Beautycounter: Is It Worth It?
We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
Hearing a lot about Beautycounter lately? In this article I’m going to talk about the clean beauty brand, why we’re different, and how to make the switch to cleaner beauty products.
Want to hear something embarrassing?…
Up until the (far too old for this) age of 36, I rarely washed my face.
Gross…I know.
But hear me out, I had super sensitive skin (so I thought) and the very thought of putting anything with any kind of chemical on my face freaked me out.
But then 3 years ago, I fell HARD down the rabbit hole of all things FRENCH WOMEN. The hyper fixation du jour led me to daydreams of daily trips to the farmers market, tres chic capsule wardrobes…
…and graceful aging…the French way. I found a book, Ageless Beauty the French Way by Clemence von Mueffling that left me thumbing back and forth through this book trying to piece together the perfect skincare routine for myself.
I loved the idea of putting so much intention into my skin—but this whole process of putting together a regimen with all the choices of serums, toners, moisturziers, cleaning balms, etc…
…confused the heck out of me.
Not to mention, my biggest struggle was that for a solid decade at this point, I had been putting a crazy amount of intention into my health…I changed my diet, I started exercising regularly, I was getting adjusted by my favorite chiropractor (my husband :-p)…
…and I was having a really hard time being okay with most of the products that were recommended to me in this book. The last thing I wanted to do was slather a whole bunch of toxic goo on my largest organ, my skin.
So I tried a few natural products… clean enough that if I so desired, I could lick them off a spoon…
…but they weren’t exactly cutting it.
My skin felt oily, and everything felt like it sat heavy on my skin.
Then a friend of mine introduced me to Beautycounter products.
I fell in love with the lipstick instantly… which is hilarious, because I honestly rarely wear lipstick. But it hooked me in.
Once I started using the skincare products, my skin took a major turn for the better and I stopped looking for other products all together.
Honestly, I get pretty overwhelmed with shopping, and researching skincare products over and over again is not how I want to spend my time. So, once I was sold on this company, and my trust in their products and the safety of their products was solid, I wasn’t planning on looking elsewhere.
- What is Beautycounter?
- But Are Beautycounter products worth the hype?
- Are Beautycounter products 100% natural?
- Is Beautycounter a MLM?
- How Do I Start Switching Over to Safer Products?
- Which Products Should I Buy?
- Beautycounter Products That I Love
- Products I Wish I Loved More…
- So, How Do I Buy Beautycounter Products?
What is Beautycounter?
Beautycounter is a brand with a mission to get safer products into the hands of everyone, with high-performing personal care products that are third-party tested for safer ingredients. Beautycounter sells make up, skincare, and personal care products like body wash, body lotion, and hair care.
But Are Beautycounter products worth the hype?
I think so! Are all products worth the hype…maybe not. I don’t love every single product with equal amounts of fervor. Some I don’t bother with at all, but then again, I haven’t honestly tried every single one! I will go over below which products I think are TOTALLY worth it, though, and which I would skip and maybe spend a little time looking for replacements (and if I have one, I’ll share with you what I use instead).
Are Beautycounter products 100% natural?
No. Not 100% natural. However, we do have a running list of over 2800 toxic ingredients that we will never put in our products, and they are the biggest and baddest, including: parabens, phthalates, and formaldehyde.
Let me just say, the amount of chemicals that are banned in the United States for the cosmetic industry as a whole is only 30 ingredients. So, let’s not split hairs here :-p
What I love about these products is that they are much safer than most, while also being super effective and high performing products (with intentionally toward sustainability as well! Hello, sexy glass bottles).
So, if you’re looking for 100% natural products, this may not be the brand for you. However, if you haven’t found completely natural products that work for you the way you want them to yet (if you have, keep going with those!), these products may be totally worth trying!
Is Beautycounter a MLM?
Yes, it is… or direct sales…or social selling. Honestly, it’s really no different for me as a blogger than any other affiliate links I would use. Though I get a MUCH larger commission here for my sharing than I do from other affiliate links. And to be fair, I only ever share products or services on my blog that I truly love and support.
All of that being said, while I can’t speak for other companies in this industry, I can speak to Beautycounter and say that we do feel a bit different in terms of being a “MLM”…
In terms of how the company is different in the direct sales model, here are a couple of examples:
- There are no auto ships or monthly purchase requirements for yourself or customers. I LOVE that I don’t need to buy ANYTHING I don’t like, and in reality, I don’t have to buy anything at all if I don’t want to! And I love that my customers don’t need to buy anything to keep any sort of “status” and can just buy when they want something, just like any other store!
- You don’t need to buy through a consultant if you don’t want to. We have other avenues for purchase! We have multiple brick-and-mortar shops now all over the country, and you can buy straight from the website, retail-style, without a consultant. Do I think it’s best to buy through a consultant? Heck yes… my customers are treated great! I check in on them and see if they have any questions regularly, they get customized recommendations if they want them, I send gifts out at times, and special promotions. I love my clients… and that is a major perk of going through a consultant.
- Certified B Corp– Only 3,000 companies internationally have earned B-Corp status. The certification process is not an easy one: one in every three companies typically make the cut, and it requires a reassessment every three years. Scores are based off of audits for things like our environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. This year, we’ve achieved our highest B Corp score ever—97.7.
- Advocacy– this is a big difference that distinguishes us from our counterparts. Beautycounter is using it’s platform to advocate for more transparency and a higher standard of safety to be set for ALL cosmetic companies…not just our own.
If you are interested in hearing more about what it looks like to be a Beautycounter Brand Advocate, you can read my FAQ post here, or email me!
How Do I Start Switching Over to Safer Products?
This is where shopping with a brand advocate is super important, in my opinion. As a brand advocate, I can walk you through which products would be best for you, prioritizing based on your skins needs and your budget.
A great place to start is to go to the EWG (Environmental Working Group) website and looking up the score of your most frequently used products. The most toxic products get switched out first. I can help you with this, feel free to email me!
Which Products Should I Buy?
A great place to start in regard to which skincare routine to choose would be taking this skincare quiz, or feel free to take my quick questionnaire to get completely customized suggestions for your skin and your budget! Or browse through the list below of my favorite Beautycounter products.
Beautycounter Products That I Love
Since I have tried a decent amount of products at this point, I will list my favorites within categories. There may be overlap between categories at times, fyi.
Cleansers
**Please note: I have dry skin, so these products are geared toward my personal skin needs. I’m listing my favorites here, but there is obviously going to be a bias towards products that I have tried and love, right? If you have different skin needs, please email me and we will figure out which products would be best for you! However, some of these products will still be wonderful for your skin regardless!
Countertime Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil
Toners
Don’t skip a toner! Toners are not what you may remember from middle school—you know, the ones that felt like you were slathering straight alcohol on your skin. A good toner helps reset your skin after cleanser, bringing it back to homeostasis, and also prepares it for receiving the most benefits out of the serums you may be using to treat specific skin needs.
Countertime Mineral Boost Hydrating Essence– my best friend calls this is “luxurious bitch essence”. The smell and the way it feels on your skin makes you feel all kinds of luxurious. I love this stuff. If you have goals to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, or have super dry skin, this would be a great toner for you!
Countermatch Hydra-gel Radiance Toner– if you have normal/combo skin, or even more sensitive skin, I would go with this toner. It’s delightful. I love the gel-like consistency, and it feels so hydrating. It is also at a more approachable price point than the hydrating essence.
Exfoliating Products
In order to have radiance, glowy skin, we NEED to exfoliate. Look at it this way…if you want to see clearly through a beautiful picture window, you need to clean your window…or else you have foggy, dirty handprints (or nose prints if you have little ones) all over it. Dead skin sitting on top of your skin makes your skin look dull and cloudy. Exfoliating is like cleaning and buffing that window, so you have glowy, more radianct looking skin that is able to shine through.
There are two types of exfoliants: chemical and physical exfoliants. I have listed products with both of these options. Chemical exfoliants are going to be a bit gentler on the skin than physical.
Overnight Resurfacing Peel (read my full review here) **This is my favorite product!** (chemical exfoliant)
Bamboo Exfoliating Polish– I like this because you can add just a dusting of this powder to any cleanser you currently have and turn it into an exfoliating cleanser. We don’t want to exfoliate every single time we wash our face, so I love that you can choose! (physical exfoliant)
AHA Smoothing Facial Mask– this product is like the overnight resurfacing peel turbo-charged in the form of a 10-minute facial. So great if you need a little extra boost before heading out, or just a pick me up! (chemical and physical exfoliant)
Serums
These are your treatment products that are going to treat more specific skin needs and problem areas (think fine lines and wrinkles, sun spots, super dry skin, breakouts, etc)
Overnight Resurfacing Peel (read above)
Vitamin C Serum (read my full review here)- sunshine in a bottle! Great for reducing skin discoloration, brightening and reducing sun spots.
Countertime Radiance Serum– combat fine lines and wrinkles and increase glowiness and radiance.
Moisturizers
Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion– my go-to daily lightweight moisturizer. It has amazing technology that adjusts your moisture level needs throughout the day.
Supreme Cream– This night cream is super thick and luxurious. I have noticied such a huge difference in my skins moisture levels since adding this night cream to my daily routine.
Masks
Makeup
Flawless in Five– I personally love the set they provide. It takes all the guesswork out of it for me, and it’s a simple 6-piece set that covers the basics.
Cheeky Cream Blush– I love love love cream blush. I wish someone had introduced me to cream blush sooner… It looks more natural to me, and actually has squalane and jojoba in it to moisturize my skin. Plus, I love that you can use the blush on your eyelids and lips, all the while being in refillable packaging!
Sheer Genius Conditioning Lipstick– this is the product that hooked me in many years ago. I love that it glides on like a chapstick, but with beautiful colors that feel complimentary to such a wide variety of skintones. Plus, the coloring doesn’t feel intimidating, which was always a reason I would shy away from lipstick. I feel like I can put it on without needing to even look in the mirror! **my favorite color is Terra… it’s a super neutral, natural color**
Sunscreen
Countersun Mineral Sunscreen Mist– I love the convenience of the misting sunscreen! I have tried to stay away from conventional mister products because most misters use propellant in their product to get the spray…but our mister is only air powered! It smells amazing and does a really great job of protecting my skin.
Countersun Mineral Sunscreen Stick– I love this for little ears and noses… it’s something you can easily toss in your bag when you’re out and about for a quick application.
Body Care
Good-bye Dry, Duo– I love this scrub. It smells like heaven and my skin is so silky and smooth after I get out of the shower. This is a must.
Balm for All- I use this stuff all the time. I use it on my kids when they have eczema flair ups because we’ve had a bit too much gluten and sugar in our diet… I use it as a moisturizer for them when they’re sweet skin is getting chapped from the cold winter air… I use it on cuticles, dry hands and feet, etc. It’s amazing and very affordable.
Charcoal Bar– I use this mostly to clean my makeup brushes, to wash my face after a particularly sweaty workout (I just started back with Crossfit, so this happens more often these days), or to wash under my arms when I’m transitioning to a new cleaner deodorant.
Products I Wish I Loved More…
Mascara– ugh, this is such a hard one for me because honestly I DO love the shape it gives my lashes more than any other mascara ever. It makes my lashes super fluffy and full looking…so natural. The problem I have with it is that my lashes are a bit more on the oilier side. So it smudges on me. However, I love it so much that I still use it, and layer a coat of Thrive (tube mascara) on top to lock it in and make it completely waterproof and smudgeproof.
As the photo shows here…the dimension is incredible with the mascara. If you don’t have oily lashes (which many people don’t!) I would still recommend this mascara. And if you do have oily lashes, and you don’t mind a multiple step process, I would recommend it still, but layer the thrive tubal mascara on top (I do not like the Thrive mascara on it’s own…).
Deodorant– again, I would be 100% all in on this IF there were a “baking soda free option”. I know that our deodorant uses as little baking soda as they could get away with while still making effective- and it DOES work really well (and has some amazing scents)… but I’m so super sensitive. I’m in a phase right now where I’m using it daily and not having much of a problem at all, but there tends to come a point where my body just decides, nope, no more baking soda for me- and I rash out hard.
If you are super sensitive to baking soda, I really love Natives sensitive formula! If you are good with baking soda, I really do love Beautycounter’s deodorant which is why I keep coming back to trying it over and over again.
All Bright Toner– I just don’t really care for this product to be honest. I didn’t notice any difference with my skin and I really don’t like the smell. There is kombucha in it and it smells like…kombucha. **I would go for one of the toners listed above and add in the overnight resurfacing peel to your routine instead if you’re going for brightening and resurfacing qualities.
Skin Twin Foundation– I personally just don’t wear a lot of makeup, and definitely not foundation very often. So part of it may be that I just don’t like the way my skin looks with foundation… but I don’t love this a ton. I prefer just using concealer and/or dew skin.
So, How Do I Buy Beautycounter Products?
Did you know that there are actually quite a few different avenues you can take to acquire Beautycounter products? Besides the four I mention below, you can also purchase in one of our retail spaces, and directly on our website without a consultant. I highly recommend shopping with a consultant because we offer a lot of guidance and support that you would not otherwise get.
I am often asked the question, “what is the difference between… a client, a host, a member, etc…”
Here is the breakdown of what each of those roles look like and what is required:
| Client | Host | Member | Brand Advocate |
| This term simply means customer. If you’ve ever bought Beautycounter products, but never done any of the other things, this is you! | This is a customer (client) that hosts a “pop-up” or party – online or in person. There are special hostess rewards offered by Beautycounter headquarters (along with any of my own special rewards) that hosts are eligible for depending on the sales of the social. These “pop-ups” are low key and I try to keep them super easy for you. You bring the friends, and I’ll do the rest! | This is what Band of Beauty (BoB) loyalty customers are called. BoB is just like Amazon Prime or a frequent buyer program ($29 annually). The advantage is that you’ll get free shipping on orders over $100, 10% in product credit on all orders to use on a future order, and a free gift with purchase. | Brand Advocate (think “affiliate”) is someone who signs-up to spread the message of safer skincare by selling the products while getting a generous personal discount of 25-44% off products. Since buyers buy directly from BC headquarters this just means you would be sharing links, hosting pop-ups, and educating on what you are learning about safer beauty (this is what I do, I am a brand advocate!) |
| Ready? Place an order HERE. | Want to learn more about being a host? E-mail me! | Sign-up for your annual BoB membership HERE. | Thinking that you might want to make an income sharing your love of clean beauty? Sign-up HERE, read my FAQ post, or e-mail me! |
Phew, that was a lot of information! If after reading this you still have questions, please feel free to email me, I’m always happy to help!
