Philosophers have said that people cannot change their habits without first changing their way of thinking (or was that Marie Kondo?), but nobody could have predicted how difficult it would be in 2021 to understand the phenomenon that is "clean" beauty. Brands have identified that consumers want safe, nontoxic products, but sorting through the verbiage — especially when sharing the beauty shelf with terms like "natural," "organic," and "green" — can feel like finding your matching sock in the dryer.
That ends here. We're tidying up all the misinformation out there to give you a better understanding of the term, once and for all, so you'll never have to wonder again.
So, What Is "Clean" Beauty?
While its definition tends to vary depending on who you ask (and is subject to marketing spin), most brands and experts use the phrase when a product doesn't contain certain controversial ingredients. For example, Credo Beauty, a leading clean beauty retailer that maintains strict ingredient standards, only stocks products that are free of potentially harmful chemicals like phthalates, parabens, triclosan, and oxybenzone. Sephora launched a similar initiative in 2018, in which all 2,000 of its available "clean" products are labeled as such both in store and online. In 2021, Ulta Beauty launched its Conscious Beauty Initiative, developing an official "Made Without List" based on the human and environmental health impact of said ingredients.
That doesn't always mean there are no preservatives, however. Creating a product that's fully organic is an entirely separate topic. Let us explain.
The Difference Between "Clean" and "Green"
The two terms share one common denominator: both are marketed to be formulated without any of the "nasty" stuff. But — like you have probably already gleaned from sir Donald Trump — all definitions of "nasty" are not created equal.
"'Clean' beauty includes nontoxic and noncontroversial products that are proven safe and effective," said cosmetic chemist Ginger King. "It does not have to be 100 percent 'green,' as green may not be efficacious. Consumers have been greenwashed so bad 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."
