One of the biggest questions that surround the beauty industry and all-natural, organic, or clean beauty is: what is clean beauty? The idea of clean beauty has evolved over the years, and in 2021 and beyond, we expect to see a great deal from the clean beauty sector of the cosmetics industry.
At its most basic, clean beauty involves personal care products that put more emphasis than normal on ingredient transparency. Unfortunately, the norm isn’t as great as it should be, which is why brands like ours are looking to make rapid change and expand the movement of clean beauty.
So, What Is The Clean Beauty Movement?
VoCe is lucky to be part of such a transformative time for the cosmetic and beauty industry. The push for clean beauty is inching its way further and further into the sector, from skincare products and eyeshadow to mascara and hair care. But, for a product to be a clean beauty item, it must meet these two major criteria:
- Nontoxic ingredient list
- Transparent labels
Nontoxic Ingredients
At the very center of clean beauty is the ideology that you can use the product without risking your own health. The ingredients label must contain only safe, non-toxic ingredients.
Ingredients like formaldehyde, which is a carcinogen often found in nail polish and certain hair care preservatives, and phthalates, which are hormone disruptors often found in hairsprays, are considered toxic and cannot be included in clean beauty products.
You should also watch out for triclosan, an antimicrobial ingredient often included in toothpaste and shaving cream, as well as a way to reduce bacterial contamination in hair care products, and mineral oil, a common additive in lip balm and SPFs. Alcohol, PEGs, and Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates are also ingredients that you want to avoid in your hair care products.
Other ingredients, like talc, are somewhat controversial, as when they're included on their own in products like bronzer and highlighter, they're not inherently harmful. However, they are often mixed with more harmful ingredients that make them unsafe.
Many organizations will determine the safety of an ingredient by analyzing it on a numerical or alphabetical scale—depending on its safety and toxicity, it is awarded a number or letter on that scale and then put into the right category—clean/nontoxic or not clean/toxic.
Transparent Labels
When a brand makes a conscious effort to list all of their ingredients and to label their products accordingly, they are well on their way to clean beauty. However, in the beauty industry, many brands are not transparent.
For example, listing an ingredient as “fragrance” implies a lack of transparency, as “fragrance” is not an ingredient. However, since the beauty industry is highly unregulated in the United States, and the FDA doesn't control the label of "clean," companies can easily hide the toxic ingredients in their formulations under umbrella terms like fragrance.
Furthermore, retailers hide behind buzzwords by labeling them as “eco” or “natural,” or including words like "antioxidant," without actually having the ingredients to back up these claims. They do this to capture the consumer’s attention and play into greenwashing, which is a hard hit for brands like VoCe who are consciously trying to provide clean beauty products.
That said, there is a safe way to use fragrance in beauty and haircare products. VoCe follows European regulations for fragrances, which are much more comprehensive than those in the U.S. This means that you can still use deliciously scented products without the added worry of unhealthy ingredients.
Clean Beauty Is Simple
The criteria for clean beauty is straightforward: the clean beauty movement is simple because it looks to simplify the ingredients that go into the products you use every day.
Clean beauty is not perfect, but the importance is that it is non-toxic. This may mean that your product is not all-natural or preservative-free, but it does mean that those ingredients that may be man-made are not going to be harmful to use on your hair or body if you include them in your hair or skincare routine.
Clean Beauty Is Awareness
At VoCe, we started our brand with the mission to provide clean products with results in mind. We were focused on providing carefully chosen, healthy products without animal by-products that you can rely on to maintain a hair care routine that was solidly based on clean beauty.
Through our products, we are able to educate consumers on how to eliminate toxins from their daily products and still come away with epic results. Because the beauty industry lacks regulation, it is up to brands like VoCe to make people aware that there are common toxins in our skincare, beauty, body, and hygiene products that do not need to be there.
What Is Greenwashing?
To understand the world of clean beauty, you need to be aware of the term “greenwashing” and how it works against what the Clean Beauty Movement is working for. Remember those simple criteria for being clean beauty? Greenwashing affects criteria #2: transparent labels.
When you are strolling through stores or browsing online for your next beauty purchase—whether that be skincare or haircare—greenwashing is going to come at you full force. Brands labeling their products with phrasing such as “all-natural ingredients” make your choice quicker and deter consumers from actually reading the ingredients labels. The label says “all-natural,” so why bother, right?
Greenwashing occurs because companies use advertising and marketing techniques to convey false messages to make consumers feel as though the products are good for you and the environment.
So next time a product jumps out to you with one of the following claims, be cautious and vigilant in investigating the full ingredients list:
- Organic
- All-Natural
- No harmful chemicals
- Hypoallergenic
- Cruelty-free
Why Is Clean Beauty Important?
Clean beauty is setting the standard for safe beauty products and educating and empowering consumers everywhere. We have to face the facts—the United States has been severely lax in regulating toxins out of our products. In fact, the U.S. has only banned 11 ingredients from use, while there are thousands banned in the EU. But as consumers, you can make a difference by swapping your toxic-ridden products for safer, cleaner options.
Where To Start With Clean Beauty
Switching to non-toxic beauty can be overwhelming and even discouraging. It can take years to learn about the ingredients, and you may find yourself doing a full overhaul of your skincare and hair care products. But you have to start somewhere, right?
Try swapping some of these most commonly used products first and work your way up towards other ones.
- Hair Care
- Deodorant
- Cleansers
- Moisturizers or Lotions
- Sunscreen
You might also consider speaking to a dermatologist about what's right for the long-term health of your skin and hair.
Is It Time To Swap Out Your Hair Care Items?
At VoCe, we can help you make the switch to a healthier lifestyle by ditching your old hair care items for clean beauty products from VoCe. With our paraben-free, sulfate-free, vegan-friendly products, your hair will thank you for making the switch.
We formulate our products so that no matter what hair type you have, you will find something for shampooing, moisturizing, styling, and so much more.
How Do I Know I Made The Right Choice Swapping To Clean Beauty Products?
Do you care about your overall health and wellness? Do you understand the benefits of natural, green ingredients on your body as a whole? If you answered “yes” to both of these questions, you are making the right choice.
While swapping your beauty products can seem daunting at first, being healthy and happy should be at the core of your decisions. Clean beauty fits this mindset because it ties together all the concepts of your wellbeing.
While clean beauty is not perfect yet, one thing is clear: it’s driven by a need to do what’s best for consumers by creating effective, nourishing formulas with plant-based, natural ingredients at their center.
In Conclusion
At VoCE, when we showcase our Miracle Leave In Conditioner or showcase our Purple Wash we are putting our hard work on display. We are proudly saying we believe in the beauty and necessity of products made with globally harvested ingredients and certified organic extracts.
Your beauty products should be simple and clean; your results should make you feel good inside and out.
Sources:
https://thegoodfaceproject.com/articles/what-is-clean-beauty
https://kripalu.org/resources/clean-beauty-101-why-it-s-important-and-how-get-started
https://cleanbeautyinsiders.com/2-big-reasons-clean-beauty-important/
