Today we’d like to introduce you to Eliza Caplan.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Eliza. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was raised in a very environmentally and health conscious family. As an adult and parent, I have always been interested in doing better for my family and the environment. Over two years ago, my mom was diagnosed with ALS. That was a reality check for us all because we had all been so lucky thus far. My mom reconsidered the things in her life that she could ‘clean up’ and make safer. She heard about Beautycounter from an old friend of mine and switched to their products. She loved them and for Mother’s Day two years ago, she gifted me with some products and the book, Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things. It was typical of my mom to be generous and also hope to educate, at the same time. I loved the products and was shocked by what I read. I couldn’t’ believe the things I didn’t know about the personal care industry. My childhood friend, Kim, approached me to join Beautycounter. Beautycounter’s mission is to get safer products into the hands of everyone. As much as I believed that, I thought I couldn’t possibly join and commit the time but as the reality of this industry set in, I felt the need to share what I was learning. I had never been much of a product junkie, maybe because I was weary of slathering my body with all sorts of products that I knew nothing about. As I learned more about Beautycounter, our products and the current state of the personal care industry, I became more impassioned to share what I wish someone had told me years ago.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Beautycounter makes it easy and accessible to join their mission. There is so much pride, commitment and camaraderie among all of their educators. My struggles, at first, were finding the time in my already busy life, putting myself out there to potential clients and finding events where I could share our mission with a handful of people at once. I never thought of myself as a good salesperson. I think the idea that I had to be a salesperson to do this job successfully was totally off base but held me back. It turned out that when you love something and whole-heartedly believe in it, the success follows. I love sharing ways to help people choose safer products for them and their loved ones. The time commitment, as it turns out, is exactly what you want to make it. It’s not hard to find time to work and also be home with my kids before and after school and spend time with my extended family who lives nearby.
Beautycounter – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Beautycounter is a certified B Corporation. We are so proud to be in this small but growing list of companies worldwide. Being recognized as a Certified B Corporation means that unlike the traditional corporate structure, we consider people, the planet, and profits. We use the power of business to help solve social and environmental problems by voluntarily meeting standards of transparency, accountability, and performance. We are dedicated to having the strictest standards and letting the consumer know every single ingredient that we use in each product. This, unfortunately, is not standard for this industry. Due to the lack of regulation, companies can label their products as ‘natural’ and ‘non-toxic’ when in fact these term become meaningless. Fragrance is another term where consumers are left in the dark. When a company lists ‘fragrance’ among their ingredients, they legally don’t have to share what chemicals actually make up that fragrance. This is considered a trade secret and the ingredients used to make the fragrance may include phthalates and other harmful ingredients linked to hormone disruption and allergies. The last time a major federal law was passed regarding what can be used in personal care products was in 1938.
Currently, the United States bans or partially restricts only about 30 ingredients from personal care products. We are far behind the European Union which bans and has restricted over 1,400 ingredients from their products. Health Canada has done the same with 600 ingredients. We have a long way to go in the United States. For this reason, Beautycounter the use of over 1,500 harmful or questionable ingredients. This list is called our ‘Never List’. I am proud that we uphold the strictest standards and we meet with members of Congress to pass laws to better regulate the industry. Beautycounter empowers its consultants and clients to advocate for better beauty.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Honestly, there have been many moments for me: overcoming my fear of putting myself out there, being recognized for my success by leaders above me, and contributing to my family’s income. However, I would say that my most proud moments come when new clients, friends, or family members make their routines safer. My heart is full when people tell me how they have switched to safer products at home and that they are more conscious of what they are buying. I consider that a job is well done because, ultimately, I joined Beautycounter in order to share all the information I wish I had known years ago.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.beautycounter.com/elizacaplan
- Phone: 773.817.2278
- Email: eccaplan@gmail.com
- Instagram: be.you.tiful_health
- Facebook: be.YOU.tiful_Health
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