One of my goals in the new year is to make healthier choices beyond my normal diet and exercise routine. As I’ve grown older and become more health-conscious, it’s forced me to reflect on how important the daily choices we make can affect our long-term health. I’ve been trying to make healthier choices in my beauty routine slowly ever since the negative effects of some of my favorite makeup brands were brought to my attention from my fellow beauty/health/fashion blogger friend Hello Amanda. She started an amazing Instagram called @OrganicBunny which features beauty and skincare products the are certified organic and overall healthier for your skin.

She also introduced me to the Think Dirty App, which is a phone application that educates consumers on potential toxic ingredients in beauty products.  The application allows you to scan products and get an overall rating based off of a 1-10 scale (with 10 being the worst). The app is great because it’s backed by scientific research and provides references from its studies on how the evidence is determined to be conclusive or not. If the product is not already in the database, you can submit it for research by scanning the barcode and taking a picture of the front and back of the product.

*Photos courtesy of Think Dirty Website

I’ll admit, I tried to ignore the reality of the harmful effects of products that I was in love with and swore by, but I just couldn’t do it anymore. When you know better, you instantly feel obligated to do better. I wouldn’t consider myself a full eco-beauty blogger, but I am committed to making healthier choices each day to the best of my ability. I plan to feature the products that I try on my blog and hope that it encourages you to make these healthier changes as well!

I highly encourage downloading the app, checking out the blog on the Think Dirty website, which conveniently shows you healthier swaps for some of your favorite products and of course, following @OrganicBunny on Instagram for fabulous healthy beauty products to try!