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Madewell Ruffled Tie-Front Pullover Sweater | Madewell Stretch Denim A-Line Mini Skirt: Button-Front Edition | Rebecca Minkoff Galyn Mule

Hello beautiful!! I say that because this year I’ve been the most self conscious about my skin than I’ve ever been and well, you deserve to feel beautiful even if you do have acne. (or whatever is equivilent to that in your life) Since March, I’ve been experiencing acne in a way I never have before. Grade school acne is one thing, but adult acne is truly the pits. I’m like I get to do all this fun stuff like go to work and pay my bills AND I have to deal with zits? No bueno. I’ll talk about some other things I think contributed to it later (hopefully next week, but if you get my newsletter, you already know ;) ), but one major change I have made is removing coconut oil from my skincare and beauty products. I’ll let y’all my know my updated skincare routine once fall actually rolls around, so today I’m going to just focus on makeup.

So why remove coconut oil from anything I put on my face?? Isn’t it like a magic product?! Ummm maybe? It is a “safe” ingredient so there’s nothing wrong with it like a harmful chemical or anything like that - it’s rated safe on EWG, so no worries there. It’s a favorite ingredient of green brands because it is better than a chemical and what not, but it’s not a question of if it will clog your pores…it’s when. I first noticed that my skin didn’t like it, when I switched to a shampoo and conditioner that had coconut oil as one of the main ingredients. I broke out all along my hairline. Not anything nasty that wouldn’t go away, but it took a week or so to heal. Since I noticed that, I tried to keep coconut oil away from my skin, but 1) I didn’t re-check products I was already using and 2) sometimes coconut oil is called other names.

I say that it’s not a matter of if, but when it will clog your pores, because main makeup products that I used (Juice Beauty CC cream, concealer, and blush), I wore for over a year before I started seeing major issues. Now, I will say I don’t necessarily think that the coconut oil caused the breakout, but when I started having major stress issues and specifics I’ll go into later, I sure as heck don’t think it helped. I think it worsened the situation. Tilting your head in disbelief? Coconut Oil rates a 4 out of 5 on the comedogenic scale. That’s an 80% and getting a 100% isn’t good here. According to Dictionary.com, the definition of comedogenic reads as this: tending to cause blackheads by blocking the pores of the skin. HELLOOOOO! The more and more I research things, the more I realize that just because some things have a healthy reputation, doesn’t mean they are. I mean did you see the article circulating on Facebook earlier this year about how cooking with coconut oil isn’t really better for you than say olive oil?? Just do your research friends, then do you! Wanna know more? A friend at work actually texted me this article last week, because Popsugar is saying the same thing I am about coconut oil. No it’s not just a giant revelation by me - it’s just something I learned by trial and error - other people are seeing it too!

So what other names besides coconut oil will you see out there? Cocos Nucifera or really anything with “coco” should be questioned. Cetearyl Glucoside can be synthetically made, but if it is made naturally it can be made from corn oil or coconut oil, but it’s usually the latter. Coco Caprylate or Caprate is an alcohol made from coconuts, which I’m honestly not sure if it has the same side effects as the oil, but I’m just going to keep my distance for now. Dicaprylyl is also one that can be tricky, because it can be synthesized, made from animals, or plants. In a lot of cases, people will use coconut oil, as it’s the vegan and nontoxic option. Lastly Capric Triglycerides is a mixture of coconut oil and glycerin. It is more commonly referred to as fractionated coconut oil. Those are the names I’m aware of, but please let me know if there are some I’m missing. I know it’s super hard reading labels with words and such you may not know. I’m always trying to add to the list, so it might help someone else!

Like I said, I’ll address skincare later, but let’s look at my makeup routine, in order of application! Oh and yes, all of these are cruelty-free, too! Side note, I’ve never really been a full foundation girl, so that’s not what you’ll find that below.

• Biossance Squalane + Mineral SPF 45. Not sure if I consider this the last step in my skincare routine or the first step in my makeup routine, since it also works as a primer. I talked more about this here, but it is a zinc base, so it does take some work to rub in, but I like it!

• Jane Iredale Dream Tint Moisturizer. I also considered Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB CreamHint Concealer, but both were rated the same and it was a little more expensive. I actually bought it in “medium-light” because I thought that it was the lightest shade available. Turns out at other retailers, they actually have a “light”, so that’s what I’ll get next time! The “medium-light” is okay right now coming off of summer, but probably isn’t my best bet in the middle of winter. Because it’s a “tint”, the color isn’t too orange on me or anything, thankfully.

• Hynt Beauty Duet Perfecting Concealer. I got this in “fair” and it’s great. I dab it on with my finger and/or blend with my beauty blender and I’m good to go!

• Lily Lolo Pressed Mineral Blush. I am wearing the “Burst your Bubble” shade. It reminds me of this really pretty wine hue in Revlon that I wore back in the day.

• Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigments Light-Diffusing Dust. This is the only “powder” that I use right now. I’m not married to it though, so I might try something else next. There’s nothing wrong with the product! I'm just more of a powder compact girl versus loose powder. I would like to try the Lawless Seal The Deal Loose Setting Powder though!

• Jane Iredale PureLash Lash Extender and Conditioner. I’ve been using this since I transitioned out of lash extensions earlier this year. I put it on after I curl my eyelashes and let it dry before I put on mascara. It helps increase the wear time and length!

• Thrive Causemetics Mascara. I tried a TON of mascaras earlier this year and this was my favorite for many reasons. It has this 3D fiber factor that helps keep it in place until you want it gone, even though it’s not waterproof AND is super buildable. If you want to read about lash serums, I addressed that here.

• Lime Crime HI-LITE Palette. I got this around the holiday season, just in for Christmas parties! My favorite is the gold in the “opals” palette. I sweep it under my eyes after I put my mascara on.

So I don’t wear much lipstick - I’m more of a chapstick girl. And guess what?! Coconut oil is even in my beloved Burt’s Bee’s! An area of issue for me is around my mouth, so I definitely wanted to address this. Here are some I found:

• Farmacy Beauty Lip Bloom. I’ve had one of these lippies for over a year now. It’s great, but it’s a little bit more than I want to spend on the regular and I prefer a stick over a pot. Nothing bad to say about it though!

• Tata Harper Be True Lip Treatment. I’ve never actually tried this, because it’s more than I want to spend, but I have honestly heard amazing things about it. Maybe I’ll use a Nordstrom Note I have to get one or something!

• Jenness Farm LLC Lip Balm. A sweet follower recommended them to me and I actually purchased a “cherry” flavor and a “peppermint spf” flavor. They also have some tinted ones I want to try! They are super budget friendly, the only thing that is kind of annoying is the shipping, BUT it’s going to an actual person and you’re supporting a small business. The farm uses goat milk to make their products and even have goat yoga!

As far as lipstick goes, I love my Lawless. I wasn’t aware of it and still am not sure, but I could have sworn that I saw them mention on Instastories that they use coconut oil in their product. I honestly can’t tell from their ingredient list, but they could be referring to the first ingredient, which is Dicaprylyl Carbonate, which caaaan be made from coconut oil. Because I don’t wear lipstick that often, and I love the way it wears, I will probably keep this as my number one option for now. If you have a lipstick option for me though, send it my way!!

Overall, my face is still healing, but it looks the best it has in months. My super fair skin shows red marks very easily and takes a while. I’ve literally had acne on my chin non-stop for the past 6 months. It’s going to take a while. BUT I’m excited to share with y’all what has worked for me. Be on the lookout for a post on hormonal acne and another on a diet change I’ve made!

Do you have any skincare products that are cruelty-free, nontoxic and cruelty free? Let me know!! Just a side note - most “toxic” makeup doesn’t have coconut oil, because it doesn’t use “natural” ingredients.

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