Have you heard the latest buzz about harmful chemicals in your sunscreen?
It seems like every summer we learn something new and alarming about the summer must-have product that is supposed to be keeping us safe from the sun. Just last week the headlines revealed that several popular brands are contaminated with BENZENE ← not good.
But, we will get to that in a minute. Today I’m breaking down what you need to know about sunscreen, so you can make a safer choice! We all know that sunscreen is important, but we also want to make sure that it isn’t harming us in other ways, too.
Listen, I’m not here to scare you. But I am here to arm you with information so you can make an educated choice about the products you are using. My motto will always be: progress, not perfection.
Let’s start with the 2 types of sunscreens: chemical and physical
In an effort not to overwhelm you with the details, here are the main concerns about chemical sunscreens:
Absorb into our bloodstream at higher than FDA approved levels
Can persist in our bodies for up to 21 daysKill coral reefs – they have been banned in Hawaii
Mess with our hormones (we call this endocrine disruption) Up until last week, the biggest concern was endocrine disruption. Chemical sunscreens like oxybenzone, octinoxate & homosalate have been shown to decrease testosterone, contribute to endometriosis, impact our metabolism and more.
To that, this infertility mama says “NO THANK YOU!“
I wish that was where the concern ended– it’s enough right? But last week we were alerted to another, possibly bigger, concern: benzene in our sunscreen.
LET’S DIVE IN, SHALL WE?
An independent, watch-dog lab, Valisure, tested 294 unique batches from 69 different companies and found 78 sunscreen and after sun products contained up to three times the conditionally restricted FDA concentration of BENZENE. Benzene is no joke. Benzene is the reason we spent that first 3 months of Austin’s life living in a hotel during the Aliso Canyon Gas Leak (fun times, really helped my postpartum anxiety) So what is it? Benzene is a carcinogen linked to blood cancers, like leukemia.
TO BE CLEAR: these brands aren’t adding Benzene as an ingredient in their sunscreen products. They aren’t intentionally trying to give us cancer, okay? “Health experts speculate the chemical may have contaminated these products during the manufacturing process, as benzene levels varied between batches of the same product from the same companies.”
This is where post-production testing is so critical.
The only way to know if your sunscreen is free of benzene is if the company is testing for it AFTER it has been manufactured. I only know of one company that tests all their products after production to ensure nothing – like benzene – snuck in: Beautycounter. I’m not saying we are the only company. In fact, I would LOVE to know about other companies that do this. I want to be able to provide you a list of companies I trust. So far, on the benzene issue, I’m left with Beautycounter (what a relief I can say that about the brand I choose to sell!) Now, Valisure did provide a list of products where they did not detect any benzene and I am happy to see that ThinkSport and Badger are on it. Those have been my other trusted brands prior to the benzene issue. However, these companies do not test their products post-production as far as I am aware.
Now, to wrap this up…
When you’re looking for a safer sunscreen – READ THE INGREDIENTS LIST.
LOOK FOR: Non-nano Zinc Oxide Titanium Dioxide ** Bonus points if the brand tests their sunscreen for benzene**
A note from Nicole …
Like I said, it’s about progress, not perfection. We can’t avoid every dang harmful chemical. They surround us. So, don’t freak out. But, don’t quit either. Just make one informed, safer choice at a time. Every little bit makes a difference. It’s my joy to help you on this journey. Please reach out with any question you have!
Your frying pan is making you fat. But I’m not talking about the bacon.
Have you heard of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs)? If you’ve hung around me long enough, I know you have. Well, recently I got the chance to hear Dr. Leo Trasande speak to us Beautycounter consultants all about his work researching EDCs and their impact on our bodies. Let me tell you, it’s mind blowing and a little scary.
Real quick. If you don’t know Dr. Trasande, he is a pediatrician and world renowned expert in environmental health. He has all sorts of amazing credentials that you can check out along with much of his published research here. He has an incredible book out Sicker, Fatter, Poorer that lays all of his research out for us normal folks to understand. Suffice it to say, the man knows his stuff.
If you didn’t know, the endocrine system is SUPER DUPER important to almost all of our bodily functions. It is responsible for regulating a range of bodily functions through the release of hormones.
Examples of things the endocrine system regulates include:
metabolism
growth and development
sexual function and reproduction
heart rate
blood pressure
appetite
sleeping and waking cycles
body temperature
Pretty important stuff, eh?
So, when we are exposed to these Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals what happens? The way Dr. Trasande put it: they scramble our hormones and contribute to disease. There are countless chemicals that are considered EDCs and honestly, they are still working to identify all of them. Each works a little differently. Some change our gene expression, some mimic hormones in the body, some trigger dormant issues. Regardless, they have been found to have an impact on our health at LOW levels of exposure.
This is all relatively new data. My jaw dropped when he told us that the FIRST report on EDCs was published in 2009. That’s only 11 years ago. By 2015 studies had identified 15 chronic conditions linked to exposure to EDCs. Recent studies have increased that number to THIRTY TWO! — imagine what a few more years of research will reveal!
We’re talking about conditions like:
Cancers
Diabetes
Reproductive dysfunction and infertility
Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
Learning disabilities
Asthma
…and obesity.
Mhmmm, EDC’s are obesogens. Meaning they mess up your body’s ability to regulate your weight. Where do we find EDC’s … well, one place is that non stick frying pan you’ve got. Hence the bacon reference above. Studies show that exposure to the PFAS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) that makeup the non-stick coating you love slows your metabolism. The higher the PFAS levels found in study participants, the slower the metabolism. PFAS are forever chemicals meaning they do not degrade over time. They stick around.
Where else are these suckers hiding? Everywhere, kinda. Plastics. Food. Food packaging. Personal care products & cosmetics. Furniture. Pharmaceuticals. Pesticides. Water. Soil.
See what I mean. I don’t want to sound doom and gloom because there are things you can do to reduce exposure (we will get to that). But, I also think it’s really important that we understand just how critical and invasive this problem is.
Dr. Trasande’s research estimates (underestimates actually) that EDCs cost us over $340 billion in health care costs each year. This isn’t just a health issue. It’s an economic one, too.
Our food supply is where we see the strongest data about the effects of EDCs. Plastics like phthalates and bisphenols are used throughout the supply chain and are the main source of packaging for our foods. Phthalates leach into our food even without being exposed to heat! So really, the plastic tupperware you are keeping your leftovers in can be exposing you to EDCs even if you use a ceramic plate to heat it back up when it’s lunch time.
Critical question: what are the top EDCs to avoid and where do we find them?
PFAS
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are synthetic chemicals found in many products, including food packaging, household cleaners and nonstick cookware. They are known as forever chemicals because they do not degrade much over time.
Bisphenols
You’ve heard of BPA in plastic, but did you know the other bisphenols they are replacing it with are just as bad. Avoid plastic as much as possible for food, drinks or other items you might put in your mouth (think baby toys). I love stainless steel, glass and silicone and there are so many great options out there now.
Phthalates
Phthalates are chemicals commonly added to plastics to increase their flexibility and durability. They are quite literally in everything. Food packings, beauty products, perfumes, cleaning supplies and detergents, pharmaceutical pills, glue! That’s just a sampling. In the past few years, researchers have linked phthalates to asthma, ADHD, breast cancer, obesity and type II diabetes, low IQ, neurodevelopmental issues, behavioral issues, autism spectrum disorders, altered reproductive development and male fertility issues. YEESH!
Parabens.
These chemicals are widely used as artificial preservatives in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, foods, and beverages. Common parabens are methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben. Often more than one paraben is used in a single product. Personal care products are the greatest contributors to paraben exposure. They are suspected to contribute to reproductive issues and breast cancer.
Flame Retardants
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are used in many household products like electronics, clothing, furniture and mattresses to reduce flammability. BFRs often migrate out of their products over time where they may contaminate household dust and food.
This is not an exhaustive list, but it’s definitely the place to start.
So what do we do? Change starts with us. The way we shop influences the market and the products that companies make. In just a few years we’ve seen the clean beauty industry EXPLODE. And that is because you vote with your dollar every time you buy a clean lipstick and companies notice. When you go to make a purchase, ask yourself if there is a way to reduce your exposure to EDC’s with the choice you make. There probably is!
Scan your personal care products for paraben and phthalates and start swapping them.
2. Start converting your kitchenware to non-plastic options. And definitely get rid of the teflon and nonstick cookware ASAP.
3. Shop local and fresh and organic whenever possible. Farmers Markets are a great option for this. When and where you can, reduce the use of plastic packaging.
5. Make sure your canned goods are BPA free or pick things packed in glass or TetraPaks. Dr. Trasande couldn’t say definitively that tetrapaks were 100% safe, but he said they are absolutely safer than BPA.
6. Next time you are making a big purchase for your household like a couch or mattress, look for options that do not contain flame retardants.
AND:: Be on the lookout for my list of favorite safer swaps to avoid EDC’s coming soon!
There is hope! California just passed AB 2762, the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act(shameless plug for Beautycounter because our advocacy efforts played a huge role in making this happen!) It will explicitly prohibit the use of the 12 of the most harmful chemicals and contaminants in cosmetics including: mercury, three types of formaldehyde, some of the most toxic parabens and phthalates, and the fluorinated compounds known as PFAS.
See any familiar EDCs in that list? It’s a massive victory for the whole country because companies will need to reformulate if they want to sell in CA (which they do) so the rest of the country will get the new formulas, too. It makes me do my happy dance just thinking about it!
We are also advocating for more oversight and better beauty laws in Washington DC. Want to help? Just text BETTERBEAUTY to 52886 and follow the steps. You’ll be telling congress you support bipartisan legislation to get harmful ingredients out of our products. Look at you go, you activist, you!
Last MOST IMPORTANT point:
Dr. Trasande really emphasized PROGRESS over perfection in this. Even a small reduction in our exposure can have significant short term and long term health benefits. Do what you can when you can and don’t lose sleep over the rest.
What products do you most want to know safer swaps for? Let me know in the comments.
I’m starting to wrap my head around the fact that {hopefully} a month from now we will be finally pregnant with our 2nd. In just a few weeks I’ll find myself in the familiar routine of hormones and shots and Wanda. So. much. Wanda. By mid summer I’ll be peeing on sticks and praying for morning sickness. Especially against the backdrop of COVID19, I’ve been struggling to find my footing.
Here’s the honest truth. I’m terrified.
I’m scared of it not working…
of hearing the nurse call with that “I’m so sorry” tone in her voice I know too well
of the feeling of my heart shattering into a million pieces
of having to tell our son, who wants a baby sister so badly he never stops talking about it, that he has to keep waiting.
of losing myself again. I’ve worked really hard to get back to a healthy place.
of having to decide whether we will try again, or accept that this is the end.
of wondering who she would have been, too– two babies in heaven is enough to wonder about.
What I didn’t expect, though. What I’m still trying to sort out with God is…I am also scared of it working.
of losing the baby later in the pregnancy
of having a c-section again
of not having a c-section again
of an uncertain world that awaits us as we recover from COVID19
of not having a say in what vaccines she gets and when
of whether I can really handle two children and be a good mom to both
of getting postpartum anxiety again and losing all the progress I’ve made
of having another child to worry about. The thought of losing a child is crippling.
Do I have it in me? Do I really have the strength to face it all? And as I plead with God. As I bring Him each fear and beg Him for clarity, He reminds me: Isaiah 41:13.
For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right handandsays to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
God gave me this verse at the very beginning of our infertility. “Nicole, do not fear; I am holding your hand.”
He hasnever let go. He even gave us a little boy’s hand to hold to remind me when my faith is wobbly.
Does this make me stop feeling fear? Not always. But, it does remind me where to look when I feel it.
I’ve spent the majority of my life feeling at war with my body. Like many women, I wanted to feel good in my skin, healthy and energetic. Over the years I had tried EVERYTHING. Each “diet program” always left me feeling not good enough, defeated, overwhelmed and hungry! After battling infertility and giving birth to my {miracle} son, I found myself deep in postpartum anxiety, exhausted in all the ways and pretty hopeless that I’d be able to make a change, because nothing had ever worked before. I just didn’t believe I had it in me to change my health.
I heard about the FASTer Way to Fat Loss through a friend on IG and something felt right. By week 3 of my first 6 week round, I knew this program was the real deal. No one was telling me to starve myself, cut out whole food groups, or live on shakes. The gym, which used to be that mean girl in my head’s favorite place to show up, became a place of pride. I remember looking in the mirror one day and my first thought being, “eff yeah!” instead of “eww” — that’s powerful. The program was DOABLE and fit my busy life without stressing me out. For the first time ever, I BELIEVED that I could actually improve my health for the long haul.
I’m gonna be totally honest, I don’t remember how many inches I lost, but I can tell you what I’ve gained through the FASTer Way:
Confidence
Strength
Clarity
Energy
The mindset, confidence and energy I gained spilled over into every other area of my life- I finally felt like I was able to show up for my life as the woman I was made to be. More than anything else though, I learned how to take care of me BECAUSE I love myself, not SO THAT I can love myself. I set out to change my health; what I did was change my life.
So you’re asking… is FWTFL for me?
You’re a strong, smart, capable woman who wants to show up for her life in a big way.
You take care of everyone around you and contribute to your family and community.
You WANT to put yourself first because you know you can’t pour from an empty cup.
BUT…
You have low energy, feel like you can’t keep up with your never ending to do list and you are exhausted.
You’re feeling stuck, lost, and unsure of how to shed the extra weight you’re holding onto.
You’re busy, overwhelmed with where to start, and thinking you couldn’t possibly have the time.
You’ve heard and tried everything to lose weight. You’ve tried every diet and fitness routine only to see limited results that make you feel depleted, hungry, low on energy, and at your wits end.
What you really need is something that will put you back in control, give you confidence, and that is sustainable for life.
SO IF YOU’RE READY TO:
Stop dieting
Stop yo-yoing
Stop feeling frustrated
See real results
Look and feel your very best
Then you’re ready for the FASTer Way To Fat Loss®! We’ll reach your goals in a simple, doable way and give you all the tools to make health a lifestyle.
IN THE FASTER WAY TO FAT LOSS®, YOU WILL:
Learn how to fuel your body effectively to maintain optimal energy levels throughout the day.
Teach your body to burn fat naturally.
Be given the tools you need to restructure and repair your metabolic system and increase your metabolism.
Improve your hormone levels so you feel satiated.
Learn how to workout in a smart, effective and efficient way.
You will leave the FASTer Way to Fat Loss® feeling leaner, stronger, healthier, and more energetic than you’ve ever felt before. You will leave the FASTer Way to Fat Loss with the tools you need to feel that way for life!
A convenient 6 week program that fits your busy schedule
A comprehensive program guide with resources to help you thrive including sample meal plans, a detailed program overview, and video interviews
Prep week with trainings to set you up for success
Weekly workout plans which can be completed at the gym or at home
Accountability and a supportive approach that keeps you on track to accomplish your goals
Affordable package option that is among the lowest cost option you’ll find (only $199 total)
Me: your certified FWTFL coach to encourage and hold you accountable along the way!
You’ve got questions, I’ve got answers…
WHAT IS CARB CYCLING?
A carb cycling program is an intentional variation of carbohydrate intake each week. Most carb cycling plans consist of high carb days and low carb days. The FASTer Way To Fat Loss pairs our carb cycle with the workouts we will be doing to maximize fat burn and energy levels.
WHY CARB CYCLE?
Long term restriction of carbohydrates and calories can lower your metabolic rate and negatively affect your hormone levels. This is a big reason women find themselves at one of those weight loss plateaus. For a short period of time a significantly restrictive diet will bring you results, however, over time it will cause your metabolic rate to decrease. Once that happens, you will see your weight loss stop and will need to restrict calories even further to lose more weight, thus lowering your metabolic rate once again. Not only is this a terribly unhealthy way to live, it is also incredibly frustrating.
WHAT DOES CARB CYCLING DO?
Carb cycling allows for planned high carb days that increase your thyroid output and help you control hunger. Because you are cycling your carbs, you will also have low carb days that offset your high carb days. With this type of cycle you will continue to see fat loss, increased energy levels and improvements to your overall body composition. Carb cycling improves insulin levels, helping your body store less fat. When paired with intermittent fasting and effective workouts, carb cycling can help you break through those dreaded plateaus so you can truly look and feel your very best.
WHAT IS INTERMITTENT FASTING?
Intermittent fasting is not a type of diet, but an eating schedule. Your body is always in one of two states: fed or fasted. In the fed state (any time your body is digesting food), your body’s insulin levels make burning fat a challenge. However, in the fasted state (8-12 hours after your body finishes digesting), your insulin levels are lower and better able to reach into your fat stores. People rarely go into a fasted state throughout the day. In fact, the traditional theory of several small meals per day keeps us from ever reaching the fasted state. In addition, that type of eating schedule regularly spikes our insulin levels, which also hinders fat loss. So, while eating several small meals per day can lead to weight loss (calorie deficits always do), you will likely be losing both muscle and fat. When you lose calorie burning muscle, you lower your metabolic rate and make it harder for your body to burn fat. You also might become frustrated because you never feel toned and fit even though you are working out and eating clean.
SO, YOU DON’T EAT?
Not exactly. In the FASTer Way to Fat Loss, we have eating windows combined with our high and low carb days. We eat all of the time! We simply confine our eating to a shorter window throughout the day, allowing our bodies to enter into the fasted state.
WILL I BE FASTING DAILY?
Yes. This program is called the FASTer Way to Fat Loss because we focus on implementing cutting edge nutrition strategies like intermittent fasting. We will be fasting daily.
IS IT OK TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FASTER WAY TO FAR LOSS IF I AM BREASTFEEDING?
Yes! Not only did I breastfeed through FASTer Way to Fat Loss, but so did the creator, Amanda Tress, with no negative impacts to supply. If you are breastfeeding, we will modify your low carb days and be very diligent about your water intake. If you are focused on whole food nutrition and you’re well hydrated, and you’re EATING ENOUGH CALORIES, you won’t see a decrease in milk supply. We will be sure to check on your caloric intake because when you are living in too big of a calorie deficit and doing crazy, intense workouts, your milk supply can absolutely be affected. The FASTer Way to Fat Loss is designed to fuel your body in a way that is perfectly safe for nursing moms.
DO I NEED TO PURCHASE ANY SHAKES OR SUPPLEMENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM?
No! Throughout the program we will talk about the importance of probiotics, protein and other supplements like BCAA’s. While I am happy to share the products I use and love, none of them are required to participate. I am a huge proponent of fueling your body with real food and this program is based on that premise. Nothing is required but hard work, commitment and positivity.
HOW IS THIS PROGRAM DIFFERENT FROM OTHER FASTER WAY TO FAT LOSS PROGRAMS?
As a certified FASTer Way to Fat Loss coach, I have all the training and content needed to run the FASTer Way To Fat Loss effectively. In addition, I have gone through the program and experienced incredible results. I know how to stay motivated when these strategies seem overwhelming. I know how rewarding it feels to finally see some results. I’ve been in your shoes and know what you need. This program will deliver everything the FASTer Way offers and I will be there to cheer you on along the way!
AM I A GOOD FIT FOR THIS PROGRAM?
This program is for women only (men can invest in the program but can’t be in any of the Facebook Groups). In addition, this program has been incredibly successful for women who have a foundation of working out and under 60 pounds to lose. This program is challenging and will require commitment. If you have more than 60 pounds to lose and have not worked out in a long time, then we can make the program work for you, but it will require some modifying. If that’s you, I will have you start with our nutritional cycle then ease you into our workouts. I truly want you to see results, but I also want you to be safe and remain injury free. So, if you have more than 60 pounds to lose, we will move a little more slowly, but will eventually be able to ease you into the full program and lifestyle over time.
IF I AM ALREADY A MEMBER OF A GYM AND DOING REGULAR CLASSES, OR IF I AM MEETING WITH A PERSONAL TRAINER, CAN I JUST CONTINUE WITH MY CURRENT WORKOUTS AND USE YOUR FOOD CYCLE?
My honest answer to this question is: If what you are currently doing was working extremely well, you wouldn’t be looking into this program. If you were seeing incredible results, and were truly passionate about your current lifestyle, you would not be searching for other solutions. This program is designed to work as a whole. We pair our nutritional cycle with our workouts, because that is what gets the very best results. It is absolutely critical that we are fueling our bodies for our workouts, and teaching them how to burn fat instead of glucose throughout the day. If you belong to a gym like Orangetheory, are doing Pilates, Yoga or Barre, then I highly recommend you do our workouts for the first few weeks. I definitely want you to keep doing workouts you love, so I’m all for you adding yours in. However, it is important that we discuss what you are doing so that we can make sure your food cycle is matched accordingly. If you are working with a personal trainer, I would obviously want you to continue with that, but again would have you look at your food cycle to ensure you are eating the right amount on the days you are working out!
DO I NEED A GYM MEMBERSHIP TO COMPLETE THE FASTER WAY TO FAT LOSS?
The FASTer Way offers both a gym and at-home workout versions.Both are equally effective and you are welcome to do either.
DO I HAVE TO FOLLOW A STRICT MEAL PLAN?
We provide guidelines for each day of our food cycle. For example, on low carb day I will indicate that your goal is to consume less than 50g net carbs. I will explain how to calculate your macros (carbs, fats, protein) and also give you a sample meal plan and recipes. However, you will have the flexibility to consume the foods you truly enjoy.
AM I REQUIRED TO BE ON FACEBOOK TO JOIN THE PROGRAM?
I host the FASTer Way To Fat Loss community groups on Facebook. Most of my clients choose to join a Facebook community group for daily tips and accountability. While I do recommend you join a Facebook group, it is not required for participation in the program.
What is oil cleansing, you ask? Well, let me tell you!
When you oil cleanse, you use a natural oil on your dry, dirty face to remove dirt and makeup. I know that sounds crazy. But here’s a fact: like dissolves like. Oil dissolves oil.
When you use the right oils, you can cleanse your skin of the bad dirt and bacteria while replacing it with the good oils that your skin NEEDS to be healthy. Oil cleansing has been shown to be effective not only for dry skin, but also for people with oily skin and acne and sensitive skin.
Many times we try to strip our skin of oil thinking it will solve our breakouts, but that is actually making it worse. Our skin needs oil. When we strip it, we then signal our skin to make MORE oil. So oil cleansing is an effective way to balance out our skin’s needs. Oil cleansing works with your skin, instead of against it, to protect, heal and moisturize.
The way my face feels after oil cleansing is like nothing I’ve felt before. Clean, smooth, soft….ahhhhh! Also, I think it’s way easier than typical face wash. I am so much more consistent with washing my face at night since starting with an oil cleanser. It really feels like..self-care. It’s such a luxurious feeling.
So how exactly do you oil cleanse?
First, pick a good oil! I’m a huge fan of the Countertime Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil! It’s a luxurious, lightweight cleansing oil that gently yet effectively removes makeup and other impurities without stripping essential lipids from the skin. Rich in vitamin E, fatty acids, and our plant-derived Retinatural Complex, the formula reinforces the skin’s fragile moisture barrier for a soothed, nourished complexion
Step 1: Use two pumps of oil and massage into your dry, dirty face.
Take your time here. Give yourself a little facial massage. You deserve it!
Step 2: After a minute or so you will be able to feel that the dirt has dissolved from your face. Then take a warm, wet washcloth and hold it to your face for a second. Let the steam open those pores. Wipe it all off.
“Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man.” Friedrich Nietzsche
Well geez, Nicole, that’s a little dark.
I know… and it’s not my usual outlook, but today, I’m angry at hope. I’m angry at the small, tiny voice of hope that says “what if”. What if you really are pregnant this time and not just late?
Of course I’m not. The red streak on that wad of toilet paper confirmed it for me just moments ago.
I’m angry that despite all logic, all knowing, all the years of irregular cycles that tell me this is just another late cycle…despite it all…I google the symptoms, I count the days, I negotiate when I will actually pee on that stupid stick…if I make it until Saturday morning I’ll test. It’s Friday afternoon.
I’m angry that I still, after all the needles and dollars and dates with ‘wanda’, I still found myself feeling giddy and daydreaming about how I would tell my husband that we were pregnant– on our own.
I still calculated the due date and wondered if maybe we wouldn’t find out the gender until the baby was born. I still allowed myself to believe it was possible.
Hope. Today I wish I could silence her tiny but unyielding voice. Today I wonder if I will spend the rest of my life, at least my pre-menopausal life, facing the heartbreak of hoping despite all odds that I’m actually pregnant this time.
Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow I will embrace hope, love hope, believe in the necessity of hope.
Y’all it’s National Lipstick Day! So you know I couldn’t miss the chance to tell you about:
1) My favorite lipsticks and why I am a lipstick convert and
2) Why safer lipstick MATTERS.
Prior to Beautycounter I NEVER wore lipstick. I was a lip gloss girl all the way. Lipstick always dried my lips, I hated the way it felt and I’m not sure I had the confidence to pull off bold colors. When I joined Beautycounter I had no intention of changing that. The lip glosses are amazing (truly) so I wasn’t going to bother with a lipstick. Except I got one for free when I signed up…clearly I had to try it. Holy butter on my lips! That Twig Lip Sheer blew me away. It was smooth, hydrating and had the most delicious vanilla scent (all natural of course). The color was subtle and I was hooked. My next order included several more colors. Petal is still my all-time fav for when I want a natural look.
Just last year Beautycounter introduced our Color Intense Lipstick, which is long lasting and more intense color pigment. Again, I shook my head and said “that’s nice” assuming this new product was meant for other women, not me.
Wrong again.
At a training event Beautycounter gave every consultant a Color Intense Lipstick to take home. I got Sunset (a holiday special edition) and at the urging of my friends Brooke and Megan I tried it on. Instant love. My lips still felt hydrated, the peppermint scent was so fresh and the color was perfection. I think I wore sunset everyday this past fall/winter. Since then I’ve played with more of the colors and it’s so much fun. For the most part, they are bolder colors so the mood has to feel right for me. But I mix them into my makeup routine more than I ever thought I would. I love that they last all day and still feel good on my lips.
But this is the important part – lip products are one of the first things you should be switching to clean. Why? Well, because you eat it! There’s some crazy stat floating around about how many pounds of lipstick women eat in a lifetime. I’m not sure the accuracy of that one, but regardless, if you put it on your lips it is making its way into your mouth and into your bloodstream.
Traditional lipstick is made will all sorts of fun ingredients like:
Lead and other heavy metals
Fragrance
Parabens
Coal Tar (yes, you read that right)
Lead is a neurotoxin, which has no defined “safe level”. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics published a study in 2010 revealing they found lead in over 400 lipsticks. In addition to neurotoxicity, lead is also linked to fertility issues and hormone disruption.
Even more concerning, UC Berkeley published a study in 2013 that detected not only lead, but cadmium, chromium, aluminum and manganese in 32 lip products. These heavy metals are toxic.
Fragrance is a trade secret which means over 3000 chemicals could be hiding under that name, many of them harmful to your health.
Parabens are hormone disruptors linked to cancer, infertility and obesity.
Coal tar is a carcinogen, but is often used in dark lipsticks (and mascara).
I’m only scratching the surface, but hopefully you are getting the picture. Lipstick can be a landmine of harmful ingredients and if you’re using it regularly, it is certainly cause for concern.
Beautycounter not only forbids the use of the above ingredients and over 1500 more on our Never List, we also 3rd party test all our cosmetics for heavy metals and other Never List ingredients.
Heavy metals are natural. No one is intentionally adding them to their formulas. They exist in the ground where companies source their colorants, so it is impossible to be at “zero” when making cosmetics. That’s why we test for them in every batch of our makeup and ensure that if there are detectable levels that they are at or below the strictest international allowable levels. This blog explains it better than I do.
Today I’m celebrating with one of my go-to bright pink Color Intense lipsticks, First Date. What’s your favorite color? Go ahead, have some fun …without the concern 🙂
I have a general distrust of doctors. Between my psoriasis, struggles with constant yeast infections (sorry tmi), unexplained fatigue and difficulty losing weight, our infertility, my c-section and more, I have found my experiences to be mostly frustrating and unhelpful. I have felt unheard and dismissed by a doctor more times than I can count. I know there are good doctors out there, I have been treated by a few for sure, but the majority of my experience has not been positive. When we met Dr. K for our first infertility consultation, I was relieved to feel like he really cared for and invested in his patients. This being an incredibly sensitive and expensive issue, having a doctor that we trusted was imperative. Our whole first round of IVF was a really positive experience from a patient care perspective. So, when we got the letter that he was leaving our old fertility clinic and starting his own, an hour drive from our home, we really didn’t have to think too hard about moving to his new clinic with him.
I struggle to even write the rest of this blog because I was honestly so surprised by our experience through this last cycle that I keep second guessing myself, wondering if I am just being too high maintenance, or trying to place blame for our failed cycle somewhere. But, I’ve been examining my feelings for a few months now, and had discussions with my husband and some other people I trust who understand infertility and I know that I am not just being “high maintenance”.
From start to finish this last cycle was disappointing from a patient care perspective. I had emailed with my nurse letting her know when we wanted to start our frozen embryo transfer cycle and what transfer date we wanted. I belabored over that transfer date longer than I cared to admit, wanting it to be perfect. We were timing it with baseball season so trying to hit a due date that wasn’t too close to an away game that was more than an hour or two away was pretty tricky. We landed on a due date of April 20th, Easter 2019. I loved the symbolism of that date so much. It felt right. I knew it was unlikely that the baby would actually be born on that date, but I loved that it was going to be the due date that we would announce and circle on our calendars and tell the world. Our nurse emailed me back confirmation that we were good to go and the calendar of appointment dates, medication schedules, etc. A few days before our first appointment, I called the office to see what time my appointment was that day. My nurse was on vacation and it took a few days for someone to get back to me. Apparently I hadn’t been scheduled on the calendar for that day. They got me in anyway and we got the ball rolling. Everything was going great with my meds and my hormones and my lining and all that jazz, so on my last appointment before our transfer date, I asked another nurse (because mine was gone again) what time we needed to be there on transfer day- Friday. “Oh”, she said as she scrolled through her screens, “Dr. K is not going to be here on Friday, we need to move your transfer up to Tuesday.”
::Deep breath::
Transfer day was also specifically chosen because it was a Friday and gave me the weekend to be off my feet. Tuesday was the day before I went back to work for the school year. Not exactly ideal timing. I quickly called my husband to make sure his schedule would allow for Tuesday and after some rearranging we made it work. Again, trying not to be pushy or needy or cause an issue, we moved forward with the new transfer date. These things happen.
Transfer day came and we were greeted by the world’s grumpiest medical assistant. Her comment to me as she walked us back to our room was “you’ve done this before right? so I don’t need to really explain it”…ummm I did this almost 4 years ago lady. I wanted a valium because, hello- anxiety, and had to have Jordon go searching for someone to give it to me. When they told us to pick any radio station we wanted and we picked country music, our nurse apologized to Dr K for having country on… (that’s really all we needed to know about who we were dealing with haha #countryforlife) By the time it was all done, I was having to coach my husband to not to call this chick out on her bad attitude and cause a scene in the hallway.
Again I told myself “deep breath- it’s not that big of a deal. It’s okay”
My nurse had been emailing me my lab reports this whole cycle and I didn’t think much of it, but then she e-mailed me the results of my first beta. I had low numbers, but I had low ones with Austin too so I didn’t totally freak out- and then she e-mailed me again with the final answer. No, we weren’t pregnant. I hadn’t thought to ask for a phone call, but looking back now, a phone call would have been nice for news like that. Especially because I can’t exactly control when I will see an e-mail pop up. I saw that email come through at about 1 pm, the middle of my school day. If I could have chosen when to pick up the phone or listen to a voicemail, I probably could have avoided crying on the floor in the corner of my office so that no students would peek in the window and see me. It wasn’t a great time to go over their college essays with them.
The icing on the cake was that it took me almost 6 weeks of calling or emailing almost every other day to get the SIMPLE paperwork I needed to submit to our Flexible Spending Account to be reimbursed for part of this cycle. SIX WEEKS!
Still, I tried to push these feelings aside, chalk them up to a busy office. When I gathered my follow up questions in an e-mail a month later to ask Dr. K and received a very brief, to the point and rather dismissive email back that lacked any empathy, I knew we needed to look elsewhere to continue with our fertility treatments.
In November we had a consult with a new doctor at our old clinic. He sat down and took the time to really talk out our options, what things we might want to look into before another cycle, etc. The nurses seemed to be very detail oriented and friendly. Just this week I completed an endometrial biopsy and saline ultrasound per our new doctor’s suggestion. Guess what, I’ve got scar tissue hanging out in my uterus. It is likely from the c-section I had with Austin and it is quite likely a big factor in why our last embryo did not make it. I’m so glad that we sought another doctor and another opinion. Dr. K was not going to take these steps. We would have had another failed cycle with him. It’s truly infuriating.
Scar tissue from my c-section
So here is my take away, my one piece of advice for anyone out there fighting through infertility, or any medical issue, really:
There is no such thing as being high maintenance when it comes to your health and your body. You alone are responsible for it. You alone know what you need, what you don’t need, what feels okay and what does not feel okay. And you not only have the right to speak up and ask for what you need, you have the obligation to do so. No one else will do it for you. And if you do not have a doctor who will listen to your needs and respond in a proactive, empathetic and professional way….find someone else. Listen to your gut and do not be afraid to speak up. As we tell our son “you are the boss of your body.”
I don’t know why I played small. Why not wanting to be an inconvenience felt more important. Why I chose to silence myself and accept less than I deserved. I do know that I will not be making that mistake again.
Fun fact: my best friend calls me “Stink” — to be fair, we call each other Stink and these days it’s more accurately, Auntie Stink. Yes, our boys call us that too. It’s a very long story dating back to 2002 and having something to do with stinky cheerleading shoes. Neither of us remember the details of how we landed upon our eternal nickname. But nonetheless we have carried it with us for the last 2 decades, for better or for worse.
All this to say, I have gotten used to answering when someone calls out “Hey, Stink!”– even in public. So, it took me a minute to realize what he was saying when my husband awkwardly tried to tell me that… I stink… 😳
I was on my 3rd attempt at switching to a clean deodorant and well, you can guess how that was going. Turns out I’m not alone! Want to know the number one question I get in my dm’s? You guessed it — “what is the best clean deodorant?I keep trying and I just stink. I can’t handle it!”
Mmmhmmm, I feel you! But lucky for you (and my dear husband) I have finally landed on an incredible deodorant and I’ve picked up a few survival tips along the way!
I’m breaking it all down for you today with the cliff notes version for those of you who value efficiency and get-to-the-point-ness (I made that up🤷🏼♀️).
🥁 drum roll please 🥁
The Brave Beauty Mama Definitive Guide to Clean Deodorant in 500 Words or Less
1) Why switch? Conventional deodorants contain a toxic cocktail of ingredients: Aluminum – Linked to Alzheimer’s and heavy metal toxicity Parabens – This Endocrine disruptor was found in 99% of breast cancer tissue sampled in this study Propylene glycol – skin irritant Phthalates – Endocrine disruptors linked to birth defects Triclosan – Linked to liver toxicity and thyroid dysfunction Formaldehyde contaminated synthetics – carcinogenic Fragrance – Cocktail of chemicals linked to skin irritation, endocrine disruption and cancer We don’t want these toxins hanging out by our lymph nodes if we can help it.
2) What to switch to? First, check the labels on any deodorant before you purchase. If the above listed ingredients are on it, put it back on the shelf. Greenwashing is rampant right now and just because the label makes it look clean doesn’t mean it actually is.
I’ve tried about 10 different deodorant brands. If there is one universal truth it’s that everyone’s body reacts a little differently and one brand won’t necessarily be right for everyone. That said, I’ve been able to identify a few brands that have had the most success with the majority of the people I help navigate this clean swap.
The greats: Beautycounter* Primally Pure Stinkbug Naturals
The no-so-greats Schmidts – lots of people get bad reactions Native – sneaky fragrance Tom’s – just doesn’t work
I prefer the charcoal versions of any of these brands; they work best. If you find that a deodorant irritates your pits, it’s likely the baking soda. It doesn’t mean you have to avoid baking soda completely, but be careful with the levels in the deo’s you try.
*Beautycounter launched the limited edition mini deodorants with our holiday collection. Full size coming January 2021.
3) How to switch with minimal stink.
The brutal truth is that you’re going to smell at first. There is about a 2 week detox period where your body is adjusting to being able to sweat again (because aluminum blocks sweat). That means your armpits are able to do their job of detoxification for the first time since you started puberty. That’s a long time, friends.
1) Sweat it out- the faster you can get your pits back to their natural detoxification state the better. Exercise, use a sauna, etc. This can help speed up the transition period.
2) Drink a ton of water! Again.. flush it out!
3) Wash with charcoal! Charcoal helps draw out dirt, bacteria and smell from your pits. I use the Beautycounter Charcoal Cleansing Bar on my face and pits every morning.
*bonus tip: swipe some Force of Nature cleaner as a deodorizer once in a while. Totally works!
It’s also important to know that stress, hormones and even some food you eat can cause you to get smelly again. Pay attention to what could be causing it, but don’t worry; you’ll get back to smelling like roses soon.
There it is! My quick and dirty guide to switching to clean deodorant in 500 words exactly.
I’m so curious about your own clean deo experience– what have you tried? What worked? What didn’t? You know I’d be happy to help you get your hands on the new Beautycounter mini does. They are adorable and they work.
Oh hey! I know, I’ve taken a lot hiatus from blogging. But I’m back! Since the last time I wrote a lot of life has happened (hence the blogging had to take a backseat) so I figured a life update would be a good place to start. Here’s the bullet point version:
April- began 3rd frozen embryo transfer cycle (FET) with a new doctor
May – transferred a perfect embryo, but it ended with a negative test
June- Hubby got let go from job so we sell half our belongings, put the other half in storage and move in with my parents in NorCal
July- Hubby gets new coaching job in the Bay Area so we are staying put
Kinda makes your head spin, huh? It certainly felt like life decided to throw it all a us at once, just to see how tough we really are. Just to test our faith, see how we would handle it all.
Our FET cycle was pretty rough on me physically-more than I remember the other cycles ever being. From the moment I started the birth control pills I was nauseous, dizzy, tired…ugh! I’ll save the whole story for another blog post. I learned a lot, faced some fears (like giving myself progesterone injections) and ultimately ended up heartbroken with another negative pregnancy test.
We barely had time to begin grieving our loss when our life…got flipped turned upside-down 😉
My husband and the rest of the coaching staff at CSUN got let go. These things happen. Of course I have all sorts of feelings on the injustice of it all, but ultimately, in coaching things are never guaranteed. We knew at some point in his career this would probably happen. You never expect it to happen on a Thursday morning, a week after a failed FET cycle when you were supposed to go camping the next day. We did the math and despite my stable counseling job, the only thing that made sense financially was to move in with my parents back in my hometown.
It’s funny… for months I had been praying a little prayer under my breath.. “Lord, get us out of here” Just like that. Blunt. To the point. Daily. It’s hard to fully explain; our life in SoCal was wonderful in so many ways, but I was tired. Tired of hopping on the hamster wheel every morning and hopping off exhausted at the end of the night just to do it all over again the next day. I was struggling to show up for myself and my family the way I wanted. The vision I have for my family didn’t look much like the life we were living. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. We were and are blessed beyond comprehension, yet I know there is something different for us. I wanted out. Out of the rat race, out of California with it’s crazy taxes and policies, out of feeling like I’d never catch my breath.
Well, God answered, but not how I had envisioned he would. Typical. About a week after we moved in to my parents home, my husband was offered a coaching position at St. Mary’s College…right up the road (okay, an hour with traffic) from my parents. I attended SMC for my masters degree; my hubby had worked there as one of his very first baseball jobs. It’s a great place.
I should have felt nothing but excitement- we were home! But, I’ll be honest, that wasn’t how I felt at first. I didn’t (and still don’t) know how we will make it financially in the uber expensive bay area when it’s time to leave my parents home. We’ll likely be here for a year. I don’t know where another baby fits in with this new chapter. I don’t know how the quality of life I’m craving for my family can exist here for the long term. And the control freak in me was having a really hard time reconciling it all.
But then, we took Austin for ice cream at the dairy…
The dairy, for anyone who isn’t from here, is a drive-thru mini market that has been around for decades. Growing up, we would ride our bikes to the dairy for a 50¢ ice cream cone. To me, those cones taste like freedom, and friendship, and comfort. Everything good about growing up in Pleasanton exists in one lick of that ice cream cone. And there was so much goodness growing up here.
We walked hand in hand with our son down main street with our cones and I could feel the weight of all the “what if’s” and “how will we’s” lifting. I have no idea what the future holds for us, but for now, we get to give our son a piece of the childhood I loved. He gets to wake up every morning and hug his grandparents. He gets to see his other grandparents and all his aunts and uncles way more often. I get to call up my besties for a random playdate on a Tuesday afternoon. I have dreamed of that for the last 9 years.
With the weight of it all just a little bit less, I’ve been able to see this change with new eyes. God has us here for a reason. He answered my prayer in His way. This will be a season of trusting Him more deeply. This will be a season of staying PRESENT instead of planning. A season of drinking deep from the well of family and friendship. Filling our cups with all the sweetness of home.
The only constant in baseball is its unpredictability. We may stay here for 10 years. We might have a new team next season. I have no way of knowing and no way of controlling it. So, here I am, learning to let go, to trust and to focus on all the blessings in front of me instead of looking towards a future I can’t control.
Here’s to a new chapter! Thanks for coming along for the ride.
“Nicole, I want to switch to non-toxic products, but I don’t know where to start. It’s so overwhelming.”
I feel ya sister!
Once you start to learn about all the environmental toxins we are exposed to in our daily life it can be almost paralyzing. The information is confusing, misleading and definitely overwhelming. When I first realized that the products I was putting on my skin were known to cause hormone issues and infertility, I almost burned the house down. But then we would have been homeless so…
So, I gave myself grace and started to switch products one by one. I spent countless hours researching safer products and learning…quite frankly I am still learning. I like to say I live by the 80/20 rule: live clean and healthy 80% of the time. I can’t control everything and I most definitely can’t be perfect. If you pressure yourself to be perfect you will get discouraged really fast and if you’re anything like me, give up.
Here are my top tips for starting the switch to a cleaner lifestyle:
1. Start with products that go on or in your body. Think about it, you use lotion every day all over your body. You use cleaning spray once a week and you don’t really touch it. Food and personal care products go directly into your bloodstream, so I think they have the most potential to impact our health. Study after study indicate that even small changes can have a big impact on our health.
2. Change one product at a time. As tempting as it is to just switch everything all at once, most families don’t have the budget for that. If you do, amazing! I recommend starting with a Beautycounter regimen and Flawless in Five to get your beauty products under control. But if you’re like me, you don’t. So as you run out of a product, replace it with a safer product. Again, give yourself grace.
3.Know your resources. Switching to a clean lifestyle is hard because it’s confusing! Since it’s largely unregulated, companies can say whatever they want about their products even if it is untrue or misleading. We call is greenwashing and it’s rampant. The Environmental Working Group is a good place to start. They have an app that will scan products and give you a safety rating. I like to look at the individual ingredients and their respective rating because sometimes a product with a bad ingredient can get a decent score overall. And I carry the Beautycounter Never List in my wallet so I can always reference it. Now that I have my go-to brands I don’t need to research that much anymore. Beautycounter takes care of almost all my personal care products. One stop shopping! And here’s my Guide to Safer Cleaning .
The Beautycounter Never List: a list of over 1,500 harmful or potentially harmful ingredients they will never use in their products
4.Start with things that are free! My friend Misty from Beautiful Clean Simple put together this list of five ways to clean up your home for free!
I hope these tips help make the process seem a little less daunting! If you want more tips, product recommendations and info on living a cleaner lifestyle, be sure to follow me on social media! I’m always happy to answer questions via e-mail too.
I have a general distrust of doctors. Between my psoriasis, struggles with constant yeast infections (sorry tmi), unexplained fatigue and difficulty losing weight, our infertility, my c-section and more, I have found my experiences to be mostly frustrating and unhelpful. I have felt unheard and dismissed by a doctor more times than I can count. I know there are good doctors out there, I have been treated by a few for sure, but the majority of my experience has not been positive. When we met Dr. K for our first infertility consultation, I was relieved to feel like he really cared for and invested in his patients. This being an incredibly sensitive and expensive issue, having a doctor that we trusted was imperative. Our whole first round of IVF was a really positive experience from a patient care perspective. So, when we got the letter that he was leaving our old fertility clinic and starting his own, an hour drive from our home, we really didn’t have to think too hard about moving to his new clinic with him. 
