Facing the Facts: Four Ingredients that Never Touch My Face #GMCBeauty

This is post is sponsored by Pure+simple as part of the #GMCBeauty campaign.

Sometimes I eat at McDonalds.

It turns out I’m fussier about what I put on my skin than what I put in my mouth. I’m not proud of it, folks! It’s been easier to ditch the harmful ingredients in my skincare products than in my fast food…

Here are four ingredients that Canadian beauty brand and #GMCBeauty sponsor Pure+simple help me keep off my face:

1 – Microbeads 

So, microbeads are probably not as bad for my skin as they are for the environment, as I explain in my post Microbeads… Major Problem. Do I really want to be washing tiny plastic beads down the drain with my dead skin cells? No, I really don’t. Several US states have already banned this synthetic, polluting ingredient, and a similar ban is on the table in Canada.

Pure+simple has exfoliating products sans microbeads which fall into two major categories: physical scrubs and enzyme peels. The former include “Abrasive, yet gentle products that require massage to remove dead cells from the skin’s surface,” while the latter require no scrubbing as the enzymes “digest dead skin cells and breakdown congestion.” An enzyme peel is the lazy woman’s ticket to smoother, more radiant skin!

Pure+simple sent me their Lactic Acid to test out on my combination skin, and I confess, I had no idea what it was or what it was for. 

What is Lactic Acid? According to the EWG, “Lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid; naturally produced in the process of bacterial fermentation, for example milk fermentation.” Alpha Hydroxy Acids, or “AHAs,” are used to exfoliate skin by

“…encourag[ing] the skin to slough off its old, dead skin cells revealing the glow of healthy skin cells hidden underneath. They help reduce the appearance of acne scars, age-related spots and pigmentation. They also help firm up sagging skin, fine lines and wrinkles by promoting collagen growth in the deeper layers of your skin.” [How Stuff Works]

You apply Pure+simple’s Lactic Acid at night, just a drop or two will do. After twenty minutes, you apply moisturizer. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what has changed about my skin since I started applying the Lactic Acid nightly two weeks ago. I have definitely noticed a difference. 

 

If you have one of those magnifying mirrors for tweezing your eyebrows, you know how horrific your skin can look up close. Every time I look now at my nose and my forehead, my pores are less visible, I have fewer blackheads and my skin just looks healthier and less greasy. I have trouble with in-grown hairs around my eyebrows. Now while you do not want to apply Lactic Acid too close to the eyes, I’ve been applying it as far as my brow bone. When I go to tweeze, I notice the hairs aren’t trapped under a fine layer of skin.

Toxin Ten List Trio

The next three ingredients I’m avoiding come from the Toxin Ten List, which you can download and print out for your wallet here.

 

2) Artificial Musks

Since eliminating all artificial fragrance from my world, I have to race even more quickly through the perfume aisles in department stores (You always have to pass through them to enter or exit the store… ever noticed that?). Artificial musks just give me a headache, which should be enough of a reason to skip them completely. But what really gets my goat is that fragrance is a completely unregulated ingredient in our cosmetic products. When your product simply says “Fragrance,” that one word could encompass a whole variety of untested chemicals. Find out more from The Suzuki Foundation.

None of Pure+simple’s products contain artificial fragrance. What you smell is what you get, like the refreshing scent of spearmint in their Organic Spearmint Face & Body Wash.

3) Triclosan

Triclosan, besides sounding kind of freaky, is an antibacterial agent that, according to studies compiled by The Suzuki Foundation:

• May be in part to blame for the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria;
• Is a suspected endocrine disruptor;
• Is classified as a skin and eye irritant by the EU;
• Is bioaccumulative and harmful to aquatic life.

You’ll find Triclosan as an ingredient in many “antibacterial” facial cleansers. Pure+simple’s extensive line up of face wash uses naturally-occurring ingredients with antibacterial properties, such as Daisy Extract in its Pure Skin Face Wash. My beloved Balancing Black Mud Turmeric Lotion uses Turmeric Root (hence the name) in part for its antibacterial properties. Edible ingredients for the win!

If you’re curious, you can find an exhaustive list of products containing Triclosan via the EWG.

4) Petrolatum

Petrolatum is most commonly known as petroleum jelly. It’s a byproduct of… you guessed it: PETROLEUM. Hey, we’re all (hopefully) doing our best to lessen our reliance on fossil fuels, so why not start by finding a better ingredient to moisturize with!? Research gathered by The Suzuki Foundation mentions that “the European Union classifies petrolatum [as] a carcinogen and restricts its use in cosmetics.” Pure+simple’s collection of moisturizers uses ingredients like Aloe Vera, Jojoba Oil, Shea Butter, Babassu Oil, Vitamin E and Sunflower Oil to protect and replenish the skin. I received their Black Mud Turmeric Lotion to try on my combination skin. What a delight.

My skin is always a tenuous balancing act between too oily and too dry, and I’m prone to pimples. I need a lotion that has a matte finish to cope with my greasy spots but still protects my skin from the elements so it doesn’t dry. When I put on the Balancing Black Mud Turmeric Lotion, I have to say, I can actually feel it working. It has an ever-so-subtle tingle to it as it absorbs. I notice my skin is less shiny by mid-day, and in combination with the Lactic Acid, the overall clarity and smoothness of my skin has improved in just two weeks.

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Find Pure+simple products and lots of other great green beauty tips at PureandSimple.ca.

What ingredients have you cut out of your beauty routine?