More and more people pay attention to the ingredients when choosing their cosmetics and care products. The trend is more towards pure and natural ingredients that are good for the skin. The keyword is clean beauty, but what is behind this new fashion term?
Clean beauty: definition
The term “clean beauty” literally means “clean beauty”. What is meant is cosmetics that are manufactured without animal testing and free from controversial discussions and potentially harmful ingredients is. The damage can relate to both the health of the user and the environment. The clean stands for "free of ...". The origin of clean beauty is difficult to find. The fact is, however, that the trend towards clean and natural cosmetics has become more and more established in recent years. Consumers are increasingly concerned with what is actually contained in their care products and how sustainable they are. The term clean beauty makes it easier for consumers to find precisely these clean products and thus make conscious shopping possible.
Which ingredients are not used in clean beauty products?
In general, there is no proper definition or guidelines for clean beauty products. This means that the ingredients or those that are not found in the products can vary. Nevertheless, there are certain ingredients that are in focus:
- Silicone: This is a synthetic ingredient found not only in skin care products, but also in hair care products. It gives the hair a shine, smooths it and plumps it up. The disadvantage is that silicone can weigh down the hair, which is particularly problematic for fine hair. In skin care products, it can lead to clogged pores.
- PEGs: The abbreviation PEG stands for polyethylene glycol. The ingredient improves the consistency in the care products and makes them particularly creamy. The problem is that PEG is made from crude oil, which is anything but environmentally friendly. Petroleum is very difficult to degrade. In terms of health, petroleum is also criticized as it can cause allergies.
- Synthetic fragrances: Most cosmetics contain synthetic fragrances, which can cause irritation in people with sensitive skin.
- Parabens: The parabens make a cosmetic product more durable, so they preserve it. They are viewed critically because they act in the body in a similar way to the female sex hormone estrogen and can thus influence the hormone balance.
- Phthalates: These are plasticizers that can easily get into the organism. Here, too, there is a suspicion that they have an effect on the endocrine system.
- Sulfate: The sulfates cause cosmetic products such as shampoo, shower gel and Co. to foam up. Since these are chemical foaming agents, they are not good for the body and hair. They can be drying and irritating.
- Paraffin: This is a mineral oil product that is neither sustainable nor healthy for the skin.
- formaldehyde: This substance is known to many, at least by name. It is released from glued wood or lacquer, for example. Nail polish also often contains formaldehyde; the vapors are considered to be irritating to the mucous membranes, toxic and potentially carcinogenic.
- Chemical UV filters: Sunscreen is also part of cosmetics, even if it is often forgotten. Sunscreen can also hide less good ingredients, for example chemical UV filters such as oxybenzone. This is suspected of having an effect on the endocrine system. These are also not optimal for the environment, as they are water-soluble and can pollute the oceans.
Note. It has not yet been scientifically clarified how the individual ingredients actually work and what effects they have on the organism. For this reason, these are only guesses.
Are natural cosmetics also clean beauty? What's the difference?
First of all, natural cosmetics are just as little a protected term as clean beauty. However, certified natural cosmetics must follow high EU standards. It must be made exclusively from natural raw materials, which is not a prerequisite for clean beauty. The seal Natrue, Cosmos or BDIH guarantee that they are certified natural cosmetics. Clean beauty can of course also meet the requirements of certified natural cosmetics, the only difference is that it does not have to.
Popular brands from the clean beauty segment
But which brands meet all the criteria for clean beauty? It's not that easy to find out and keep track of things! Is helpful this overview page from Douglas which lists all brands whose products meet the requirements of “clean beauty”. We did a little browsing there and would like to introduce these 4 brands in more detail:
One.Two.Free: No silicones, sulfates, parabens or mineral oils are used in One.Two.Free brand cosmetics. Of course, the products are also vegan and free from animal testing. For the sake of the environment, the company relies on recyclable packaging. The special thing about the products are the bio-fermented ingredients, which can be absorbed particularly well by the skin.
Kora Organics: The founder Miranda Kerr has made it her business to create a certified organic alternative to other cosmetic brands. Kora Organics' products consist exclusively of certified organic ingredients and are not tested on animals.
honest beauty: This is the label of the famous actress Jessica Alba. With the vision of producing sustainable cosmetics, she launched Honest Beauty. All products are not tested on animals and are characterized by a high level of effectiveness, innovative formulations and a pleasant texture - all based on herbal ingredients.
Florence by Mills: The label was founded in 2019 by British actress Millie Bobby Brown. Only natural ingredients are used in Florence by Mills products. In addition, they are vegan and animal testing is avoided. The brand is primarily aimed at the young generation Z.
Clean beauty is much more than just a short-lived cosmetic trend. It is much more a movement, an attitude or a philosophy.