What Does Clean Even Mean?
We hear the term used often these days.
Clean.
Clean living.
Clean beauty.
Clean products.
So, what exactly does clean mean?
Is clean synonymous with good for you?
In my personal opinion, and one I think several others in the industry share, is that clean means “never harmful to your body & health”.
Clean should mean there is science backed research done on ingredients & that research is the foundation for a company’s ingredient selection process.
Clean should definitely mean no:
Parabens (propylparaben & isobutylparaben)
Fragrance
Chemical UV Filters (octinoxate & oxybenzone)
Diethanolamine (DEA)
Triclosan
Phthalates (dibutyl)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS)
Formaldehyde
Polyethylene (PEG & PEG-lo laurate)
Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
The bottom line is clean products should not contain controversial or unsafe ingredients.
But… remember that it’s really the wild wild west out here in the personal care products industry space considering the FDA has no authority over who and why companies use the words “clean”, “natural”, “paraben-free”, and “non-toxic” in their marketing and on their product labels.
This is where legislation matters. The Personal Product Safety Act is proposing that, under this act, the FDA would be required to review at least five ingredients per year. While that’s not exactly what I’d call a large reach, it is still a huge step in the right direction.
It’s worth noting that this was previously introduced in 2015 and was stalled in the Senate. If you want to lend your voice and support text BETTERBEAUTY to 52886.
The question remains... where does that leave us as consumers. While companies would like us to remain in the dark & blindly trust them, but as black women we (especially) simply cannot afford to do that.
I mean, did you know that black populations tested as having the highest levels of parabens in our bodies??
Clean NEEDS to mean that you can use a product without risking your health.
Clean NEEDS to mean a company is being fully transparent about their ingredients.
Here’s what you should know...
The truth is very few ingredients are used “as-is”, so here are a few stamps and what they mean.
Ecocert National Cosmetic Stamp: at least half of the ingredients are plant based
Organic means without harmful pesticides
USDA Certified Organic: at least 95% of the ingredients are organically cultivated
NSF Organic Certified: at least 70% of the ingredients are organic
Here’s what you can do:
You can check the ingredients. Of your current products. Of the products you’re about to buy.
To help you sort through what’s what, you can use the EWG Skindeep database or the Made Safe Hazard List.
Go fragrance & dye-free every chance you get.
And if all of that feels like too much, at the very least make a list of these ingredients on your phone and use it as a reference when you’re making a purchase.