Why Your Man Needs Counterman

January 29, 2019January 28, 2019Leave a comment

I never know what to get Brad for Valentine’s Day. I’m actually really bad at shopping for a Valentine’s Day gift because I think Valentine’s Day is silly. We should show love and appreciation for each other more than just one day of the year. But I won’t bore you with that soapbox.

Our first Valentine’s Day together I got him a mini-hatchet to take on his camping adventures. It was really a gift for me since I love a good campfire, and sometimes you need to prep some kindling to get a good campfire going. I can say I’ve gotten better over the years. One time I got him (us) a massage. Again, that was partly for me.

I have yet to come up with something for Brad’s Valentine’s Day gift, but I have a great idea for you.

Meet Counterman.

It’s the first full men’s line of safer skincare and body products from my beloved Beautycounter.

Brad has heard me harp on and on about how wonderful Beautycounter has been for my skin. So with his recent cancer diagnosis, we have been trying to eliminate endocrine disruptors from the products he uses, as well as that we use in the house.

It just didn’t seem fair that I had all of these great, safer products to use, and he didn’t have anything I felt like would fit the bill. Thankfully, Beautycounter announced the new men’s line right after the first of the new year. I was lucky enough, with my consultant status, to get the entire line a month in advance. So it was neatly wrapped and under the tree on Christmas morning.

So why should you get your man a skincare regime?

Men’s skin is biologically different than women’s skin.*

• Men’s skin is thicker. In general, men’s skin density is about 25% thicker than women’s—which is attributed to collagen density. They retain this density level for longer than women, resulting in younger-looking skin.

• Skin is tougher. Men’s skin tends to be tougher due to slower cellular turnover and constant shaving that disrupts the skin barrier.

• Skin is oilier. Men generally produce more sebum than women and tend to be shinier and more prone to breakouts.

• Pore & follicle size is larger. Not only do men produce coarser and darker facial hair, but their pore size is larger, leaving skin more vulnerable to blackheads.

*1. AAD, DW August 21, 2014. “Biological differences in skin create challenges in treating men”. A Publication of the American Academy of Dermatology|Association.

How is Counterman unique?

Featuring high-tech Sequoia Stem Cell Complex, all
Counterman formulas help protect skin from every day
stress, while providing safer and cleaner products dedicated
specifically for men.

What is the Sequoias Stem Cell Complex, and what are the benefits?

Plant stem cells have the properties and the ability to self renew. Also, plant stem cells never undergo an aging process but instead perpetually divide to produce new cells. Plant stem cell technology helps to increase the availability of these extracts and allows us to have consistency in our
formula.

What are the products?

If you feel like learning more, click the link at the bottom of each photo. That’s also the way you shop, too, if you are interested.

Counterman Energizing Charcoal Body Wash

Did you know there are sets?

The regimens and full collection comes with a free gift until the end of January. So get your favorite guy some safer skincare this Valentine’s Day. You won’t be sorry, especially when his skin starts looking so healthy and good.

I also have samples of some of the items. If you are interested, visit the Contact Me page, and shoot me a message with your address. I will ship them out ASAP.

Do No Harm

January 4, 20191 Comment

2018 was a tough year for me. I lost my favorite kid in the entire world to Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer, and my boyfriend was diagnosed with a malignant neuroendocrine tumor (NET) in his small intestine, which thankfully they removed right before Christmas.

I can’t help but think that these life-shaping moments mean something more, and I personally have felt very called, convicted to share my knowledge on how to help people make safer, better choices.

The mantra “Do No Harm” comes into play here. We are hardwired to go with the flow, the masses. Society can make choices that we automatically deem ok because “other people are doing it.” I remember in elementary school getting in trouble for doing something against the rules, and my teacher saying something like if everyone jumped off the roof, would you do it, too?

We have to stop “jumping off the roof” when it comes to our health and wellbeing. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t make it the best choice for each of us.

I love the idea of exploring this whole idea of don’t just go with the flow when it comes to your health. It’s a loaded topic. And I know people will get testy on the subject because we want to believe that we are doing the right thing. Health and wellness is just a touchy topic because everyone choices to live differently.

But let’s unpack this idea. For fun. Particularly for the endocrine system.

I found this article from Dr. Axe, and it totally hit home for me.

With Brad’s cancer specifically affecting hormone cells in his small intestine, changing his diet won’t be enough on the preventative side we can control. There are so many things that we use on our bodies, breathe in through the air and eat that can effect our endocrine system. So diet is only one of many things.

Well, you can’t control what chemical makeup of the air we breathe.

But you can get a home air filtration system or diffuse clarifying essential oils or use safer cleaning products. I started looking into household cleaners once I signed on with Beautycounter and started learning about all the ways our endocrine system can be affected by what we put on our bodies. That translated quickly into changing our everyday cleaners and detergents.

Brands I use include Seventh Generation, Better Life and Doterra. Better Life is a new one for me, but proving to be a good one. I get mine through Thrive Market or on Amazon.

I use EWG’s Skin Deep Site or app to check out beauty and skin care products that fall outside of Beautycounter‘s current product offerings. Finding Beautycounter was a total game changer for me and my skin care. I’ve always suffered with oily, acne-prone skin, but now I believe that was totally because the products I was using were full of harmful chemicals, additives and questionable ingredients. Beautycounter has a list of over 1,500 ingredients they never use in any of their products. It’s a company I’m proud to support because we are collectively changing the beauty industry for the better.

I realize this is a heavy subject, but we need to be talking about it as consumers. We need to be voting with our dollars for company’s that put people first, instead of profit. This is something I’m deeply passionate about, and it is so very important as we move forward.

The goal is not to have everyone I know using Beautycounter or brands I love (though I would love it if you found Beautycounter to be your thing that works for you).

The goal is to get you thinking about things in a new way.

To question.

To not jump off a roof just because everyone else is doing it.

To take your health and wellness seriously.

Because, y’all, we only get this one life.

What do you want to do this year to take control of your health and wellness? What small changes can you make? What things can you get rid of? How can I help you? Because I truly feel called to help you take the steps to make a choice.

Show Me Your Friday Face

November 3, 2017Leave a comment

We made it to Freedom Day…also known as Friday. Woo whoo!

This week has been hard on me. Like crazy hard. My day job has been crazy. I’m working hard on my side hustle with Beautycounter after I get home. I feel like I need a mental break. But this too shall pass .

I’ve been switching my my eyeshadow every few days since I got the gorgeous Winter Jewels Palette from Beautycounter. But I’m gravitating to certain ones over and over again.

In the Winter Jewels Palette, I’m completely in love with the Rose Gold eyeshadow. I’m wearing only that and the Volumizing Mascara in the photo above.

But I recently got the Nude Eye Trio from the Holiday Collection. The nude cream eye shadow is to die for. It’s the color of my dreams. Neutral with a hint of gray. I hope they keep those two shades after the holidays are over.

If you haven’t checked out the Holiday Collection, I highly recommend that you do. Everything is so gorgeous. Perfect for stockings. I can make recommendations for the special people in your life. So let’s give the gift of clean beauty.

Anyway, I didn’t intend for this to be a Beautycounter post, but I’m just really loving everything they’ve got going right now.

Happiest of Fridays, friends!

Countermatch Collection & Why It’s Different

October 29, 2017Leave a comment

When it comes to skin care, I don’t take it lightly anymore. I’ve found that my skin needs something better than conventional makeup and skin care.

Here’s the thing: I did everything I could to make my skin not look terrible. Battling breakouts throughout my teens and twenties made me gun shy to try something new. I only used my tried and true items, which was a Purpose soap bar and Simple moisturizer with SPF 20. But my face and skin still did not like it.

I was tried of my skin looking like a teenager going through puberty. I was starting to see fine lines around my eyes and on my forehead…because a big birthday is looming. And I wanted something that worked for my changing skin.

Enter Beautycounter.

I was naturally skeptical of a “clean” beauty product because all the ones I had tried made my skin oil due to the overuse of coconut oil or avocado oil or whatever crunchy thing manufacturers put in it.

But all the research I had done made me feel a little more confident that Beautycounter products would be different. Less crunchy. More like a high-performing skincare line at a descent price point.

So I took a leap of faith, and the rest is history. And you know what? It keeps getting better.

Over the weekend, Beautycounter launched its most innovative collection to date.

It is completely different than any other product line on the market.

How is it different?

Bio-Mimic Technology.

What does that even mean?

It means all these products use plant-based properties that are most like the human components of skin. It gives skin exactly what it needs and nothing it doesn’t. That’s a pretty cool thing, if you ask me. Plants are pretty cool. We use them as food to nourish our bodies, so it makes sense to use plant-based nutrients for nourishing our skin.

There are four products that make up this innovative collection, and I want to break down some of the best qualities of each one.

Let’s start with the one I have used for a while now.

Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion

It’s lightweight, smells great and it adjusts to your skin’s hydration needs throughout the day. That’s that Bio-Mimic Technology at work, right there. It’s free of silicones and synthetic polymers, which can irritate skin.

Some of the key benefits are:

Shea Butter: rich in vitamin E to boost hydration.
Squalane: derived from olives, it draws moisture into the skin and visibly restores elasticity.
Phytic Acid: sourced from green rice, it helps skin breathe for a natural-looking glow.
Plum Oil: moisturizes and nourishes.
Salicylic acid: helps even skin tone.
Arginine: found naturally in beet root, it provides nutrients and energy for vibrant, healthy skin.

The Adaptive Moisture Lotion launched in June and sold out in 12 hours. Pretty amazing stuff. And I can say my skin feels smoother and softer. I have zero issues with oiliness, and I use to be really oily. And it will be a staple in my skincare routine from now on.

Countermatch Intense Moisture Serum

I’ve never used a serum. With the oiliness I use to battle, I couldn’t imagine adding in an intense boost of moisture to my skin. But I’m super excited to try this.

Some key benefits are:

Hyaluronic Acid: one of the most effective hydrating ingredients, it delivers moisture without clogging pores. Intense Moisture Serum contains two forms of Hyaluronic Acid for ultimate hydration.
Vitamins C & E: energize skin and provide antioxidant protection to help fight free radicals.
Arginine: found naturally in beet root, it provides nutrients and energy for vibrant, healthy skin.

Plus, it is free of mineral oils and synthetic fragrances.

Countermatch Rescue Eye Cream

This is the product I’m most excited about trying. Why you ask? Because it decreases puffiness AND reduces dark shadows under eyes. Heaven has finally answered my prayers about an eye cream that will reduce my hereditary dark circles. It is formulated without the use of formaldehyde, a potentially carcinogenic preservative commonly used in eye creams which has also been linked to detrimental effects on the immune system. Formaldehyde can also be listed as formalin, formic aldehyde, merthaldehyde, methanol and oxomethane.

Key benefits include:

Squalane: derived from olives, it draws moisture into the skin and visibly restores elasticity.
Betaine: found in sugar beets, it increases oxygenation to help reduce the appearance of shadows.
Phytic Acid: stimulates oxygenation to help awaken tired eyes.

Tired, puffy, dark-circled eye will be a thing of the past for me soon. And I can’t wait.

And last, but not least.

Countermatch Recovery Sleeping Cream

I’ve not ever used a night cream either. It goes back to my formerly oily skin. But I’m going to give this one a try.

What makes it special?

Hyaluronic Acid: one of the most effective hydrating ingredients, it delivers moisture without clogging pores. Recovery Sleeping Cream contains two forms of Hyaluronic Acid for ultimate hydration.
Plum Oil: rich in omegas 6 & 9 and vitamin E, it reinforces the moisture barrier for healthy-looking, vibrant skin.
Tara Gum: this Peruvian plant is a nutrient for skin, helping it effectively revitalize while you sleep.

This nighttime moisture treatment will repair your skin with deeply moisturizing ingredients while you snooze. I like that idea. Sleeping really does solve a multitude of ailments.

The Countermatch Collection is the beginning of innovative, safe skin care. It’s the start of something wonderful, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.

Learn more about the Countermatch Collection here.

Read some of the reviews on the one Countermatch product that has been out for a while now here.

Get the Healthy Living app to check out how your current products compare to Beautycounter products.

Let me know if you have questions, or if you want to try a sample. I can sample out Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion now, but I’m starting a list for samples of the complete Countermatch Collection. Reach out to me here.

Join the Movement

October 27, 2017October 26, 2017Leave a comment

When I joined Beautycounter, I didn’t realize how much it would change my life.

I’m so inspired. Inspired by women empowering other women. Our team works hard. And we work even harder to cheer each other on. I had no idea I would be joining such a strong, motivated group of women. And in the short time I’ve been around them, I’ve noticed changes for the better in myself.

Not only does my skin look the best it ever has in my 29.75 years, my team has inspired me to share my journey with Beautycounter, healthy eating and exercise. I practice a morning routine that has changed my outlook on everyday. And my workouts have been more consistent.

When you surround yourself with people who strive to be the best versions of themselves, you get the itch to do it, too.

And here’s the best part…

The team wants to see me succeed and be the best version of myself because they truly care about my business, my health and my wellness.

And I want you to experience it. Joining my team would bring me so much joy because I could share this amazing business and team with you.

The products work. I’m living proof. But the real reason to join is to be part of the social mission to get safer products to everyone. And to surround yourself with likeminded people.

Now is the time to join my team. Be a part of this movement. This amazing culture of women.

Get products at a discount. Earn some extra income. Share the products and business with your friends and family. Be a light for demanding better beauty and personal care products. Become part of an amazing tribe of women who build each other up.

Send me a message if you want more information.

Or go ahead and join something amazing.