For many months now I have made the commitment to find out the difference between “clean, green, toxic-free, cruelty-free and natural beauty” labels. These words are tossed around everywhere these days, and what do they really mean? It seems like everyone is looking for that natural form of skincare and beauty products to lessen their exposure to silicones, parabens, synthetic fragrances (with phthalates), synthetic dyes, formaldehyde, sulfates, etc.
These terms are often used incorrectly unfortunately (beauty brands are highly unregulated and can say anything they want about their products really, even if its isn’t true), and so let’s cut the BS and get down to what this all really means.
MY PROMISE TO YOU
Not only have I been in the natural health field for 10+ years, I have experience in product development, sourcing safe non-toxic ingredients, and spend a great deal of time researching products and ingredients. Everything I write about here or on social media, or recommend to my patients is 100% research based and honest. I want you to be able to walk into a store, supermarket, beauty shop, or go online, and choose your own products because you KNOW what is in it, and that it’s healthy for you and your skin (or your baby’s skin for that matter).
GLOSSARY OF BEAUTY TERMS
Okay, so let’s talk about what these terms actually mean.
NATURAL BEAUTY
This term is used quite freely in the beauty and skincare industry. Legally, it really means nothing, but the companies are simply trying to state that they are using the most natural (botanical) or plant-derived ingredients available. This usually means that they are free from unwanted chemicals such as synthetics and preservatives and sourced from the earth (wherever possible) - but not always. A company could use this term to describe their product which is 90% naturally derived but contains synthetic phthalates (No thanks!). Note: Natural does not always = Vegan.
Also, know that “natural” isn’t always a good thing (e.g. ethanol is natural, but using a large quantity in skincare can have a strong drying effect on the skin).
VEGAN
Most are looking for vegan products and products that do not use animal testing. Recently, MAC makeup was found to pay for animal testing in China. The Chinese government required MAC — as they do with all importers of cosmetics — to pay for animal testing as part of the registration process (AHHH, feel my heart crush). When looking at labels, you may not see animal products evident in the ingredients. However, if you see the colorants like crimson lake, carmine lake, C.I. 75470 or natural red 4 this is NOT Vegan. It is made from boiling beetles! Poor beetles. Anything yogurt-based or containing beeswax is also NOT vegan. Natural, Yes, but not Vegan.
Vegetarian = Free of animal products, however animal by-products such as milk, honey or beeswax can still be used.
Vegan = No animal by-products whatsoever.
CLEAN BEAUTY
Just like Natural Beauty, legally this term means nothing, and unfortunately there is no governing body controlling the use of the term. Simply put, companies use this term to state that they use products that are safe, free of hormone disruptors and other chemicals that may cause inflammation or irritation to the skin, or cause bodily harm (ie. cancers). These ingredients can be natural or synthetically derived. Remember that just because something is natural doesn’t mean it is safe, and something synthetic can be absolutely safe (e.g. hyaluronic acid which is lab-derived but perfectly safe).
When this term is used, you can hope that the products are free from sulfates, synthetic dyes, PEG compounds, phthalates, parabens, etc.
Download the Think Dirty app, which rates makeup and skincare products on a scale of 1-10, from safer to toxic.
TOXIN-FREE OR NON-TOXIC
This term is used in conjunction with Clean Beauty and simply means the same thing. Free from chemicals, and hormone disrupting compounds that can be unsafe for human use.
Check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database to check into the brands you are curious about.
CHEMICAL FREE
Okay, so let’s be real. It is damn near impossible to have products that are “chemical free”. Water is made from hydrogen and oxygen (two chemicals). Alright alright, OBVIOUSLY we aren’t talking about water here, but you get my drift. This term is thrown around A LOT and instills fear in a lot of consumers. Usually used as a marketing ploy. However, these company’s products are free from harmful chemicals like phthalates, parabens, sulfates, BPA, etc.
GREEN BEAUTY
My FAVOURITE beauty term. This one is important to me. These products are good for the environment and the company may donate time or money or raise awareness for environmental initiatives. They usually use recycled materials in their packaging, less waste, refrain from using plastic containers or styrofoam for their products, compostable, sustainably sourced, and may use environmentally friendly industry practices such as using solar or wind powered alternatives. ALL HAIL! Check out Green Beauty Team, for green beauty product inspiration.
ORGANIC BEAUTY
This term is actually highly regulated within the US and Canada, having a Certified Organic symbol. The ingredients used are grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, inorganic fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Remember that “organic” and “certified organic” are different. If the certified organic symbol is not present on their product, they have not been approved as Organic. Usually 95% of the ingredients have to be organic in order to be eligible for certification. Be weary of those products that use “organic” for marketing: “Contains 90% organic ingredients” —> ok great! But what the heck is the other 10%?
ECOCERT
Another thing I LOVE to see on products because it actually means something. ECOCERT standard is that 95% of the ingredients must be plant-based and 10% by weight must come from organic practices. These products must also be free of parabens, GMOs, phenoxyethanol, nanoparticles, silicones, PEG compounds, synthetic perfumes and dyes, and animal-derived ingredients (except milk and honey). The packaging must be recyclable.
CRUELTY-FREE
An honest statement (hopefully). You can be sure there has been no animal testing or harm to animals at any point in the creation process. PETA and Leaping Bunny are two organizations that offer cruelty-free certification. Cruelty-free products can be (but aren’t always) vegan. Cruelty-free generally speaks to the process by which a product is created, while vegan refers to product ingredients. Look for the Leaping Bunny logo, PETA’s cruelty-free or cruelty-free and vegan logo, or the Choose Cruelty-Free logo when shopping.
GLUTEN FREE
Surprised to see this on your label? Many beauty and skincare products use wheat-based ingredients as hydration or cleansing agents (e.g. hydrolyzed wheat protein or wheat germ oil). Don’t panic though, it’s kind of useless. Gluten molecules are too large to cross the skin barrier, which means you aren’t absorbing it anyway. Just be cautious if these ingredients are in any products that can enter your body through mouth, eyes or vaginal tissues (e.g. toothpaste, lipsticks, shampoo or conditioner running down your body in the shower, mascara, etc). If you are not Celiac or gluten sensitive you should be able to use gluten-containing products without harm.
SYNTHETIC INGREDIENTS
Synthetic chemicals are made by humans using methods different than those nature uses, and these chemical structures may or may not be found in nature. A synthetic chemical can be made from a natural product (i.e. naturally derived). Though I don’t like synthetic ingredients, they do have their benefits (i.e. more humane and sustainable). Just because it is made in a lab doesn’t mean it’s bad (but of course there are harmful synthetics too). For example, a natural form hyaluronic acid is normally made from animal by-products (ie. farming industry $$), while a vegan synthetic form made from plants is produced in a lab causing NO HARM to these poor creatures.
HYPOALLERGENIC
The FDA claims there are no Federal standards or definitions that govern the use of this term. The term simply means whatever the company wants it to mean. Well that’s misleading. So be weary. Hypoallergenic does not necessarily mean that you cannot react to this product, it just simply does not contain the most common known allergens.
If you suspect that you have an allergy to a makeup ingredient or particular product, perform a patch test. Apply the product to a small area of forearm skin, and wait for 48 hours to notice signs of irritation (i.e. redness, itching, swelling, hives, eczema or stinging).
NON-COMEDOGENIC AND OIL-FREE
Comedogenic is a term used among beauty companies to describe an ingredient that may be pore clogging and cause comedomes (acne - white heads). A company cannot be truly sure that their products are non-comedogenic. Any ingredient can cause acne, and what may cause acne in one person does not cause it in another. Even oil-free products cause Acne, and oil does not necessarily cause acne either (misleading information). Castor and Hemp oils are two oils that are amazing for fighting acne and clogged pores.
NON-GMO
Products made with ingredients that have not been genetically modified. Keep in mind that any certified organic ingredients are by definition non-GMO.
