As clean beauty has been very popular these days, there has been a true shift in the beauty industry with new clean lines popping up on store shelves every other day. But do we really understand what these labels and industry terminology stand for?

What does clean beauty truly stand for?

The first fact to take into consideration when looking into clean beauty is that as of today there is no true and global definition of “clean beauty”. As there is no set list of ingredients that are banned, it means the term “clean” will vary from one brand to another depending on the values they want to stand for. 

Clean beauty brands usually stand for one or more of the following factors:

- To offer products without any harmful ingredients for our health

- To avoid production practices and producing ingredients that can be harmful to the environment 

- For the protection of animals 

How to choose your clean beauty brand?

Here are my three tips to choose your clean beauty brand if you are new to this movement.

- Check where the brand is sold in the world. If it is sold in the EU then it means it has passed a very strict regulation as the EU has banned over 1300 ingredients in cosmetics whereas in the US only 11 of them have been banned. 

- Nowadays you have apps that can provide a rating of your product just by scanning the bar code. My favorite to use in France is INCI Beauty.

- Last but not least keep an eye out for certifications as it can guide you in the right direction.

What are the certifications to look out for? 

The main certifications that you will see on products are NATURAL, ORGANIC, VEGAN and CRUELTY FREE, you might believe they go hand in hand but unfortunately they don’t and they each point out to something very specific.

NATURAL: A product sold as natural means the ingredients are sourced from plants, animal by-products, or minerals.

In France, brands can only list their product as natural if the percentage of natural ingredients is equal to or above 95%. However as in most countries, natural products are not regulated this means some brands can use it as a marketing strategy, mixing a handful of natural ingredients with synthetic ones.

If your aim is to stay 100% away from synthetic ingredients then we recommend you check the ingredient list and the following certifications: COSMOS Natural, COSMÉBIO.

ORGANIC: A product sold as organic refers to the way the ingredients were farmed which means that they must be grown and prepared without pesticides, chemical fertilizers or antibiotics.

Unlike natural-based products, organic-based products are highly regulated around the world. Here are the certifications to look for: ECOCERT, COSMOS ORGANIC, SOIL ASSOCIATION, USDA ORGANIC. 

VEGAN: There is no animal-derived ingredient in the product.

CRUELTY-FREE: The product was not tested on animals. The certification to look our for is LEAPING BUNNY. 

We hope this guide has helped you understand a little bit more about this booming industry. Of course, as of today clean beauty is not perfect but it is a step in the right direction and we believe it is here to stay and it will be the new standard for cosmetics in the near future.

Next up to read: Our Favorite Ocean Friendly SPFs