Clean Makeup vs. Non-Clean Makeup: What’s the Difference?

Posted by david on October 23rd, 2019

You have probably heard the recent hype around clean makeup and wondered if there was really a difference between the two and if that difference is beneficial enough for you to make the switch. While many companies claim to be “clean” or “natural” when they really aren’t, it’s up to you to do your due diligence about the policies of the cosmetics companies you buy from and the ingredients in the products that you use. 

Non-Clean Makeup

While the cosmetic industry is technically under the regulatory powers of the FDA in the United States, the FDA actually has little control over the actions of cosmetics companies. For example, it does not have to approve the ingredients that go into cosmetics products. It also doesn’t have to approve specific definitions for consumers such as “clean” or “natural” – so companies can basically use these buzzwords to make people feel like they are making a good purchase when in reality that’s not the case! Despite studies and tests that show linkages between certain chemicals and health problems as severe as cancer, the FDA has only banned 11 chemicals from being used in cosmetics products. Furthermore, there hasn’t been a change in the law that allows the regulation of cosmetics since 1938. As a result, the cosmetics industry more or less does whatever it wants in order to turn the greatest profit. This includes using chemicals that not only hurt your skin but also hurt your body once it has been absorbed into your skin. It also now includes misleading customers about the composition of their products. 

Clean Makeup

Clean makeup, on the other hand, is dedicated to avoiding ingredients that are known to be toxic, carcinogenic, or otherwise problematic to your skin and your health. While many companies are marketing their products as “clean” simply because they replace some of the worst ingredients with slightly better versions, this is not really clean! Clean makeup only covers non-toxic beauty products that avoid chemicals such as parabens, sulfates, BHA, BHT, aluminum, and so many others that are commonly found in traditional beauty products! While “clean” products and “natural” products have often been conflated, clean products can include synthetic ingredients – but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing! Natural doesn’t automatically mean good, as there are plenty of natural things out there that are harmful to you. At the same time, synthetic doesn’t have to be bad for you – it all depends on the ingredients and the amount used. In fact, in many clean beauty products, any synthetic ingredients are naturally derived to ensure the highest level of quality possible within the product. 

The Rundown

In short, non-clean makeup often includes ingredients that can potentially be harmful to your health and they don’t have to warn you about it at all! They can even claim to be clean when they really aren’t. Clean really means that all of the ingredients are non-toxic and do not have adverse effects on human health. Furthermore, clean products are transparent about their ingredients and don’t try to hide or mislead anyone – unlike traditional cosmetic companies.