clean beauty – Raising Clean

I Yelled Today. Then I Cried. Then I Hugged Them Tighter.

April 19, 2025 raisingcleanLeave a comment

Mom confession:
I yelled today.
Then I cried.
Then I hugged them tighter.

It wasn’t the moment I wanted.
It wasn’t the version of me I’m proud of.
But it was real.

Motherhood has a way of holding both the most beautiful and the most overwhelming moments in the exact same day. Sometimes the same hour.

I lost my patience over something small—maybe it was the constant noise, the spilled juice, the backtalk, the mess I cleaned for the fifth time. But it wasn’t just that moment. It was the mental load I’d been carrying all day. All week. Maybe longer.

And once again, I found myself in that place of frustration…
where the tears come right after the yelling.
The guilt creeps in fast.
The shame whispers, “You should be better at this.”

But here’s what I’m reminding myself of:

We are human.
We are growing.
And our kids are learning through our imperfections, not in spite of them.

So I apologized.
I hugged them.
I started over.

And then, I took a moment for me.

Because I’ve learned that when I don’t pour into myself, I pour out stress.

I’ve had to get really honest about how I’m supporting my nervous system. And not just with bubble baths or locking myself in the bathroom for five minutes (although let’s be honest… I’ve done that too 🙃).

I’ve started building in daily rhythms that help me feel more grounded—especially on the hard days. Things like:

Taking my CBD regularly to support a calm mood
Sipping adaptogenic mushroom tea to help manage stress
Saying yes to hydration and no to perfection
Getting outside, even if it’s just for 10 minutes
Checking in with my breath before I check my phone

These small things don’t erase the chaos. But they help me show up better in it.
And on the days I still lose my cool?
I come back to grace. Again and again.

If you’ve ever had a moment like mine—where you yelled, then cried, then hugged tighter—I see you. You’re not alone.

You’re not failing.
You’re just a mom who cares deeply.
And caring is exhausting sometimes.

Give yourself a little more compassion today.
And if you’re looking for natural ways to support your stress and show up with more calm and clarity—I’d love to share what’s helped me. 💛

P.S. Want to peek at the simple wellness tools that keep me steady on the wobbly days? I’d love to see you over in my wellness community! https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1698BmZ41k/

Water in your Skincare?

July 10, 2024 raisingcleanLeave a comment

Let’s bust a beauty myth

Myth – a skincare product is not good/effective if water is the first or second ingredient

If you’ve heard that water should not be in skincare because it makes it less effective let me just tell you that I have found very few brands that do not use water in their products (including ones that claim to be waterless…) + I’d be much more concerned about a brand using toxins in their products than water, but that’s just me

The brand that has built itself on bashing companies for using water in their formula USES WATER… Sometimes it’s even the second ingredient. They also use fragrance (while claiming to be fragrance free). They claim to be organic without a single organic ingredient in their labels. Their brand is built on misleading consumers and tearing down other companies. It’s very sad. (This brand is Oliveda if you’re curious).

But let’s actually bust this myth…

Water is a crucial ingredient in skincare for several reasons:

Hydration: Water hydrates the skin, keeping it moist and supple. Proper hydration is essential for maintaining skin health and preventing dryness and flakiness.

Nutrient Delivery: Water helps deliver essential nutrients to skin cells, ensuring proper functioning and overall skin health.

Detoxification: Water helps flush out toxins from the skin, promoting a clear complexion and reducing the risk of breakouts.

pH Balance: Water helps maintain the skin’s natural pH balance, which is important for healthy skin function and protection against environmental stressors.

Cooling Effect: Water has a cooling effect on the skin, which can help soothe irritation and inflammation.

Enhanced Absorption: Water-based products can be absorbed more easily into the skin, allowing for better penetration of beneficial ingredients.

Overall, water is an essential ingredient in skincare products and plays a key role in maintaining healthy, radiant skin.

I hope this post helps clear up a common misconception!

Here’s to safe, healthy skincare!

If you liked this post, make sure you join my wellness community -> https://www.facebook.com/share/VwtiHeNLmwiS7AZQ/

If you want to try my favorite skincare brand that has the best ingredients + best performance + is eco-friendly shoot me a message here for a custom recommendation & link ->
M.me/Jessie.rae.31

Hydroquinone

August 27, 2023 raisingcleanLeave a comment

Hydroquinone is a topical skin-lightening agent commonly used to treat skin conditions such as hyperpigmentation, melasma, and certain types of dark spots. It works by inhibiting the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color.

A nutrition company known for being clean and toxin free recently posted “Must have skincare ingredients” which is interesting because they don’t carry skincare and after seeing this post it’s clear that skincare is not in their wheelhouse. Which is fine, but maybe don’t share must have ingredients because one they shared, Hydroquinone, is very toxic…

A couple of benefits of Hydroquinone are:

Effective Skin Lightening: Hydroquinone is considered one of the most effective ingredients for lightening dark spots and evening out skin tone.
Treatment of Melasma: Melasma is a common skin condition that causes dark patches on the face. Hydroquinone is often prescribed to help fade these patches.

But… are the benefits worth the risks?

For me, it’s a hard no.

Check out this chart that compares Hydroquinone with Crunchi’s Brightening Complex Technology and let me know your thoughts below!

http://ltl.is/sky3rcd

Like what you see here? Make sure to join my clean living community over on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingclean/

We have an awesome promo coming this week for anyone who is ready to detox their makeup and/or skincare, info will be shared in the Facebook group!

Mother’s Day

April 27, 2023 raisingcleanLeave a comment

Give the gift of Clean Beauty this Mother’s Day!

Whether you have a mother figure you are looking for something special for or you’re a mom and want to treat yourself or give a great idea to a spouse or child, what gift is more special than clean beauty. It is a way to feel beautiful, practice self care, and it doesn’t cause you harm or disrupt your hormones like other makeup and skincare out there!

So, I present to you… our Mothers Day Offers!

Available through May 14th – or while supplies last!

Daylight & Nightlight Facial Cream Bundle w/ a complimentary Crunchi Spa Headband

Advocate Price: $91.20

Client Retail Price: $114

Everluxe® Lip Crayon in Limited Edition shade, Sienna Red

Advocate Price: $22.40

Client Retail Price: $28

Everluxe® Lip Crayon in Limited Edition shade, French Mauve

Advocate Price: $22.40

Client Retail Price: $28

Limited Edition Lip Dream Duo ( Lip Scrub + Lip Treatment )

Advocate Price: $33.60

Client Price: $38 – (Retail $42 – $4 savings!)

Special Client Bundle

Snag all four of the offers and receive special 20% off – making this deal just $175 PLUS free shipping!

If you are ready to make the change to clean beauty and/or skincare this link will get you entered to win a free facial essence + half priced coupons! You also get $10 off your first $50 order using this link if you are new to Crunchi!

http://Crunchi.com/Jessicaderico/event/36077

And… if those Advocate prices look good to you, just click Get Involved then Advocate Enrollment to choose the best discounted kit for you, start getting 20% off your orders immediately, and get an affiliate link to share with others and make 20-40% in commission!

(Make sure you see shopping with Jessica DeRico in the top right corner to be entered to win rewards)

𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙮 𝙎𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨

January 15, 2023 raisingcleanLeave a comment

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓼 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮, 𝓶𝔂 𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓼!

By popular demand, I’m doing this rare pop up sample pack sale 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺!

This is for those of you who are brand NEW to Crunchi.

Here’s how it works…

Sample packs will be only $8 including shipping and you can choose any combo of these 4 products…

Beautifully Flawless Foundation (I’m happy to shade match you just need a selfie in natural light and your current foundation brand and shade)

Daylight Moisturizer

Sunlight SPF

Nightlight Cream

Clarilight Facial Essence

Translucent Setting Powder

Charcoal Facial Bar

Gentle Facial Bar

Charcoal Body Bar

I am Polished Exfoliator/Mask

I am the Balm Cleanser

My supplies are limited so this is first come, first serve. Comment if you want one. Once I run out of supplies, they will be gone for this round.

▶︎ After you comment which four items you’d like, I will reach out to get your info and foundation shade if needed, so please keep an eye on that

▶︎ All payments will be exchanged via Venmo or PayPal, and I won’t be creating your pack until it is received –

Venmo is Jessica-DeRico (must be via friends and family)

PayPal is derico.jessica@gmail.com (must be via friends and family)

▶︎ You can 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘣 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 unless you’re snagging one for your bestie and then you can connect us in a 3 way chat. If you connect me to a friend for a sample pack, I’ll be sending you a surprise gift as a thank you! (Plus you can share a referral link with them and get $10 if they order)

▶︎ When you’re ready to convert your sample to a full size order, you’ll get $5 of your sample pack back

▶︎ You must not be working with/learning from another Crunchi advocate already

I absolutely love helping women detox all areas of their life, but makeup and skincare is especially FUN! I can’t wait for you ladies to fall in love with safe beauty

Hey, friends!

January 15, 2022 raisingcleanLeave a comment

A massive welcome to the Raising Clean blog!

I haven’t been on here in a couple months and it warms my heart to see people are still visiting and reading despite my having to take a step back for a bit. I wanted to drop a little bio in here and some helpful links and resources for all our new friends!

Raising Clean was created in June of 2018 (on Facebook, the blog came later). I had only been on my own toxin free journey for 3 months and honestly had no idea what I was doing. But I knew one thing. I was fired up about all I had learned about the harmful chemicals lurking in our products and our children’s products and I had to share it with anyone who would listen. I now have a fabulous community of like-minded women who all just want to live our best, healthiest lives!

Here’s how to get the most out of this blog:

Shop Clean Beauty or Join Me: Ready to detox your makeup bag or learn more about the Safe + High Performing + Eco-conscious makeup and skincare I use –>> crunchi.com/jessicaderico

GET FREE SHIPPING WITH EVERY $150 ORDER!

Need a shade match or free consultation to make sure you’re picking the best products for your skin type and needs? Fill out this free skincare quiz and I will reach out to you! https://forms.gle/idGpUXkUcPz31qFp8

Safe Swaps Master List: A growing list of Safe Swaps beyond cosmetics + skincare that I have sourced to help you take baby steps in eliminating toxins from your life! –>>> You get access to this when you join my email list: http://eepurl.com/dC_rFL

Toxic Ingredients Cheat Sheet: Aka – The Banished list! Click this link and save this image to help you when making everyday choices. —>>> https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10157870866692607…

Never miss anything CRUNCHI related: Join my VIP text notification list for insane deals, re-stocks, & new product launches. Simply click https://www.remind.com/join/raisingcle and type in your phone number and name

Subscribe to the monthly newsletter here —>> http://eepurl.com/houQJj

Cosmetic Brand Ingredient Review: If you would like an ingredient review on any of the brands you’re currently using, do not hesitate to ask. Knowledge is power and I would be honored to support you in your journey by reviewing the ingredients in your current products, completely judgement free. You can always email at derico.jessica@gmail.com for the fastest response.

Ready to partner with me in the Clean Beauty Movement? —>> https://crunchi.com/the-movement/what-is-the-movement…

Want to learn more about the Clean Beauty Movement —>> https://www.facebook.com/groups/benevolentbeginnings

Thank you for being here

I owe it to you…

July 18, 2021 raisingcleanLeave a comment

because not every mom gets to make muffins with her daughter at 9am on a Monday, but I do.

because not every mom gets to be there for every moment (good, bad, and ugly), but I do.

because not every mom gets to follow her dreams, but I do.

because not every mom gets to do what she’s passionate about every day of her life, but I do.

I owe it to you to share these things because if someone hadn’t shared with me 3 years ago, I wouldn’t be here. I would be working a job I hated, away from my daughter every day, with no time to pursue my own dreams or passions.

You can live the life you want. You just have to take the first step.

If you’re at all curious about this life as a clean beauty educator, please reach out to me. You can also join the conversation and simply start to become a more informed consumer over at -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingclean

I owe it to you… and you owe it to yourself

Why?

January 11, 2021 raisingcleanLeave a comment

Such a simple question, one word, that we talk about a lot in my line of work. Why do we wake up in the morning and spend the day sharing clean beauty?

My why has changed since I clicked “join now” 2 and a half years ago. As we enter the new year, I find myself reflecting on my why, what keeps me working my business. It isn’t why did I join anymore, it’s why do I continue to share day in and day out…

So why…

To be able to support myself and Adeline on my own, no help.

To share something I am beyond passionate about to women who have no clue just like me 3 years ago.

To show women that safe AND high performing cosmetics really do exist.

To share the joy with my teammates when they hit new goals and start to see their own lives changing.

My why isn’t because I like selling makeup, I never imagined I would sell makeup. My why is the income to change mine and my daughter’s lives, the platform to change other women’s lives, the knowledge to reduce body burden and help that couple have a baby, help that mama with chronic fatigue, rid that young woman of cystic acne, etc. And the responsibility to have success that is duplicatable so I can help change the lives of the women who join me in this mission.

If you don’t have a reason that could bring you to tears for doing what you do everyday, it might be time to reevaluate what you’re doing. I’ve been there and I’m so happy I made the change!

The Chances Not Taken

December 20, 2020 raisingcleanLeave a comment

“Original thinkers feel fear. They’re afraid of failing but they’re even more afraid of failing to try. They know you can fail by starting a business that goes bankrupt or by failing to start a business at all. They know that in the long run, our biggest regrets are not our actions, but our inactions. The things we wish we could redo, if you look at the science, are the chances not taken.”

I heard this quote on a Ted Talk I was watching and knew it was one I wanted to remember.

I don’t know if I’ve shared much about where we were at in our lives when I hit the join button on to partner with an incredible clean beauty company, but it was terrifying!

We had just spent a large chunk of our money to move across the country from Arizona to New York. We were pregnant and had the huge expense of raising a human being on the horizon. We had ZERO income coming in… We were both teachers. It was June. Neither of us had paychecks coming in. Then there was the fact that Christopher hadn’t even gotten a new teaching job yet and I wasn’t planning on going back to teaching so our financial state was very up in the air. We didn’t have our own place. We were living with my parents. Our life was seriously so unpredictable at the time when I sat down and talked to Chris about this opportunity after it was presented to me and we both knew it was the right choice. It was a massive risk and we really did not have the extra money to put into my initial investment, but we made it work because we knew it would be worth it.

So watching this Ted Talk and hearing that quote, made me think to myself, what if I had not become a clean beauty advocate…

*I would not be home with my daughter every day.

*Adeline would be in daycare with a person we don’t know.

*I would be working a job that is not in my field or a passion of mine while I spent all my free time getting my NY teaching certification.

*If we did decide for me to still stay home with Addie, we would be pinching pennies trying to make ends meet.

*We wouldn’t have been able to buy a house and would still be in a tiny apartment we hated.

*I wouldn’t know all I do now about ingredients and toxins.

*I would probably still unknowingly be using incredibly harmful products and putting them on my baby.

*I wouldn’t have hit a new leadership promotion last month and started bringing in real, career level income.

It’s amazing to me how much this opportunity has changed and blessed my life and I know there are still so many more blessings to come. Don’t be someone who looks back and regrets the chances you didn’t take. Very few people start businesses because they have more than enough money to or because they have all this extra time to. They do it because they NEED the financial freedom or they NEED the time freedom. I needed both if I wanted to be home with my daughter every day and both are what I have received.

I’m an open book for anyone who has any questions!

Rise and Thrive 2020

February 4, 2020 raisingcleanLeave a comment

The ✨highlight✨of my year is collaborating with like-minded women who have joined me in the forefront of the clean beauty movement!
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And what an absolutely incredible weekend it was.
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Reflecting on the past few days has me feeling so so blessed.
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For those of you who don’t know, about a year and a half ago I did something I never thought I would do. I left something I had been building for four years and started completely fresh because I just knew in my heart it was right. Since then it has impacted my life in the biggest of ways; mentally, physically, emotionally, financially.
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Spending time with the co-founders, learning from a remarkable coach, and stepping into the most confident version of me were just a few of my favorite moments.
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I’ve never seen or been part of a sisterhood of women who truly support, love each other, and build each other up. Meeting face to face surpassed all my expectations. I knew I would meet a bunch of women, I didn’t know I’d make lifelong friends.
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I have big goals for 2020 and I’ve never been more fired up. We are going to do HUGE things this year friends and there’s room for you too! The toxin free movement is only getting bigger, come join the conversation in Raising Clean with Jessie Rae 😍!