Think you understand clean beauty? It’s more complicated than you think!
So you’ve heard of terms like clean beauty, green beauty, non-toxic, etc., and you want to know more. That’s great!
Maybe you’ve even caught a whiff of how dangerous some of your beauty and personal care products really are and you want to switch to better options. But what does clean beauty really mean?
The answer is a big complicated, unfortunately. This post will serve as a surface-level guide to clean beauty and how you can start your own lifestyle of nontoxic beauty!
No matter where you’re at, I’m happy you’re here. Let’s start at the very beginning.
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What Does Clean Beauty Mean?
Get this, there is no “official definition” of clean beauty! But here’s the best one I can come up with: Clean beauty is defined as beauty and personal care products that do not contain ingredients suspected to harm human health.
That’s why it’s called “clean” beauty, meaning the product is clean of all toxic ingredients and contaminants. This can sometimes mean the simpler the ingredient list, the better.
But that’s not always the case! You’re going to learn pretty quickly that the term “clean beauty” is pretty subjective.
And that’s a good thing! Just like the lifestyle you live, your version of clean beauty can be exactly what you want it to be.
I like to think of clean beauty as a spectrum instead of a hard and fast rule. It’s simply not possible to completely avoid all toxins in your everyday life. And you can choose wherever you want to land on that spectrum!
I tend to be more on the strict end because that’s what’s important to me and my family (not to mention it’s literally my job). But if you want to only switch out a few products or avoid certain ingredients like parabens, you do you!
You’re still doing your long-term health a huge favor just by avoiding a couple of ingredients.
What Will Happen to My Body?
There are so many advantages to committing to the clean beauty transition! For starters, you’ll be exposing yourself to the minimal amount of toxic chemicals on an everyday basis.
Your body will thank you for that! I’ve had a clean beauty routine since 2012, and I’ve never felt better!
Not only will your body feel better, but your mind will heal as well. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve seen of people overcoming anxiety or depression* just by cleaning out their personal care routine!
*A disclaimer about that: I’m not claiming to have the cure for anxiety or depression. I’m not a professional in any way! Usually a mixture of clean beauty products with a healthy diet and mindfulness/therapy does wonders for mental health.
However, this also leaves plenty of room for people to get fooled. There are absolutely no regulations on buzzwords like “natural,” “clean” and so on in your products! That’s where things can get tricky.
What Dangerous Ingredients are In My Current Beauty Products?
Unfortunately for us as consumers, most big-name companies don’t have our best interest at heart. What they truly care about is how their products perform according to what the label says in the fastest and cheapest way possible.
And it has to be better than the competition!
This means that companies can and will do absolutely anything to get you to buy their products. And if they have to use questionable ingredients to get desired results and save as much money as possible, then you bet they’ll do that until it becomes illegal to do so!
But what about the FDA?
It’s true that the FDA researches and tests ingredients used in the cosmetics industry, but that’s the extent of their power. They cannot order a company to stop using a certain ingredient, and a company is not required to have a product evaluated by them either!
The FDA’s power is really a set of loose recommendations, and not regulations at all. The only way a company will change their ingredients is if they get enough lawsuits and public outcry from customers.
It does happen, but I’d rather not be a victim.
Ingredients that are considered to be toxic can contribute to or cause ailments such as infertility, skin rashes,developmental disorders, birth defects, and cancer.
Until any kind of regulations are introduced, companies are free to use them at will. While there are thousands of questionable things in beauty products, I’ve got some of the most popular ones down below.
Toxic Ingredients to Avoid in Clean Beauty Products
What exactly are these harmful ingredients companies throw into their beauty and personal care products? A quick Google search will overwhelm you with all the results in a matter of seconds, so here’s a quick rundown of the basic ingredients you should avoid:
- Parabens—Known endocrine disruptors, parabens have a very similar chemical makeup to estrogen when absorbed into the body. Which means your lotions and shampoos are throwing your hormones out of whack. And we don’t want that!
- Fragrance (parfum)—A sneaky loophole companies use so they don’t have to disclose the secret formula behind why their product smells so good. “Fragrance” can consist of hundreds of toxic chemicals you’ll never see on the label that I’m sure you wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole.
- Phthalates—A substance found in plastics and products like shampoos and lotions. They’re suspected to cause harm to the reproductive system, along with birth defects and neurotoxicity.
- Mineral Oil—A colorless and odorless oil that’s a byproduct of petroleum and is often contaminated with carcinogens. This stuff is also used in car engines! It doesn’t do anything healthy for your skin except help create a moisture barrier. But there are better options for that problem.
- Sulfates—Sodium laurel sulfate is the full name for this popular ingredient. Sulfates are foaming agents used in shampoos that are (you guessed it!) also used on car engines. It does not clean your hair in a gentle manner. What’s more, sulfates have been linked to scalp irritation and hormonal imbalance.
- Triclosan—An overly powerful antibacterial soap that was banned in healthcare settings because it was too strong. They’re still allowed in cleaning and cosmetic products. DO NOT buy a cleaning product with this ingredient! Using a powerful antibacterial agent for cleaning has been proven to create new, resistant strains of bacteria that can prove catastrophic *cough cough* Coronavirus.
While there’s no official clean beauty industry (yet), it’s certainly taking shape! The clean beauty movement has been inspiring companies to jump on the bandwagon, but only to a certain degree.
The Plot Thickens with Greenwashing
Oh, greenwashing, how I loathe thee. This is where switching to clean makeup and other personal care products can get a bit tricky.
I wrote an entire blog post on this topic I think you’ll find helpful. The definition of greenwashing is a product claiming that it is completely natural when, in fact, it is not.
Companies are catching on to the fact that we know about their toxic ingredients, so they’re hoping to catch onto the trend by slapping a few buzzwords into their labels, like “natural.”
Buzzwords are meant to spark a certain emotion to make you more inclined to buy the product. In this case, greenwashing can be a series of buzzwords that make you think a product contains safe ingredients. The label on the back, on the other hand, is a completely different story.
These are not clean beauty products! A classic example of greenwashing is a label claiming to have essential oils, when in reality a synthetic version of that essential oil is the last thing on the ingredient list.
It’s only a miniscule amount that won’t actually do anything. The clean beauty industry can’t always be trusted!
Here is a list of other greenwashing “buzzwords” that have little to no regulations on them:
- Green
- Organic
- Eco-Friendly
- Non-Toxic
- Clean
- “insert word here” -free
- The list goes on…
This gives companies free reign to go crazy with the advertising without getting into trouble. In other words, unless the company is outright lying, they can say whatever they want on the label.
Companies have been reprimanded for false advertising in the past, but it’s not always guaranteed. Just about any word you can think of that will make you see the product in a more “clean” light can be used without fault.
How to Transition to All-Natural Products the Right Way
Now that you understand greenwashing and the dangers of the cosmetics industry, let’s get into the fun stuff! I’m going to touch on some first steps you should take when it comes to a smooth clean beauty transition. It will take time and patience, but the payoff is absolutely priceless.
Learn to Read Ingredient Lists
This is a skill that you’ll develop over time. But once you get to practicing, you’ll be a clean beauty expert in no time!
Start with familiarizing yourself with the toxic ingredients I mentioned above. There are plenty more ingredients out there that can mess with your body, but it’s a good start, nonetheless.
The last thing I want you to do is throw yourself into research so hard that you burn yourself out. I almost did that on several occasions. Luckily, I’m here to shorten your learning curve with your clean beauty transition!
That’s why I wrote my clean beauty ebook! Essential Moves to Clean Beauty will teach you everything you need to know on how to make informed decisions for yourself and your family.
There are plenty of resources that can teach you to read ingredient lists. Here are a few posts on the topic to get you started:
Find a Few Brands You Can Trust
You can totally DIY all of your beauty and personal care products if you want to, but I like to give myself some leeway because some of them are too hard to make when there are very accessible options out there.
It all really just depends on you and how far you’re willing to go. While there are plenty of clean beauty brands, most of them are hit-or-miss in terms of ingredient lists.
However, there are a few brands that give you complete peace of mind when you shop. I’ve got some of my favorite brands for you to check out below.
My Favorite Clean Beauty Brands I Trust:
These are just a few of hundreds of brands I know you can trust with your health! Check out the Product Reviews tab of my site to see even more brands that I recommend.
Start Your Clean Beauty Transition Gradually!
Now that you’re knowledgeable with a few product recommendations, it’s time to start your clean beauty journey! Just keep in mind that this is a journey, and not a destination.
Make sure to go slow and replace your products slowly over time. Please, do not throw out all of your beauty products at once!
It’s wasteful, for one thing. Not to mention expensive.
Pace yourself with your clean beauty transition and replace all of your products as they run out. I know that makeup can take a while to run out, so if that eye shadow palette of yours is a little on the old side, you’re okay to throw it out.
If you run out of a product and have no idea where to start looking for a clean alternative, there are a few clean beauty marketplaces that only accept truly safe products. They are:
- The Detox Market—You can check out my Detox Market Review to learn more.
- The Choosy Chick—Great for families and new moms! I’ve got a Choosy Chick review as well.
- Credo Beauty—The largest selection of clean beauty products! See what makes Credo different.
You can find everything from makeup to skin care to personal care products that have undergone some of the most rigorous testing in the industry! If you need inspiration for a new beauty product, I can guarantee you’ll find it at either of these places.
What Does Clean Beauty Mean to Me?
What do I think of clean beauty now that I’ve used it for several years? I’ve never felt better!
I was able to grow my hair out super long before deciding long hair was annoying and chopped it off, I have more confidence, and my skin has never been so clear!
But I didn’t get this way over night. Heck no!
You’ve got to go at your own pace. Sometimes you might even stop for a little bit and give yourself time to breathe. And that’s okay!
After I switched all of my hair products, I didn’t start to switch over everything else until over a year later!
The last thing you want to do is over commit and get overwhelmed. That’s why I’m here for you.
If you ever have any questions about products, ingredients, or anything else. I’m just an email away for you to join the clean beauty movement!
Before You Go!
If you’re ready to (safely!!) dive head-first into clean beauty, I’ve got just the thing for you!
My ebook, Essential Moves to Clean Beauty, is the exact resource I wish I had when I first started my journey.
You’ll learn everything from ingredients to avoid, how to avoid greenwashing and so much more that you can’t find on my website! Click the button below to learn more.