Similar to the word ‘sustainable’ being tossed around loosely when we talk about beauty products, terms like clean, natural, and organic are used way too often. The result? They’ve lost their meaning. The absence of any standard definitions leads us to one of the biggest problems we’re dealing with in the beauty industry: Fear mongering. Chemicals are not bad. There you go! Everything is chemical, including water! Brands these days are marketing their products as clean and chemical-free in an attempt to lure consumers.
If you’re someone who reads product labels, you know what we mean. And if you haven’t, you must get to it! It always helps to know exactly what you’re applying on your skin, despite whatever the brand claims. To know what you’re using is important and to look at it from a brand’s marketing perspective is even more essential.
If you’re confused by the terms clean, organic and natural on every other beauty product, we’re going to try and demystify this for you.
Clean Beauty
The term ‘clean’ doesn’t have a strict definition in the beauty space but it commonly implies that products are non-toxic. Brands give it the definition that suits them. For example, some focus on the ingredients that aren’t in the formula like parabens whereas others highlight the fact that their packaging is minimal, recycled or biodegradable. Basically, think about eating clean. That usually excludes processed and packaged foods, right? Clean beauty is usually plant-based eco-friendly and not harmful to the environment or humans.
Organic Beauty
Products that are labelled as organic are generally made using ingredients that are grown without using any pesticides or fertilizers or any genetically modified organisms (GMOs). They also don’t contain any artificial fragrances and colours and are free from sulfates, parabens and silicones. However, this term isn’t regulated but there are independent bodies like COSMOS and ECO-cert that provide certification to beauty brands that provide all the necessary paperwork to prove that their products are organic.
Natural Beauty
These products are made using ingredients that are derived from natural sources like plants, marine life, bacteria, fungi, or animals. Just like ‘organic beauty’ this term isn’t regulated and often we see brands touting their products as ‘good and better’ than the rest because they’re natural. If a product claims to be natural, it probably does not contain sulphates, silicones, parabens, mineral oils or any petroleum by-products.