#ThisTimeItsPersonal

This past month, you may have noticed the hashtag #ThisTimeItsPersonal on Beautycounter-related social media. The campaign was part of the company celebrating their 5-year anniversary in a meaningful way. The safer skin care and clean cosmetics company marked the milestone by taking their mission to Capitol Hill, Canada, and across the country, with that hashtag helping to create awareness. For the month of March, Beautycounter advocated for safer standards in beauty products. Why? Here is a little background for you, did you know the last time Congress passed a major federal law regarding cosmetic safety was in 1938? Since that time, tens of thousands of new chemicals have been introduced into the marketplace and only a small percentage of those have been tested for safety; including a vast majority of those used in the personal care industry. When I learned this, I knew I made the right decision to be part of Beautycounter and lend my voice to their mission to help educate others and get safer products into the hands of everyone.

Being a Beautycounter consultant in Massachusetts, I had the opportunity to take the mission to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s office in Boston. After a couple of false starts and postponed meetings thanks to the glorious unpredictability of good old New England weather, the meeting was on! Thirteen women, including myself, gathered in the lobby of the Federal Building. Many of us were meeting each other for the first time, and in a matter of minutes felt like we were old friends. A few are stay-at-home moms like myself, some are full-time working moms, one is a grandmother, and the rest are millennials at the beginning of their career paths. Even though we are from different towns and backgrounds, we are all Beautycounter consultants and were there for the same important purpose; working together to push for much-needed change.

How could we make a difference and work for a more positive change in the personal care industry? By using our voices to share the mission of Beautycounter and lobby for support to help pass and co-sponsor S.1113, the Personal Care Products Safety Act; and by sharing our personal stories and what drew us to Beautycounter. Our group was so large, only a few of us were chosen to speak and I was lucky enough to be one of them! Those who know me, know public speaking is not one of my strong points. My voice tends to shake and I speak so fast its as if I am racing to a finish line; I may also turn a not-so-lovely shade of red. But I was not going to let that stop me from taking part in something I felt was so important.  My “WHY” has changed since I joined Beautycounter two years ago. At first, I joined because I needed something just for “me” while being able to contribute to our family income while at home with my two young children. Very shortly though, as I learned more about the state of personal care industry, my “WHY” changed. I am now doing this for my mom and sister, who have battled breast cancer, more than once. I do this for my friends, some of whom have had an extremely hard time trying to conceive. I do this for the safety and health of my children, my family, my friends, and neighbors. I shared all of this in that meeting, and it was a bit nerve-racking. Despite a case of the jitters, I was inspired hearing the other women share their stories, and they were all different.

Meeting At Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Office

When the meeting was over we thanked their State Policy Director for her time and took some photos to mark the occasion. We all lingered outside in the sun for a bit and talked about our experience, then we all slowly took our leave, some were meeting their husbands who worked nearby, some were heading back to work, some, like me, back home via the commuter rail, to pick the kids up from school and figure out what the heck to make for dinner. It was a great experience to take part in, something I never saw myself doing. I am so glad I did.

Want to get involved in our movement for safer beauty? You can take action here. You can also show your support by hashtagging your photos and posts on social media – #ThisTimeItsPersonal

If you want to learn more about Beautycounter you can learn more here.

Felicia Hopkins is a Senior Consultant at Beautycounter. Her mission is the safer skincare and beauty movement; Beautycounter is her passion! Felicia lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two children.