About BeaNaturel

A recent survey by the Environmental Working Group showed women put an average of 168 chemicals on their bodies daily. DAILY. 

BeaNaturel is a family-owned, small business located in Sarasota, FL.
Pronounced Bee Nat-ur-el, as in Au Naturel, which means "naked" in French. It shows our commitment to providing products free of toxic chemicals. In addition, all of our unscented products, made without essential oils, are labeled Au Naturel.

BeaNaturel began out of necessity. Our daughter, Beatrice, was in need of sunblock for an upcoming swim meet. Realizing we were out of our usual brand and remembering all things I'd been reading about chemical sunscreens, I decided to research "clean" options. We'd recently switched to tallow creams for skincare, so that was where I started my search. Although I did find good options, none of them would arrive in time and many still had an ingredient or two that I wanted to avoid. So.... I decided to make my own.

I am not a stranger to skincare and cosmetics. I worked for multiple Big Beauty brands over the years, beginning nearly 25 years ago. One company in particular is very well known for their expansive skincare line, made from many botanical extracts (but also plenty of chemicals, as I've now realized). We spent many hours in training not only when hired, but continued, biannual training. I've worked for these various companies at department store beauty counters, as a Consultant for special events, and as a Freelance Make-Up Artist- including for bridal and print. I've made my own masks and other beauty products for many years, often researching the latest in skincare ingredients. Making my own products was fun when I found the time, but more often, I was a self-proclaimed Sephora and Ulta junkie. Rouge Level at Sephora, Diamond at Ulta... I was definitely hooked on Big Beauty. As I started seeing articles and info coming out about certain chemicals to look out for in skincare and cosmetics, I began to question what was in my favorite products.

About this time, Bea (being a new teenager) started to take an interest in making a skincare routine with sheet masks, toners, creams and of course, makeup. I went through all my skincare samples, freebies and makeup palettes, giving her so much to try out. I even bought her copies of my favorite makeup books from my teen-hood, by Kevyn Aucoin.

One skincare topic that I was noticing in my social media feed: Endocrine-Interrupters. An important thing that none of us need (let alone developing adolescents) are chemicals that will mess with our hormones and endocrine system. Back to the sunscreen: The brand we had been purchasing had two different chemical sunscreens, known to be endocrine-interrupting and possibly, carcinogenic. Isn't that fun?

I knew I needed to make our own sunblock for Bea. I was able to purchase non-nano zinc oxide locally and had the other ingredients on hand, to make what would be our first product: Daytime Mineral Balm. After that first success, I began exploring other handcrafted skincare recipes and truly questioning the products that I was currently using.

I finally did what I knew needed to be done a long time ago: Read every label in my bathroom cabinets, the shower...all the things. As I started researching ingredients, I was disappointed, but not surprised. The main issue is not whether a few of these ingredients are questionable or not. The real issue is HOW MANY and HOW MUCH of these chemicals are being absorbed, because of prevalence and the layering of multiple products. Just using one product with one or two questionable ingredients is a rarity. If we were to look at our daily routine (both skincare and cosmetic), most of the time, we're layering multiple products with many toxic ingredients. And instead of staying within "safe levels" decided by governing bodies and agencies, we're actually taking in many times those levels. A recent survey by the Environmental Working Group showed women put an average of 168 chemicals on their bodies daily. DAILY.

We chose to use 100% Grassfed & Grass-Finished Tallow as a base for our skincare, because of its innate nutrition, including fat-soluble vitamins. By starting with an emollient base, we have no need for chemical preservatives, alcohols, emulsifiers, or other unnatural additions in our balms. Both our Beef & Lamb Tallows are sourced from a Co-Op of American Regenerative Farms in the Midwest. This rich & emollient texture of our Tallow Creams & Balms also means you need very little product: A little goes a very long way.

Eventually, I decided to make a full line of skincare items, to replace my previous Big Beauty products. This has included serums, soaps, masks, and toners, each addressing a specific skin concern. 

But we didn't stop at Natural + Organic Skincare. I went on a quest for the best-performing cosmetics and makeup I could find and develop. With my cosmetic & makeup background, I have high expectations. A perfect ingredient list doesn't mean much, if the product doesn't meet your standards. Having a Natural Mascara and other cosmetics made without Phenoxyethanol was quite a feat. We are constantly testing new formulas for Natural + Organic Makeup and hope to expand our selections, as we find new favorites. There can be tricks to using chemical-free cosmetics, as sometimes, it was the toxic ingredients that made us love our previously favorite brand. For instance, there is no such thing as non-toxic waterproof mascara. But dusting a little setting powder on your eyelashes, before applying our Natural + Organic Mascara can make a big difference in how the product applies and wears. We love it, even in humid, sub-tropical Florida!

When we tell you these are the best-performing, most natural and organic cosmetics we can find, its 1000% true. If we don't love it or it's ingredient list, you won't find our name on it.

We hope you love our products as much as we do. This journey has been an incredible amount of work, but oh so worth it. Protecting our collective health is of great importance to us.

Thank you for supporting our family's small business and for joining us on our pursuit for a healthy future.

Cheers,
Catherine