A few years ago, I started looking for new clean products for our home and family. After a few different life events, I grew interested in clean products and learning more about what is and is not regulated in the products we use everyday. As a person who strives to live a healthy life, it was mind blowing to find that products I was using on my skin (the body’s largest organ) and in my home were actually harmful to me.
In fall of 2016, my stepdad was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. It came out of nowhere and shook our entire family. To see my stepdad and mom go through doctors appointments, treatments, and round after round of bad news was heartbreaking. The cancer had started in the colon and metastasized to his liver, pelvic bone, and later his spine. While Mark was receiving cancer treatment, he had a very specific diet and we were all very careful with our own health when around him. We knew the chemo treatments were harmful to his immune system so we all did our best to stay healthy, or keep our distance when we were sick. This time in my life was life changing as I watched him fight his cancer day after day with my mom at his side. The entire journey was full of ups and downs but after just 8 months, Mark passed away in May of 2017. I can’t put many words to how it felt. I still can so easily put myself back in a space where we all were together and everything was okay. I miss him so but I am thankful that I feel him around me all the time. I know he is looking down, smiling at Emmie, and sending his love to us all.
When Mark died, and I saw the heartbreak my mom experienced and as a newlywed myself, I became paralyzed over the thought of losing more people around me whom I love. It was around this time that I had started to learn about harmful ingredients that were in my household products that were known to cause cancer. This blew my mind especially after everything our family had experienced. I couldn’t believe that companies would knowingly include ingredients and chemicals that were harmful to their customers. I started replacing our household cleaners and next on the list was my own personal products.
Sometime during this time, I came across the Think Dirty app. Someone on instagram had mentioned this app that allowed you to scan products to see what ingredients they contained, and then it rated them on a scale of 1-10 depending on what harmful chemicals they contained. I started scanning my “gentle” face washes and drugstore makeup to find that I was putting harmful ingredients on my face and body MULTIPLE times a day. The app allowed you to find clean alternatives, but at the time there weren’t many options and it required you to bounce around to various places to find products that worked well.
As we grew closer to wanting to build our family, I had learned more about various products that also impact fertility. Once again, I began researching so I could slowly replace products as I ran out of them. Buying new products is so expensive so instead of buying them at one time, I waited until I was out of something and then switched it out with a better alternative.
I don’t remember where I had first heard of Beautycounter but as I had been introduced to the company and heard their mission, I instantly was interested. Finally a company that was transparent and wanted to do good in addition to creating safe products. Once I started hearing my friends talk about the products, and saw the pop-up in Target, I bought my first Beautycounter product: a face cleanser. I found that it was gentle (especially on my eyes), I didn’t need to worry, and felt confident about the products I was using.
Years later, after talking to friends and family about clean beauty and cleaning living, and gifting Beautycounter to family for Christmas, I realized how passionate I was about it and educating others about what I had learned and continue to learn! I gave it a lot of thought and believe it aligns well with my personal interests and the A Dash of Bruck brand. One thing led to another and I decided to become a consultant!
Beautycounter doesn’t just sell safe products. Their mission tells it all: To get safer products into the hands of everyone. This includes working towards safer beauty reform and educating about the lack of regulation in the beauty industry.
Can you believe that the United States has not passed a major federal law to regulate the safety of ingredients used in person care products since 1938?! That is absolutely insane to me. The European Union has 1300 restricted ingredients while the US currently only has 11. As a recent graduate school grad, the use of a good study is important to me. When I found out that only 10% of the 10,000 chemicals commonly used in personal care products have safety data, it blew my mind!
That leads to the never list. Beautycounter has banned more than 1,800 ingredients for their products, setting a new health and safety standard in the industry. The never list not only promotes healthier personal care products in my life, but I use the list to make more educated decisions on other products I use in my home.
As you know, my blog has evolved over the years and continues to share fashion, home decor, motherhood, and lifestyle content. I am thankful to connect with so many of you who also are interested in these topics! As I learned more about Beautycounter and clean products, I thought about the social impact and how organically it fits within my current content. I am passionate about this and want to share it with you in hopes you’ll be interested too!
I will tell anyone that not every product I use is Beautycounter. Although the bulk of my skincare routine is, I am always searching for the best clean products, no matter what the brand. I promise to share all brands with you and be honest about what products I’m loving from Beautycounter and which ones aren’t my favorite!
If you’ve been around for a while, you know I am a full time elementary music teacher! I have never taken a business class and I am not a sales woman. I promise to not be pushy or salesy (not a real word) but to authentically promote products I love and use myself.
Being a teacher, I believe that continual education is so important! As I learn more about clean beauty and about Beautycounter products, I would love to share that with you. I have started a Clean Beauty Tribe email list where I will send out a monthly letter to check in, tell you about new products, clean beauty education, and maybe even a giveaway here and there! Click here to join the list. I promise not to spam your inbox!
Countermatch Refresh Foaming Cleanser In my opinion, a good cleanser is the base of a good skincare routine. This gentle cleanser removes face and eye makeup, washes away impurities, without drying out your skin. A little product goes a long way with this one as well which I love!
Counter+ Lotus Glow Cleansing Balm This one is a splurge but it is SO worth it. Especially on days when I wear more makeup, I love to double cleanse and this product is my first step! Not only does it melt makeup off, but it makes my skin feel so hydrated but not greasy. OH and it smells amazing.
Countermatch Recovery Sleeping Cream I have always had normal to dry skin and think of nighttime as my opportunity for my skin to take a big drink of water. This hydrating, yet light cream has hyaluronic acid in it which creates a protective layer to shield from moisture loss during sleep. Slightly random but I also love the packaging of this product.
Counter+ No. 1 Brightening Facial Oil You know when you were a kid and you were only supposed to take 2 of those yummy gummy vitamins and so badly wanted to take more? That is how I feel about this oil. This citrus-scented facial oil smells SO good and my skin just drinks it up. I add a drop or two in with my moisturizer izer for an extra boost. I love that it not only hydrates my skin, but the vitamin C helps brighten and even my skin tone.
Touchup Skin Concealer Pen This concealer is amazing in my opinion! It took me a little while to figure it out but once I got used to the click pen applicator, I loved how well it concealed the occasional blemish and my under eye area. I wear the color fair.
Lip Gloss I am NOT really a lip gloss gal but I love this gloss! My favorite is the shade ‘peony’ which is the perfect warm pink color.The gloss is not sticky and has a natural vanilla flavor that, let’s be honest, is the best part about wearing color on your lips.
Although these are my favorite products, I am also obsessed with their citrus mimosa body lotion (seriously it smells so good). Some of the men in my family have loved the Counterman line and I’m excited to try the Baby + Kids line for Emmie!
Because it’s an exciting announcement, I’m doing a G I V E A W A Y for a $75 Beautycounter gift card for any product you’d like! Here is how you enter:
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D E T A I L S:
+Follow me @adashofbruck on instagram.
+Comment what Beautycounter product you love or want to try AND tag a friend in the comment (each new comment is an entry)
B O N U S entries:
++Sign up for my clean beauty facebook group to get information about new Beautycounter products, clean products, and general education surrounding clean living.
++Sign up for my clean beauty newsletter (a monthly email with roundups of information and Beautycounter products) (link also in bio).
This giveaway is not associated with Instagram and you must be 18+ to enter. Giveaway winner will be randomly selected, contacted and announced on instagram stories on 6/23. Good luck!!
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If you are interested in Beautycounter, have questions, or want to try some samples, please email me at meaganlash@gmail.com and I’d be happy to chat! Thank you for supporting and encouraging my business and my blog. Your continued support allows me to continue doing what I love!
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