You may have noticed that many companies have taken to putting labels like “natural,” “GMO free,” “cruelty free” and many others on their products. One label growing in popularity is “clean.” This label can be found on beauty products. You may have wondered what this actually means and what standards a product needs to meet in order to be considered a “clean” product. While “clean” beauty products can contain man-made ingredients, “clean” foods usually don’t. It can get confusing to figure out what does and what does not fall under the label.
“Clean” products are products that contain safe ingredients. These ingredients can be both natural and man-made. What matters most is whether or not these materials could be considered toxic or harmful. These products do not contain parabens, sulfates, silicones, phthalates and synthetic fragrances. Although “clean” beauty products could still contain synethic ingredients, most companies who make these products opt for simple or natural ingredients.
When it comes to food, the definition of “clean” is a little different. The general rule when it comes to clean foods is that they typically do not contain ingredients that are unfamiliar or hard to pronounce. Many of these ingredients are simple ingredients you would recognize or natural ingredients that are not synthetic. Even within the food industry, there is some debate as to which ingredients and how much can be considered safe. The “clean” label helps consumers avoid these ingredients.
With the variety of labels on products and how similar they seem, you may find yourself confused about what to buy. Instead of looking at the label, try looking at the ingredients. The more ingredients you can recognize, the better option it may be for you.