Hi! I'm Kim, jumping in as a guest blogger for Prept to share a bit about Beautycounter and my reasons behind joining the movement. I'm a 30-something living in Charlotte, NC with my husband of nearly 3 years, our super-cute 7-year-old rescue pup named Brinkley, and have our first baby on the way (due late fall). I love spending time outdoors, cooking with my husband, practicing yoga (one day I'll start teaching again), traveling, and am super passionate about clean beauty and having a healthy home. I'm so grateful to be partnering with Prept to introduce readers to Beautycounter, some of my favorite products (stay tuned, part 2 coming soon!), and an opportunity to win free Beautycounter product (see giveaway details at the bottom of this post.) Thanks for being here!
- About Beautycounter -
Beautycounter is a leader in the clean beauty space. Our Founder and CEO, Gregg Renfrew, saw an opportunity to bring personal care products to the market that were both high performing and safe for use, something she was unable to find in the early 2010s. She believed that we should never have to compromise our health in the name of beauty. We have one simple mission: to get safer products into the hands of everyone. While simple, it’s not always easy. Our three main pillars to achieve that mission are to formulate safe, high-performing products; advocate for stricter regulations and guidelines at the national level; and educate our communities about our clean promise and the truths about the cosmetic industry.
We don’t just sell beauty and skincare products but lead a movement to encourage significant change in the Beauty Industry so that one day all beauty is clean beauty.
We have banned over 1,800 harmful or questionable chemicals as ingredients from our formulations; we call it "The Never List". We have 12 safety standards that our formulas and manufacturing partners are required to comply with prior to products being released to the market. We require the responsible sourcing of raw materials, 100% ingredient transparency (you’ll never see the word “fragrance” listed as an ingredient in any of our products), have a rigorous quality assurance program that performs site inspections, and we perform extensive screening and testing of all ingredients for trace contaminants and heavy metals. We also extend these safety requirements beyond our ingredients and formulas to our packaging, doing our best to leave a clean footprint on the environment.
Beautycounter is a certified B Corporation - meaning we meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. We truly put into emphasis the impact of our decisions on our workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. Some other notable B Corps include Patagonia, Allbirds, Toms, Seventh Generation, Dr. Bronner’s, Ben & Jerry’s, Athleta, Stasher Bag, New Belgium Brewing, and Earthbound Farm Organic. We’re also proud to be Leaping Bunny Certified which is the gold standard when it comes to animal cruelty-free certifications for cosmetics and personal care products; we will never test our products on animals and continuously monitor our supply chain to ensure their compliance as well. You'll also find over a third of our products on EWG's Verified Product List. The Environmental Working Group is a third-party that independently reviews products to ensure they meet their strict safety requirements.
If you’d like to learn more about our social missions and environmental impact, I invite you to read more about our story on our website.
- Why I Joined the Movement -
I don’t quite remember when my interest was first piqued by Beautycounter but noticed Instagram and Facebook posts of a friend from college who had recently become a consultant. I didn’t pay much attention to them at first but eventually curiosity got the best of me and I ordered sunscreen. Then some make-up. Then the cult-favorite Cleansing Balm. Then a gift with purchase promotion (and boy, a I sucker for that kind of sale) and love for Beautycounter spiraled.
I was so impressed (and tbh, surprised) with how WELL everything worked. The Flawless in Five make-up kit made getting ready in the morning a breeze (which is a must for me – I’m always running late and consider myself to be relatively low maintenance). The sunscreen offered great protection at the beach. The Cleansing Balm saved my dehydrated skin. Every time I ordered something new, I loved it. I was officially a Beautycounter product-junkie.
At the start, I wasn’t concerned with the things I was seeing about toxins present in our personal care products and some facts about the beauty industry; I didn’t think any of it was that important and skimmed past it. My general thoughts were “this doesn’t really have anything to do with me. Sure, maybe SOME people are affected, but I’ll be fine. I’ve been using xyz product my whole life without any problems, why would it be any different now?”
After about a year, I started to pay attention and, y’all, the facts about the beauty industry are NOT good:
The first cosmetics law (the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA)) was passed in 1938 and there have been no major updates since. That’s 82 years. It’s also only two pages. Those 2 pages regulate a 62-billion-dollar industry.
There are more than 85,000 chemicals and ingredients registered for use in the US. Fewer than 20% have been tested for their effects on human health and development.
The EU has banned or restricted about 1,400+ ingredients from use in personal care products. Canada has banned or restricted nearly 600. The US has only banned 30.
The FDA can’t regulate the cosmetic industry. That means if asbestos is found in a makeup at a popular teen store, the FDA can’t legally do anything about it.
Fewer than 25% of products marketed to BIPOC are rated safe on the EWG website meaning women of color are disproportionally exposed to higher levels of toxic chemicals from their beauty products.
…The list goes on. Toxins in our personal care products have been linked to cancer, endocrine toxicity (causing issues with immunity, hormone disruption, infertility and other reproductive issues, and developmental problems), and neurotoxicity (damage to the nervous system).
When I was younger and more care-free, I didn’t think about those things. Then, my husband and I began thinking about starting our family and wanted to create the healthiest environment possible. We did our best to eat healthy and exercise but never thought twice about how the products we were putting on our bodies everyday could affect our health. Thankfully, because of my love for Beautycounter products, I had already transitioned most of my personal care products to cleaner options so felt safe to continue using everything I was using from Beautycounter while trying to start our family and haven’t had to change a thing since becoming pregnant. If there are products I can’t use while I’m pregnant or nursing, why would I want to use them when I’m not?
My reason for becoming a consultant with Beautycounter was purely monetary: consultants get a 25% discount on products. It was also a way for me to earn extra income. As a consultant I earn a 25% commission on sales with the opportunity for monthly bonuses. I love that I don’t have to buy or hold on to any inventory, our sales “requirements” are based on a 6-month time span (rather than monthly), and my personal purchases go towards that requirement. I see a paycheck every month – anytime one of my clients buys something, I get paid commission on it, no fine print. There are also no requirements to have a “downline” team (managing a team is not for everyone, and I love that Beautycounter does not make that a requirement in order to be successful...it makes the business a great opportunity for anyone).
I will say that the reasons I love working with Beautycounter have evolved since I joined. I am now most proud of our advocacy work and the changes we’re making in the industry: we co-sign bills, march on Washington, call and email local representatives, and make giant efforts to change existing legislature so label reading can be a thing of the past. Many companies are following suit when it comes to clean beauty, and existing clean beauty brands that have been around for ages are getting recognition they deserve. Consumer awareness and your dollars are truly driving the market. I 100% believe Beautycounter has been a big reason behind this wake-up call.
If you have any interest in becoming a consultant with Beautycounter and sharing our mission or your favorite products with your friends and family, I would love to help mentor you. Reach out to me! You can send me a DM on Instagram (@kim.v.reed) or send me an email (reed.kim.v@gmail.com), I’d love to talk to you.
If being a consultant is not for you, but you’d like to join our loyalty program, Band of Beauty, it’s a great way to earn product credit for future purchases and get free shipping on orders over $100. Annual membership is $29, and you’ll get a welcome gift when you spend $50 in products when enrolling. The gift changes regularly but is currently a travel size of the Charcoal Facial Mask and the Overnight Resurfacing Peel, 2 of our best-selling products and a $43 value. See more details and sign up here.
Here’s the best news: A Giveaway! We’re offering Prept readers a special chance to win. Make a purchase from our website, at checkout be sure I’m selected as your consultant (Kim Reed), and choose the Prept Pop-Up to be entered to win. Any purchase made to the pop-up will count as 1 entry. Beautycounter is also offering new clients 20% off their order (there are a few product exceptions) until August 10 with code CLEANFORALL20. Have questions about what to buy? Reach out to me, I’d love to chat with you. Giveaway period ends August 10 and the winner will be announced on August 11.
If you would like more information about Beautycounter, becoming a consultant or a member, reach out to me! You can send me a DM on Instagram (@kim.v.reed) or an email (reed.kim.v@gmail.com), I'd love to chat with you!