You’re a beauty product junkie because your beauty products are trash. Yeah, you read that right. I said it. And I meant it too. Just think of me as your Internet auntie coming through to tell you the hard truth. Now, lest you think I’m a genius, I want to be clear – I didn’t come to this conclusion overnight. It was a gradual process.
You see, growing up, I had a fondness for all things beauty – from makeup to skincare products, to hair care products, I wanted it all. And when I was old enough to make my own money, I went all in. I even used to have a saying – “I’ll try anything once”. And try any and everything I did. I’d buy and try and put it to the side when it didn’t work. This trial and error went on for decades. Decades! Mainly because I was buying products straight from big box stores and mainstream retailers.
Around 2010, I got my first glimpse of freedom at a small, independent natural food store. I’ve suffered from acne most of my life and, up until that point, hadn’t really found anything to remedy the problem. So there I was, with a full-blown breakout, frantically searching the shelves for a solution, when a good Sis (shout out to Black women) told me to try African black soap. And the rest, as they say, is history. My acne has been under control for over a decade. That situation did two things: (1) It made me a product loyalist and (2) It made me really dive deep into natural products.
Since I was new to natural products, I was still in the buy and try phase and I had no clue “green washing” was a thing. Another game changer for me was the rise of independent makers, via the internets (yes, I made that plural on purpose). Independent, natural product brands schooled me on product shelf life and how most store bought brands have to add chemicals to make their products shelf stable. This may even be true for some of the so-called “natural” brands sitting on your store shelves (insert green washing).
The more I tried products with simple, natural ingredients, the better my hair and skin looked. Also, the more natural my products where, the fewer products I needed. When I tell you independent brands have become my main squeeze – with the exception of a couple of products, almost all of my hair and skincare products are sourced from small, independent makers, specializing in natural ingredients. Not only are my hair and skin living their best lives, but I’m also using fewer products. Now that I’ve found what works, that try and buy business is over. I’m reclaiming my coins and my counter space. If any of this sounds like deja-vu, it might not be your fault. You might be a beauty junkie because the products you’re using are probably trash. Sorry, not sorry. Don’t feel bad though because there’s still hope. Take it from a recovering beauty product junkie.
Here are a few of my faves for hair:
as well as skincare:
So, I want to know, what’s your beauty product experience been like? Drop a comment below.