What Exactly Does “Clean Beauty” Mean?

Let Us Help You Determine if it is for YOU!

We have all heard about “clean eating,” which is usually summarized as eating mostly whole food sources, skipping the sugars and processed ingredients, and enjoying the benefits of a diet composed mostly of natural ingredients that have retained the majority of their nutrients. The concept has spilled over into other areas of modern life, including “green housekeeping,” and “clean beauty.”

And yet, is clean beauty the same or similar at all to clean eating? Let’s find out!

What is Clean Beauty?

To begin with, there is no official definition of the term clean beauty (or a lot of its associated terms such as “natural”, “green”, and so on) in the same ways we find formal definitions for words like “organic.” Instead, those who adhere to the concept of clean beauty say that it features two very distinct factors:

• It relies entirely on non-toxic ingredients

This means that anyone, whether you have the most sensitive skin or not, can safely use the product without any risk to their health. The clean beauty product is one that features only the safest and entirely non-toxic compounds.

Naturally, you might say that the term “safe” is relative, and you would be correct. That is why many clean beauty product manufacturers grade ingredient safety (often by using letter grades) and using only those that fall under the first two to three classifications.

• It calls for transparent labeling

An authentic clean beauty product manufacturer is going to offer a full listing of product ingredients, or be “transparent” in its labeling. As one expert noted, clean beauty products won’t “contain mystery ingredients, and clean beauty certainly doesn’t claim to be something that it’s not.”

It is as simple as that, and the goal of clean beauty is to be about non-toxic ingredients and honesty in manufacturing.

Where Did the Clean Beauty Movement Originate?

As an article in Vogue noted, the movement “once a niche trend championed by the likes of Goop, has gone mainstream. A report released last month by the British Soil Association Certification revealed how conscious consumerism has pushed the UK organic beauty and wellbeing market to an all-time high, with millennials and Gen Zs leading the way.”

So, that tells us one key truth – it is a generational trend, and since millennials and the Gen Zs are emerging as the largest consumer segments, it means that clean beauty is here to stay. Yet, these groups are not the only ones interested in non-toxic and transparently labeled skincare.

The desire for clean beauty products also comes from the rise of the vegan and vegetarian culture. This is because such groups want beauty products that are not the result of animal testing or inclusive of animal by-products. This further development of a niche within the niche has also led to a lot of specification within the clean beauty product world.

Related: Choosing a Beauty Routine That’s Eco-Friendly

For Example

Many consumers are educated enough about the issue to know they also want their clean beauty products to guarantee themselves to be “paraben-free, sulphate-free and phthalate-free, with packaging made from recycled material sourced from sustainably-managed forests,” among other factors.

The Vogue article also notes that more issues have driven change in the beauty product industry. For example, an “obsession with wellness and detoxification, both in terms of diet and products, is fueling a demand for stripped-back, ‘clean’ ingredients. Consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about possible irritations caused by synthetic ingredients in fragrances and preservatives and are reading labels more carefully, a habit picked up from the grocery aisle.”

Additionally, an increasing rate of sensitive skin conditions have emerged in the face of harmful and/or irritating ingredients in skin care and beauty products. Because of that, more and more consumers are eager to steer away from ingredients that might worsen their sensitive skin.

Related: What are Parabens and Why Should I Watch Out for Them?

Is clean beauty the same as all-natural, organic, or green?

As we said, there is no formal definition. And as one beauty writer notes, “The problem with beauty product regulation? In a word: it’s practically nonexistent. The FDA doesn’t define the term ‘clean’ (or ‘green,’ ‘natural,’ … that matter) in the context of cosmetics labeling or ingredients, which means virtually anything can be deemed as such — whether it’s harmful or not.”

Safety requirements for beauty product manufacturers are unchanged since first enacted in the 1930s, and that means there is not a lot that has been done to distinguish products that are authentically clean and those that just want to be seen as clean.

As another expert said, “Brands can falsely label their products with buzzwords like ‘natural’ and ‘eco’ in order to capture the conscious consumer’s attention. This is called ‘greenwashing,’” and it is a big problem.

Related: The Truth About Organic Beauty Products

What is Greenwashing?

There are a lot of benefits to choosing the clean beauty option (which we’ll review in a moment), and so it pays for a company that is making clean beauty products to clearly and aggressively market its goods. However, the entire industry knows that many people want clean beauty, but may not know the details enough to determine the difference between clean and wishful thinking.

As noted, a lot of pseudo-clean beauty products are marketed and packaged with “greenwashing,” and this is a tricky thing to understand and identify. If you recall, we noted that one of the two key criteria for clean beauty products to qualify as truly clean is to use “transparent” labeling, but a lot of visual trickery is possible with packaging and labeling.

As an example, take a moment to consider how you might feel about a bold, neon pink jar of facial cleanser versus a clear glass jar. Imagine the pink jar described itself as packed with powerful cleaning agents, while the clear jar said “all-natural” in a simple font on a very basic label. You’d instantly assume that the latter product (in the clear glass jar) was entirely clean and the hot pink jar full of unwelcome compounds.

The problem is that any manufacturer can make claims of all-natural ingredients if a single element in the formula (like water, as a prime example) is among the ingredients. Using advertising, packaging, or marketing to send out a false message that a beauty product is safe, effective, good for the user or the environment, or to appeal to a buyer worried about sustainability and health is greenwashing. Instead of actually making a healthy and eco-friendly product, they dedicate time and effort to marketing and packaging it to look that way. It is like the product is wearing a costume!

As one cosmetic chemist said of this issue, “’Clean’ beauty includes nontoxic and noncontroversial products that are proven safe and effective. It does not have to be 100 percent ‘green,’ as green may not be efficacious. Consumers have been greenwashed so badly that they think as long as it’s natural, it’s good for you. That is not necessarily the case. Synthetic materials can be good [in products], as long as they are proven safe — having gone through various testing — and do not harm people, animals, or the environment.”

So, clean and natural are not the same. Natural and green are not the same, either. Harpers Bazaar has excellent definitions of the key terms, noting that clean should mean safe “for people and the planet, clean means that a beauty product should have considered human and environmental health, using a nontoxic element as a baseline and plant-based ingredients for active results.”

They then go on to say that green “should mean that the product does no harm to the environment. For instance, a reef-safe sunscreen with biodegradable packaging would be labeled green. However, this is a wishy-washy term with no true definition and is usually used as an umbrella for any product that claims to protect the planet’s resources.”

Natural, they also make clear, is not always “better”. One expert points out that poison ivy is an all-natural ingredient, but it is not good for the skin, or even clean by typical standards. The people at Harpers Bazaar make mention of essential oils and their potential risks as another illustration of this point.

They also emphasize the fact that, as a consumer, you should be focused on terms like “non-toxic,” and know about the ingredients to avoid. While we are going to examine a list of the worst offenders, know that non-toxic should mean “a product shouldn’t include any ingredient that’s been deemed toxic at any dose by a third-party resource like the European Union or Environmental Working Group.”

Which ingredients should not appear in clean beauty products because of their toxicity?

Top 10 Toxic Ingredients to Avoid at All Costs

An article in SHAPE Magazine says that there are the “suspicious 6” ingredients to watch out for, including “essential oils, silicones, drying alcohols, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), chemical sunscreens, and fragrances and dyes.” While this is true, there is even more to be on the lookout for when you are exploring products to build your cleaner beauty regimen.

They include:

1. Parabens – Harmful preservatives that cause “reproductive organ harm, thyroid disruption, hormone-related cancers, and obesity.”
2. Aluminum Compounds – Increase your risks for certain forms of cancer
3. Silica – Usually appearing as silicon dioxide, it is an anti-caking and absorbing agent. It is a carcinogen and bad for the environment
4. Oxybenzone – As an article from Harpers Bazaar explained, it is “also known as benzophenone-3 (BP3), is the most notorious chemical UV filter used in an estimated 60 percent of U.S. sunscreen formulas…the ingredient is strongly suspected of being an estrogenic hormone disruptor and that it passes through the placental barrier, leading to low birth weight and birth defects like Hirschsprung’s disease. A study from 2016 found a link between exposure to chemical UV filters and male infertility.” It is also destructive to the environment
5. Fragrances and Phthalates  – “Phthalates have been linked to reproductive and hormonal harm in children and men. Some studies have linked phthalate exposure to obesity, type 2 diabetes, reduced sperm count, breast cancers, reproductive malformation, infertility, and cardiovascular events,” and are not worth it.
6. Ethoxylated Agents – You’ll see them as “polyethylene glycols (PEGs), ceteareths, oleth, and sulfates,” and they are harsh cleansers that are noted carcinogens.
7. Formaldehyde – A preservative it is carcinogenic and dangerous to the environment. It will appear as methylene glycol, formalin, methanal, and methanediol on a label
8. Refined Petroleum – Usually known as mineral oil or paraffin, it is a moisturizing agent that is also a noted carcinogen.
9. Coal Tar – Used in hair dye and anti-dandruff shampoo. It is a byproduct of coal processing and is a known carcinogenic.
10. Triclosan – An antimicrobial and antibacterial agent, it is linked to hormone disruption, skin cancer, and liver trouble.

Related: Is It Time For a Skin Detox?

Hydroquinone is another problematic agent and though it has FDA approval, it has direct links to immune system issues, cancer, and adrenal gland issues. Microbeads are another that should appear on the list because of the issues they cause in the environment. They are a “must avoid” for anyone looking to clean up their beauty regimen.

So, in addition to being aware of greenwashing that could cause you to use a product far worse than a product that does not try to pass itself off as greener or cleaner, you need to become a label reader and watch out for the ingredients above. If you want to shift to clean beauty and enjoy its benefits, it takes a bit of effort, but the rewards are immense.

Benefits of Clean Beauty and a Few First Steps

Since the government has almost no regulation on beauty ingredients, one of the immediate benefits of clean beauty is that YOU regulate what goes on your skin. This means you eliminate most of the risks of skin sensitivities or irritations. It means you lessen your risks for those issues caused by harmful ingredients, like cancer, reproductive issues, nervous system issues, and more.

Keep in mind that your “clean” beauty routine does not have to be entirely free of synthetics. There are still safe and beneficial ingredients backed by science. It is your job to avoid those ingredients above and look for products that lean heavily towards the more natural formulations, packaging and philosophies.

As the team at SHAPE said, “clean beauty products tend to be a bit more expensive than regular ones (although there are exceptions!), but that often means you’re getting more for your money…If you’re limited to what you can switch because of price, it’s still worth it to make small changes over time…[start with] body moisturizer, shampoo, or deodorant.” Find brands you like, and then move on to the rest of the regimen, one step at a time.

More Great Resources on What is Clean Beauty:

How To Get In On The Clean Beauty Movement (And Why It’s Worth The Effort)

The Dirty on Getting Clean

Where Clean Beauty is Headed in 2020