Why Switch to Clean Beauty?

Have you noticed the term “clean beauty” has become the new buzz word in makeup? These two words are so much more than a catch phrase.

Have you noticed the term “clean beauty” has become the new buzzword in makeup? These two words are so much more than a catchphrase. They represent an evolution that has taken place in our industry which encompasses ingredients, manufacturing, testing and a world of other elements. Its standards require brands to leave out toxic ingredients and incorporate therapeutic ones, to harvest such ingredients in mindful ways, to test them inhumane ways, and to package them in responsible ways. Clean doesn’t just mean good for your body, it means sustainable for the environment and considerate to all creatures that live and will live in that environment. Let’s look at some reasons why switching to clean is a great decision.

Before Clean Beauty'

Like many makeup artists of the 80s, I didn’t get into the beauty industry with any consideration for ingredients or formulations. For me, it was all about the look. It didn’t matter what I was using to achieve a flawless complexion as long as the final results looked perfect. I worked for years without realizing the collateral damage that many of the products I was using had on the skin. Perhaps it was easy to be oblivious because so often my work was on photo shoots or productions working with models or actors that I would probably never see again. The funny thing is that it never occurred to me that healthy makeup might even exist until the late 90s when I started working with department store makeup brands and I began to hear the complaints of customers who would have reactions and breakouts from their purchases. When I started looking for healthier makeup brands, I realized how limited the options were. What I didn’t know at the time was that in 1994 while I was still using a makeup kit full of toxic products, a visionary woman named Jane Iredale was launching a brand that would forever change the way people looked at makeup. In 2003, my path was dramatically altered when I was introduced to her products and switched to clean beauty. 17 years later, I still consider myself her biggest fan.

The beautiful thing is that stories like mine are becoming more and more common every day. With makeup artists and consumers alike, it has become quite clear that we would all prefer cleaner formulas. We would all much rather see an ingredient label that doesn’t frighten or confuse us. And so, the beauty industry is being forced to change in order to meet the overwhelming demand for such products. The trade secrets of beauty professionals are no longer just about what colors or finishes they use. Ingredients have clearly become just as important. This is excellent considering how far we’ve all come in the beauty industry.

A Dark Toxic History of Beauty Products

In 1940, it was common to see toxic ingredients in cosmetics because no studies had ever been published about their long-term effects. The words “endocrine disruptor” had never even been uttered and wouldn’t be for another half-century. Many ingredients were not even known as toxic yet. By the 70s, a lot of harmful chemicals had been outlawed and cosmetic testing had become more stringent. And although technology had advanced for cosmetics production, an excess of archaic practices and ingredients stayed in place for decades to come. Even by the mid-90s, there wasn’t enough understanding of what ingredients such as parabens and phthalates were doing to our bodies. Luckily, people like Jane took it upon themselves to research ingredient lists, weed out the toxic ingredients that had been grandfathered in, and source healthier alternatives. This process of replacing bad compounds for good ones, doing testing that was far above FDA requirements, and seeking certification from organizations such as Ecocert raised the bar further than any company had ever raised it. Thus, the Clean Beauty Movement was set in motion.

I feel honored to be part of that evolution, but I must say that in the beginning, I couldn’t really see how to clean ingredients would make any difference in the skin. All I knew was that our makeup felt better on my skin than anything I’d ever worn before. Why was it so good? What I didn’t realize was there are many different facets is the creation of clean beauty products.

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