We’ve All Heard of Clean Beauty—But What Does It Actually Mean?
Clean beauty—a term that entered the forefront of the beauty world not too long ago—is here to stay.
If you use any skincare or beauty products (which, duh, of course you do), you need to be aware of clean beauty and what it entails. Do you pay attention to the ingredients in the products you apply to your skin? Some of them are buried amid a lengthy list of ingredients and quite dangerous, so it's extremely vital to do your research prior to using a product.
Now back to the question at hand—what actually is clean beauty? Read on for all the answers you'll need, with some input from Kerry E. Yates, beauty expert at the Colour Collective.
What Is Clean Beauty?
Clean beauty is exactly as it sounds—products made with clean, harmless ingredients and formulas, that are proven to be safe. Certain ingredients are harmful to our skin and can lead to breakouts, rashes, hives, cancers and more. So, why haven't all beauty brands adopted this practice? The honest truth? Money. It's cheaper to use other components, and since companies are in business to make money, safety isn't their main concern. Here's what Kerry had to say about clean beauty:
"Our skin is our largest organ, and absorbs ingredients applied topically. Since we have an understanding of the harmful effects of certain ingredients, we should do everything in our power to eliminate them from our formulas. After all, would you ever knowingly apply a poisonous material to your skin? "
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What are the Benefits of Clean Beauty?
By sticking with companies and products that follow the rules of clean beauty, you're protecting your skin from harmful ingredients. We're only given one face, so why risk messing it up with a sub-par product? It's better to spend a bit more money now on good products, than a lot of money down the road to fix all the issues that popped up because of bad ingredients. Kerry thinks very highly of clean beauty:
"You know the saying, you are what you eat. Well, the same analogy can be made for topical treatments applied to the skin—you are what you wear. Clean beauty limits the level of exposure to bad ingredients in an effort to give us safer beauty products. We have enough challenges in our lives without having to worry about our beauty products."
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Additionally, if you suffer from an auto-immune disease, you should especially consider switching solely to clean beauty products. This will save you loads of time and money in the future.
How Do You Know If a Product Is Clean?
If a brand serves clean beauty products, they'll want you to know. It might be on their packaging or the forefront of their website, but wherever it is, it should be relatively easy to find. Your best bet is to look up a specific product on the EWG website, which will give you a rating pertaining to its health.
Feel like becoming a beauty expert? Click HERE for an in-depth look at makeup baking (and how to achieve it).