“Clean” is the hottest buzzword in the beauty community (and other areas too), and honestly… I can’t stand it. I know there are people who are set on “going clean” or “detoxing”, and this post probably won’t change your mind, which I understand. This is for the people on the fence and considering doing this. Keep reading to learn why I won’t be going “clean” in 2020 (or anytime in the future tbh)
1. “Clean” isn’t a thing
If you take nothing else from this post, remember this: There’s no definition for “clean” when it comes to makeup, skincare, food, or anything else. Other marketing terms have actual regulations and definitions behind them in order to keep companies in check, and make sure consumers know what to expect… Clean is not one of them.
Think about the term “Organic” when used with food. The regulation from the USDA when it comes to using the word organic is that all the ingredients must be organic. To use the term “Certified Organic”, 95% of the ingredients must be organic. If buying organic is important to you, then seeing the terms “Organic” or “Certified Organic” on a label let you know exactly what you’re getting with that product.
There’s nothing like that in place when it comes to “clean” beauty, so you have no idea what the brand means when they say it, and whether or not their idea matches up with yours.
2. “Clean means natural, which means it’s better” – false
Natural doesn’t always mean safe! Think about arsenic, belladonna, lead, poison ivy – that one literally has poison in the name! There are natural products that are safe, and natural products that are unsafe. There are man-made, or synthetic, products that are safe, and there are synthetic products that are not safe.
Some of these natural ingredients may cause issues for some people and not others, like pollen and people who have allergies. I deal with allergies, so why would I want a product based on flowers that have the potential irritate me? Don’t assume that just because something is natural, it won’t cause you any issues because it could.
3. “Clean means chemical-free or non-toxic” – not possible
Another issue I have is that if you consider one product to be clean, that insinuates other products are dirty and unsafe and toxic, which IS NOT TRUE. There may be ingredients included that you personally choose not to use, but that doesn’t mean they are unsafe.
This is a case of basic science being ignored. Everything is a chemical. The number 1 rule of toxicology (the study of actual poisons) is the dose makes the poison. If you drink 2 cups of water in one sitting, you’ll be fine. If you drink 2 gallons in one sitting, it could be dangerous, but would you say that water is dangerous in general? Of course not! The amount is what makes it dangerous.
The method of administration is also important. If you drink water, you’re fine. If you inhale water, you’ll drown. See the difference? Those factors need to be taken into account when claiming that something is “toxic”.
Toxicity can also be different for each person. Someone deathly allergic to peanuts could say peanuts are toxic, because that’s true for them. Does that mean that no one should ever eat peanuts because ‘they’re toxic’? Nope, that’s not how it works.
Final Thoughts
If “going clean” is something you genuinely want to do, you should ask yourself a few questions. What does “clean” mean to you? Are there certain ingredients you don’t want included in your products (parabens, sulfates, phthalates, etc)? Do you want something that’s using ethically sourced ingredients? (Also, what do you consider “ethically sourced”?) Is there an ingredient you’re allergic or sensitive to that you want to make sure you avoid? Are you just buying this product because the brand is telling you their products are better and “safer” than other products? These brands are using the term “Clean” but they all mean something completely different by it, so how do you know what they mean unless you do research first?
At the end of the day, just remember: IT’S ALL MARKETING. If this is something you’re actually interested in doing or changing with your products, do your research and use reputable sources, not just marketing from the brand or random Youtube videos! If you don’t trust me, that’s totally fair- feel free to go look it up for yourself and make your own decisions.
Fearmongering and chemophobia are huge right now, and people are going to continue to use these tactics in order to get you to spend money with them instead of other places. Don’t let this happen to you! Not all chemicals are dangerous, science doesn’t have to be scary, and if you don’t understand something that’s based in science, there are plenty of scientists and toxicologists (like me!) out there ready to help break it down for you.
