BEAUTYCOUNTER - Clara Norfleet | Food Fitness and Faith

As a dietitian, I take nutrition and what I put into my body pretty seriously. Diet is one of the biggest influences and factors on our health, after all! Not only does proper diet and nutrition play a role in lowering our chances of developing chronic and debilitating illnesses, it allows us to live fully and vibrantly, and it also aids in a youthful, glowing, and clear complexion. This is due in part to a number of reasons ranging from the presence/absence of antioxidants and vital nutrients, overall nutrient density of foods consumed, hydration status, and even looking to the integrity of your gut.

My Story

I was never one to suffer from distressing amounts of acne and breakouts growing up, however that all seemed to change a couple of years ago after a nasty bout of food poisoning. Since that event in February of 2017, I started to experience horrendous breakouts like never before.

After connecting the dots, I came to the realization that certain foods were now unfortunately messing with my gut and thus were playing a large part in these sudden breakouts I was having. I decided to make some small dietary changes, and within just a few weeks noticed my breakouts drastically improved. It’s important to note that while removing the trigger foods from your diet may help resolve symptoms, it isn’t always an ideal longterm solution, as it doesn’t address the root of the problem. Efforts should be made to help support gut healing so that you can enjoy the least restrictive diet possible — but this isn’t the topic of this post 🙂

However, thanks to my lovely (read: bad) habit of picking at pimples, my past breakouts had left behind quite the unsightly scarring. This led me to seek out topical treatments that would help diminish scarring and uneven skin. Thankfully, I had actually already done some preliminary research on skincare products and had quickly learned that many of the products on the market today are actually loaded with chemicals that are known to be hormone and endocrine disruptors, potential carcinogens, and skin irritants. So, even if the products I had been using were helping on the outside, if they were slowly wrecking havoc on a deeper, cellular level, how good were they in the long run?

About that time, a sweet gal (and now friend!!) reached out to me on Instagram asking if I had ever considered Beautycounter. Now, I had gotten a few of these messages before and had admittedly rolled my eyes, but Brooke caught me at the right time, because I was just about desperate to try anything once. I caved because I mean with a 60 day return and refund window, what was there to lose?

Never heard of Beautycounter? Click HERE to learn a little bit more!!!

With Brooke’s expertise and insight, I started off with the No. 3 Balancing Facial Mask at the end of July 2017 and used it as a weekly mask plus nightly spot treatment. I grew to love it in just a matter of a few uses, and decided to bite the bullet and try some other products starting at the beginning of September 2017: the Tint Skin Foundation, Nourishing Cream Exfoliator, Charcoal Cleansing Bar, and Nourishing Day and Night Creams (UPDATE 2022: some of these have since been discontinued or reformulated). I was using less safe versions of these products daily, so I knew I wanted to switch over to safer options since they were products that I used most often and had the most exposure to.

Over the next couple months, I started to notice some small changes and improvements in how my skin looked and felt (not as dry and rough as before, and a little less breakout-y and red!). I didn’t go into it expecting drastic changes overnight, so even these minor improvements over two months were a huge relief for me and made the higher price tag worth it…not to mention, the products are formulated to be long lasting, so they require significantly less amount per use. So, rather than using 4-5 pumps of my old face wash (Clean & Clear Foaming Facial Cleanser), I can now use a dime-size amount of the CounterControl Clear Pore Cleanser and actually have better results…which sticking with one bottle for roughly 5 months with daily use.

When I Decided to Level Up

And then in December of 2017, I took the big plunge and became a real deal consultant. I believed so strongly about the efficacy and safety of the products from experiencing them firsthand, to the company itself and its mission to get safer products into the hands of everyone that I wanted a way to spread awareness, to educate, and to support others in making the switch to safer skincare choices as well. When you find something you believe in and are fiercely passionate about, its only natural to want to share it with as many people as possible, right?

It’s Bigger than Beautycounter

One of the aspects of Beautycounter that most appealed to me was their strong focus on advocacy work. They’re the only clean beauty company I know that has gone to DC to lobby for safer skincare laws. And this is to the benefit of ALL skincare products, not just their line. They are trying to change the laws so that we truly can get safer skincare in the hands of everyone, at every price point. To make safer skincare the only option. So that you don’t have to worry about what you’re putting on your children, and you don’t have to worry about the potential endocrine concerns and the impact on your health, so that you can feel good about where you’re money is going because it’s more than just a lipstick company — it’s for better health-protective legislation across the board.

…and how cool that as a consultant YOU get the chance to be a voice in that fight. It’s true, consultants have the opportunity to work towards being part of the group that physically goes to DC to fight for better legislation. Incredible. Your. voice. matters.

Did you know that Beautycounter has helped advocate for change in NINE laws regarding skincare?? One of my favorites is the Pollution Prevention for Our Futures in Washington state; in 2019, Beautycounter helped lobby for the banning of phthalates, which are known endocrine disruptors, from consumer goods including skincare and cosmetics. Phthalates are commonly found in perfume, nail polish, hair spray, soap, shampoo, and moisturizers….so, very widespread. They’ve never been allowed in any formulation under Beautycounter’s label.

Investment Cost

But hey, I’ll be honest, I don’t exclusively use only Beautycounter products, and I’m still using some “less safe” products in some instances. The goal isn’t to be religiously, 110% clean — that could easily lead to all or nothing thinking and overwhelm. The goal is cleanish, or safer. We can’t live in a toxin free bubble, but taking steps when possible to reduce exposure, without it heaping more amounts of stress on the body, is the best route.

One of the first objections I hear is the price tag. And listen, I know the higher price tag is scary. I know, because I was one of you — I had never spent more than $10 on a makeup or skincare product in my life until I bought the $49 Balancing Facial Mask. But, likely I previously mentioned, these products are effective and thus often require just half the amount you might be using with your current products. Several of the BC products that I use daily last me anywhere from 4-6 months!

From my stance, I believe Beautycounter does what they can to make their products as accessible as possible, considering that the testing, formulations, and higher quality ingredients they use aren’t exactly cheap. Highly effective product formulations, the option to become a Band of Beauty member to get free shipping and earn product credit for use on future purchases (so if you spend $150 on one purchase, you get $15 “free” money to spend on a future order), the option to save with auto-replenish on certain products, and even offering Klarna payment options for those interested. If you choose to come on as a consultant (which can look however you want it to look!!), you reap further benefits in terms of savings, plus the gift of being able to bring in some additional side income (or full income, if you want to make this your full time gig).

When it comes to the price, one of the best suggestions I have is to change the way you look at it. You are choosing to invest in yourself and your health, the health of generations to come, and the greater movement of safer skincare for all. And that happens with every safer skincare purchase you make, big or small, overtime.

My Current Routine (as of 2022):

In the morning, I simply rinse off my face with water upon waking, then of course will do my makeup. Currently that looks like: C serum, adaptive moisture lotion, skin twin featherweight foundation (shade medium 350), creamy concealer in shade light, cream blush in truffle, eyeshadow, mascara, and lip color. It takes me 5 minutes!
At night, I wash my face with either the charcoal bar or the Countercontrol clear pore cleanser.
After washing my face, 3-4x/week I use 1-2 pumps of the overnight resurfacing oeel and letting it dry 5 minutes, before putting on my night time moisturizer — currently using the Countertime tetrapeptide supreme cream..it feels so luxurious!!
On the nights I don’t use the resurfacing peel, I still use the supreme cream but will often mix in a couple drops of either the no. 1 brightening facial oil or no. 3 balancing facial oil. The no. 3 was a MAJOR game changer for my dry skin and acne scarring/redness, however I’m sad to say they’re discontinuing it in 2022. The no. 1 brightening oil is here to stay, though! These are also nice to mix in with day time moisturizer as well for an extra boost (and the smell is FANTASTIC).
I also use Countercontrol SOS spot treatment on breakouts, and will use the mask as a spot treatment as well.
Other than that, I love the body lotion from Beautycounter, as well as the sunscreen!! The Countersun daily sheer defense for face is an incredibly smooth, non-greasy SPF perfect for use on your face and can be layered with your makeup.

Where to Start?

If you’re wanting to take the plunge but wondering where to start, I always recommend to start with the products that you use most frequently. For most people, that’s something like face wash, face lotion/moisturizer, and foundation, mascara, concealer and/or blush. I recommend these to start because you’re using them every day, meaning they have constant and frequent contact with your skin. As you run out of your current products, you can simply replace them with the Beautycounter alternative. Overtime, you’ll find you’ve easily transitioned to safer products — that wasn’t hard, right?!

If you need some guidance or if you’re just looking for some product recommendations, I’ve included my top products below. Click the picture or link to take you directly to a page with more info where you can also place an order through my personal site. If you have any specific questions about your skin type, shoot me a message or leave me a comment and I’d love to help you choose the products that are right for you!!

My Top Five Picks:

I often get asked what my top 3-5 favorite products are, and while it’s hard to pick (and while it’s also largely individual), I’d have to narrow it down to the following three as my absolute FAVS:

1. Overnight Resurfacing Peel — I’ve heard this described as botox in a bottle and while I’ve never had botox, I can attest that this little product can work serious magic with consistent use. I’ve noticed my skin is softer, smoother, and my complexion is just…brighter!
2. Concealer Pen — I am not a huge makeup guru/gal, so I don’t test out a ton of products. But when it comes to this concealer, I’ve never had any inkling to try any others because this is IT. It never clumps but gives me great coverage. I use it under my eyes and on my eyelids to give me the appearance of being alert and awake 😀 as well as use it as a concealer for the occasional blemish. It’s the best.
3. Countercontrol Clear Pore Cleanser — while this is from the acne-prone line, I think it’s one of the best all around cleansers on the market. It’s gently exfoliating made with biodegradable jojoba beads, and feels like a soft little scrub to the face to get all the dirt and grime washed off. I use it nightly and always go to sleep feeling clean.
4. C serum — I have disregarded the importance of c serums in the past, thinking they were a pointless addition to the daily lineup, but not anymore once I learned more about the role. Think of putting lemon/lime juice on an apple to keep it from turning brown. Got that mental picture? That’s kinda like what vitamin C does for the skin: it helps defend and fight off free radicals from things like pollution, excess sun exposure, and other environmental toxins we’re exposed to on the daily. I don’t go a day without it.
5. Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion — okay, this one is just something I use daily so I can’t NOT put it in the top favorites. Super lightweight, but deeply hydrating…I don’t know how they do it. The squalene in it helps to draw moisture in to the skin, so you’ll never have to fear of having another dry, flaky complexion! And the smell is divine, it reminds me of shortbread, but there are no artificial fragrances whatsoever!