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What Clean Beauty Really Means, According to Experts

What 6 Experts Have to Say About the "Clean" Beauty Trend

It makes sense that, in a time when people are thinking more holistically about their health, an increasing number of "clean" beauty brands are rolling out in the aisles of Sephora, Ulta, and even Whole Foods — right next to the organic, precut, prepeeled bananas in plastic packageing.

But like the aforementioned banana, clean beauty can be a much-debated subject. While many people are enthusiastically embracing the trend that promises safer products, others are critical of it for the term's lack of regulation and, according to some people, fearmongering tactics. Still, there's nothing wrong with being cautious about what you put in and on your body, and many brands are striving to be more transparent with consumers about exactly what's in their products.

Because of the buzz around clean beauty, we reached out to experts to find out exactly how they define the phrase, how brands decide which ingredients are safe or unsafe, and how you can be a more informed consumer.

Image Source: Instagram user CredoBeauty

The Esthetician's Take on Clean Beauty

Renee Rouleau has been in the beauty business for 30 years and thinks clean beauty is here to stay. "I have seen many trends come and stay or come and go throughout these years. Vitamin C and exfoliating acids were trends when they began and are both now a mainstay," she said. "I can confidently say that soon, we won't be attaching the word 'trend' when referring to clean beauty, which is a great thing. All skincare products should be focussed on safety — both for the body and for the skin."

Rouleau defines "clean beauty" as the avoidance of ingredients that studies have declared harmful. "Clean beauty could also mean avoiding synthetic ingredients that are added for the sake of vanity, like an artificial dye or perfume to make it look or smell a certain way," she said.

If anyone knows about product formulation, it's Rouleau. She's been concocting different formulas for her namesake beauty brand for 20 years. "I would consider myself a clean brand, based on my personal definition of offering a line of solution-focussed products based on nine skin types that tap into the best of what nature offers, yet the best of science," she said. Rouleau explained that she doesn't use mineral oil, petrolatum, synthetic fragrances, synthetic perfumes, or sulfates based on her own research.

She also relies on her team of chemists to help her determine whether an ingredient is safe. "They are experts on ingredients and their related studies, and if new studies become available on either cosmetic ingredients' safety or performance that we're considering using and/or currently use, they promptly inform us," Rouleau said. "Furthermore, I study ingredients closely and make this part of my continuing education and take cosmetic chemistry courses at UCLA to stay up-to-date on the latest advancements and findings."

Image Source: Instagram user CredoBeauty

The Cosmetic Chemist's Take on Clean Beauty

Cosmetic chemist Stephen Alain Ko has his concerns about the term. "Unfortunately, many lists that determine whether an ingredient is considered 'clean' or not are based on incomplete data," Ko said. "There is also little consistency among labels, so some ingredients considered 'clean' by one retailer are not considered 'clean' by another, which can lead to confusion for consumers."

He also dislikes what the trend has done for preservatives, which are essential to keeping your products from going bad. Because so many preservatives have been deemed "unsafe" by the clean movement (for example, parabens, formaldehyde releasers, and triclosan), there are fewer options for formulators to work with. "New alternatives aren't being developed as quickly," Ko said. "Many times, the newer, 'cleaner' preservatives have less safety data than the ones they are meant to replace."

The other downside to using fewer preservatives: "This has led to an increase in bacterial and fungal contamination in some commercial 'clean beauty' products," Ko said.

Image Source: Instagram user CredoBeauty

The Not "Clean" Beauty Brand Owner's Take on Clean Beauty

Paula's Choice founder Paula Begoun is a sceptic of the trend. "Clean beauty conveys a sense of safety, but in reality, it has very little meaning because everyone, from individual brands to different stores, define it any way they want with differing rationale," she said.

Instead, Begoun thinks people should worry about what works with their skin type. "I think we should all be concerned about what works and doesn't work for skin and what potential problems to avoid, but fearmongering and the notion that certain ingredients are killing us or are killing our environment is out of proportion to the reality," she said.

Begoun also feels that parabens have been given a bad rap as well as some sunscreen ingredients. "Parabens and mineral oil have been on the bad lists forever despite both being safe for skin," Begoun said. "The research you've seen about parabens showing up in the body excludes the fact that they are also found naturally in food." In fact, Begoun feels that parabens are a great ingredient. "What happened to parabens is sad because they are the most effective, least irritating preservatives in the industry," she said.

The same thing, she believes, is happening with sunscreen. "People are being told to be afraid of sunscreens as opposed to being afraid of the sun, and certain approved sunscreen actives are being demonized depending on where you live," she said. "This hyperfocusing is odd because there is negative research on almost every sunscreen ingredient, including the mineral ones (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide). The most important fact that gets overlooked is that one of the strongest carcinogens on the planet is the sun, and it is killing our skin and endangering our health."

Image Source: Instagram user CredoBeauty

The Clean Beauty Retailer Director's Take on Clean Beauty

Credo is a retailer that specialises in carrying clean products and has its own specific criteria for what brands it chooses to sell. For instance, brands have to show proof of claims that their ingredients are in fact "organic" or "natural." Credo even has a "dirty list" that includes all the ingredients it won't sell, as well as explanations on why it's chosen to do so.

The brand's director of mission, Mia Davis, explained what "clean" means to the retailer: "For Credo, clean beauty is about ingredient safety, sourcing, sustainability, and transparency. The ingredients on our Dirty List are there because there is an issue in one or more of these areas," she said.

Transparency is integral to the retailer, which has started to require brands to reveal more in their ingredients list. While many components have previously been able to hide behind the label "fragrance," Credo is no longer allowing this loophole. "Consumers are usually kept in the dark," Davis said. "We're working with our brand partners to categorize all fragrances — essential oils, natural, or synthetic blends — and we're incentivizing brands to fully disclose fragrance ingredients, which is rare in beauty."

Image Source: Instagram user CredoBeauty

The Dermatologist's Take on Clean Beauty

Dermatologist Deborah Jaliman, MD, interprets the trend to mean natural and organic. "Anything that helps keep us healthy, whether it be via consuming foods or applying products, is a winner in my book," Dr. Jaliman said. "Natural doesn't always mean it's 100 percent clean, though, and not all products labeled natural are safe."

While Jaliman understands that natural products are great, it's not always practical to exclusively use them. "It's not always cost efficient," she said. "I say do your best and always read labels and try to know what ingredients are in your products."

She's also another expert who feels preservatives have been given an unfair reputation. "The truth is that if products don't have some sort of preservative, they will not last too long without losing their efficacy," Jaliman said. "That doesn't mean all products must have a preservative, but if you want it to have a longer shelf life, then a preservative is likely necessary."

However, there are ingredients she advises you stay away from. "Sodium lauryl sulfate can be found in some foundations and has shown to cause or contribute to skin irritation and disruptions of skin's natural oil balance," she said.

She's also not a fan of fragrance, like many of our other experts. "[You should avoid] certain fragrances in cosmetics if your skin is sensitive and gets easily irritated," she said. "I'd rather have a product with no scent or a bland-smelling product on my face than one that smells like candy and has synthetic fragrances added."

As for the highly contested essential oils, Jaliman had a few things to say. "Some essential oils are added to products for fragrance, but this is completely safe," she said. "[However,] some people can have reactions to these natural oils."

Image Source: Instagram user CredoBeauty

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