Creativity, motivation, and inspiration all come from within, so how I take care of my body directly effects how I perform in my business. I've been on a health journey since my senior year of high school. I've spent over a decade learning and growing and trying new things. I've slowly healed my body in ways 16 year old me never thought possible! I'm definitely not an expert, but I want to share bits and pieces of things I love that have changed my life and my health.
Two years ago I began to take what I put on and in my body much more seriously. I was given a diagnosis that tied all the little fires I'd spent years putting out together. It was an answer to prayer to finally find my root cause. I realized that even if I took all the right supplements and ate a truly clean diet, what I was putting on body was still screwing up my hormones. And I'd finally had enough.
I began the long search filled with trial and error on what to replace my toxic products with. If you didn't already know, the "Clean Beauty Industry" is filled with toxic ingredients. There's little to no regulation on what the terms "clean" or "non toxic" mean. And it's frustrating. Everyone's definition is different. I sought to find companies that held the highest standards of clean. I wanted to be able to read the label and know exactly what was going on my body. I wanted third party testing for contaminants. I wanted clean packaging. I was done with making compromises to my health in the name of beauty. I now have replaced all of my toxic products with clean ones. Truly clean ones.
MAKEUP AND SKINCARE: The company I've been most impressed with is Crunchi. They hold incredible clean standards, constantly improve and add to their product lines, value sustainability, are third party tested, and OUT PERFORM other brands...even the toxic ones. I was first impressed with their makeup. Some of the products worked better than anything I'd ever used. Their skincare changed my life. I've struggled with acne since middle school and have been on an extremely harsh and toxic acne line for 10 years. In 2024, I was able to slowly get off of that line and replace it with Crunchi. My skin is nourished and healing and my fine lines have vanished. I never thought it would be possible to have beautiful skin without the harsh active ingredients commonly used to prevent acne. Below is the skincare and makeup I use from Crunchi (click the buttons for the direct links):
Some products that impressed me beyond expectation are their eyeshadow, brow pencil, eye liner, setting powder, tinted spf, and of course all of the skincare. A little goes a long way, so the products last two or three times longer than the skincare and makeup in my old routine. They have skincare for all skin types and needs, high quality tools and brushes, and makeup beyond the scope above. Click the links below to see more.
A SPECIAL NOTE ON MASCARA: I've been using Ilia's mascara for almost a year now, and I loved it. It outperforms any other mascara I've used. However, my next buy is going to test Crunchi's mascara. According to research I've done, Ilia's mascara is one of the only products they carry that is truly clean. An influencer in the clean beauty space performed third party testing on all of their products, and the mascara was one of the two products that came back clean. The rest were contaminated with PFAS (forever chemicals). Not to mention they still use some ingredients that have been linked to cancer. I've been so happy with their mascara and may continue to use it, but I will not be purchasing any of their other products at this time. I still consider them a "better" beauty option, but not "best". Below are the links to both mascaras!
DEODORANT: Another company I've trusted in is Primally Pure. I now use their deodorant and love it! It's the cleanest, most effective I've found and does not cause irritation. I use the bergamot eucalyptus scent, but started with the blue tansy scent because it naturally soothes irritation and is great for first time users. I've also heard great things about the charcoal one. I love the subscription option. It makes it mindless and you save a little money. You can always skip a shipment or cancel your subscription at any time with ease.
HAIR CARE: Switching from salon grade shampoo and conditioner was a scary change for me. It was probably the most difficult swap to nail down. I wanted something genuinely clean, and most of the options out there still contained ingredients I did not want on my scalp. Finding the right shampoo for you can be almost as difficult as finding the right skincare routine! The cleanest I was able to find is Carina Organics. I'm going to be honest. I did not like it at first. But I gave it some time. I used to always be a wash hair every other day kind of girl. When I started Carina, my hair was a bit greasier than usual on the second day. I pushed through and after a month or two I began to notice my scalp oil production was back to normal. I could even go an extra day without a wash again if I curled my hair. But then something amazing happened. As the months passed I noticed my hairline was thickening up. And after about 8 months of use, all of the sudden I was able to go 3 or 4 days without washing, Which has never happened to me. My hair is so happy. I even started using their unscented hair spray.
LOTION: Lotion was another tricky swap. Some were too expensive, most were simply not clean, and others were just too greasy. My favorite I've found so far is from Just Ingredients. I use the tropical paradise scent. I also use Skin Hero from Poofy Organics and Primally Pures body butter in my rotation. The Just Ingredients one is the best. It's more affordable than the others, clean, and not greasy. I've also used their lip balms. They're a great company to try out!
SELF TANNER AND SUNSCREEN: Beauty By Earth delivers a clean, effective self tanner that is better than any of the toxic ones I'd used. I use the lotion linked below, but they also offer tanning drops and tanning foam. I also use their sunscreen or Crunchi's sunscreen when I'm at the pool or beach.
Switching to clean products can be overwhelming. I hope my experiences and recommendations can help make your journey a bit easier. Leave any questions in the comments below, or feel free to email me at cbwdesignllc@gmail.com
I’m going to check a bunch of this stuff out! I need it for me and Emily who is VERY into skincare! ❤️