One of the most common questions Dr. Jen, founder of Evolve Pink, gets from her patients after a breast cancer diagnosis is “what beauty and cleaning products are safe to use?”
With a market as massive as the beauty and cleaning industry, knowing what products are clean and safe can be daunting. To demystify the cosmetic industry for us all, Dr. Jen enlisted the help of my beautiful expert friend Courtney Shihabuddin to help us navigate the world of clean beauty!
Courtney is a #boymom, blogger, breast cancer survivor, nurse practitioner and founder of NP Courtney, an online support platform for all things clean beauty, mom life and breast cancer.
In February 2020, at age 35, Courtney was diagnosed with stage 1b, (ER+, PR+, HER2-) invasive lobular carcinoma breast cancer and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). Courtney is using her compelling experience of facing a life-threatening disease in her 30s (during a global pandemic!) to support and inspire young women to thrive in the face of adversity with strength, confidence, and style.
By day she teaches nurse practitioner students and works in a primary care clinic. She loves sharing her experiences, teaching nurses, and advocating for more health-protective laws and regulations to the beauty industry. She is constantly discovering new clean beauty brands and loves to share them on her platform.
Dr. Jen and Courtney chat about all things breast cancer, clean beauty, and moving forward with empowerment. Make sure to check out these highlights:
Safe and Effective products, including: cleaning supplies (22:40), cosmetics (7:45), body creams for radiation skin (30:43), feminine hygiene products (38:40) and essential oils (29:01)
4 big red flags to look for on every ingredient list (25:20): fragrance, PEG (poly-ethylene-glycol), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS, SLES), and phthalates (DEP, DEHP)
What YOU can do as a consumer (16:30) and spreading awareness to your friends and family (40:20)
Natural Eyelash serum (50:24)
Are there safe hair color products? (35:08)
Places to find safe products (20:00) and using helpful apps like HealthyLiving to make better choices (41:02)
How to spot greenwashing (42:19) and choosing environmentally friendly options (44:01)
Having patience and finding the right products that work for YOU (47:14)
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