CLEAN BEAUTY: NATURALLY HEALTHY SKIN
“Clean Beauty” advocates healthier beauty products, without ingredients that are toxic to health or the environment.
WHERE DOES THIS “CLEAN BEAUTY” TREND COME FROM?
ORIGIN OF THE CONCEPT
Clean Beauty has its origins in the United States, where cosmetic regulations prohibit 30 ingredients in the composition of products, compared to more than 1,300 in Europe.
When the information was relayed by major influencers, such as Gwyneth Paltrow, American women began to look closely at the composition of their creams. This phenomenon quickly spread to Europe and around the world.
"CLEAN BEAUTY" IN FRANCE
In France, the revelation in the UFC magazine " Que choisir " in March 2015 denouncing 13 toxic or dangerous products present in our cosmetic products acted as a detonator.
It is a shock for the French who realize that they can no longer trust their favorite brands. An awakening of consciences is underway for the beauty industry.
While sales in the cosmetics sector have stagnated in recent years, natural and organic cosmetics experienced 22.7% growth in France in 2017.
This craze for health-friendly beauty products has not escaped the attention of distributors, who now devote entire corners to them. New concepts of healthier cosmetics appear every day and major brands are starting to offer cleaner compositions.
But what substances should I avoid? How can I be sure that my product only wants good for me and matches my values?
“CLEAN COSMETICS”, WHAT IS IT?
DEFINITION
In theory, a product is "clean" when it is free of any ingredient suspected of being dangerous to health or the planet. Its composition is safe for the body and skin.
HARMFUL INGREDIENTS
Among the harmful ingredients, we find in particular: ingredients suspected of being carcinogenic (BHA, PEG, Diethanolamine, certain dyes, etc.), endocrine disruptors (phenoxyethanol, parabens, phthalates, triclosan).
Then there are ingredients that are harmful to the environment and animals, such as palm oil, silicones and other mineral oils. These substances are comedogenic, irritating to the skin, but also very polluting, because they are non-biodegradable and therefore have a strong ecological impact.
And yet they are present in many products!
ARE THERE ANY CERTIFICATIONS?
The problem is that there is currently no universal "clean" label, nor independent organizations that attest to the healthiness of a product. Some brands that have created "clean" labels to help their consumers find their way around still authorize phenoxyethanol, among other things.
Some brands, among the most recognized, continue to launch products containing this ingredient. Certainly at the % authorized by European regulations, but neglecting the cocktail effect to which their consumers are exposed.
ON WHICH SITES OR APPLICATIONS CAN I CHECK THE COMPOSITION OF MY PRODUCTS?
We can rely on mobile applications to help us analyze the compositions and detect the presence of harmful substances.
There are several of them today:
Clean beauty, INCI, Yuka which help consumers decipher ingredient lists.
ORGANIC LABEL = ZERO RISK
Should we then turn to organic labels and cosmetics? We talk about it in this article: Organic labels: health and environmental impacts .
The organic label offers a guarantee on several aspects. It certifies that the product is composed of at least 95% natural ingredients or those of natural origin. In addition, 95% of the plants present in the composition must come from organic farming. Here are some recognized organic labels:
- Cosmos : it brings together several European organizations and sets minimum standards for natural and organic cosmetics.
- Natrue : this international label guarantees natural and organic products, without synthetic ingredients.
- Nature & Progrès : this French label is one of the strictest. It prohibits in particular the use of silicones and petrochemical derivatives.
However, an organic label does not completely exclude the presence of allergens, hence the importance of always checking the list of ingredients.
So keep your eyes open, scan your barcodes, and watch out for greenwashing!
TOMORROW BEAUTY, A PROMISE OF 100% CLEAN PRODUCTS
At Demain®, we want products to be as healthy as possible for our skin, our health and our planet. We have therefore imposed the strictest specifications on ourselves in order to guarantee the safety of our formulas:
- No ingredients harmful to health
- No ingredients derived from chemicals or petroleum
- Zero palm oil out of respect for animals and the planet
- Formulas composed of 100% ingredients of natural origin
- Cosmos Organic certified organic cosmetics by Ecocert with a minimum of 61% of ingredients from organic farming.
Visit our store and discover our healthy care for all skin types.
Also discover all our other commitments .
Credits: article written in collaboration with Fiona Bazzana
