My Honest Opinion about Honest Beauty Products

 When it comes to beauty, I am a fan of the natural look. Lip balm and maybe mascara.  I wonder why people will apply such a commodity to their FACE considering what MOST beauty products are made with as far as ingredients. Not to mention how non transparent companies are too. We have so many openings to our body on our face. Regardless, there are some brands that claim to use all plant based ingredients. Because I don't wear a lot of makeup, I am uninformed about toxic chemicals that may be included in beauty products, that's where this post comes into play. 

Upon one of my many instagram binges I came across a post from @MissymisdemeanorElliott. The post was a clip from when she did a cameo in the movie Honey starring Jessica Alba. Fondly remembering the movie, I clicked on Jessica Alba's tagged name in the post. It was then that I realized Jessica Alba started her own baby, skincare, & beauty brands; Honest & Honest Beauty. I made a choice in that moment to shop her products and make a purchase.  

Not only did I acquire 7 products from Honest Beauty, I've been trying them out one a day at a time, for a week. What makes Honest stand out? Are they really different than most beauty brands? Let's take a deeper look into Honest Beauty and their #CleanBeautyThatWorks. 

When I got my package in the mail, I excitedly opened and examined each product one at a time. Three of the seven products I purchased clearly state 'made without' then lists: Parabens, Phthalates, Paraffins, Silicones, Talc, Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, Lanolin, Dyes, or Synthetic Fragrances. My obvious next question is what are all of these ingredients that are not included? Let's do a little research.

Parabens - A group of compounds used to preserve foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic supplies. Believed to cause breast cancer. 

Phthalates - A group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break. Believed to cause birth defects and hinder reproductivity. 

Paraffins - White waxy or oily derivative of petroleum. Believed to clog pores. 

Silicones - Synthetic materials which are polymers used to make plastics and rubbers. Believed to clog pores.

Talc - A clay mineral made of hydrated magnesium silicate. (Hello silicosis!)

Petrolatum - aka Petroleum jelly. 

Mineral Oil - Various mixture of high alkanes, colorless & odorless. Believed to clog pores, allergies. 

Lanolin - Wax secreted from the Sebaceous glands of wool bearing animals.  Known to cause allergic reactions. 

Dyes - A color substance that chemically bonds to a substrate. Many dyes are toxic and possibly carcinogenic. 

Synthetic Fragrances - Derived from petrochemicals or start natural but have the chemical structure modified. 

While these ingredients are not included if you have a look at the cluster of ingredients that ARE included, I will be the first to admit a lot of them I do not know about either. My general advise is if you wear beauty products, get informed about ingredients and don't wear just any brand. I also highly recommend wiping your lips before you eat and washing your makeup off before bed! 

Now lets get into the nitty gritty of these wonderful Honest Beauty products I've recently acquired and what I think about each one!

Face + Body Lotion

I've always been weird about putting anything on my skin, especially my face because acne was a huge problem for me in my younger years and as an adult, I want my skin as clear as possible. When I put the Honest Face + Body Lotion on my face, it felt pretty good! My skin didn't feel like there was an added layer to it. My skin honestly felt like it needed a little bit of added moisture and was tightening in a good way. I have not gotten any pimples from the product. It didn't irritate my skin except for right after I washed my face with my sonic face cleansing brush. 

When I put the Honest Face + Body Lotion on my body it did not leave any weird residue or odd feelings on the surface of my skin. I also did not get any new pimples. Over all this product has a very gentle smell and feels good to apply and doesn't linger on the skin for long. I also like that it is not tested on animals, can be used for babies, and is dermatologist tested. 

As far as the packaging goes for recycling you can recycle the cap on this tube but not the tube itself. That kind of sucks! I would love to see some improvement from beauty companies on compostable packaging or some kind of recycling program from the company where you ship the empty tubes back to be reused in some day. 

All-Purpose Balm

I love a good balm! The texture of Honest Co.'s Organic All-Purpose Balm is great. I love the way it melts in my hands and spreads across the skin. In the case of this balm it has no distinct smell and did not irritate my skin in any way. Excited to keep using this. A little bit goes a long way. Same feedback here about the ability to recycle the containers as the lotion from above. 

Mascara + Primer

This is a solid mascara product. I like the added primer all wrapped up into one piece. The primer brush is cute and effective. The mascara brush is rigid with spread out brissells and does a good job spreading the lashes out while applying rich dark color to your eyes. I've got nice long and thick lashes but I do enjoy the way this particular mascara amplifies mine. For some one who does not like to wear but a bit of mascara on dressy days, I'd rock this mascara more often than not. I've worn it every day since I tried it on this week. So I'd highly recommend this one. No idea how you'd recycle this products container, if only it lasted forever!

Lip Crayon - Sheer Rose

The Sheer Lip Crayon is fierce! I bought Sheer Rose and DAYUM! It's so cute. It did not dry my lips out like most lip products. It adds a fabulous color tint to your look and wipes off real easy. I love the way it is easily applied, fills in smoothly, and feels good on your lips. It does not leave a weird taste in your mouth. I'd recommend this product as well. 

Liquid Lipstick - Off Duty & Goddess

The Honest Beauty Liquid Lipstick is fabulous. I love how pigmented both shades are but I specially LOVE Off Duty. The packaging is super clean. The liquid lipstick applicator is easy to use for contouring your lips and the formula feels nice when it's on. It feels nice to apply a little bit of makeup and lounge around the house knowing I look fabulous. 

Lit Powder Blush - Flirty

The packaging on the blush is fantastic as far as aesthetic goes but it can be a little tricky to open. When it comes to the flirty blush, a little goes a long way! Don't over do it. This powder blush is light and fun. Love the shade of pink. It truly is Flirty.  

Over all I like the Honest Skin Care & Beauty products. the whole vibe around these wearable colors is wholesome. It makes beauty feel effortless, which it should be. Everyone has beauty inside and out. My favorite item from this batch is definitely the Mascara + Primer set. Two in one, can't go wrong.  

I said it before and I'll say it again. There is no real element of recycling when it comes to any of these packages. You could probably reuse the blush container. Some of the caps maybe recyclable but ultimately once these products are no longer fresh they will get chucked right into the dumpster. I hope that some day the cosmetic and beauty industries will take more responsibility for their waste not just their ingredients.