Clean beauty, what is it?

by Alexandre Ilouz October 27, 2021 4 minutes read

Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, benzophenone, butylphenyl methylpropional, sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate… these undesirable compounds - dedicated to the preservation of products, their emulsion and their soft texture - are often found in our cosmetic products. Results ? A resurgence of sensitized skin, weakened by stress and pollution. In addition, harmful impacts on the environment and our health.

Yes, but for several years, driven by millennials, consumer expectations regarding cosmetic care have evolved. Trust in cosmetic brands and their products is no longer acquired automatically. Users are interested in both the effectiveness of the products and their benefits for the body, health and the environment. Alerts that accelerate the emergence of Clean Beauty. But then, what is Clean Beauty? And what are the specificities of this phenomenon?

The origins of Clean Beauty: new consumer aspirations
Clean Beauty or Clean Beauty is a phenomenon that has been gaining strength in recent years. And rightly so, after repeated health scandals (parabens, benzophenones, etc.) and their proliferation, consumers have stopped trusting the marketing claims of cosmetic brands to take a closer look at their composition. Aim ? They have the best for your skin. To help them detect these elements, applications are being developed to evaluate the traceability of cosmetic products. Among them, Yuka and its scoring algorithm that evaluates the composition of beauty treatments, but also Inci Beauty and Clean Beauty.

Thanks to these tools, the consumer regains power and rebels against greenwashing – marketing that highlights falsely ecological tools or services. No more beautiful words that flew away! Brands have no choice but to play with transparency and honesty to gain the support of their target. Also for this purpose, marketing slogans that extol the benefits of a product (hypoallergenic, preservative-free, vegan, etc.) are no longer enough. All components, from packaging to capacity, of our products, but also their manufacturing circuit, are examined by more experienced and assertive consumers. Therefore, it is up to brands to play the game by offering effective, skin-friendly, environmentally friendly, and animal-friendly formulas.

Less closed than organic cosmetics, Clean Beauty above all promotes the effectiveness of products combined with a composition that is respectful of the skin and the environment. However, it is not a 100% organic or natural composition, Clean Beauty above all privileges scientific advances in its formulas.

More than a trend, this phenomenon has spread to legislation since since 2019 "free" formulations (without silicones, without parabens, etc.) that could lead to confusion - the fact that a product is "free" of a certain substance does not exclude the presence of other harmful products in its composition - they are prohibited. On these issues, European cosmetic regulations are stricter than those on the other side of the Atlantic.

More than a trend, a way of thinking and creating
The definition of Clean Beauty and its framework remain unclear. Clean Beauty is a philosophy of life that advocates more transparency, cruelty free, products "not tested on animals", organic, recycling and, in general, concrete actions in favor of preserving the environment. It is up to the brands themselves to define what limits should not be crossed to go beyond Clean Beauty. The challenge lies in the ability of cosmetic brands to offer effective products and favor natural, gentle and organic ingredients. It is up to them to create their list of prohibited ingredients and exclude them from their formulas, explaining why. Beyond the formula of its products, it is the entire workings of the skincare brand that will be tracked and considered. : short circuit, environmentally friendly packaging, wildlife-friendly product composition... Consistency, as well as an ethical and responsible approach, is expected from consumers. Therefore, a new challenge awaits companies that have not yet taken the step!

production of natural cosmetics

How to choose more ethical products?
To meet Clean Beauty requirements, cosmetic brands are opting for a minimalist formulation with fewer components or an optimization of active ingredients. The objective is to reduce superfluity and eliminate as much as possible endocrine disruptors (occlusive mineral oils, plastics, etc.) to counteract the undesirable effects of the products. For example, we will avoid irritating or drying skin already affected by redness or dryness marks with active ingredients that are too aggressive (alcohol, essential oils, etc.).

To ensure the Clean Beauty ethic:

Read beauty product labels carefully. If in doubt, scan the product using a traceability app like Yuka, for example.
Check the ingredients list. We will favor green beauty: products that have more than 90% natural ingredients. We also prefer products without dyes or perfumes.
The shorter the list of ingredients, the better!
Be careful with packaging and opt for companies that care about the environment (moderate or even no use of plastic, etc.)
Adopt vegan and cruelty free products!
To choose your products wisely, pay attention to brands that use Greenwashing to promote Clean Beauty ethics. A phenomenon that is accelerating with the application of the clean label on the packaging of our cosmetic treatments. Be careful !

Excuse me! If 100% of the ingredients are not organic, but 90% of them are of natural origin, that is already a good thing. Clean Beauty also means making the effort to look for better products for better skin! Do you want an effective and cleaner beauty routine? Try the products from the Project 28 cosmetic care line.