What You need to know about Clean Beauty Products

First we had clean eating, and now Clean Beauty. So, what do you need to know? The truth about clean beauty. Is green enough for your ingredients?

It seems Sephora has gotten enlightened by adding clean beauty to its categories. There’s a bit they don’t tell you when the include the cute little “clean beauty” sticker.

First of all there’s no official definition of “clean” (as compared to “organic,” which is codified by a precise set of certification guidelines), products marketed as such are typically derived from plants and other natural ingredients, and are devoid of the most demonized cosmetic chemicals. The most common chemicals in skin care products are parabens, synthetic colors, and phthalates.

 “Ingredient Conscious” would be a good way to describe Clean beauty.

The way to differentiate between “natural” (i.e., using primarily ingredients found in nature) and “clean beauty” products (entirely free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and petrochemicals). Clean beauty is free of these ingredients: sulfates SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, microbeads ,oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban.

Some clean beauty products are now EWG VERIFIED™. EWG VERIFIED™  means that  products avoid EWG’s (Environmental Working Group) ingredients of concern, is committed to full transparency and operates under good manufacturing practices.

Gluten is a newer ingredient that some people need to avoid. See my article “How can Gluten affect skin?”

Clean beauty also includes being free from the toxins in nail polish & it’s associates.

These include top coat, base coat, thinner, nail art, and a top coat-base coat combination.

Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, DBP, Toluene, Camphor, Ethyl Tosylamide, Xylene, TPHP  & BHA, are some of these toxic chemicals. Dibutyl phthalate, toluene, and formaldehyde are commonly called the ”toxic trio.”  Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which has been linked to birth defects in studies involving lab animals, and formaldehyde, is a carcinogen.

These chemicals have been of concern for their potential health risks, especially to nail salon workers. Rebecca Sutton, PhD, senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group says ,”These chemicals have well-established health concerns”

butter LONDON was the first the world-renowned 3-Free nail lacquer brand. Today they continue to lead industry innovation with 8-10- Free nail polishes, and good-for-you formulations using the carcinogen-free Crafted with Care™ approach to formulations.

Organic & vegan are very often in clean beauty category.

There’s a lot of green-washing too in the cosmetics & skin care industries so beware.

SADLY some of those claiming to be clean beauty are not cruelty free.

They still test their green & clean ingredients on animals. They hide behind the “clean” label. Here’s where a person really needs to pay attention. I ALWAYS CHECK to see if they are cruelty free.

DECIDING NOT TO PARTAKE IN CRUELTY DOESN’T FEEL LIKE A SACRIFICE.
IT’S EMPOWERING TO MAKE THE CONSCIOUS CHOICE EVERY DAY THAT I’LL DO WHAT I CAN TO HARM LESS. – MADELINE ALCOTT, FOUNDER, Petit Vour

© 2018-2020. beautybulletins.com All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission

Sources: Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, EWG.org