Editor,
I joined Beautycounter, a company focused on education, advocacy and high-performing products in June of 2015 because I wanted safe products that really worked for myself and for my family. At this time, I was working for a global management consulting firm based in Paris. Even though I worked full time, traveled the world for clients and was a busy mom and a busy wife, Beautycounter became my passion because I deeply believed in the company’s mission: To get safe products into the hands of everyone.
Around the same time, my father became ill. He was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma. As a result of his diagnosis and wanting to do better for my family, I started researching products. I started with sunscreen, then quickly moved to personal care products and household products. I could not believe the toxic load that our products carried and the potential impacts that those toxins can have on our health. I thought the FDA regulated the ingredients. I could not unlearn what I learned. I started sharing this information with everyone that I knew because I wanted to create awareness on a higher level. Beautycounter gave me a platform to educate others and be an advocate for change.
I was able to leverage my voice and my experience, along with 100 other women, in Washington, D.C. in 2016. We had the opportunity to meet with members of Congress and ask for change through the Personal Care Products Safety Act. It was an honor and a privilege to represent our great state of Indiana.
I will be going back to Capitol Hill this March, with Beautycounter, to ask for more health protective laws for all of our families. Together, we are asking the FDA to review at least five chemicals or classes of chemicals each year. It’s not enough, but it’s a start.
Angie Auvil, Zionsville
