I Don't Care About Clean Beauty (and neither should you)

"Clean beauty" is a phrase we see EVERYWHERE now. But what does it really mean? Who wouldn't want the things they put on their skin to be clean?

"Clean" is open to interpretation

Legally, "clean" doesn't mean anything in the beauty industry. The FDA does not regulate the terms "clean", "non-toxic", "natural", or other similar terms used by brands. Unfortunately that means that anyone, no matter the ingredients or production methods, can label their product as clean.

There are plenty of brands out there who are actually working to remove processed ingredients or irritants from their products, and that's amazing! But there are plenty of others who are just using these terms to sell more by appearing eco-conscious or authentic. There is no universally agreed upon definition for what makes a product "clean". Every brand has different standards.

Why should we care?

Oftentimes "clean beauty" formulas will omit preservatives, causing products to expire or mold more quickly. Parabens, while very controversial, are also really well researched preservatives. They've been shunned by the clean beauty movement in favor of more "natural" ingredients that, unfortunately, haven't been as well studied yet. Not to mention, natural doesn't always mean good for you! Poison ivy is natural, organic, and sustainable to cultivate- should we be using more of it?

All this to say: just because a product calls itself "clean" doesn't mean it is better for you, your skin, or the environment.

Are clean beauty brands bad?

Definitely not! Like I mentioned above, lots of companies are genuinely trying to create products that are more gentle, less processed, etc. But some of these brands fall into fearmongering about certain ingredients.

There are plenty of clean beauty brands that I love, but I don't love them BECAUSE they're "clean". I love them because they make good stuff! Tower28 and Farmacy Beauty are two of my favorites.

I'd highly suggest you take a look at individual brands to get a feel for their formulations and values. If you're ever in doubt, PLEASE reference a professional rather than social media comments or people trying to sell you something. There are tons of amazing doctors, cosmetic chemists, dermatologists, etc. on social media who are constantly discussing ingredients, formulations, and efficacy of products. They're really fun to watch!

Let me know if you have any questions- I'm happy to help point you in the right direction if you'd like to do more research on your own.

As always, thanks so much for reading. I'll see you soon!

xoxo,

Lindsay