In the beauty industry, “clean” has been quite the buzzword as of late. It seems like every article, commercial, or Instagram advertisement is showcasing some new clean beauty product or another.
But what is “clean beauty,” and how on Earth do you achieve it?
Today, we’re going to make that answer a bit clearer for you. Keep reading for 10 tips on how to make your beauty routine cleaner, and stay tuned for upcoming content with our favorite clean beauty products.
First things first…
Let’s go ahead and define clean beauty. I love this definition from Goop, which is simple yet summative.
Clean beauty is a beauty product made without ingredients shown or suspected to harm human health.
So what does that really mean? Well that is open to interpretation. But in it’s simplest form: getting rid of products with harmful chemicals and toxins and exchanging them for products with purer ingredients.
So how exactly do we do that? Here are our top eight tips for getting started.
Start with your largest surface areas.
Getting started can seem overwhelming, so we like this common-sense approach: start with products that cover most of your body. For most, that would probably be body lotion.
Next, think about the products that stay on the longest.
If a product is intended to stay on your skin all day (like a moisturizer) and/or it’s covering a large surface area (like body lotion), then you should try to switch to a cleaner alternative. (Harper’s Bazaar)
That’s right, face moisturizer is probably up next.
Read labels.
This one seems pretty intuitive, right? But I was shocked to learn that the US allows many harmful ingredients in cosmetics that other countries regulate.
While the EU bans more than 1,300 ingredients from cosmetics, beauty is one of the least regulated industries in the US, banning around 30. (Vogue)
Have questions about a certain ingredient? Use tools like Beautypedia for help discerning based on expert feedback.
Avoid the “suspicious six”.
So I’ll admit–this list can be pretty long. But I love the way the skincare brand Drunk Elephant defines it: with a group called “the suspicious six.”
- Essential oils
- Drying alcohols
- Silicones
- Chemical screens
- Fragrance/dyes
- SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate–which gives products foamy, bubbly consistency)
This list is not comprehensive, and isn’t necessarily the golden standard either. We encourage you to do your own research about what you want to avoid.
Don’t buy “derived from”
“Avoid products with ‘derived from’ on the label. This indicates that something was done to your natural ingredient in order to turn it into something that is no longer natural.” (Vogue)
Know the Difference: Vegan vs Cruelty Free
Harper’s Bazzar breaks this down the best:
Vegan means the product doesn’t contain any animal by-products or ingredients sourced from animals.
Cruelty-free means the product has not been tested on animals anywhere along the manufacturing line or before being sold.
A beauty product can be cruelty-free but not vegan, and vice versa.
Also of note: “vegan” or “cruelty free” does NOT necessarily equal clean beauty.
It pays to be “Earthy”
Did you come from a “rub some dirt on it” house like me? If so, this tip makes a lot of sense.
Earth’s natural ingredients have been used for centuries for beauty purposes. For example, coconut oil works wonders to remove makeup, kaolin clay digs deep to draw out blackheads and dirt from pores. (Best Health Magazine)
The same is true for olive oil, avocado oil, and plenty of others in terms of haircare in skincare — utilize the products you already have at your fingertips…or maybe in your kitchen cabinets.
Come back next week for some of our favorite clean beauty products! Until then–what’s one small step you’re taking to clean up your beauty routine?
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