Clean Beauty: Trend or Real Issue

What is clean beauty?

The term "clean beauty" refers to a movement in the beauty industry that advocates for the use of safer, more transparent, and environmentally friendly cosmetic products. Unlike traditional cosmetics, which can contain controversial or harmful ingredients, clean beauty products emphasize natural, ethical, and sustainable formulations. The idea is to offer alternatives that protect both the health of consumers and the planet.

The origins of this movement

The clean beauty movement emerged in the early 2000s, primarily in response to growing concerns about the safety of cosmetic ingredients and their impact on the environment. Consumers began to question what they were applying to their skin and how it could affect their long-term health. This awareness led to an increased demand for more transparent, ethical, and environmentally friendly products. Pioneering brands began formulating products without harmful chemical ingredients, ushering in a new era of beauty.

Why has Clean Beauty gained momentum?

Growing consumer demand

One of the main factors driving the rise of clean beauty is the growing consumer demand for safer and more transparent products. More and more people are looking for cosmetics free from controversial ingredients such as parabens, sulfates, and silicones. This demand has pushed brands to reformulate their products and adopt a more responsible approach to formulation.

Consumers also want to be informed about the ingredients in their products. They expect brands to be transparent about their composition and origin. As such, many clean beauty companies clearly communicate the ingredients used, their origin, and the reasons for choosing them.

An ecological awareness

Environmental awareness has also played a major role in the rise of clean beauty. Consumers are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of the products they use. They seek out brands that adopt sustainable practices, such as using recyclable packaging, reducing waste, and sourcing environmentally friendly ingredients.

This awareness also extends to animal testing. Many people prefer to choose brands that don't test their products on animals, which has led to a movement toward cruelty-free and ethical formulations.

Changing regulations

Another factor contributing to the rise of clean beauty is the evolution of cosmetic regulations. In many countries, governments and regulatory bodies are beginning to set stricter standards for the ingredients used in beauty products. These changes are encouraging brands to adopt more responsible practices and reformulate their products to comply with these new regulations.

Initiatives to ban certain ingredients deemed harmful, as well as efforts to improve label transparency, further reinforce the importance of clean beauty in the market.

Clean Beauty: A Marketing Trend or a Real Step Forward?

The limits of "greenwashing"

Despite its rise, clean beauty is not without its critics. One of the main concerns is the phenomenon of "greenwashing." Some brands use the term "clean" to project a positive image of their products without making any real changes to their formulations or practices. This can be confusing for consumers looking for products that are truly environmentally friendly and healthy.

Greenwashing can manifest itself through vague claims about natural ingredients or marketing communications that don't reflect the reality of the products. To avoid this, it's essential for consumers to learn how to read labels and look for certifications that guarantee product quality and transparency.

A true scientific evolution

Despite the limitations of greenwashing, the clean beauty movement also represents a real breakthrough in the cosmetics industry. Many brands are investing in research and development to create innovative and effective formulations using natural ingredients that offer similar, or even better, results than conventional products.

This scientific development allows for a better understanding of the properties of natural ingredients and their impact on the skin. Clean beauty brands often collaborate with dermatology and chemistry experts to ensure their products are both safe and effective.

Towards more responsible beauty

More than just a passing trend

Clean beauty is more than just a trend; it represents a fundamental shift in the beauty industry. Consumers are looking for products that reflect their values ​​and take the health of the planet into account. This movement is part of a broader context of responsible and ethical consumption, where individuals are increasingly aware of the impact of their choices on the environment and society.

By adopting clean beauty practices, brands are contributing to a more sustainable future and a more respectful beauty ecosystem. This is also pushing industry players to innovate and rethink their production, packaging, and marketing methods.

In conclusion, clean beauty represents a trend that goes beyond mere marketing. It reflects a growing demand for safer, more transparent, and environmentally friendly products. By committing to more responsible beauty, we can all contribute to a healthier future for our skin and our planet.

Changing your beauty habits to switch to Clean Beauty mode involves changing certain skin habits and adopting new daily facial gestures.
How to find the best clean facial routine, the one that is closest to the Clean Beauty trend?

If you embrace the concepts of Clean Beauty, here's how to put it into practice and adapt your facial routine to the standards of this " clean beauty ." The benefits? More simplicity and more respect for yourself, your skin, and the planet. You have everything to gain.

The clean face routine focuses on the fundamentals

First, make-up removal (the first anti-aging step, we can never say it enough!) but also hydration. So, listen to your skin (according to the seasons, the time of month, etc.) and adopt simple gestures by having "the basics" on hand: a serum according to your needs, a moisturizer adapted to your skin type, a targeted treatment (eyes, wrinkles, etc.), a make-up remover, an all-purpose vegetable oil, a beneficial spray.

● The clean beauty gesture:
Forget about layering (superimposing layers of care and therefore preservatives), concentrate on a single problem (hydration, redness, wrinkles, etc.) to treat at a time for a cycle of several weeks.

The morning clean face routine changes

As soon as you get out of bed, you can use a spray of thermal water or natural floral water to relax your features and hydrate your skin. If you are more of a "water cleanser" in the morning, turn to delicate foam textures that are very pleasant in the morning to energize the skin.

● The right Clean Beauty gesture:
Exit cotton, prefer the water + foam combo. Be careful not to strip your skin. Be gentle in your gestures, especially when drying with the towel. Pat gently, do not rub.

The evening clean face routine is evolving

In the eco-friendly spirit that inhabits us today, it is preferable to avoid cotton. Discover the washable and reusable versions of cotton pads or makeup remover gloves. Here too, we invite you to be extremely delicate in your gestures so as not to attack your skin and panic its surface microbiota. You can also use the makeup remover milk directly on your finger with circular movements before the lotion which removes the remaining oily film.

● The right clean beauty gesture:
Try makeup remover oils that remove all traces of makeup and impurities and can be used with your fingers and without cotton before rinsing.

The clean face routine is minimalist

Clean Beauty advocates a new vision of beauty: “ Less is More ”. With INCI-listed treatments containing the minimum of ingredients and an equally short beauty routine. Clean Beauty involves using fewer products, but ones that are more respectful of the planet and your skin.

● The right clean beauty gesture:
You can also find a product that suits you and that has several actions on the skin. For example, an oil that removes makeup and moisturizes or a face cream for the eye contour.

The clean face routine avoids greenwashing

Vigilance and attention will allow you to differentiate between a brand that is really making efforts to meet new consumer expectations, and those that are riding the green wave. Look at the brand's overall philosophy, its values, its commitment... you will quickly be able to sort it out.

● The clean beauty gesture:
By learning about the approach of the brands you like or that you are discovering, you will inevitably be more involved and aware at the time of purchase.

The clean face routine listens to the skin

Dry, oily, combination... that's the basics. Then, your skin changes depending on your lifestyle (more or less healthy), the stress you suffer, the damage done by the sun. So, the idea is to know your skin and its reactions inside out to better meet its needs. And knowing your skin well is not so easy! You can do skin diagnostics online for example and above all stay connected! Diet for example can have a strong impact on the skin. It's up to you to know the bad associations!

● The clean beauty gesture:
Get out of the classic beauty routine a little. Some skins for example can live without night cream. And thus do a sort of cosmetic fast. And it is not a skin drama. Others, on the contrary, need their little nightcap, to sleep well in 4-star skin comfort. Only one rule: listen to yourself!

Clean Beauty? Remember the name of this new trend which will soon be as famous as organic beauty and natural beauty. It declares itself cleaner and more responsible, with greener, sustainable, fair trade, eco-responsible and ethical beauty products.

What exactly is this new trend? What is Clean Beauty?

Clean Beauty (or Clean Beauty) is an underlying trend where health and eco-responsibility take center stage. It brings to fruition this profound change among consumers who are seeking more transparency, safety and health for their skin and for the planet .

What is the definition of Clean Beauty?

There is none, it is neither a label nor a brand but a profound movement amplified by the environmental and health crises.

A notion with fuzzy contours

This notion of “ clean beauty ” remains vague since it still has no official definition. It can only be subjective, with each brand appropriating these two words in its own way. Beyond beauty products, Clean Beauty has become a generic term. Synonymous with virtuous cosmetics, Clean Beauty today includes the formula of course, the packaging but also the entire value chain, ethics and transparency.

A global concept

Being clean, beyond the product itself, also means not exploiting children, being cruelty free... Note that China has finally, in January 2021, renounced imposing the practice of animal testing for cosmetics French entering their market. A revolution !

Clean Beauty also takes into account the entire ecosystem of the product, packaging and environmental impact.

The origin of Clean Beauty

Behind these two words, clean and beauty, initially lies the whole American paradox, the country where she was born.

Very different laws depending on the continents

In the United States, only 8 substances are banned by the powerful FDA (Food & Drug Administration) in formulas. Whereas in European regulations, 1383 ingredients and families of ingredients are prohibited! Which makes Europe the strictest area in the world in terms of cosmetic legislation. It's reassuring.

A concept born in the United States

It is therefore no coincidence that in the absence of specific regulations, the concept of Clean Beauty was born in the United States in 2000. It was necessary to remedy this gap and reassure consumers hungry for information, transparency, honesty, sincerity and above all concerned about the health of their skin and that of the planet.

Why such enthusiasm for Clean Beauty?

It was really born from a health issue, and the health-beauty relationship has become even more pressing since the Covid pandemic.

Increasingly sensitive skin

Consumers are concerned about their skin, which has never been so sensitive and irritable, or even allergic. The sharp increase in visits to dermatologists attests to this. Stress and pollution have also been there.
The accumulation of ingredients on the skin and the (sometimes harmful) interaction between them also explains this increase in the number of sensitive skin.

The awakening of eco-consciousness

Today's consumers, concerned about their health and their environment, thirst for truth and are looking for reassurance. They demand strong commitment from brands and boycott them if they do not carry meaning.

The composition of formulas, a growing concern

The figures for Clean Beauty prove it. A Kantar study from the end of 2019 shows that 44% of French people pay attention to the composition of beauty hygiene products, and a Prisma Media Solution study from September 2020 states that “62% of French people demonstrate an interest in natural, organic and vegan ". 44% of them would already buy it. Their motivations? “Take care of myself and my health (68%), be part of a global approach to responsible consumption (60%), adapt my products to my dermatological problems (27%)”.

If Clean Beauty especially appeals to young people on social networks, more than a third of consumers still don't know what to think of it (Prisma Media Solution study).

The characteristics of Clean Beauty

Clean Beauty represents a new mode of consumption, which is based on principles such as transparency, traceability of ingredients, respect for the skin and the environment, and recycling of packaging.

Clean Beauty formulas

The composition of “clean” products must be short and not contain certain undesirable and controversial ingredients. More precisely, it displays:

• A limited ingredient list, no frills.
• The INCI list (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) is written on all products, in Latin names, and it indicates the ingredients in descending order of concentration. The first are therefore the most important to check.
• Organic or natural ingredients as an alternative to synthetic ingredients
• Non-controversial ingredients, which eliminates the following families:
  • CMR ingredients (carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic for reproduction)
  • Ingredients suspected of being endocrine disruptors
  • Ingredients suspected of various toxicities
  • Nanomaterials
  • Irritant, allergenic or comedogenic agents
  • Allergens

The list of unwanted ingredients to avoid

• Parabens and phenoxyethanol
• Mineral oils from petroleum (which would suffocate the skin)
• Silicones (very polluting)
• Certain sulfates such as SLS, a surfactant, i.e. a foaming agent (which would be irritating)
• Aluminum salts (which some scientists believe are potentially carcinogenic)
• Alcohols for their drying action on the epidermis
• Perfumes that contain allergenic molecules
• EDTA, a preservative considered toxic
• PEG polymers which are obtained from polluting toxic gases

Clean Beauty manufacturing methods

• In terms of production process, Clean Beauty of course favors green chemistry , qualified as sustainable or renewable chemistry. This manufacturing method applies the principles of sustainable development to the world of chemistry. It eliminates the use or production of substances harmful to the environment. This green chemistry respects the economic, social and environmental balance of the environment in which it is practiced.
• Short circuits are recommended in order to limit the environmental impact. Hence the success of Made in France.
• Other formulation choices, supposed to be more ecological, are also made by certain brands. Solid cosmetics with bar shampoos (like soaps ), or powdered cleansers to apply to damp skin, make it possible to avoid the preservatives necessary in traditional cosmetics, due to the presence of water in the formulas. . Solid cosmetics also offer the advantage of using less plastic since the formulas do not need to be put in bottles.

Clean Beauty packaging

This is probably one of the most difficult points to address because there is no perfect model yet, but manufacturers are working on it.

• Environmentally friendly packaging
• Eco-responsible, eco-designed, with minimal packaging
• Recycled, recyclable, reusable, refillable, biodegradable
• With a low carbon impact,
  The packaging choices are towards glass and aluminum, rather than plastic.

The values ​​of Clean Beauty

At the heart of Clean Beauty, there is the requirement for general ethics, both human and environmental.

• For men: brands and manufacturers in the sector participate in the protection of workers, the creation of responsible sectors, and the establishment of fair trade. They finance societal causes and adopt a philanthropic approach. The Clean Beauty ethic obviously prohibits using children to work in any way.
• For the planet: some cosmetic companies help with the planting of trees, carbon offsetting, the preservation of oceans and wildlife, others favor the local circuit, respect for water... all initiatives where brands compete to protect the planet.

Clean Beauty apps

Developed using artificial intelligence, they take stock of the product. The most known

• Clean Beauty was created by a pharmacist. Its app analyzes the composition and therefore the ingredients, but does not rate the product.
• INCI Beauty offers a product sheet with a rating. However, the database is smaller and the ranking of products depends on their popularity.
• Yuka, a variation of the food version, has a source base of 500,000 cosmetics. She rates each product by applying a penalty for each controversial ingredient.
• Quel Cosmetic (UFC Que Choisir) makes it possible to identify undesirable substances based on the barcode (but does not consider the evolution of formulations).
• Claire, the application from FEBEA (the Federation of Beauty Industries), which was launched at the end of 2020, dissects each ingredient, explaining the reasons for the controversy when there is one.

All these applications do not have the same criteria and currently only take into account the product formula, which explains different results from one app to another.

Other sources of information on Clean Beauty

To avoid relying solely on apps and their very strong opinions, it is desirable to obtain information from other stakeholders who provide nuances and explanations.

• Clean Beauty specialist stores are multiplying. The reference in the field – Oh My Cream! – is the precursor of concept stores which offer a specialized cast of international, high-end clean brands, with great attention paid to advice.
• Online multi-brand platforms dedicated to clean products such as Botymist, a site on which you can search for a product based on the ingredients it contains.
• The numerous Clean Beauty blogs and reference sites such as the Ohmycream blog.
• The influencers of course, very active on Instagram to extol the merits of Clean Beauty like @naturally_lyla , @eau_neuve .
• The cosmetics industry. It is interesting to have the vision of Febea, Federation of Beauty Industries.

Be careful with “clean washing”!

As is often the case when a new trend emerges, certain opportunistic brands seek to ride the wave and their marketing departments cannot resist the temptation of “clean washing”. Clean Beauty is then limited to an overused sales argument that does not correspond to reality. Because clean assumes honesty, sincerity, authenticity. And also humility because, once again, the perfect Clean Beauty does not exist.

So there you have it, it’s all about compromise and finding the “best possible” for yourself. Track clean ingredients of course, but also the eco-responsibility of packaging, product traceability, locality, transparency, and brand ethics. What if you only had to remember one thing? Being clean means being minimalist: avoid formulas that are too long and favor simple skincare routines. Less is more.

FAQs

The pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima , this inhabitant of warm, transparent Indo-Pacific waters, teaches us a valuable lesson about the beauty and resilience of human skin. Just as human beings build their skeleton to protect themselves, molluscs, lacking an internal skeleton, develop a robust shell, acting as a natural shield to defend themselves against external attacks.

This fascinating process, called “ controlled biomineralization ,” is the key to the formation of nacre. Mother-of-pearl, or “mother-of-pearl,” is an exceptional material that also makes up cultured pearls. It is created by a consortium of biological actors within the mollusk, allowing the formation of an extremely stable and resistant brick and mortar structure.

This extraordinary biomaterial plays a role similar to the human skin barrier , protecting the individual from external aggressions. It's fascinating to see how the brick-and-mortar structure of nacre can be compared to human skin with keratinocytes organizing to form the epidermis, the surface layer of the skin.

NACRE ACTIVE-NACR-45® , an organo-mineral ingredient, acts on the epidermis by stimulating the secretion of filaggrin , a key element of intercorneocyte cement. This cohesion is crucial for the permeability of the epidermis, because it forms a protective skin barrier against external attacks, just as the shell of molluscs protects their fragility.

Among the organic components contained in active Mother-of-pearl, there are valuable lipids which contribute to the composition of the skin's hydrolipidic film. This film is essential for maintaining skin hydration and protecting it against dehydration, helping to preserve its natural radiance.

In direct contact with the superficial layers of the skin, NACRE ACTIVE-NACR-45® thus offers natural protection. All our active mother-of-pearl products are designed to help you protect, preserve and reveal the natural beauty of your skin.

7 tips for adopting Clean Beauty

Tempted by Clean Beauty ? But how do you actually get started? In practice, how do you choose a cosmetic product from the Clean Beauty family? How do you follow the right paths and avoid making mistakes?

Type #CleanBeauty on Instagram… and you will come across 3.4 million photos to date. Needless to say, the Clean Beauty topic fascinates the masses. Between a concept that is still vague where everyone can put what they want behind the English term “clean beauty” and your desire to do good, how can you trace your own path? Here are 7 simple, practical and quick tips to help you adopt the Clean Beauty attitude on a daily basis.

Tip #1: Define the product you want

What are your expectations? Eliminate silicones? Hunt down endocrine disruptors? Buy 100% local? Favor only vegan or organic products ? The easiest way is to imagine your list according to your own criteria. This wish list could include ingredients to avoid, brands, products and influencers that match your values. You will be able to stay connected by following the right accounts on Instagram. Later, when you need a new day cream, mascara or other… you will know who to turn to.

• The right move:

Stay clear-headed. While some ingredients, like essential oils or fragrances, are allergenic, your skin can still tolerate them. So, avoid becoming an uncontrolled ayatollah of Clean Beauty.

Tip #2: Decipher the INCI list of ingredients

The INCI list, with its scientific name "International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients" is mandatory and allows you to know the ingredients used in the product. If the principle is good, it is difficult for a novice to identify the ingredients that are not clean.

• Not very clean ingredients

For example: paraffinum liquidum seems to be a rather harmless ingredient, but it is nevertheless a mineral oil. A mineral oil evokes minerals, therefore nature. Yes, but a mineral oil (like petroleum and other petrolatum ) is anything but natural. A mineral oil is 100% derived from petrochemicals, so it is not clean at all. This petroleum derivative also has the good taste of clogging pores. Which is something that blemish-prone or sensitive skin is not likely to appreciate.

• Barbaric words to avoid

Another tip for spotting unclean ingredients: all the barbaric terms ending in "thicone" which are silicones that suffocate the skin (like dimethicone) . The much-maligned paraben family is easier to spot: methylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, etc. Read the labels carefully to identify terms like sodium lauryl sulfate (LSS) or certain phthalates (DBP, DEHP, DEP, BPA, etc.) that Clean Beauty doesn't like at all.

• The hierarchy of the INCI list

Small nuance to know: brands are also required to indicate the list of ingredients according to their concentration and only substances greater than 1% are obligatory mentioned. The more concentrated the ingredient is in the product, the higher it is on the list. So, look at the ingredients located first on the list, this will already give you a good indication of the product.

• The right move:

This INCI list is written on the packaging, so if you want to become the queen of Clean Beauty shopping, decipher your product before throwing away the pack (which most often ends up in the recycling bin) or, better, at the time of purchase. This will save you many disappointments.

Tip #3: Download the right apps

To sift through beauty products without getting a PhD in cosmetology, all you need to do is download specialized (and free) apps . With a single scan, apps like “Clean Beauty,” “INCI Beauty,” and “Yuka Beauty” highlight controversial ingredients, endocrine disruptors, and other suspect agents. It’s a quick and effective way to familiarize yourself with the INCI list.

• The right move:

Give yourself time before transforming into the perfect Gwyneth Paltrow, undisputed goddess of Clean Beauty. Learn a little every day without spending your life on your INCI list decoder.

Tip #4: Favor natural ingredients, but not only

Of course, natural ingredients are more in line with the spirit of Clean Beauty. But what should we think of claims like "XX% of ingredients of natural origin" ? Haven't the products in question undergone chemical modifications before ending up in a creamy and fragrant beauty cream? Similarly, should all synthetic ingredients, particularly those derived from green chemistry, also known as sustainable, ecological or renewable chemistry because it reduces substitutes that are bad for the environment, be rejected? No.

• In Clean Beauty, not everything is good

Is an organic product without preservatives but containing high doses of alcohol (instead of the so-called preservatives) worth your attention? Finally, the presumed "toxicity" of the ingredients depends on the regulations of each country. In Europe, for example, 1,300 substances are banned in cosmetics. Elsewhere, the regulations are much more lax.

• The right move:

Avoid marketing arguments that sell and be wary of brands that practice greenwashing (these look like natural products… but very, very, very far away if you look more closely).

Tip #5: Watch the packaging

Adopting clean beauty in your bathroom also means undertaking a more general "cleaning" approach. So obviously, we recycle cardboard packaging and plastic over-packaging and we don't hesitate, in all areas (beauty, but also food) to call out brands on this habit of constantly over-packaging products.

• The right move:

Look at both the content and the container. There is a huge challenge for tomorrow on all the packaging of our beauty treatments (material, refillable, etc.)

Tip #6: Choose clean distribution and brands

Faced with the Clean Beauty wave, distributors and brands are increasingly playing the transparency card and that's a good thing. So find out about the worlds of the brands you like. Sort through them, stay alert (things are changing quickly) and also applaud the efforts of the giants who offer lines dedicated to Clean Beauty without cleaning all the other products... this will inevitably take time. Clean Beauty is also a policy of small steps.

• The right move:

Be consistent with yourself. Being “clean” means starting a global approach to responsible consumption in all areas, not just in your bathroom. Everyone does it at their own pace, but it is important to keep this holistic vision in mind. Everyone puts the cursor where they can, but for example, hunting down suspicious ingredients in the bathroom while buying organic vegetables that come from the other side of the world… it may not make much sense if you think about it for two seconds.

Tip #7: Sort out your bathroom

If you are on a Clean Beauty journey, you can already start by sorting out your bathroom shelves . In Marie Kondo mode of the cream jar, the queen of tidying up with her KonMarie method, identify what you do not use or no longer use. There is also no point in keeping for the sake of keeping, cosmetics perish quickly. Make a pile "to give away" and another "to throw away".

• The right move:

Sorting… is good as long as you don’t fall back into compulsive purchases afterwards. Clean beauty also means consuming less but better. And keep an eye on your budget because often buying “Clean Beauty” also means spending a little more than for traditional cosmetics.

It is no longer conceivable today for a cosmetic brand to launch without being "clean" . Here is the story of the pioneers of this Clean Beauty, of these brands often embodied by women who have really paved the way for this more natural, greener, more organic and more sustainable cosmetic.

Organic cosmetics, pioneer of Clean Beauty?

Does Clean Beauty, this anglicism for the concept popularized by hype and highly Instagrammable brands, often from London, New York or California, have such a new history?

Brands that choose to formulate natural cosmetics, without controversial ingredients, while respecting humans, animals and the environment, doesn't that ring a bell? This is the very principle of all natural and organic brands, some of which date back more than 50 years, in Germany or France, which were the first to shake things up by creating the Cosmebio Charter in 2002. We could mention Weleda, Melvita, Phyt's, Lavera, Sanoflore , etc. By choosing natural and organic raw materials to respect the health of the skin and the planet, with "clean" production principles (the French version of clean, after all!), they shook up the industry. And paved the way for "Clean Beauty".

Pioneers of Clean Beauty, surprising origins

We very often look to America or Asia to find the origin of a movement. But we forget that in France, we also have some pretty flagships, who wanted to move things forward very (too?) early.

Thus, in 2008, Novexpert , created by Cyrille Telinge , a troublemaker in the cosmetics industry, banned a number of substances that were not yet controversial, talked about endocrine disruptors and cocktail effects , without however seeking certification, because the brand is based on science and biotechnology.

The same goes for Bioderma founded by Jean-Noël Thorel and his discourse on the "eco-biology" of the skin, favoring biomimetic ingredients, present in the skin or imitating its natural functioning.

Ren Clean Skincare was founded in 2000 in London by Antony Buck and Robert Calcraft . Their vision is summed up in the name since Ren means "clean, pure" in Swedish: cosmetics without chemical ingredients, developed from the latest advances in biotechnology, healthy for the skin, the environment and the planet. Yes, but the brand has now passed into the hands of the international cosmetics group Unilever, and if it continues in its lineage with a strong environmental message, it has lost its founders.

Other French brands also deserve the title of pioneers: we can cite Kure Bazaar , which created bio-sourced varnish in 2012, or Absolution (2008) which combines organic and beautiful, or Oolution which focuses on naturalness and effectiveness.

The pioneer of Clean Beauty “Green, Clean and Glam”

But it is from across the Atlantic, where the regulation on cosmetics is much less drastic than in Europe, that the Clean Beauty movement has arrived as a reaction. With very well-marketed brands, whose founder has become her own muse and highly publicized spokesperson.

The perfect example, which will inspire others, is Tata Harper , the "Green Beauty Queen". This Colombian woman living in Vermont began working on her brand in 2005, when organic was still a bit austere, which she launched in 2010. She seduced influencers, fashion stars and models by creating organic and "100% natural" products and by standing out from European organic products with products that reconcile organic, effective, clean and glamorous. The formulas are long, with up to 72 plant extracts, the green glass packs are photogenic and the designer transformed herself into an influencer by feeding her Instagram account with stories and master classes. The success is global and creates a business model.

The pioneers of Clean Beauty 2.0

Since Tata Harper, the clean brands that have been on the rise have all been embodied by a female designer, who is also prolific on social networks. Whatever their discourse and positioning, they all emerged via the Internet and then Instagram.

In Great Britain, we obviously distinguish the Goop brand, from the actress turned "priestess", Gwyneth Paltrow . Goop, initially the actress's blog showing her "New Age" lifestyle, delivering her "healthy" recipes and sometimes controversial opinions, became in 2011 a brand of cosmetics, fashion and food supplements.

In France , Oh My Cream and Aime are the benchmarks. Juliette Lévy first created the Oh My Cream e-commerce site, exclusively listing trendy and clean brands, then a network of boutiques before launching her eponymous brand. Mathilde Lacombe , after an initial experience at ELLE magazine, launched the first cosmetic box system in France, JolieBox, which became Birchbox, before imagining the extremely polished world of Aime, with the In and Out concept, combining rebalancing food supplements and clean cosmetics. Mathilde Lacombe has become a prominent influencer, which has allowed Aime to take off through its large Instagram community.

Then comes Respire , which with just one deodorant, made Justine Hutteau a star. And many brands have been following the Clean Beauty movement for the past 2-3 years.

Health and environmental crises have further amplified the need for transparency, respect for the health of the skin and the planet, and consequently the distrust of controversial ingredients. This explains the success of Clean Beauty , clean cosmetics, and its specialized apps, tools of choice for fans of this new beauty.

Yuka, Inci Beauty, Clean Beauty, QuelCosmetic, CosmEthics, Claire, these applications detect the presence of controversial ingredients and evaluate the "cleanliness" in formulas. In 4 years, a third of French people have downloaded at least one! Although they are not to be taken literally, they nevertheless have a huge merit, that of informing consumers and pushing brands to be greener.

What exactly are these Clean Beauty apps for? Which one to choose? What are their limits? And above all, how to use them properly?

Clean Beauty reflexes to follow

Faced with the resurgence of sensitive and allergic skin, the need for transparency of formulas is glaring and the information given by authorities is supposed to be more objective than that provided by the brands themselves. Consumers want to be guided in their choice. Because between endless lists of incomprehensible ingredients, components accused of causing serious skin problems, substances that are questionable for health and the environment, how can we form an opinion on the "cleanliness" of a cosmetic?

Good reflexes:

Deciphering a long and incomprehensible list of ingredients

The INCI list (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients), displayed on each product in Latin names, indicates the ingredients in descending order of concentration. The first ones are therefore the most important to check to form an initial opinion. Clean Beauty recommends a short list of ingredients to avoid the multiplication of substances on the skin.

Identify controversial ingredients

Many of the ingredients incriminated have been the subject of a media buzz that has amplified the anxiety-provoking aspect. Indeed, cosmetics have sparked several controversies, the most well-known of which concerns parabens, preservatives suspected of being carcinogenic. It has also forced brands to remove parabens from their formulas, to the great displeasure of some scientists and various health authorities who defend them by assuring that they are effective and safer preservatives.

What happened? A TV show by Envoyé Spécial that quoted a book by a researcher linking parabens to breast cancer. According to some researchers, they have been replaced by less effective and no safer ingredients. Who to believe? This controversy has created a real climate of mistrust.

Know the blacklist of ingredients

They belong to the families of CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic for reproduction), endocrine disruptors , nanomaterials, allergens, irritants or are suspected of various toxicities.
The most controversial ingredients are:

• Parabens and phenoxyethanol,
• Mineral oils, coming from petroleum, which would suffocate the skin,
• Silicones because they are very polluting,
• Some sulfates such as SLS, a surfactant (foaming agent) which is said to be irritating,
• Aluminum salts, potentially carcinogenic,
• Alcohols, because they dry out,
• Perfumes because they contain allergens
• EDTA, a toxic preservative,
• PEG polymers, obtained by polluting toxic gases

Spotting controversial packaging

Many cosmetic products are over-packaged and use a lot of plastic. Clean Beauty therefore favors glass and aluminum, which are cleaner.

Which Clean Beauty app to choose?

The incredible progress of Artificial Intelligence has made it possible to design Clean Beauty apps that can instantly check the presence or absence of so-called controversial ingredients. But be careful, these Clean Beauty apps do not have the same algorithms. Some do not analyze the formula as a whole, but the ingredients taken individually. Others only decipher the formula, others the environmental impact in addition, because a clean product is not only a clean formula. They are increasingly numerous and free, but each one is different. Some offer a paid version in addition.

Yuka, the cosmetic app that comes from food

As with food products, from a scan, the app indicates the impact of the product on health with a color code corresponding to the level of risk, on the finished product and on the ingredients. They appear from the most to the least dangerous, and the reasons for the risk are explained, giving the scientific sources. Yuka sets the product's score out of 100, with the presence of each controversial ingredient removing points. But it does not take into account the concentration of the ingredient, nor other parameters, such as that of the environmental impact.

There is also a difference in rating between French and foreign products. Our regulations are stricter, requiring our manufacturers to display all ingredients, unlike some foreign manufacturers. This explains why they can obtain a better rating, while for example, the fragrance of the formula is full of allergens. The Yuka database is collaborative, you can add non-referenced products if you are a member (price €14.99/year). And if a product is poorly rated, Yuka offers alternatives.

Clean Beauty, the cosmetic app for professionals

Created by a pharmacist, this Clean beauty app does not rate the product, but provides documented information based on a glossary of ingredients. Based on a photo of the list of ingredients, the app analyzes them and detects those that are at risk, as well as allergens, then explains why they are controversial. It allows you to have an opinion on the product by simply going to the brand's website to photograph the list of ingredients.

Inci Beauty, the cosmetic app for concentrations

This app lists ingredients based on their concentration in the product, rather than their potential harmfulness. Indeed, an ingredient can be completely harmless at very low concentrations, or harmful if present in large quantities. Each ingredient is rated out of 20, and the product's rating also takes into account the environmental impact: components that harm the environment are classified as "not great". A list of alternative products is displayed, and the app also indicates where the product can be found and at what price according to the different places of sale.

As a bonus, the app classifies products based on their rating. If you throw away the packaging, the search bar allows you to find the product. It is a community platform that also allows you to exchange opinions.

QuelCosmetic, the cosmetic app from Que Choisir

This app was created by UFC Que choisir, which, based on the barcode scan, estimates the risk level of the product according to the presence or absence of controversial components, based on a list that it established itself. Interestingly, the risk analysis is done by user family (babies, children/teens, pregnant women, adults, etc.). This clean beauty app also offers alternative products.

Cosmethics, the customizable cosmetic app

After analyzing the list of ingredients, the app warns if the product contains controversial ingredients. Practical for some, you can set a personalized alert on this or that ingredient, for example if you are allergic to a certain component, or if you are vegan, or if you refuse a certain ingredient.

Claire, the Federation's cosmetic app

This app, created in November 2020 by the FEBEA (Federation of Beauty Industries) and developed with the French Society of Cosmetology, scans the INCI list and provides information on more than 25,000 ingredients. It takes into account certain formula changes even if the brands do not indicate them in their barcode. Its objective is not to rate the finished products but to enlighten the consumer on the components of the products with a sheet on each of them. A scan on the list allows you to know the function of an ingredient and why it is, possibly, the subject of controversy.

The Benefits of Using a Clean Beauty App

More and more consumers are concerned about the quality and safety of the cosmetic products they use. Faced with the multitude of ingredients and complex terms on packaging, it can be difficult to make the right choices. The advantage of Clean Beauty applications:

Deciphering ingredients made easy

The app provides detailed explanations of each ingredient, indicating whether it is safe, potentially irritating or toxic. With this, users can make informed decisions and choose products that suit their needs and preferences.

Suggestions for safe and natural alternatives

Clean beauty apps don’t just decipher ingredients, they also suggest safer, more natural alternatives to conventional products. By analyzing a product’s ingredients, the app can recommend clean and green products that meet the same needs. For example, if you’re looking for a moisturizer without harmful synthetic ingredients, the app can suggest products made with organic plant oils or natural extracts known for their hydrating properties.

Tracking brands and trends

An ability to track brand developments and provide insights into new trends and discoveries in the cosmetics industry. They can inform users about brands that adopt environmentally friendly manufacturing practices, organic certifications, and quality labels. In addition, they keep them informed about scientific advances in the field of cosmetic ingredients.

Encouraging transparency and accountability

Their use encourages transparency and brand responsibility. Increasingly aware consumers can share their experiences, evaluate products and brands, which influences the practices of the cosmetic industry. This promotes healthy competition and encourages manufacturers to improve the quality of their products.

The Limits of Clean Beauty Apps

These apps are great information tools that encourage brands to “clean up” their products. They have taken on a lot of power in the cosmetics market. A role that deserves to be tempered, because not everything is black or white in cosmetics and the clear-cut verdicts of the apps deserve nuances.

Two tips for expert use:

Different results

We don't get the same results depending on the apps, so who to trust and how to find our way? A good reason not to follow their verdict blindly.

• They don't all take into account the concentration of ingredients, where the product is applied, whether or not it is rinsed off, and how often it is used.
• Many people ignore the environmental impact of products and the living conditions of workers: a component may be completely harmless, but if it is manufactured by workers who are subjected to intensive workloads, can we say that this product is really clean?
• Cosmetic formulas are very complex, but apps that are forced to simplify make shortcuts that change the game. On some ingredients, the scientific data is insufficient. The debate therefore remains open, but the app decides, even outside of any legislative framework.
• Applications can make errors, technological or human (poorly scanned product, detection of components said to be harmful when they are not or non-detection when they are). And then the databases quickly become obsolete... Febea (Federation of Beauty) estimates that there are 800,000 references for products sold in Europe, and a third of these products see their formulas change every year!

We forget our skin

By focusing on the products and the ingredients that are criticized, the atmosphere becomes anxiety-provoking and we forget the needs and nature of our skin. It is therefore necessary to personalize the choice of the app according to your personal criteria. Indeed, Clean Beauty apps do not classify so-called risky ingredients in the same way. For example, an ingredient rejected by the app because it is potentially allergenic is a priori safe for you if you do not have any allergic conditions.

Why are Clean Beauty apps shaking up brands?

Apps represent a very useful information tool for consumers, by lifting the veil on a certain opacity maintained by brands. They push manufacturers into their entrenchments and force them to accelerate and amplify their "cleanitude" approach. Today, all brands have started this process. These are colossal projects for the big brands that have a huge number of references to review, long processes, but the means to do it and also for the smaller, more agile brands, which have fewer references but few means.

This is the beginning of this new, more natural, more respectful and more transparent cosmetic, the development of which is clearly a way forward. Apps will have to follow this evolution to take into account all the parameters: formulas, packaging, environmental impact, and to comprehensively inform an increasingly demanding consumer who is attentive to virtuous consumption. One thing is certain, transparency is now non-negotiable. And with apps, the Clean Beauty movement is not about to stop.

Cosmetics, following the Clean Beauty trend, are established in the beauty landscape and meet a real consumer demand. The arrival of applications to decipher the composition of products has led to a revolution in behavior and the industry. It was much easier and faster to know directly, by oneself, whether a product was clean or not! Beyond this first step, curiosity was raised regarding the ingredients... A vast new world was opening up.

What are these clean ingredients and their benefits? A quick reminder about the controversial ingredients.

USA versus Europe – The Blacklist of Ingredients

“How toxic are your cosmetics?” Translate “What is the toxicity of your cosmetic products?”, the Americans don’t beat around the bush and use shocking terms. Some cosmetics are even stamped ‘Risk-free’! Unthinkable in France, the legislation would not allow it. If we take one of the emblematic clean brands across the Atlantic, like Drunk Elephant, they communicated on the “Suspicious 6”, i.e. the six categories of non-clean ingredients excluded from their products: alcohol, sulfates, silicones, chemical sunscreens, essential oils, perfumes/dyes. The essential is said. However, in France we add many others! (Phenoxyethanol, nanoparticles, endocrine disruptors like parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates, etc.).

The eviction of essential oils deserves to be considered. Their effectiveness is widely recognized, they are composed of powerful molecules but their allergenic potential means that so-called 'clean' brands prefer to do without them and that more and more natural brands are offering one or more products in their ranges without essential oils.

With these exclusions in mind, let's focus on non-controversial ingredients. What are these safe and effective molecules?

Non-controversial ingredients

As Candice Colin , founder of the Clean Beauty app, frequently reminds us: "Our position has always been clear, we do not rate the product, because we believe that the problem is not the product, but the ingredient" and to specify "we must have a global reflection and take into account the exposome (which groups together all exposures to environmental factors)". In clean beauty , we will therefore find natural ingredients, from the plant world, and especially biomimetic ingredients that the skin will recognize and that it will therefore be able to assimilate better. The American distributor of clean cosmetics Follain describes them as follows: "It is about feeding our skin with real formulas rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients that will contribute to nourishing it and improving it sustainably".

Plant extracts and plant active ingredients (flowers, leaves, roots, fruits, etc.)

Many have proven themselves and their virtues are well known to the general public: aloe vera, honey, centella asiatica, argan, prickly pear, calendula, etc. The list is long!

The issue of course concerns the purity, the extraction method and the transport of the extracts. It is currently difficult to know whether brands use green extraction, i.e. without chemical solvents. This is rarely indicated, however, more by young brands in the last two years. Thus, the clean and organic dermatological brand Alaena uses sprouted seeds from biotechnology (cultivation of active ingredients, living organisms in a bioreactor), for a deeply restorative effect.

The interest of green technologies

These new technologies make it possible to duplicate a plant in large quantities, which is very useful when the species is threatened. In addition, if tomorrow the entire cosmetic industry switched to natural mode, it would be a depletion of resources! Not to mention that land dedicated to food production is the priority, with a horizon of 10 billion humans to feed by 2050, according to statistics. Hence a bright future for biotechnologies as well as for vertical urban farms, whose cosmetics will be able to valorize certain unused parts of plants. Another important advantage is the reduction of the carbon impact.

The importance of harvesting and extraction

For optimal plant efficiency, harvesting is crucial. Several brands source directly from their own gardens or land, a guarantee of quality. Dr Hauschka, Weleda and Jurlique work with plants biodynamically. This approach, increasingly used in viticulture in particular, takes into account seeds, the biotope, gardening, the harvest period, the influence of the moon, etc. It places the plant at the heart of life, in connection with agriculture and the universe. Thus, some plants harvested in the morning dew will have sublimated virtues while for others it will be at the end of the day.

Yves Rocher, Sothys, Sanoflore cultivate organic aromatic and medicinal plants. The extraction for the latter is done with environmentally friendly techniques. Even Lancôme and Clarins have recently purchased plots in order to be as close as possible to the plants and to be able to observe their development, under different latitudes and temperatures (80,000 hectares in the Alps for the Clarins estate).

Land, tomorrow’s issue?

Clearly yes. In plant extracts, fruits, vegetables, oilseeds, and also the fabulous organic vegetable oils and oily macerates (the infusion of plants or parts of plants in a vegetable oil to extract its active ingredients). Enough to obtain the quintessence of the plant with an effect immediately recognized and absorbed by the skin, since it is the unique beneficial ingredient, concentrated in vitamins and antioxidants.

Key assets

Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, retinol, resveratrol, peptides, collagen… almost all have their plant counterpart (only vitamin C is mainly of synthetic origin because it is difficult to stabilize). For three years, there has been a real craze for plant retinol or phyto-retinol: bakuchiol, from the seed of babchi, an Indian plant used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. Concentrated between 0.5% and 2%, its effectiveness is comparable to synthetic retinol, with the advantage of not causing any irritation. Let us also mention marine collagen, very present in food supplements . Algae are also becoming a star ingredient (we have been saying this for years!), both in our food for their high nutritional value and on our skin to regenerate and remineralize it (the benefits of thalassotherapy are more than proven…).

The Conservatives

In the natural version, they are often replaced by alcohol and essential oils, possible irritants. Some young brands are promoting ferments from radish root (leucidal) to preserve their products. The ultimate solution is to do without preservatives, as is the case in anhydrous products (without water), the famous 'solids'. Including soaps, quite simply. However, solid products such as shampoos are controversial regarding their sodium cocoyl isethionate ingredient (because of the 'ethoxylated' manufacturing process - made from a very reactive, toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic gas, ethylene oxide. Not to mention their ecotoxicity). Nothing is perfect and other solutions are coming! Powder-based textures are also a good alternative to formulations with preservatives (be careful, however, to check that there are no heavy metals or irradiation).

The question of ethics

Can an ingredient be considered clean if it has a high environmental impact and is disrespectful to humans? No! It must also be manufactured in a 'clean' way in every sense of the word. For example, mica powder, widely used in makeup, is often extracted by children. Hence the interest in checking how the ingredients were manufactured. In this specific case, to ensure that the brand has joined the "Responsible Mica Initiative" association.

The organic approach

The Ecocert / Cosmebio certification of a product provides the guarantee that 95% of the products are of natural origin . This provides reassurance regarding the use of clean ingredients. The remaining 5% of ingredients from petrochemicals are authorized, and the list is set to evolve. For example, quaternary ammoniums, compounds derived from ammonia, are authorized in organic by the Cosmos label in their plant version. While these molecules, the 'Quats', can be toxic at certain concentration levels and their carbon footprint is poor (extraction is very polluting, they are non-biodegradable, just like the silicones they replace).

Reduce the number of ingredients

If you want clean ingredients in a product, you might as well try to have as few of them as possible.

“ Less is more ”

This is the assurance of avoiding subjecting your skin to a 'cosmetic soup' in the jargon of the trade! Because if you look closely at the composition of a cosmetic product, you will be surprised to see a whole bunch of ingredients participating in the binder, stability, sensoriality and of course the effectiveness of a formula. Such as polymers, glycerin (moisturizer), cellulose (bulking agent). But also surfactants, emulsifiers, emulsifiers, emollients, relipidants, touch agents, rheological agents, perfumes, preservatives, etc. Even if some are of natural origin, the majority are on supports derived from palm oil, which poses a real problem. Especially since this can be difficult to detect in the INCI. It is therefore advisable to avoid 'consuming' cosmetic products that are too loaded and processed, like food and its 'ultra-processed' products.

Reduce natural ingredients

This gesture also helps to reduce the risks of reactions, allergies and possible interactions (also with all the molecules to which humans are exposed throughout the day and life)! Not to mention that it also helps to reduce the carbon footprint, linked to the origin, extraction and transport of raw materials. Recent brands offer clean products with a reduced number of ingredients.

Homemade

You can also make your own cosmetics, the famous DIY (Do It Yourself) . For example, Cérat Galien with rose water contains five ingredients and is very easy to make for optimal nourishing effectiveness.

What about efficiency?

There is no universal ingredient or miracle ingredient! Except for vegetable oils, an ingredient used alone is not always a guarantee of effectiveness. Its activity can be reinforced in a galenic form, not to mention the increased sensory effect which greatly contributes to the appreciation and use of a product. When it was launched in 2010, the État Pur brand offered a library of pure active ingredients, to be combined with bases according to needs (day care, cleanser, etc.). Which is also the essence of DIY or the art and manner of making your own recipe by combining active ingredients and textures for a sensory and effective result.

The future of Clean ingredients? Those that will do good to our microbiome ! This community of billions of microorganisms that live on the surface of our skin. Tailor-made ingredients, which will promote the proliferation of 'good' bacteria and homeostasis, the right balance of the body and skin.

And why not present in a clean environment? In 2017, the Korean brand DrJart+ offered a 100% clean experience in its concept store in Seoul: the air was purified, visitors took an air shower upon arrival, the light was natural and purified water was available to customers. A concept that could well expand in these times of epidemic!

Sales of food supplements in France have traditionally been positive, but in any case, much less dynamic than in Anglo-Saxon and Asian countries.

However, for the past three years, this market has experienced unprecedented growth in France, thanks to the many young cosmetic brands that are arriving on the market with the duo: cosmetic care + capsules to swallow. Attractive and aesthetic proposals that offer a more global vision of beauty.

However, how can we ensure that food supplements comply with the principles of Clean Beauty ? That is to say, free of pollutants or suspect ingredients? While the legislation governing cosmetics in Europe is considered to be one of the most rigorous in the world, that for the food supplement market leaves little room for confusion... Explanations.

A certain lack of transparency

Or even a large nebula! Indeed, food supplements do not depend at all on European cosmetic regulations. They are well governed by European regulations, but with fewer constraints than cosmetics, in terms of details on the ingredients.

• There is no equivalent of an INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredient) list that gives the precise composition of what is in the cosmetic product. This explains why applications like Clean Beauty or Yuka cannot decipher food supplements. On the other hand, the latter must submit to the authorized claims, by ingredient.
• One of the only obligations for food supplements is their submission to the DGCCRF (General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control).
• Even microbiological analysis is not automatic and production laboratories can sell batches to brands without having done it! (However, most of them do it, fortunately.).
• Recently, the part of the plant used must appear on the packaging, as well as the word 'nano'. Indeed, according to the interministerial decree of 2017: "All ingredients of foodstuffs that are presented in the form of manufactured nanomaterials are clearly indicated in the list of ingredients. The name of the ingredients is followed by the word "in square brackets". Titanium dioxide (E 171), a colouring agent used to whiten or brighten foods, such as sweets and chewing gum, is particularly targeted.

What does clean mean for a dietary supplement?

Beyond the natural or naturally derived active ingredients, which are recognizable and can be read on the packaging (plants for example), the concern lies more in processes that are invisible or opaque to the user. For example, most ingredients in powder form are irradiated, in order to guarantee the absence of bacteria (such as certain spirulina, green teas, clays, etc.). Heavy metals may be present. Plant extracts can be obtained with synthetic solvents. When the raw materials come from countries outside Europe, particularly China, there is a greater risk of having ionized batches, containing GMOs, endocrine disruptors , etc.

Vigilance is required

When you don't see anything mentioned about the origin of the ingredients or the details of the processes, ask the brands for information. In fact, most of them have their food supplements made by manufacturers and do not always have all the certificates. As Fleur Phelipeau, the founder of D-Lab, points out, some brands like hers are more serious and demanding in this area with a Research and Development department, which analyzes the support and solvent, scrutinizes the high extraction ratios and the precise titrations in active ingredients. The active ingredients used comply with EC regulation 1881/2006 concerning the maximum content for certain contaminants such as heavy metals and have certificates from the producers of raw materials regarding the absence of irradiation. Finally, some manufacturers prefer not to use any preservatives except natural vitamin E, obviously no nano or endocrine disruptors or titanium dioxide (to be checked in the quality charter). The real plus of these “clean” food supplements: total traceability of finished batches, intermediate products, bottles and certificates proving compliance with safety measures in production.

And what about the assimilation of food supplements?

The question of assimilation is central and often overlooked. How can we ensure that the benefits touted by food supplements will reach the intestines, which are irritated for most city dwellers? That the active ingredients will be duly delivered to their destination? Has the capsule shell been designed for this? Especially since excipients (without therapeutic activity but used in manufacturing) and bulking agents (which weigh down the capsules) often surround the active ingredients.

Claire Nouy, ​​co-founder of Atelier Nubio, confirms: "When we decided to launch into food supplements, we were offered a lot of formulas cut with maltodextrin." Maltodextrin is a starch or starch powder, used as a texturizing agent and preservative, suspected of slowing down the assimilation of active ingredients.

Generally speaking, in order to ensure that a food supplement is clean, two rules prevail, as François Vix, founder of Glisodin, anti-oxidant food supplements, reminds us:

1. The more natural the product is, derived from a healthy plant extract, the more it will be assimilated by the body because synthetic active ingredients have disappointing effectiveness.
2. The highlights of the properties of the active ingredients must have been the subject of rigorous scientific and clinical studies published in international journals.

Finally, it is important to see if the brand has established a charter on its website, indicating the geographical origin (beyond the country, from which fields do they come?) and natural origin of its active ingredients. Guaranteeing the absence of pesticides, heavy metals, total traceability, etc. To be avoided: Chinese components.

To conclude, it is first of all useful to have a dosage of vitamins and minerals established before starting any supplementation treatment. And to be well informed about the clean or non-clean aspects of food supplements. To go beyond the attractive side proposed by the concept, the design of the packaging and the image conveyed by Instagram, certain tempting promises like improving your ' glow ', in order to avoid possible disappointments.

It remains to be considered that cosmetics do not do all the 'job' for the skin and that nourishing it from the inside is of obvious interest. This involves a holistic approach to oneself: the quality of diet, sport, massages, creams, good sleep, a dose of optimism and positive thoughts.

And clean food supplements according to your needs! Enjoy!

Some cosmetic brands have chosen organic certification. Others display the percentage of ingredients of natural origin to respect the principles of Clean Beauty . And there are those who clean up their formulas to ban unwanted ingredients, without displaying certification. It's not always easy to tell the difference. Can a beauty product be clean without being organic and vice versa?

Organic, above all a standard and a certification

Originally, the Cosmebio Charter created in 2002 aimed to promote plant ingredients from organic farming and to ban petrochemical ingredients. Over the years, this standard has been enhanced. The European Cosmos standard, the most widespread and recent, bans all products from petrochemicals (mineral oils, paraffin, silicones, PEG), synthetic preservatives such as parabens or phenoxyethanol, synthetic fragrances and dyes and GMOs. And defines that 95% of the ingredients of a finished product must be of natural origin, 95% of plant materials must be organic and ultimately at least 20% of the finished product (including water). This last standard also includes a whole section devoted to sustainable development by favoring green chemistry and packaging made from recycled materials. These precise specifications are verified by an organization (Ecocert is the best known) which issues a certification to each product. There are other organic labels in Europe, such as Natrue and Nature, and Progrès, and USDA Organic in the United States.

Clean beauty, a more vague concept

Today, there is no definition or charter as precise as for organic cosmetics for clean cosmetics . Everyone is therefore free to interpret it as they wish. But overall, clean beauty includes more responsible cosmetics, with products with cleaner and greener formulas, which are sustainable, fair, eco-responsible and ethical. It embraces broader concepts.

Clean: more security and transparency

It should also be remembered that the movement was born in the United States, where cosmetic regulations are much less restrictive than in Europe, and consumer safety is less well ensured. In response, clean beauty is strongly focused on health and transparency of formulas and production methods: traceability of ingredients, respect for the skin and the environment, product life cycle. In this regard, all controversial ingredients are banned, whether they are suspected of being toxic, polluting or allergenic.

Organic, but not clean, is it allowed?

And yes! Even if the protagonists deny it, you can be certified organic and not meet all the requirements of clean beauty. Indeed, if ingredients of petrochemical origin and the majority of controversial active ingredients are excluded by the Charter, organic does not automatically mean risk-free. The Charter authorizes active ingredients that can be irritating, drying, allergenic or prohibited for pregnant women: thus, preservatives are often replaced by alcohol and essential oils, and sulfates are authorized in washing products.

Furthermore, clean favors short circuits and social responsibility. While many organic companies adhere to it, the fact remains that some ingredients from Brazil, Madagascar or other distant countries are purchased from suppliers, without it being easy to verify respect for both workers and preservation of the environment.

Clean, but not organic, is it possible?

While natural is largely favored by clean beauty, there is no requirement that these plant-based ingredients be certified organic. Furthermore, many clean brands allow themselves biotechnologies which, despite their name, do not fall within the scope of organic. This marriage between the science of living beings and technology (biochemistry, molecular biology) makes it possible to obtain highly effective active ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid or vitamin C for example.

So, we see that if organic and clean have many common elements and a relatively blurred boundary, there are indeed divergences. Some products are clean without necessarily being certified organic and without taking on all the constraints, with regard to the extreme obligation of naturalness. Others are organic without meeting all the requirements of harmlessness and safety for the skin. Finally, the most absolutist combine the two for an ultimate benefit.