We all have a beauty regimen that we apply daily. As you put on your makeup for the workday, get ready for a night out with the girls, or apply your nightly skincare routine, you probably go through a series of steps to get the look you desire. Even though applying different makeup looks is a fun way to enhance your beauty, it does come with its own share of complications. Much of the makeup that is available worldwide has ingredients and/or chemicals that can have harmful effects on our bodies. With many makeup companies still using ingredients such as lead and sulfates, it’s worth it to find out how you can make your beauty routine as natural and as safe as possible.

Educate Yourself

When on the journey of switching up your makeup routine, it’s important that you do research as to why you’re starting to make changes in the first place. The easiest place to start is by educating yourself on the popular chemicals and ingredients that are found is mass-produced products. Parabens, for example, is a compound that is found in many beauty products and has been found to have negative side effects for your health. As parabens have an effect on your hormones, studies suggest that the use of parabens can lead to an increased risk of breast cancer.

Once you find out about all the kinds of ingredients and chemicals you want to avoid, the easiest place you can start is by reading the labels of all the makeup products you currently own and use. After you’ve weeded out the products you will keep and the ones you will toss, it’s worth it to educate yourself on the companies and/or products that don’t include any harmful ingredients. Doing so will make your makeup discovery much easier the next time you’re on the hunt for new beauty products.

Use Ingredients Around Your House

Ingredients such as coconut oil, baking soda, and apple cider vinegar are all common household products with more than one purpose! Coconut oil has amazing benefits for both your hair and your skin. Oftentimes, you’ll see it used as a body moisturizer or as part of a daily hair routine, but if you want to experiment, there are countless other ways that you can use coconut oil for beauty hacks.

Baking soda is another useful product that has more uses than just keeping your fridge smelling clean. With its teeth whitening abilities, most commonly, baking soda is used as a natural alternative for mouth hygiene but it can also be used as an exfoliator for both your face and body. Apple cider vinegar has been known to have weight-loss effects but this vinegar can do other beneficial things in terms of beauty as well. People have used apple cider vinegar as both a facial toner and a skin soother as it contains beneficial anti-inflammatory properties. But there are many other hacks that this kind of vinegar can provide. From sunburn relief to food deodorizer, find out all the other ways that you can include apple cider vinegar into your beauty routine!

Invest in Vegan-Based Products

If you’re not much of a DIYer and would prefer to buy pre-made products, buying vegan products is the next best option. Vegan-based products are not only more than likely cruelty-free, they will also give you peace of mind that what you’re applying to your body is the most natural products available. The next time you want to dye your hair, look for hair color companies that are vegan and cruelty-free. Hair company, oVertone is a perfect example of this as they not only offer vibrant hair shades in every color of the rainbow, they’re also PETA certified vegan and cruelty-free.

Need a brand new eyeliner and mascara? Check out makeup brands that have been certified vegan. You’ll find that there is a wide selection available and that many are conveniently located in-stores such as Target, Ulta and Sephora.

Don’t Be Afraid to Test Different Products

Like anything else in life, perfecting your beauty routine takes time. As you begin incorporating more natural products in your daily routine, don’t be surprised if you have to go through a series of trial-and-error. Most likely, your body is used to a certain set of chemicals, which means that changing what you apply to your skin can take time for your body to get used to.

Don’t get discouraged if you feel like you haven’t found the right products yet. Many times, you have to try numerous products before you pick the perfect ones. The best places to test out these products are in-store or through sample sizes. Doing so will ensure that you’re getting the best kind of product for your buck.

No matter how you go about making your beauty routine more natural, investing in your health through your makeup is the perfect way to show off your features while also living a safer lifestyle.