More and more, living a clean lifestyle is becoming a mainstream concern. This could mean eating “clean,” only buying products under the “clean” category, and just overall paying more attention to what goes in and on your body.
As we learn more about what some ingredients can do to or for our bodies, it’s understandable that we’re all looking for the best clean beauty products that actually work.
Unfortunately, that can mean a lot of label-reading, doing your own research, and making changes to the routines you’re already comfortable with.
So, let’s talk about what it means for beauty products to be “clean,” and why it matters. Once you have the facts, we’re sure you’ll decide to go clean, too.
What Does “Going Clean” Mean, Exactly?
This is tricky because different people, companies, and organizations define “clean” slightly differently. There isn’t a regulated definition for “clean” laid out by the FDA or any other unifying organization, so its implications can vary.
When it comes to beauty products, you may have to investigate on a brand-by-brand basis to ensure that the clean products you’re using meet your clean standards. Calling products clean has been a trend lately, similar to calling products “eco-friendly” or “green” when they’re no such thing.
This is called greenwashing, and it’s important to be aware of so you don’t blindly trust brands and products that may not have your best interests, nor the interests of the planet, at heart.
In general, going clean means prioritizing products made from naturally-derived, non-toxic ingredients that you understand and trust. Many beauty products can be made with all kinds of toxins, fillers, and synthetic additives (things like sulfates, fragrances, and phthalates) that often end up doing more harm than good.
What Are the Benefits of Going Clean?
Here are just a few of the benefits you can look forward to when you transition to a cleaner beauty routine.
1. Non-Toxic
One of the core tenets of going clean is that clean products are non-toxic. You may instinctively squint at that — surely, products like mascara, lip balm, and eyeshadow aren’t toxic, right?
And for the most part, you’d be right. It isn’t like your lip gloss, highlighter, or matte lipstick is putting you in immediate danger if it isn’t “clean.”
However…
Take your typical SPF 30 sunscreen, for instance. Until recently, chemical sunscreens were the more popular optionfor most people because it’s easy to manufacture and very affordable. Rather than blocking UV rays like mineral sunscreens such as zinc oxide, chemical sunscreens absorb the UV rays, stopping them from getting to your skin.
But even the FDA admits that there isn’t enough research on chemical sunscreens to prove that they are absolutely harmless to your skin.
It’s the same for many other skincare ingredients — there isn’t any real proof yet either way that such ingredients are inherently dangerous or absolutely safe for use. Many of these popular ingredients have been in circulation for years if not decades, so people often argue that we’d know by now if there was something wrong with them.
However, an absence of proof that something is dangerous isn’t the same as confirming it is safe.
Products you apply to your skin do absorb, to some extent, into the rest of your body. By opting for clean ingredients in your products, you ensure that you aren’t inadvertently putting something into your body that may be linked to adverse effects on your wellbeing.
Clean products use natural, organic, and often vegan ingredients that are guaranteed to be nontoxic.
2. Greater Transparency
If you’re really into skincare, you’ve probably read a few product labels in your day. You may also be aware that skincare products can have really complicated formulas.
And while, to a large extent, this is normal because there’s no reason for you to know every scientific name for every ingredient out there, going clean offers a greater degree of transparency to your routine.
While you can generally figure out what’s in a product based on the label, certain terms serve as an umbrella for various things.
One instance of this is “synthetic fragrance” can cover many different ingredients, not all of which are good for your skin. Companies that strive to provide clean botanicals will be more specific with their ingredients because there’s nothing to hide!
For example, our Ginger Turmeric Cleansing Balm is naturally scented with Ginger Root, Mandarin, and Neroli Oils. You won’t ever see the always-ambiguous “synthetic fragrance” on our ingredient lists.
3. More Sustainable
In terms of fuzzy definitions, “sustainability” and “eco-friendly” are often a minefield because beauty retailers can claim them without much proof. And in general, making sure your beauty products are clean doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll also be environmentally friendly.
When you’re transitioning to cleaner formulations for your beauty products, there are ways you can ensure that your skincare products and makeup aren’t just clean for you — they’re clean for the environment, too.
Look for clean, vegan makeup products, with plant-based products that are ethically sourced. (It’s important to note that vegan doesn’t mean all-natural, so be sure to look at each brand carefully!)
Another benefit of seeking out clean beauty brands is that they’remore likely to prioritize sustainable or recyclable packaging for their skin-care products, too. Especially if your skincare routine has quite a few steps, this can make a huge difference in your carbon footprint.
4. Better for Our Furry Friends
Another wonderful thing about prioritizing clean, natural products is that they’re more likely to be cruelty-free.
Cruelty-free means that your skincare product did not come into contact with an animal at any point, neither in its formulation nor during its testing. Whether you’re an animal lover yourself or you love an animal lover, this is a huge benefit that comes with cleaning up your products.
5. You Don’t Need To Sacrifice Your Skincare Goals
If you’re on the fence about switching to a clean skincare routine, the biggest thing getting in the way is likely wondering whether or not your new, clean skincare regimen will be as effective as your old one.
Especially if your current routine results from many years of trial and error, changing anything can be tough to think about.
You don’t have to sacrifice qualitywhen you switch to the right line of clean skincare.
Whether you target specific skin concerns like fine lines, wrinkles, uneven textures, breakouts, and dark spots, or you’re just trying to improve your complexion overall, there’s a natural, clean skincare option out there to help you meet your goals.
That goes for whether you have sensitive skin, oily skin, or dry skin. There are products with natural ingredients out there to benefit your skin type.
Here at True Botanicals, our formulas are pure, potent, and proven to work. When you explore all of our natural, organic skincare products, you’ll see the key ingredients in each formula right there on the page, along with the reason why we’ve chosen to include it.
We even have clinical trial results to back up our ingredients and our formulas.
- Our Renew Pure Radiance Oil is clinically proven to outperform a leading anti-aging moisturizer.*
- 100% of women saw softer and smoother skin in six weeks with our Renew Chebula Active Immunity Serum.**
- Our Renew Resurrection Radiance Eye Cream is clinically proven to deliver both instant and long-term results to dramatically reduce the appearance of puffiness, dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles.***
*Based on a 54-day clinical study of 20 women aged 30 – 60, twice daily use.
**Based on 6 week single blind comparative clinical study of 30 women aged 35 – 65 with twice daily use.
***In an independent scientific clinical blind study on 31 people over 6 weeks.
What Should You Avoid To Achieve Clean Beauty?
If you’ve been convinced that clean beauty products are the way forward, you may be wondering what you should look for in your new product lineup. Sometimes it can be easier to think of what you want to avoid so that you can quickly and easily scan through a label to see if something meets your standards.
Of course, if finding products that are both cruelty-free and sustainable is important to your journey into clean skincare, you may have to do a little more research on each individual company to get clear answers.
But on the whole, you can make sure you’re not putting anything harmful into your body if you steer clear of the following.
Parabens
Parabens are a family of chemicals that act as a preservative. Parabens have been connected to an increased risk of breast cancer, and parabens have also even been found in breast tumors. However, they’re still acceptable to the FDA, so keep a diligent eye out as you transition into your clean routine because a lot of common retail brands still use them.
Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone is a lightening agentoften employed to address hyperpigmentation, dark circles, and dark spots. Some studies have shown hydroquinone to be connected to cancer in rats. Especially when there are so many great alternatives for brightening your skin tone and evening out your complexion, there’s no reason not to remove Hydroquinone products from your lineup.
A clean alternative? Vitamin C. Plus, we make it easy with our Vitamin C Booster, which contains the potent powder form of Vitamin C paired with stabilizing Ferulic Acid. Just add a shake or two into your Chebula Active Serum in your day routine, night routine, or both!
Polyethylene & Polypropylene
Also known as microbeads, Polyethylene and Polypropylene are used in body washes, exfoliants, and even some bar soap. Microbeads are also popular in face washes and toothpaste.
Microbeads easily make their way into the water systemand the ocean, causing problems for marine life, who often consume these little plastic beads. Microbeads are largely banned now, but it’s worth being mindful that they may still exist in some formulas.
…and a Lot More
Unfortunately, there are many other ingredients in retail beauty products that can pose issues to the environmentand your overall wellness.
Before purchasing that new palette, high pigment eyeshadow, or multitasking lip and eye tint, do a quick scan for these other not-so-ideal ingredients:
- Talc
- Mineral oil
- Formaldehyde
- Petrolatum
- Triclosan
- PEGs
- Sulfates
- Aluminum Salts
What Does a Clean Beauty Routine Look Like?
Finding beauty products that are clean and effective is easier than ever. Our luxurious line of clean, sustainable, and clinically proven-to-work beauty and skincare formulas at the highest level.
Let’s walk through some of our most popular formulas to help you build out your new clean beauty routine!
If you’re looking to build out your skincare routine with clean products, we’ve got a lot for you to choose from.
Start your routine by cleansing.
Our Renew Nourishing Cleanser strikes a delicate balance between being effective at removing dead skin cells, oil, dirt, and other pollutants from your skin without leaving your skin feeling tight and stripped of its moisture.
And rather than coming packed with toxic fragrances and additives, our Nourishing Cleanser has the naturally gorgeous scent of lavender and jasmine. It is also rich in Green Tea and White Tea for an antioxidant boost, Black Willow Bark Extract for gentle exfoliation, and Helichrysum for natural soothing properties.
After all, you don’t have to sacrifice effectiveness or luxury to go clean.
Then, use your toners and/or serums.
If you’re looking for a clean serum, our hydrating Chebula Active Serum is the ideal partner in the fight against five visible signs of aging.
Fortified with extract from the powerful antioxidant-rich fruit Chebula, our Chebula Active Serum is clinically proven to reduce wrinkles by 22% after just six weeks. Not to mention, this serum also contains Elderberry, Ginger, and Echinacea for healthy, glowing skin as well as two types of Hyaluronic Acid for a plump and smooth complexion.
Finish off your clean beauty routine with moisturizing face oil or cream moisturizer.
While you may be used to cream moisturizers or lotion, our Renew Pure Radiance Oiladdresses signs of aging while at the same offering a youthful glow so good your friends won’t believe it came from a bottle.
Although the idea of a moisturizing oil may make you worry about clogged pores and oily residue, Pure Radiance Oil is safe to use for any skin type, even if your skin is oily to begin with.
With Chia Seeds and Kiwi Seed Oil for nourishment, Passion Fruit Oil and Papaya Seed Oil for a youthful-looking glow, and Algae Extract and Astaxanthin for skin protection and hydration, our formula works to help you achieve your best-looking complexion yet.
It absorbs easily into your skin and isn’t formulated with any pore-clogging ingredients. It’s rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and it’s clinically proven to outperform leading anti-aging moisturizers.
And did we mention it’s clean, too?
Of course, if you prefer a cream moisturizer, this is a great place for our Chebula Extreme Cream. Chebula’s extreme antioxidant, hydration, and skin barrier optimization properties help your skin fight five signs of aging, all without pore-clogging waxes so you can use it everyday (even twice a day in both your day and night routines!).
Your body deserves to go green, too!
There’s so much focus on skincare for your face that it’s easy to forget that your skin is your largest organ, and as such, it deserves comprehensive care not just in the face or hands.
Our Pure Radiance Sugar Exfoliating Body Scrubis like nature bathing in a jar! Organic sugar and finely milled sandalwood powder work as a team to offer a glow-inducing scrub thanks to their different sizes and smooth edges. Organic Camellia Oil, Hemp Seed Oil, Jojoba Oil, and Glycerin then work to hydrate and condition your skin, helping to support and nourish your skin barrier.
After getting clean, you can finish your body skincare routine with our Pure Radiance Body Oil. Much like our face oils, Pure Radiance Body Oil is an ultra-nourishing blend of biocompatible oils that will keep your skin hydrated and glowing.
It also provides a blast of antioxidant-rich seed oils and Omega-3 Fatty Acids from sources like Hemp Seed Oil, Green Tea Seed Oil, and Sandalwood Oil. It’s the perfect clean moisturizer, day or night.
In Conclusion
Going clean can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Look to switch out your eye cream, concealer, and your other must-have items first.
Having to swap out some products you’ve relied on for a long time can be scary at first, but it’s worth the change!
Sources:
Green Washing | Environmental Health Perspectives
Concentrations of Parabens in Human Breast Tumours | National Library of Medicine