Thanks for stopping by. This is my space to share what I’m learning – about clean living, being healthy, aging well & making a difference.
But, before we dive in – a couple things to share…
Did you know?
You are probably becoming more & more aware of the connection between rising health issues like cancer, infertility & asthma & our ongoing exposure to toxic chemicals. And, you’re probably doing what you can to reduce your exposure. Although, it’s not easy, right? They seem to be in everything!
But, here are a few important facts that most people I talk to are not aware of…
1,400.
The European Union currently bans or restricts over 1,400 ingredients from personal care products. In Canada, they ban about 600.
The United States has banned or restricted only 30.
80,000.
We currently have about 80,000 chemicals on the market today (many of which have no safety data). This is especially true of chemicals used in the skin care & beauty industries.
1938.
The last time we passed a major federal law governing the cosmetics industry was 1938! (Um, yeah – 80+ years ago! Isn’t that a bit scary?)
FDA?
This is especially shocking. The FDA does not have the authority to remove harmful ingredients from the products we put on our bodies every day. (Yeah, that’s a problem.)
If you are like me…
You have made some assumptions that the products on the shelves are safe. That there is some sort of process or regulation that goes into the approval of products before they come to market.
And, that’s simply not the case.
Think about the products you use on your body every day:
- Soaps
- Lotions
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Shaving Cream
- Deodorant
- Toothpaste
- Sunscreen
- Mascara
- Lip Gloss
- Other cosmetics…
And now, think again about the facts above.
Our skin is our largest organ. What we put on it matters.
We gotta start reading ingredient lists. Learning what those ingredients are & which ones to avoid. It’s up to us as consumers to learn what we can & to advocate for better.
When I first started my journey – I was pretty flabbergasted to learn about this. At some level, I don’t think I even really believed it.
But, the more I started researching & learning, the more I realized it was time to wake up & do something about it.
We had already spent 10+ years giving our house a major overhaul when it comes to health. (Long story that I’ll share at another time.)
We had changed what we were eating. We removed processed foods. We shopped organic whenever possible. We changed out our cleaning products. (We were so obsessed, we became certified nutritionists so we could help others do the same.)
But, I had never given thought to our personal care products. I don’t know why. I don’t think it had ever crossed my mind.
We didn’t really use that many products, just your everyday stuff. And, because the brands I chose were labeled ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ or ‘hypo-allergenic’ or were recommended by my dermatologist, I assumed they were safe.
I was wrong.
That’s why I’m here. To share some of this information with you. Shorten your learning curve. Help you find safer products. Keep you from making the same mistakes I made for years.
After all, if you’re working hard to eat clean, exercise and take care of yourself, you deserve to know about this stuff and how to navigate it.
It’s not easy to live healthy in today’s environment.
If we want to be healthy, avoid disease & protect ourselves & our families, we have to do things differently – to be | COUNTER.
We have to educate ourselves. Ask better questions. Demand better products. Use our voices & our wallets to support better options & better legislation & companies that are doing better.
Yes, it’s a big problem. But, I truly believe that together we can make some positive change. That’s why I created this platform & why I’m so excited to connect with you.
I hope you’ll stick around. Learn with me. And, help spread the word in your corner of the world.
We ALL deserve better. And, this is a great place to start.
Welcome to be | COUNTER.
Karen Friend Smith
San Diego, CA