Clean Beauty: What Does It Really Mean?

What is clean beauty?

The phrase "clean beauty" has become quite the buzzword, especially within the last couple of years. Many new clean beauty brands have been emerging, influencers are doing more clean beauty reviews than ever, and longtime existing brands are racing to hop on the clean beauty trend. Sure, clean beauty sounds great — but what exactly does it mean, and what makes a brand or product qualified to be considered clean?

There are a lot of factors that might contribute to a beauty brand being considered "clean." Clean beauty products are made with both people and the planet in mind. They are formulated with only safe, non-toxic ingredients that won't cause harm to the user or the environment. Clean beauty products are commonly formulated without the use of parabens, phthalates, or synthetic fragrances. Although a product doesn't have to be all natural to be considered clean, they often contain a lot of natural or naturally derived ingredients. Clean beauty products are usually cruelty-free, and ethically sourced and sustainably produced. They often come in biodegradable, recyclable, or packaging.

In short, clean beauty means products that are good for you, and good for the planet.

A lot of brands make claims to be clean and sustainable. However, as consumers, it's our responsibility to do our research and ask — are these really clean beauty brands? We recommend always checking the ingredient list for a product before you decide to purchase. While it's ultimately up to you, most consumers who look for clean beauty products tend to avoid parabens, formaldehydes, phthalates, and other potentially harmful preservatives. We also recommend doing a bit of research on the brand to see what their mission and values are. If they test on animals, use an excessive amount of non-recyclable materials, or formulate their products with lots of preservatives, fillers, and artificial dyes and fragrances, they probably aren't considered clean beauty.

The good news is, at Beautyque, we do the background checking so you don't have to. We only work with brand whose core values align with ours — meaning they are environmentally conscious and only use safe, non-toxic ingredients.