2 Tips for Switching to Clean Beauty
switch to clean beauty
Set yourself up for success for a healthy, balanced lifestyle
The switch to clean beauty has been gaining traction in recent years as consumers become increasingly more aware of cosmetics, and personal care products, containing ingredients thought to be linked to human health concerns.
When you are ready to explore making the switch to clean beauty, it’s important to understand which ingredients/chemicals may be troublesome, trusted and complete resources you can turn to for more information, and 3rd party certifications to look for so you aren’t overwhelmed by the thought of making this change.
Troublesome Ingredients to be Mindful Of
Companies like Beautycounter and their commitment to health and safety standards, make identifying the chemicals/ingredients to be mindful of easy. With the development of the Never ListTM Beautycounter’s standards surpass that of the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. The Never ListTM is Beautycounter’s commitment to never use 2,800+ ingredients that are not known to be 100% safe, including:
Benzalkonium chloride • BHA and BHT • Coal tar • Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) • Ethanolamines (MEA, DEA, TEA) • Formaldehyde • Hydroquinone • Methylisothiazolinone and Methylchloroisothiazolinone • Oxybenzone • Parabens (methyl-, ethyl-, proply-, butyl-, and others) • Phthalates • Polyethylene glycol (PEG) compounds • Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) • Toluene • Triclosan and Triclocarban Benzalkonium chloride • BHA and BHT • Coal tar • Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) • Ethanolamines (MEA, DEA, TEA) • Formaldehyde • Hydroquinone • Methylisothiazolinone and Methylchloroisothiazolinone • Oxybenzone • Parabens (methyl-, ethyl-, proply-, butyl-, and others) • Phthalates • Polyethylene glycol (PEG) compounds • Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) • Synthetic flavor and fragrance • Toluene • Triclosan and Triclocarban
Additionally, retailers like Ulta Beauty, are catching on to the clean beauty movement with the launch of their Conscious Beauty initiative. Consumers can now look for products that meet the brands “Made Without List” and know this designation indicates a brand is free of parabens, phthalates, and ingredients from more than 25 chemical categories.
What do you think of Beautycounter’s Never ListTM?
Making the Switch to Clean Beauty Easier
With companies throwing around terms like “natural”, “organic”, “preservative-free”, “chemical-free”, “dermatologist-approved”, “green”, “eco-friendly”, “non-toxic”, and “sustainable”, to name a few; switching to real safer alternatives can become even more challenging because there is nothing that actually defines what these marketing terms mean.
With the help of organizations like the Environmental Working Group (EWG), Think Dirty, and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, consumers have access to information about the ingredients in cosmetics and skincare products and can find practical solutions to protect themselves and their families from everyday exposures.
The EWG’s Skin Deep database and mobile app contains information about the ingredients in over 80,000 products and 3,024 brands. When a product is EWG VERIFIEDTM, it meets EWG’s strict, scientific standards for transparency and health.
In addition to the EWG VERIFIEDTM, consumers can also look for certifications like Made Safe, Chemical Footprint Project, and Think Dirty. If there are other certifications you’ve seen and want to better understand, check out this blog post on Understanding Beauty Industry Certifications. It does a great job explaining the certifications that align with animal testing, ingredient safety, ingredient sourcing and sustainability, company values/corporate governance, and packaging. Just because something is Leaping Bunny Verified doesn’t mean the ingredients in the products aren’t non-toxic or harmful to human health.
While it may be unreasonable to overhaul all products you use immediately, switching to clean beauty can be gradual, as the need to replace a product presents itself. Similar to how you may approach improving eating habits or food choices.
Is your head spinning as much as mine was at the beginning of my clean beauty journey? Please reach out, I’m happy to connect and help get you pointed in a direction that’s great for you.
Hi. I’m Katie!
a Working Against Gravity Certified Nutrition Coach, a 10-year practitioner and leader in clean beauty with the support of Beautycounter, a lifelong athlete and learner. Today my focus is on helping others down their own path of healthier choice and a lifestyle that supports their individual goals.
