Conscious Beauty And Beautiful Minds: Interview w/ Breanne Connor
Breanne’s journey to conscious beauty started in 2012, when a desire to grow out her hair made her stumble into the world of conscious hair care. The information she found was so eye-opening, she educated herself on the best ingredients for hair growth and tried products that nourished her hair, rather than damage it. A few months later, she realized that her thin, shoulder-length hair had grown over six inches and was noticeably thicker! She decided to keep going with the rest of her beauty and personal care products until she was left only with cleaner, safer options. Her philosophy on beauty products touched the lives of so many, that she decided to bring her knowledge to the internet. She currently offers conscious beauty education and product suggestions on her blog Essential Moves to Wellness.
What was the first beauty routine you adopted as a child or teenager? Which emotions do you connect with this memory?
My first beauty routine involved a salicylic acid cleanser using a facial scrubber that was much too abrasive for skin. Then I would follow with Cetaphil moisturizer and go about my day. I remember being told that if my face wasn’t smooth and red after cleansing, then I didn’t do a thorough enough job. But I thought that was the best thing for me, so I continued this routine for several years. This memory gives me feelings of ignorance that I try not to be hard on myself for feeling. I didn’t know that this was not the best regiment for my skin’s health, but I did it out of sheer desire to have that perfect complexion and follow what everybody else was doing.
CONSCIOUS BEAUTY — What meaning do you give this term?
Conscious beauty is knowing exactly what you put on your body every single day. It’s being able to walk through the beauty section of a store and understanding ingredient lists with ease. Being an informed consumer is very powerful, because knowledge that the beauty industry is widely under-regulated makes you your own advocate. And that can lead to some valuable discoveries about what your hair and skin really needs to be their best selves.
Which aspects of sustainability in beauty are especially important to you?
Multi-use products are very important to me because they make conscious beauty a more realistic option. Some people can’t afford the slightly higher price tags of most conscious beauty products, so finding options that are more affordable and accomplish several things at once are a huge win. My favorite examples of multi-tasking beauty products include moisturizer with mineral SPF, a foundation with nourishing serum built into the formulation, or a facial toner that doubles as a quick hair refreshing spray.
When do you consciously feel beautiful?
When I finish my hair and makeup every morning, I take a minute to smile and give myself a complement. It makes me feel beautiful, which is all that truly matters in the end. If I don’t see myself as beautiful, then I won’t believe complements from anyone else in my life.
Did your approach to beauty change within the last 1–2 years?
Yes, with the pandemic leaving everyone shut inside for the past year, I’ve really taken the time to appreciate the ritual of doing my hair and skin care routines. I don’t do them simply to look presentable for other people. I do it because it makes me feel good about myself, which makes me appreciate it more. And if I don’t feel like doing a full face of makeup on a particular day, I honor that feeling and focus more on skin care or self-care instead.
How would you like to see the image of beauty change within the next 5 years?
We’re definitely heading in the right direction, but we’ve got a long way to go. I would love to see more transparency in the coming years. Companies need to be honest about their ingredients, because consumers have a right to know. We are taught to blindly trust companies, because why would they include ingredients that aren’t in their customer’s best interest? More transparency will trigger much more change in the beauty space.
What or who inspires your beauty routine?
Watching other conscious beauty bloggers in my niche gives me an endless stream of inspiration. Every approach to this lifestyle is unique, and I think we could all benefit from learning from each other. Even as someone who’s been living the conscious beauty life for over nine years, I still learn something new every day!
What is your best beauty advice to others?
My biggest piece of advice is to not throw out all of your products and replace them at once! It’s not only wasteful, but incredibly expensive and bad for the environment. Instead, keep an eye on your products as they run out. If one looks like it’s getting close, do some research on the toxic ingredients typically found in that product and find a replacement full of nourishing ingredients instead.
Is there anything you would like to share that we have not asked you here?
I’ve talked about store-bought conscious beauty products quite a bit, but there’s nothing more satisfying than making your own products! It’s usually much cheaper than you think, just as effective as their traditional counterparts, and you know exactly what you’re putting on your body. I made most of my beauty products as a broke college student and absolutely loved it.
THANK YOU!
Follow Breanne Connor on Instagram.
Demee Koch about the MEDIUM interview series on CONSCIOUS BEAUTY:
Hello! I am a serial entrepreneur with more than 2 decades of experience in the health & beauty industry. This interview series is intended to create awareness about the movement of Conscious Beauty.
We are in a beautiful time of Conscious Beauty — you may have heard of this term, but what does Conscious Beauty mean, and why does it matter?
For us, beauty is a way to love — it is about self-care, art, nutrition, exercise, life, self-love. I invite you to become part of a movement that re-defines beauty. Let’s empower beautiful minds.
Thank you for being the change. I’m looking forward to learn from you. Reach out to me via LinkedIn.
Demee ❤︎
