In our twenty-first-century lifestyles, the revolution to “go green” has impacted nearly every household in America. Besides bettering the environment, consumers have become more conscious about the products being used on their skin, specifically makeup and skincare. Over the last five years, the beauty industry has engaged in a movement to create “clean” products– with some companies like Drunk Elephant and Farmacy even basing their whole brand off the idea. Having no real definition of what clean beauty is, how do we differentiate one brand’s claim from another, and how do we know what we’re buying is really clean?
According to the Food and Drug Administration, there are no laws telling cosmetics companies that their products have to first be approved before hitting the shelves. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 was the last time the government instituted any regulations on cosmetics, which mostly addressed the misbranding and labeling of beauty products. Because new products do not have to be approved by the FDA, brands have been able to use unapproved ingredients. For years ingredients such as parabens, sulfates, fragrances and mineral oils have been commonly found in beauty products without any idea of their effects on the body.
In recent years consumers have caught on to the sneaky tactics used by brands and began demanding products with more naturally sourced ingredients.
Brands have responded by starting campaigns that market the elimination of these risky ingredients; Drunk Elephant and Farmacy are two brands that were founded on the idea of using natural ingredients to create safer and cleaner formulas. This movement has become a marketing strategy and it seems that every makeup and skincare brand and is claiming its products are “clean” or “natural.”
So how do consumers know that what they’re buying is actually clean?
In 2018, beauty retail giant, Sephora introduced the “Clean Seal” which is a collection of different products and brands that the company examined and deemed clean. Products that qualify for the “Clean Seal” don’t contain ingredients like parabens, sulfates, coal tar, mineral oils and formaldehyde–just to name a few.
The webpage has broken it down into sections for clean skincare, makeup, hair care and fragrance. It also shows categories of concern including dryness, pores, dullness and fine lines and wrinkles. This has allowed consumers to have a go-to guide when looking for clean beauty products without having to do all the examination work themselves.
If you’re in the market for clean beauty products, here are some of Sephora’s top-rated picks:
-
Youth To The People- Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream with Ashwagandha and Reishi – $58.00
-
Kosas- Color and Light: Pressed Powder Blush and Highlighter Duo– $34.00
—
Edited by Kenzie Dye