays to prevent them from penetrating or damaging the skin. At Beautycounter, we use mineral non-nanoparticle zinc oxide as the sunblocker. Why do we say no to nanoparticles? Because they are so tiny they may penetrate the skin’s defenses and make their way into the bloodstream and have adverse health effects. There’s not enough data to know for sure, but we don’t think it’s worth the risk, so we steer clear of them.

Every ingredient in our formulas is screened for safety and sourced sustainably to meet our standards. Instead of using a potentially harmful sunblocker like oxybenzone, we use non-nanoparticle zinc oxide, an effective mineral that works by reflecting UV light rays. Plus, minerals are great for people with sensitive skin because it tends to be less irritating. Zinc oxide is also better for the ocean than oxybenzone, which recent studies have shown may be harmful to coral reefs.

Remember those thick, white ‘sunblocks’ you used as a kid that never seemed to rub in? Luckily, the formulation spreadability has improved, so our mineral-based sunscreens blend in seamlessly. There’s no need to compromise beauty for safety. Don’t take our word for it, the Protect All Over Sunscreen has been top-rated by our customers and I have the reviews to prove it.

“GREAT sunscreen! Goes on smoothly… no white steaks and it is not greasy. My son has sensitive skin and he loves it!” (Shannon C. Mom of 2 boys, Washington, DC)

“I started using the Beautycounter cream cleanser, but also fell in love with the sunscreen for my little girls. It smells great and works!” (Adaire P. Mom of twin girls, Washington, DC)

Are you ready to make the switch to safer? It is time to try clean beauty with Beautycounter! Let me know so I can help you make the best choices for you and your family, visit my Facebook page for more valuable information. Please join me in educating others about the harmful toxins and chemicals in personal care products. Take a few minutes to learn more about Beautycounter and how we are looking to get safer products into the hands of everyone from the video below.

*****Enter for a chance to win one Beautycounter All Over Sunscreen by commenting on our Facebook post and an extra entry if you comment on this post or on our Instagram post.  Winner will be randomly selected and announced on May 23, 2017.