What “clean beauty” means nowPhotographer: Massimo Gammacurta Props Stylist: Elizabeth Press
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In the world of beauty, there is no flashier term than clean right now. Whether you’re shopping online or walking through a store, you’ll find product after product categorized as “clean beauty,” and people are buying them. According to market research company Statista, more than half of women prefer natural or organic products when shopping for skin care products. While it’s abundantly clear that we’re in the midst of a clean beauty movement, defining it is more than a little murky. For some, clean beauty means formulas contain only “non-toxic” natural ingredients. Others say it also has to do with a sustainably and ethically produced product. And then there are those who expect clean beauty to check both boxes, and a few others.
The tricky thing is that while the FDA regulates cosmetics, it doesn’t review or approve products or ingredients before they go on the market (a spokesperson notes, however, that companies must ensure products are safe under the law. Plus , the Cosmetic Modernization Regulation Act of 2022 will give the FDA more resources and authority to monitor cosmetic brands and enforce recalls). “In Europe, more than 1,300 ingredients are banned,” says Defne Arikan, CEO of Bryhel Cosmetic Labs, who works closely with chemist Yehiel Amouyal. “But in the US, only one [relative] few substances are banned by the FDA in formulas.” (The Personal Care Products Council, an industry trade group, has written that “80 percent of those ingredients have not been and would never be used as a cosmetic ingredient.”)
This is all to say that terms like clean, green, and eco-friendly are not regulated by a governing body, so anyone (or any brand) can interpret and define these terms however they want. To help you find products that are clean, natural, sustainable, and effective, we call on cosmetic chemists, brand founders, dermatologists, and environmentalists to guide you to the most important attributes of clean beauty products.
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skin nutrients
These oil blends harness the power of consciously sourced plants and safe synthetics to improve skin health.
Photographer: Massimo Gammacurta Props Stylist: Elizabeth Press
Considering the ingredients
Your skin is the largest organ on your body, so it makes perfect sense that you want to be careful what you’re rubbing on it. Many people will tell you that the best way to do this is to choose clean formulas that contain natural ingredients.
This thought is not totally wrong. After all, there are a number of great skin-boosting substances found in nature – think shea butter, jojoba oil, argan oil, and many others. Not only that, but there are a number of synthetic ingredients that can irritate sensitive skin or harm the environment. For example, silicones can pollute the environment and certain sulfates, such as SLS (a surfactant or foaming agent), can harm marine ecosystems and irritate the skin. “A motivator, if not the main one, to formulate my own [clean skincare] line 15 years ago was the knowledge that the use of products with toxic chemicals outpaced any good so-called active ingredients within them,” says Macrene Alexiades, MD, a dermatologist in New York City.
But there is a catch. Just because an ingredient comes from a natural source doesn’t mean it’s unequivocally good for your skin. There are many natural ingredients that can be irritating or even harmful. Poison ivy is a prime example, but there are also essential oils used on purpose in skin care that can cause redness or contribute to acne.
And just as “natural” doesn’t mean “good,” “synthetic” doesn’t mean “bad.” In fact, in some cases, synthetic ingredients can be even more eco-friendly than earth-based versions. “I prefer certain ingredients in their synthetic form to ensure purity and higher quality,” says Krupa Koestline, cosmetic biochemist and consultant at KKT Consultants. “Colors fall into this category because natural colors can contain concerning levels of heavy metals that must be processed to remove them to meet FDA guidelines. Synthetic dyes are produced in a controlled environment and do not contain these heavy metal impurities. [New] Synthetic methods of producing vitamins are also preferable because extracting a naturally occurring vitamin depletes natural resources and is an expensive and energy-intensive process.”
Companies like Amyris (which is behind popular brands like Stripes and Biossance) are finding ways to combine technology and chemistry to create safe, sustainable ingredients that are better for the environment than if they were used naturally. Take, for example, squalene, a moisturizing ingredient that’s traditionally extracted from shark liver and plant sources like olives (it’s then hydrogenated to become “squalene” for cosmetic use). To create a lab-derived version, “we used proprietary yeast strains and sustainably harvested sugar cane,” says Daan Thorn Leeson, senior director of product innovation at Amyris. “The result is a higher quality squalane that is purer than the squalane in olive oil.”
At the end of the day, those looking for clean beauty tend to look for products that contain ingredients that are safe for them and the world, and that can be achieved through sustainably selected natural ingredients or smartly manufactured synthetics.
makeup essentials
Clean cosmetics have come a long way in the performance department: innovations in pigments and formulas have led to intense colors and long-lasting formulas that glide on easily and improve the look and feel of skin.
Photographer: Massimo Gammacurta Props Stylist: Elizabeth Press
Good for you and the earth
While an ingredient list may be the first thing people think of when considering what makes something clean or not, it’s not the only factor worth considering. “I wish we could change the name of the category to ‘thoughtful beauty’ because that’s really what it’s all about,” says Sasha Plavsic, founder of Ilia Beauty. This consideration extends to the environmental and social impacts of a brand. The best formulations take into account the safety of the user and the environment, says Koestline. And they are “inextricably connected. What goes into our water comes back to us,” says Jeannie Jarnot, founder of retailer Beauty Heroes and the blue beauty movement, which recognizes companies that focus on trying to have a positive environmental impact.
Say you prefer natural ingredients. If the farms from which those ingredients are harvested have a negative impact on the environment, would you feel just as good about using them? Ideally, the clean beauty brands you use would work with farms that practice regenerative organic farming (as some brands are starting to do). This is a system of agricultural practices that rehabilitate the ecosystem and enhance natural resources, such as organic crop rotation and cattle grazing, and composting. “If regenerative organic agriculture were fully implemented around the world, it would have the potential to offset significant amounts of annual greenhouse gas emissions,” says Andrew Smith, PhD, chief operating officer of the nonprofit Rodale Institute. focused on regenerative organic agriculture. farming.
Infusions for hair
The active ingredients in these Davines shampoos come from local farms in Italy, and the packaging is especially lightweight, made from carbon-neutral, recycled plastic.
Photographer: Massimo Gammacurta Props Stylist: Elizabeth Press
While it may not be entirely within your reach to research where the ingredients in your products come from, it’s worth scanning a brand’s website. If they are focused on being clean and green, they will often mention how they source the material used.
Taking a close look at the way your products are packaged is another way to ensure that your beauty regimen isn’t wreaking havoc on the earth. In 2018, nearly eight billion units of plastic packaging for beauty and personal care products were produced in the United States, according to market research firm Euromonitor International. And most of those compacts, tubes, bottles, and wands weren’t recycled. Best thing to do: Use the products you already have. And look for ones that come in glass, aluminum, or cardboard—these materials can be recycled multiple times.
You can also look for symbols—a bunny, a butterfly, and others—on the outer packaging of many clean beauty products. These are seals that brands can use if they meet the qualifications of an organization. Here, a cheat sheet of the most used.
The goal is progress, not perfection.
Most of us don’t have time to google ingredient lists and sustainability options. Even if we did, it’s not foolproof. “For example, sometimes ingredients are not fully listed, as is the case with fragrances, and formulas may contain trace levels of contaminants or ingredients that release other ingredients,” says Holly Moore, who has a master’s degree in public health and is a founder and product developer. from The Ingredientist, a company that advises brands committed to sustainability.
So if you want to clean up your routine, your goal should be to do what you can. That might mean avoiding overpackaged products or writing down what’s in your favorite formulas. You may also consider retailers to examine it. Clean beauty companies like Credo Beauty, The Detox Market, and Beauty Heroes research brands and have a section on their sites outlining what they need from products they deem to be clean. Sephora and Ulta Beauty also feature products that they have designated as clean. (Check out the Clean at Sephora and Conscious Beauty at Ulta Beauty sections of their respective sites.) Shopping in these areas can make it easier to find products that work for you and the environment. You can also shop for the clean beauty products featured throughout this story and below:
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