What you should know about your beauty products

Think of all the self care or beauty products you use on a daily basis. How many of these products have you consciously chosen to use because you know they are animal friendly, environmentally friendly and actually good for your body? If your answer is none or some, don't worry your not alone. Heck, most of us barely have time to think at all! Knowing you’re busy, we've decided to put together some simple tips, company recommendations and simple tools we are digging right now that will help you with your next product purchases!

1. Is animal friendly really animal friendly?

If you are an animal lover like myself, this really matters! If you're not... find a heart!

In business and beauty there are lots of complex, elusive matters, one being animal testing. Buyers beware, just because a beauty product says it is animal friendly or "proudly do not test on animals" doesn't mean that product or line isn't owned by a company that does! If you are concerned about your money and how you spend it, it doesn't feel good to find out that the profits from your favorite "animal friendly" product ultimately goes to a mother company that couldn't give a hoot about animal or environmental friendliness. If you are going to choose to indulge in self care or beauty products, why not purchase brands that jive with your moral code? One simple way to ensure that your products are animal friendly is to look for the leaping bunny certification. You can check out their certified animal friendly brands online by visiting their website, this certification is considered the “gold standard” in cruelty free beauty!

2. Is it healthy?

So you got a handle on the animal respect, but what about some self respect? We all love to look our best, feel our best and smell our best but the unfortunate reality is that many of the “self care” products we buy contain harmful chemicals that have been linked to disease like cancer, neurological disorders, autoimmunity and even fertility's issues. If you're asking why should my health have to suffer just to feel my best, you're not alone, there is a better way! Two great resources for finding low-tox self care products, cleaning products, etc. are the Environmental Working Group and Think Dirty . These two companies offer comprehensive lists of products and rank their toxicity so you can understand the best products for your health and wellbeing.

3. Are the companies I'm supporting ethical?

Lets imagine two nearly identical companies. You are considering giving your hard earned money to one of these companies by buying their product. Both companies operate their business with the highest consideration for individual health and animal safety yet one of these two also has a commitment to sustainability, community and environment- does it sound like a fairy tale? Well wake up sleeping beauty, this is not a dream! There are people just like you and I out there who are passionate about all of these things and they are busting into the beauty market with high quality, healthier products that are ethically produced! For a great list of ethical brands you can check out Sustainable Jungle.

4. Can it be more simple? YES!

Thinking about quitting your job just to have time to research? Deep breath, its okay, other people are making it their jobs so you can continue doing your thing and improving your awareness and health! Using the resources above you can easily get on the path to a healthier more vibrant you! You can also check out some of my favorite brands below!

Kates Hit List for Clean Beauty

A few things you’ll notice about my list, it is only inclusive of a couple of brands, that is because I genuinely love the products from these brands and believe in them! Do you have a favorite clean beauty brand or a question about clean beauty - be sure to leave a comment below!