As I am beginning to grow What Women Are, LLC, I have recently had to find alternate ways of making income. A friend of mine had invited me to consider becoming a consultant with BeautyCounter, and so working with these products and this company has recently become a reality for me. It was a hard decision for me because in my young adult years, I have encountered many different people trying to sell me things. Needless to say, I have not always liked it. In fact, you could say that I resented it.
Anyone who knows me realizes that I value relationship over a sale, not relationship for the sake of a sale. As a result, I wanted to make clear two things for anyone who might be interested in purchasing BeautyCounter products and has questions for me about them:
1.) With my education (PhD in Bioethics) and training, I acknowledge that my voice comes with a certain weight and influence. I take that seriously and consider it to be a true responsibility. As such, let me say in all transparency–buying certain kinds of makeup or skincare products is (most often) not a question of morality; it is certainly not a question of holiness.
This is important to me to make clear from the beginning because I have too often seen in various Christian circles these cultish emphases on particular products: clothing brands, hairstyles, etc. Holiness is not a question of external products or branding; it is a question of interior freedom and a call to love. No product can make a woman love better, and it is not in my interest to ever impose some false pretense into this conversation.
2.) Having said that, I am not someone who can sell a product unless I believe in the value and efficacy of its use. For me, if I do not believe in a product, then I feel as if I am essentially lying if I try to sell it to someone else.
My interest in BeautyCounter began in the practicality (for me) of investing in a skincare line (I’m looking at you COUNTERTIME!) that actually lasts a long time and with its consistent use allows me a tangible way to take care of myself and my skin everyday, especially since entering my 30’s. Having played sports intensely all of my life and having experienced multiple bad sun burns and lots of sun exposure, this is something I realized for me I needed to pay attention to. Though I used sunscreen through the years (Thanks, mom and dad! You were right!), my skin is still affected, and I’d like to find some way to take care of it.
When really pushed to decide if I would try this opportunity out, however, it came down to one thing–my passion for women and women’s health. In all of my research for my dissertation, I read article after article on the effects of various things that are considered to be endocrine disruptors, meaning that they, when absorbed or ingested in some way, have the power and capacity to disrupt the healthy functioning of the human endocrine system. This area of science remains one of my most pertinent areas of research and curiosity. As I learned that BeautyCounter advocates not only for healthier products but also for the education of the women who use the products, I began to believe in the quality of the company. Product supply without an emphasis on education would give me pause; women should be free to be informed and to choose based on the reality of what that truth makes apparent to them.
In addition, having worked as a retail associate at LOFT (Ann Taylor) for 2.5 years, I enjoyed the creativity of fashion as well as the opportunity to interact with many different kinds of women, all beautiful though extremely different. My hope is that my work with BeautyCounter will allow me to meet and work with even more women, from whom I can learn. Even more deeply, I hope that such an opportunity will provide spaces and places for me to talk with women about the science behind endocrine disruption and the options they have for spacing their children that do not shut down their reproductive systems or wreck havoc on their bodies, i.e. hormonal contraception.
All of this to say, I am here and working as a BeautyCounter consultant because it is connected to my larger work and because I am grateful for the opportunity to use my education in creative ways. If you would like more information on any Beautycounter products, please message me. Much of what I do will focus on education of women, so please let me know if you would like any articles or recent research that touches on any of the fields referred to in this post.
Lastly, I am not here to judge. I have proudly purchased and used products like Noxzema for years because my great grandmother and mother use it, and it works! Again, this is more of a first-world question and discussion. Having said that, women wash their face every day and many apply makeup or moisturizer often to their face and neck. Some cannot afford these products just yet, or maybe ever, and that’s okay. For others, despite the cost, they are making a movement to cleaner living, and this fits into a category of places that are essential to them to change as they move to cleaner products. Whether you can easily afford it, have saved up and want to invest in yourself and your health because you believe in the value of the product, or simply want to try something new, I would love to help you.
If you are interested in shopping with me, feel free to go to my BeautyCounter website:
https://beautycounter.com/sarahdenny
For freedom and truth,
Sarah