What Makes a Makeup Product Clean?

Posted by wahab on January 30th, 2020

With so much information out there about the new clean beauty craze, it can be hard to tell the difference between the variety of different terms that you hear referring to cosmetics. Between “clean,” “non-toxic,” “organic,” and “natural” – it’s all a little bit confusing! To make matters even worse, there isn’t one true definition of any of these terms so oftentimes companies can claim that something is clean or non-toxic when it really isn’t. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to do your own due diligence regarding the products that you are putting in your body. So here’s a helpful guide to teach you what makes a makeup product clean and how to clean makeup differs from its non-clean counterpart.

Clean Makeup

A general definition of clean makeup is that it avoids ingredients that are known to be toxic, carcinogenic, or otherwise problematic to your skin and to your overall health. Some examples of these potentially harmful ingredients that true clean beauty companies avoid are parabens, sulfates, BHA, BHT, and aluminum. One of the best-hidden benefits of using clean makeup is that not only does it avoid harmful ingredients, it adds beneficial ones instead! Many clean makeup products include vitamins and minerals like vitamins C, E, and A. These rich ingredients can help to nourish your skin and leave you with a healthy-looking glow even after you remove your makeup! Unlike “natural” or “organic” makeup – clean makeup doesn’t necessarily mean that it excludes synthetic ingredients. Clean makeup may contain amounts of synthetic ingredients that have been thoroughly tested and have been found to not be harmful to humans. The best clean makeup companies are completely transparent about their ingredients – something that is often an issue in the cosmetics industry that is pretty lenient on what ingredients companies have to disclose to consumers. 

Non-Clean Makeup

Disclosure is something that isn’t very common when it comes to non-clean makeup. Many of these companies have caught on to the clean makeup trend and now claim that their products are clean or non-toxic – even when they aren’t. instead, they have replaced the worst ingredients with slightly better ones that are still potentially harmful! And since there aren’t exact definitions of these terms that they have to follow, they can basically claim whatever they want. And while you might be wondering how harmful these ingredients can really be if they are allowed by the government to be included in cosmetics products, it’s important to know that the FDA has only banned 11 chemicals from being used in cosmetics products and there hasn’t been a change in the law that allows the regulation of cosmetics since 1938. 

Comparison 

When it comes to comparing clean makeup and non-clean makeup – there really is no comparison when it comes to the benefits that clean makeup offers and the potential dangers that can come from using non-clean makeup. Some of the potential negative effects of the chemicals in traditional makeup range from increased risk of cancer to chronic headaches, breakouts, allergic reactions, dry skin, and more. Meanwhile, clean beauty can actually help clear and moisturize your skin leaving you looking smoother and younger even without makeup in no time! And while there is no comparison when it comes to positives and negatives of the two, there is a close comparison when it comes to quality in the products. Many people assume that clean beauty products aren’t as long-lasting or pigmented and therefore aren’t worth the money. However, many clean beauty companies offer clean products that are just as good as their non-clean alternatives at affordable prices.