Healthy Beauty for Healthcare Workers

Good morning BSN Babes!

I wanted to dedicate an entire blog post to a movement that has been bouncing around in my brain since the new year began. 

Now, as a BSNbabe Beauty background: I am a self-proclaimed beauty addict with a passion for all things makeup, hair and skin care! I have an extensive makeup collection, and have really begun focusing on healthy skin within the last few years as I entered my early 20's. I have dry skin, thin hair that has a tendency to have dry ends, and my favorite makeup items are foundation and mascara.

Previously, in my mass-makeup purchasing, I wouldn't pay any mind to ingredient lists or brand status on animal cruelty. However, with the beginning of 2018 opening my mind to new opportunities, I have dedicated myself to be a consumer of natural, cruelty free, and [hopefully] 100% organic beauty products. 

In order to not waste money, product, or abuse landfill space, I fully intend on using all of the current makeup that I own throughout the year - recycling empty packaging and repurchasing needed items that fit my new natural beauty mission. 

With my future professional healthcare career on the horizon [my NCLEX test date keeps getting closer and closer] I have also began thinking about products that will service my skin during long twelve hour shifts in a hospital setting. This had led to many study breaks spent browsing Ulta's website for affordable, cute, and natural/cruelty-free beauty items! I have concocted an extensive product wish-list on my Ulta account's Favorite List, and I wanted to shed some light on products that I am excited to try this year! 

Click on any of the links to be transported to the Ulta website! Investigate these products to your heart's content and figure out how you can implement cleaner beauty into your routine! These links are not affiliate links - I just love using Ulta's reward system and know you do too! 

Now, my routine shower products are: Shampoo (Sometimes a dandruff shampoo because you can't be flawless all the time haha), Conditioner, Body Scrub, and an Exfoliating face wash. 

Here are some options I am interested in trying! 

 

I personally have never tried the Shea Moisture brand before, but I'm insanely curious to try it now. My hair is fine, thin and has a tendency to lay flat on my head with minimal volume. Also, I get very dry ends when I let my hair grow long - so a moisturizing conditioner is a must for me the majority of the year. 

Currently I am using a duo Garnier Fructise moisturizing shampoo and condition - which actually was better for my body and the environment than I would have guessed.

 

I don't know about you, but I feel an absolute need to exfoliate after every shift at work. There's something about being in the healthcare field for 8-12 hours that just makes you want to shed skin cells once your home. Being able to find a natural, exfoliating body scrub is a must have for me now. Once I finish my large bottle of my Caress exfoliating body wash I'm definitely going to pick this gem up. 

Wearing makeup during your entire shift can lead you to have insanely clogged pores. To fight that I opt for an exfoliating face wash to clear out my pores and get rid of all of the makeup on my face. I have religiously been using the Biore charcoal scrub, but went on the hunt for better alternatives. Burt's Bee's is famous for their more natural ingredient products at affordable prices. I found this Deep Pore Scrub for only a few dollars more than the face wash I am using now!

Quality and natural skin care can become extremely pricey; that's why most of the time I previously opted for inexpensive unnatural products that did the job. However, with this new wave of beauty reflection, I am 100% to dropping more cash on clearer, healthier skin. 

 My normal skincare routine consists of eye-makeup remover, toner, and lotion.    

Here are some options I am interested in trying!

 

The Body Shop was definitely one of those brands that I avoided in high school and college because I would rather buy my 7th bronzer instead of high quality ingredient skin care items. This past year I began using the Simple eye-makeup remover, which is very good for your skin and inexpensive. However, with the wave of wanting to go even the extra mile - this is a great find to earn some points with on your Ulta account, and is a larger quantity than the small Simple eye makeup remover that is not currently sold on Ulta's website. 

 

I was genuinely shocked to notice that Botanics is a true drug-store priced brand that offered great products. I genuinely overlooked them due to lack of knowledge about the brand, so I am happy to have found them now. I use toners and different Micellar waters in the mornings to cleans my face after sleeping. I am a night-time shower taker, where I use my exfoliating face wash, so in the mornings I simply smooth over my skin with products like these to get residue or pillow germs off my face before applying makeup. 

Eye cream is so important! Take some of the overtime money and splurge on some! 

 Natural Deodorant is something that scares me to death. I definitely love and appreciate not having stinky arm pits - but I am worried and disgusted by the use of aluminum in normal deodorants. As a woman with a family history of breast cancer, I want to take it upon myself to try and eliminate that large risk factor from my life. I have known about the Lavanila deodorant line for a while, but always had that fear of stinky under-arms! But, as soon as my Secret Deodorant runs out you best believe I will try a trial size of the Vanilla deodorant and give it a go. 

(I should do a supplemental blog post chronicling my journey during an eight hour shift with the use of a natural deodorant!)

What I do think is really cool is the Lavanilla brand's new under-armpit detoxifying mask. Does it really work? I don't have a clue. It could be a completely gimmicky product, but I'll test out the waters for the sake of health!

Finding more natural and organic makeup is even more uncharted territory for me than finding natural or organic skin care! Even though there are so many under the radar organic makeup brands, the inner beauty diva in me does not want to let go of "high-end name brand" companies that produce products that I know and love. With makeup, I am cutting myself some slight slack and am 100% opting for only cruelty free brands. If I also find more natural ingredient brands - like Burt's Bees makeup and Physician's Formula (Also cruelty free) I will definitely click "Add to Bag" with those items. But I selfishly refuse to relinquish my love for Urban Decay, Milani, NYX, Too Faced, IT Cosmetics and Smashbox - which are not natural/organic but are Peta-certified Cruelty Free Brands that do not test products on animals. 

 I was amazed to learn that Tarte is not only cruelty free - but has products that are vegan! Click here to go to their website and look at the products they list as vegan friendly! (Spoiler Alert: the shape tape concealer is on there!)

In January I started using the Peta Brand Search Engine to search for brands that I know and love and check their cruelty free status. I already knew Maybelline and L'Oreal were not cruelty free, but I was pleasantly surprised to find other brands that I was interested in were cruelty free. 

Side note: I was shocked and disappointed that Benefit is not cruelty free.

 

 

 Pacifica is a another brand that I overlooked due to it "not being popular" or talked about by every beauty guru on Youtube. However, this new Hydro Mist interests me so much! It is labeled as being 100% vegan - and as a girl who can sometimes get a little heavy handed with setting powder, a nice setting spray is needed in my beauty routine. Also, when you are working long shifts in the healthcare world, having something to lock in your makeup is a must have. You would like to have some foundation on your face when you're giving shift change report at 7, right??

 

What I love most about Physicians Formula is they have a line of products that are certified 100% organic. The rest of their items have more natural ingredients, but these specific products are no-joke good for you and your body! 

Other drug store priced brands like NYX have stolen my heart since I started wearing makeup as a Sophomore in High school (8 years ago!). Milani, Flower Beauty, and Wet N Wild are ones that joined the party as I began exploring - and I am happy to report that they are all cruelty free!  



I hope that you enjoyed reading this post and that you consider spicing up your own beauty routine for the better! They always say that healthcare workers have to do things for themselves before they do things for others - and implementing these products into your routine allows you to secretly pamper yourself before you go rock spiking those IV bags and listening to heart sounds! 

- Michelle
#BSNbabe