Clean Beauty is a term used to describe cosmetic products that do not contain specific ingredients.
The Clean Beauty standards have been developed by retailers of cosmetic products, mainly The Detox Market, Clean At Sephora and Credo. The cosmetic ingredients prohibited by these major retailers in Clean Beauty products is remarkably similar. Virtually identical, in fact, with some minor variations.
While the term Clean Beauty does not have a legal meaning, it is often presented in the media as a confusing, nebulous product concept. In fact, Clean Beauty is really quite simple: Clean Beauty products do not contain any of the ingredients listed below:
Cosmetic Ingredients Prohibited In Clean Beauty Products At The Detox Market, Clean At Sephora, Credo Clean
Fragrances & Fragrance Components
Non-Transparent Synthetic Fragrance, Pthallates, Nitromusks, Polycyclic Musks, PFAS (Per and Polyfluorinated Compounds)
Miscellaneous Ingredients & Uses
Aluminum Salts (Antiperspirants); BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole), BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) (Antioxidants); Coal Tar (Hair Dyes); Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA) (Chelating Agent); Resorcinol (Acne Treatments); Nanomaterials; Plastic Microbeads (Scrubs)
Petroleum-Derived Ingredients
Mineral Oil, Petrolatum & Paraffin (USP Grades Only Are Allowed)
Preservatives
Formaldehyde & Formaldehyde Releasing Agents (DMDM Hydantoin, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Diazolidinyl Urea and Quaternium-15), Methylisothiazolinone, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Parabens, Phenoxyethanol (>1%), Triclosan, Triclocarban
Skin Lightening Ingredients
Hydroquinone, Mercury & Mercury Compounds
Silicones
Cyclic Silicones (Cyclotetrasiloxane (D4), Cyclopentasiloxane (D5), Cyclohexasiloxane (D6), and Cyclomethicone)
Solvents
Butoxyethanol, Methyl Cellosolve (Methoxyethanol), Propanol, Toluene, Polyethylene Glycol (PEGs), PEG Compounds, 1,4-Dioxane
Sunscreens
Chemical UV Filters (Avobenzone, Benzophenone, Oxybenzone, Octinoxate)
Surfactants
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Ethanolamines (DEA, ETA, MEA, TEA)
Additional Prohibited Ingredients In Clean At Sephora
Acrylates, Animal Musks/Fats/Oils (Allowed: Beeswax, Honey, Lanolin, Carmine), Lead & Lead Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Styrene, Talc
Additional Prohibited Ingredients In Credo Clean
Animal Musks/Fats/Animal-Derived Ingredients (Allowed: Cholesterol, Lactose, Lanolin, Keratin)
It is important to note that most of the Prohibited Ingredients in Clean Beauty standards are indeed approved for use in cosmetic products by the FDA. Some are prohibited by the FDA such as Mercury and Mercury compounds, some are restricted-use such as Hydroquinone and some are simply not commonly used in cosmetic products at all such as Toluene and Methoxyethanol.
Some Common Misperceptions About Clean Beauty
Clean Beauty products do not contain any synthetic ingredients. Incorrect: Clean Beauty products can contain any FDA-approved synthetic cosmetic ingredient except those on the list above.
Clean Beauty products only contain natural or naturally-derived ingredients. Incorrect: Clean Beauty products can contain any FDA-approved synthetic, natural or naturally-derived cosmetic ingredient except those on the list above. Clean Beauty does not mean Natural.
Clean Beauty products are Vegan. Incorrect: Clean Beauty standards allow some animal-derived ingredients such as Lanolin, Beeswax, Honey, Cholesterol and Keratin.
Clean Beauty ingredients must be sustainably sourced. Incorrect: While most brands strive to use ingredients that are sustainably sourced in Clean Beauty products, this is not always possible
Clean Beauty ingredients and products are Cruely-Free and are not tested on animals. Correct: While the US does not prohibit testing cosmetic products on animals as does the EU and India, it would be a very rare instance where a Clean Beauty brand would test its products on animals, and if so, would probably be denied Clean Beauty certification.
Clean Beauty products are more safe than cosmetic products that do contain ingredients on the Prohibited List. Incorrect: The FDA requires that all cosmetic products must be safe for human use. All cosmetic products must undergo stability testing and preservative challenge testing. The recently enacted MoCRA now requires that all cosmetic product must undergo Safety Substantiation testing. Clean Beauty products do not contain any of the ingredients on the Prohibited List that some consumers do not want to be exposed to.
Clean Beauty products are less safe than cosmetic products that do contain ingredients on the Prohibited List. Incorrect: It is the responsibility of cosmetics manufacturers to ensure that their products are safe for use. While some may argue that Clean Beauty products use preservatives that are less effective than those allowed in Clean Beauty products, that does not make Clean Beauty products less safe as there are preservatives and preservation-boosting ingredients allowed in Clean Beauty products that are effective. “Less Safe” and “More Safe” are relative terms that are not quantified. The key criteria is if the product passes preservative challenge testing and consumer safety studies to be deemed “safe for use.”
So that’s it … Clean Beauty products cannot contain any of the ingredients on the Prohibited List, nothing less, nothing more. Full stop.
Clean Beauty products contain synthetic, natural and naturally-derived ingredients. Some ingredients are sustainably-sourced, some are vegan, most all Clean Beauty products are Cruelty-Free. These are all desirable attributes of Clean Beauty products, but the defining requirement is that they cannot contain any of the ingredients on the Prohibited List.