You've probably heard about the term 'clean beauty' before, whether from a friend or even your child. It's popping up all over Instagram and TikTok, and there's a very good reason for that. The clean beauty movement is taking over the world, encouraging women and young girls to choose beauty products with natural, organic, and sustainable ingredients.
Whether you want to switch out your beauty regime for clean beauty brands or not, it's always a good idea to encourage your children, especially from a younger age, to opt for safer, healthier products. It helps ensure their delicate complexion is being looked after and that no harmful chemicals are doing any damage that may follow them into adulthood.
The best way to ensure your kids are using clean beauty products is by reading the labels and understanding the ingredients in each one. Below is the ultimate guide to help you out.
What is clean beauty?
Clean beauty is a specific term that refers to items involving skincare, haircare, and makeup. The difference between conventional beauty and clean beauty is that it uses clean ingredients without harmful chemicals or allergens. Instead, these products focus on natural, organic, and cruelty-free ingredients that promote better health benefits for those who use them.
So, instead of just making you look beautiful on the outside, clean beauty also focuses on making you feel amazing on the inside, too. It also gives you peace of mind that you support beauty companies promoting sustainable and ethical practices.
Clean beauty label terminology
When it comes to reading clean beauty labels, there are various terms you might notice come up quite often. Here's what each of them means to help you understand better what you're purchasing and supporting for you and your child:
Organic
Clean products with this label have been crafted using organic ingredients. This means that everything used in the product has been grown without pesticides, harmful fertilizers, or any other harmful chemicals. For a product to receive this label, it must meet strict standards, and you'll see it certified by organizations like the USDA Organic or Ecocert.
Natural
Natural products are ones that are made without synthetic ingredients. Instead, natural beauty products are made from ingredients found in plants or minerals. Unlike organic, there aren't any bodies that certify for sure that a beauty product is natural, however you might still see certain brands place it on their labels.
Cruelty-free
The beauty industry used to focus on testing on animals before it released products to the public, but in recent years (or even decades), this has become unacceptable to many. Therefore, many clean and conscious beauty brands are also 'cruelty-free', which means they don't test on animals. This is certified by Leaping Bunny or PETA on labels.
Vegan
A lot of people get vegan and cruelty-free confused as the same thing on labels, but there is a big difference. All vegan products will be cruelty-free, however not all cruelty-free products are vegan. This is because vegan products don't contain any animal-derived ingredients such as beeswax or carmine. It will say 'Certified Vegan' on clean beauty labels that meet this category.
Non-comedogenic
Many glaze over this label because they don't understand what it means, but it's actually very important, especially when you're providing beauty products to young children. This means that clean skin care products are less likely to cause a break out of acne or clog any of your pores. However, this isn't always a definite thing, and you should always check the ingredients first to see if your or your child's skin is particularly sensitive to something.
Fragrance-free
While many love purchasing a beauty or personal care product that smells nice, it isn't always great for sensitive skin or allergies. Therefore, many clean beauty products remove synthetic fragrances, and that's when you'll see this stamp of approval on a label.
Healthy clean beauty ingredients
While we could sit here and list all the organic and natural ingredients that are healthy in clean beauty products, we thought we'd share some of the most common ones to look out for:
- Jojoba oil - A natural moisturizer that's rich in vitamins and minerals
- Shea butter - Deeply moisturizing and nourishing with A, E, and F minerals
- Coconut oil - Hydrates and softens the skin with its moisturizing properties
- Aloe vera - Soothes and hydrates the skin, especially when it's irritated
- Hyaluronic acid - Ingredient naturally found in the skin that retains moisture
- Green tea extract - Helps protect the skin from the environment due to antioxidants
- Vitamin C - Brightens and evens out the skin while also protecting it from the sun
- Rosehip oil - Hydrates the skin, reduces inflammation, and reduces the appearance of scars
- Argan oil - Rich in vitamin E and fatty acids, so it nourishes the skin and hair
- Tea tree oil - Treats acne and irritated skin due to its anti-inflammatory properties
Harmful conventional beauty ingredients
There's also a long list of toxic and harmful ingredients to avoid, but here are some of the main ones you should stay away from in the cosmetics industry:
- Parabens - Preservatives that can disrupt hormone function
- Phthalates - Endocrine disruptors that can cause reproductive and developmental issues
- Sulfates - Known to be harsh on the skin and scalp, removing any natural oils
- Formaldehyde - Carcinogens that can irritate the skin and cause allergic reactions
- Triclosan - Antibacterial agent known to disrupt hormones and harm the environment
- Mineral oil - Known to clog pores, which can lead to acne and irritation
- Synthetic fragrances - Made of undisclosed chemicals which can trigger allergic reactions
- Coal tar - Contains harmful compounds that have been linked to health problems
- Silicones - Can form a skin barrier that traps dirt and bacteria
- PEG compounds - Can be contaminated during the manufacturing process
Other things to consider
We've gone through how to read clean beauty labels and the toxic ingredients to avoid, but here are a few other things you should consider before purchasing any beauty or personal care products:
Shelf life
If you or your child do not use skin creams or other cosmetics often, then you may want to ensure you have products with a longer shelf life. You can find out how many months a product lasts after being opened by looking at the number by the open jar icon.
Product research
Instead of going into a store and looking at the ingredient lists on products, consider doing your research first. You can look up reviews for safer products or look at websites like Popsicle Beauty Club, which is completely dedicated to clean beauty and has all the information you need.
Recycling
The environmental impact of your clean beauty products post-production is also important. Green beauty brands that recycle their products after use will have the recognizable arrow triangle called the Mobius Loop when reading beauty labels.
Conclusion
Beauty trends come and go, but clean beauty will always be the best way to care for your body, skin, and the environment. It can seem hard to figure out which clean beauty products are best for you and your family, but with the right research and knowledge, you'll quickly know which products have organic ingredients and which have toxic chemicals.
To make your job easier, you can head to the Popsicle Beauty Club website, where all products are natural and non-harmful. We also list all product ingredients on each page, helping you get all the necessary information.
