Why do we need Beautycounter Swaps? Well, if you haven’t seen the flurry of news on Instagram – it has been a roller coaster. Beautycounter announced that as the new owner Gregg Renfrew recovers it from the mismanagement of private equity, we won’t be able to provide products or service until late 2024. Never have I ever felt bittersweet so clearly before: both crushed with grief and somehow also grateful with a glimmer of hope.
In my Enneagram 8 Solution-Oriented Mama Bear mode I have found Beautycounter Swaps for us to use while we wait. I appreciate your patience as I got my bearings during this whirlwind! I’m still working on a comprehensive article that I’ll publish with more info later. But for now, it’s about not letting perfection be the enemy of the good!
Partnering with Beautycounter was more than a job, it was community, it was my values, and it was a means to help you and those unable to access safer products through legislative change. And while nothing can every replace Beautycounter (and I fully plan to continue my partnership when they re-open), I know we all can’t wait that long. So I researched to find a brand that could possibly align with ethics, product quality and testing, customer satisfaction. And y’all, I found the diamond in the rough!
Who Is Shaklee?
I have found a brand I’m proud to introduce you to: Shaklee. It is like the New Balance of direct sales. The OG in penultimate reliability; HUGE product list that aligns to a non-toxic approach, and is so synergistic with Beautycounter values. With modern upgrades, it’s just like the dad shoe that has now become super cool.
They invented multi-vitamins and were the very first company ever (EVER) to go carbon neutral! And they not only have EWG Verified skincare, but their products are tested against 350 contaminants.
I’ve done ingredient comparisons and tried (most of) these products and am thrilled with the quality so far. I’m excited to introduce you – and want to help sweeten the switching-to-safer pot a bit for ya with a gift from me!
Want to try Shaklee?
Shop with Stacy Toth (Stacy@RealEverything.com) using this link in the month of May 2024 and not only get 15% off sitewide + $10 off an order of $50 or more. And e-mail me because I’ve got something special to send as a thank you, too!
What to get?
I’ve put up my favorites here – including green cleaning products, supplements, protein and personal care. Here is what I can suggest for the most popular Beautycounter products:
Beautycounter Swaps – if you loved [this] then try [this]:
Hydration Heroes
If you loved Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion or the Mighty Plump Ceramide Water Cream,
Try Shaklee YOUTH Moisture Lock Day Cream: Rehydrate, revitalize, and refresh. Quenches thirsty skin, replenishes hydration, and protects skin from moisture loss. This soothing, refreshing facial moisturizer has a cloud-like texture and works with your serum to seal in potent actives for maximum benefits.
If you loved Countertime Tetrapeptide Supreme Cream,
Try Shaklee YOUTH Advanced Renewal Night Cream – Rich: Wake Up to Younger-Looking Skin. Support collagen and elastin production while you sleep with an age-defying blend of marine algae, botanicals, and vitamins that support your skin’s cell renewal process. With nightly use, skin is left looking younger, smoother, and more luminous. YOUTH® Advanced Renewal Night Cream is available in a gel-like Light formula or (this) Rich formula with added shea butter and jojoba.
If you loved Countertime Antioxident Soft Cream or Countermatch Sleep Recovery Cream,
Try Shaklee YOUTH Advanced Renewal Night Cream – Light: Wake Up to Younger-Looking Skin. Support collagen and elastin production while you sleep with an age-defying blend of marine algae, botanicals, and vitamins that support your skin’s cell renewal process. With nightly use, skin is left looking younger, smoother, and more luminous. YOUTH® Advanced Renewal Night Cream is available in (this gel-like Light formula or Rich formula with added shea butter and jojoba.
I actually found this night cream to be more effective than Countertime. Within 3 days I noticed improvement in both skin texture and reduced redness. The YOUTH® line has incredible clinical results, using a scientific Skin Aging Index (not subjective perspective), 100% of participants were proven to have younger-looking skin in just 7 days. And, over two-thirds shifted their skin into a younger decade within 8 weeks!
If you loved Countermatch Intense Moisture Serum,
Try Shaklee YOUTH Moisture Activating Serum: Increase Skin Hydration with One Use. Delivers intense hydration and moisture retention. This fast-absorbing gel is clinically proven to instantly increase hydration levels by 212% in one application and maintain increased hydration levels for 8 continuous hours.
If you loved Counter+ Lotus Glow Cleansing Balm,
Try True Botanicals Ginger Tumeric Cleansing Balm: A Viral Cleansing Balm That Effectively Removes Makeup, Sunscreen + Dirt – Not Moisture. No Need To Double Cleanse.
Cleansers
If you loved the Countermatch Refresh Foaming Cleanser or Countercontrol Clear Pore Cleanser,
Try Shaklee YOUTH Luminous Gel Oil Cleanser: A Facial Cleanser that Exfoliates and Moisturizes. This soap-free, pH-balanced face wash combines cleansing gel, moisturizing avocado oil, an exfoliating algae complex, and a patented blend of vitamins, polyphenols, and botanicals to gently cleanse, exfoliate, nourish, and prepare your face for your skin care routine.
I actually like this better than any Beautycounter face wash, it foams like Countermatch, exfoliates with algae like Countercontrol, and removes makeup like the Cleansing Oil – no more double washing!
If you loved Countertime Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil,
Try the Shaklee YOUTH Luminous Gel Oil Cleanser. Trust me, I was a ride-or-die STAN of the Cleansing Oil and cannot believe how much I love the Gel Oil Cleanser!
But, if you want JUST an oil, the Biossance Squalane + Antioxidant Cleansing Oil is a powerful yet lightweight facial cleansing oil that dissolves impurities deep into the pores and removes long-wear makeup, leaving skin with a beautiful, healthy look and feel. It has the antioxidants and squalane you’re used to loving.
If you loved the Counertime Hydrating Mineral Essence,
Try Tatcha The Essence: Resurface, soften, and plump with The Essence. Made of 100% Hadasei-3, a trio of fermented Japanese superfoods, the Essence is proven to make your skincare more effective. This potent formula boosts the effects of skincare, resurfaces, and hydrates for primed, plump, petal-soft skin at any age. Use daily, after cleansing and before any other skincare products. Splash a palmful of The Essence into your hand, and press gently into the skin on your face and neck.
Brightening & Even Skin Tone
If you loved the Counertime Radiance Serum or the All Bright C Serum,
Try Shaklee’s Radiance C+E drops: Restore radiance in a single dose
Restore radiance with powerful 20% vitamin C and vitamin E plus raspberry cell extract to plump, brighten, and visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Radiance C+E also reduces the appearance of age spots, smooths skin texture, and improves overall skin tone. And, with the added Vitamin E you may not also need the Brightening Facial Oil, too.
This serum is also better for my sensitive skin. I had to combine the All Bright C Serum with facial oil to not disrupt my skin’s microbiome and maintain a health pH (to avoid breakouts), but these drops don’t bother my skin at all despite even more Vitamin C!
If you loved the All Bright Facial Oil (previously no. 3),
Try C.E.O GLOW Vitamin C + Tumeric Face Oiil by Sunday Riley. Like Beautycounter’s All Bright C Serum, C.E.O. Glow face oil, infused with pure Vitamin C + calming turmeric, delivers cold-pressed, nutrient-rich extracts into your skin for a brighter-looking, glowing complexion. Brightening, Hydrating, Radiant Skin, Antioxidant, Nourishing, Anti-Aging, Dark Spot Correction.
I add a few drops to my Light Night Cream in the evenings – just as I did with the Beautycounter facial oils and Countertime Soft Cream.
If you loved the Plumping Facial Oil (no. 2) or Balancing Facial Oil (no. 3),
Try Shaklee Pomifera Rose: Anti-Aging Serum and Complete Moisturizer: An antioxidant-rich essential oil face serum and moisturizer. Pomifera oil is a potent source of antioxidants, omega-6, and bioactives that has been clinically tested to improve the appearance of age spots, deep and emerging wrinkles, and fine lines. Pomifera Rose uses Pomifera oil and essential oils to deliver impressive results from simple ingredients that are kind to your skin and the planet. This lightweight serum can be used on its own to soften, smooth, and hydrate or can be incorporated into your existing routine to help you glow your best.
I add a few drops to my BB Cream with SPF in the AM (since I’m already getting Vitamin C from the Radiance C+E drops), just as I did with the Beautycounter facial oils.
If you loved the Reflect Effect Overnight Resurfacing Peel,
Try Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel: Anti-aging 10 minutes. Dramatically resurface skin while fighting signs of aging with this powerful exfoliating facial peel. Once weekly, apply after cleansing. Rinse off after 10 minutes & follow with remainder of routine. Concentrated 25% AHA blend & 2% BHA: Alpha hydroxy acid blend smooths wrinkles & refines rough bumpy texture while salicylic acid unclogs, decongests and minimizes large pores & blackheads. Proven Results: Based on a consumer self-assessment, 98% agreed skin felt soft and smooth after use & 91% agreed skin looked brighter.
If you loved the Reflect Effect AHA Smoothing Facial Mask,
Try goop Beauty Microderm Face Exfoliator: Physical & Chemical Exfoliant for Face. It’s a dual-action microdermabrasion face exfoliator that delivers the benefits of both physical and chemical exfoliation, instantly polishing away roughness, smoothing uneven texture, and revealing glowing skin. This facial exfoliator is made with 4 powerful microexfoliating minerals (quartz, garnet, alumina, and silica) plus glycolic acid to help sweep away dry, dead skin cells and refine the appearance of pores for skin that is visibly softer. This exfoliant has an air-whipped, almost marshmallow-like formula, densely packed with a blend of four powerful glow-inducing microexfoliating minerals.
Before the AHA mask existed, I used this mask for the same purpose. They have great user results: 94% said their skin looked and felt smoother; 92% said their skin texture improved and that their skin looked and felt polished; and 91% said their skin looked and felt softer.
If you loved the Countersun Sheer Defense Daily Moisturizer,
Try YOUTH® Age Defense Mineral Moisturizer SPF 30: Nourish and protect with naturally derived sunscreen
Protect your skin from far more than just the sun. Naturally derived mineral titanium dioxide provides chemical-free SPF 30 Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Natural marine biopolymers protect you from pollution. Patented antioxidants protect against free radicals. Vitamins and nourishing oils moisturize your skin and improve overall appearance of skin tone. YOUTH products are all 100% vegan and cruelty free.
SPF is the key to avoid the need to brighten, as dark spots are caused by UV damage! I also highly recommend this as a daily moisturizer for teens or those with acne-prone skin, as the zinc is anti-inflamatory.
Great for acne-prone and oily skin:
If you loved the Countercontrol Instant Matte Toner or All Bright Triple Acid AHA Toner,
Try Youth to the People Kombucha + 10% AHA Power Exfoliant or the YOUTH® Perfecting Skin Toner: A Facial Toner that Exfoliates, Hydrates, and Nourishes. A gentle, exfoliating toner that nourishes and hydrates. Formulated with a patented blend of essential vitamins, polyphenols, and botanicals, YOUTH® Perfecting Skin Toner gently exfoliates, removing dead cells, dirt, oil, and makeup, to reveal brighter, glowing skin.
If you loved the Counter+ Charcoal Facial Mask or Counter+ Charcoal Cleansing Bar,
Try the Shaklee Pomifera Body Butter Charcoal Cleansing Bar: Gentle, Moisturizing, Non-Drying Bar Soaps. These gentle, non-drying body butter cleansing bars create a rich, creamy lather that leaves skin clean and refreshed. Each bar is infused with antioxidant-rich botanical oils to nourish and condition the skin and protect the skin’s natural moisture barrier. Our cleansing bars are also made in small batches and formulated with anti-aging Pomifera™ oil, a potent source of antioxidants, omega-6, and other bioactives.
And, the Shaklee YOUTH Purifying Clay Mask is an instant facial. Naturally detoxify and purify skin with this triple blend of mineral-rich clays, superfine charcoal powder, and volcanic ash from Jeju Island for smoother, more radiant skin.
If you loved the Countercontrol All Over Acne Treatment or the SOS Spot Treatment,
Try the Odacité Acne Serum Concentrate for Face, Natural Acne Treatment. Formulated to absorb deeply, our Black Cumin + Cajeput acne serum for face is a natural serum for improving the appearance of clogged pores, spots, pimples, hormonal acne, and blemishes. Don’t dry your skin out with other brands that contain alcohol or other contents that leave your skin dehydrated and irritated. Clear skin with purifying black cumin oil, cajeput oil and Vitamin E oil. Bl+C Pimples Serum Concentrate controls breakouts without over-drying, making it a great spot treatment for oily skin. Odacité specially formulated the Bl+C anti acne serum to provide adequate moisturization, while helping you achieve blemish-free skin. This all-natural formula will leave acne-prone skin feeling detoxified, clear and smooth.
I have actually been using this serum for years and find it more effective than the spot treatment. When I am hormonally prone to more breakouts, I add 1-2 drops in with my moisturizer to prevent breakouts. And when I see a blemish surface if I drop a tiny amount on top it disappears overnight. Highly recommend. And, a little goes a LONG way!
Beloved Body
If you loved the Sugarbuff Body Polish,
Trythe Shaklee Reveal Body Exfoliant: An Ultra-Nourishing, Exfoliating, Dual-Action Body Treatment. Smooths, polishes, and hydrates with natural exfoliants to buff away dullness and reveal more radiant-looking skin, plus nourishing oils for a velvety-smooth after-feel.
This is the best body scrub I have ever used; I have it on subscribe and save for our whole family. If you have dry skin, body acne, ingrown hairs, irritated underarms, KP, or any variety of dry body skin concerns, you need this scrub. It is nourishing but doesn’t leave an oily residue. It resolved inflamed underarms in one use!
If you loved the Reflect Effect Overnight Resurfacing Body Peel, Citrus Mimosa Body Wash or Bright Grapefruit Hydrating Body Lotion,
Try Shaklee Revitalize Body Wash: A Creamy, Ultra-Nourishing Multivitamin Body Cleanser. Soothing botanicals, antioxidants, vitamins, and omega fatty acids revitalize the skin with nutrients and oils, leaving you feeling clean and replenished with a youthful, healthy glow.
Shaklee Restore Body Serum: A Firming, Nutrient-Rich, Age-Defying Body Treatment. This silky serum helps slow the breakdown of collagen and protect against premature aging caused by free radicals with a patent-pending polyphenol blend, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide for younger, firmer-looking skin with better tone and texture.
Shaklee Nourish Body Lotion: A Luxurious, Long- Lasting Multivitamin Body Moisturizer. Seal in hydration with coconut and shea butter in an ultra-moisturizing lotion infused with antioxidants from a patent-pending polyphenol blend to help support the skin barrier and keep your skin looking younger and feeling smoother.
I actually prefer the Shaklee version of all three of these! They are available in this Body Ritual Trio bundle for less.
If you loved the Clean Deo Deodorant,
Try Shaklee Protect Deodorant: A Clean, Odor-Neutralizing, Nutrient-Rich Deodorant. Enriched with natural powders and waxes for a dry feel and smooth glide, this arrowroot and zinc-based deodorant with charcoal neutralizes odor and absorbs wetness, supports a healthy pH and skin microbiome with fermented coconut and Lactobacillus, and soothes and protects the delicate underarm area with nourishing vitamins and antioxidants.
My boys didn’t like the Clean Deo but they all love this one! It glides on really easily without any irritating grit (like most store bought clean brands) and doesn’t pill or goop up on the side of the dispenser like the Clean Deo.
Skincare-Makeup Hybrids
If you loved Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer,
Try Shaklee YOUTH Activating BB Cream: Perfect your look. A long-wear 5-in-1 beauty balm that can be used under (or instead of) foundation to cover imperfections and even the look of skin tone. The multitasking formula draws moisture to skin, helps reduce the look of fine lines, and defends skin against damaging UVA/UVB rays (SPF 30). Available in 4 shades for all skin tones.
I’m concerned I might be struck by lightening for saying this – as Dew Skin was one of my top 3 holy grail items from Beautycounter – but I like the BB Cream better. It has fuller coverage while still maintaining luminosity. And there is no orange undertint that many clients didn’t love about Dew Skin.
If you loved the Think Big All In One Mascara,
Try Shaklee YOUTH Lash Revitalizing and Conditioning Mascara: a 2-in-1 lash conditioner and mascara.
Lengthens, volumizes, and lifts to help create fuller-looking lashes. Specially formulated with our Botanical Complex and Lash Protection Complex, this product also helps strengthen lashes and defend against environmental damage. The innovative 2-sided brush enables you to create volume with shorter bristles and add definition with longer bristles.
This is by far the best clean mascara I’ve ever used. It does not budge when wearing – no transfer! But, it easily comes off with the Gel Oil Cleanser.
If you loved the Brilliant Brow Gel,
Try Well People Expressionist Brow Gel: Perfect eyebrows, naturally. This tinted brow gel instantly thickens, tames, and fills in your eyebrows for a fuller-looking finish. This brow gel features a micro-precision brush, designed to help you effortlessly tame and groom your brows. The creamy wax-based formula is designed to condition brow hairs, hold them in place, and provide natural pigment for a boost of color and definition. Made with Cocoa Butter and Sunflower Seed Wax.
If you loved the Flawless in Five bundle,
Try Shaklee Simpli-5: For the Perfect 5-Minute Face. Everything you need to for an everyday makeup look while caring for your skin. Step 1: Apply YOUTH® BB Cream in your choice of 4 shades. Step 2: Sculpt your face with Pomifera® Tone. Step 3: Add lip base and blush with Pomifera Tint in your favorite shade. Step 4: Volumize your lashes with YOUTH Mascara. Step 5: Perfect your pout with Pomifera Glaze, available in 3 colors.
If you loved the Lip Conditioner (discontinued from Beautycounter) or the Clean Swipe Hyaluronic Acid Balm,
Try Shaklee Renew Lip Serum: An Age-Defying, Hydrating, Plumping Lip Treatment. Formulated with a laboratory-tested, age-defying blend of botanical oils and extracts plus a natural peptide to help support healthy collagen and plump, hydrate, and soften for fuller, more youthful-looking lips.1 This serum saturates your lips with nourishing hydration and a refreshing natural orange vanilla flavor. Light enough to wear during the day and restorative enough to wear overnight as a replenishing treatment.
If you missed the OG Beautycounter Lip Conditioner as much as me, you are going to be THRILLED to have a replacement! I by far like this more than any other I’ve tried since it was discontinued!
Have questions on other Beautycounter Swaps?
- Email: Stacy@RealEverything.com
- Text: 703-634-9992
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