We have some clean beauty swaps for you!
But what exactly is “clean beauty?”
There are a lot of opinions about that.
What Exactly Is Clean Beauty?
Clean beauty is not an official name. Clean beauty products are not regulated in any way, so there’s no proof that a product that claims it’s clean actually is.
In most cases, however, when beauty industry experts talk about clean beauty products, they’re talking about those that are made without ingredients that are harmful to human health or that may be irritating or toxic to sensitive skin.
Examples of these may include parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances. These chemicals may harm the skin or even the body when they are absorbed into the bloodstream.
Sometimes, clean beauty product manufacturers also claim that they have transparent labeling practices, meaning that all of the ingredients in their products are listed on the label.
This is important as sometimes not all the ingredients appear on the label. Several products list the word “fragrance” on the ingredient list, for example, but you don’t know what chemicals made up that fragrance—and there could be a lot of them.
That means you would be using something on your skin without knowing exactly what it is.
Clean beauty companies often claim to care about the environment, too, and to take steps during production and delivery to minimize their environmental impact. That may translate into more options for recycling, less waste, and more sustainable packaging.
Why Does Clean Beauty Matter?
Finding clean beauty products is a worthwhile endeavor because these products can affect your overall health.
Here are just a few facts to consider:
- Fragrances are often made up of cocktails of chemicals that can damage sensitive skin, cause skin irritation, and potentially harm your overall health.
- Other ingredients often included in skin care products have ties to allergic reactions, inflammation, hormone disruption, and even cancer.
- Some ingredients listed on the label can release (off-gas) other dangerous ingredients when you use the product. Quaternium-15, DMD hydantoin, ureas, glyoxal, and others, for example, can release formaldehyde, which is a known human carcinogen.
Though each beauty product contains only a small amount of potentially toxic ingredients, the problem is we use these products every day of our lives—sometimes multiple times a day—which means they can have a cumulative effect on us.
It’s much safer to choose products without these dangerous ingredients.
Why All the Fear Mongering About Clean Beauty?
Here at CV Skinlabs, we’re all about using clean beauty products. But we don’t—as some companies and individuals do—believe in fear-mongering.
You’ve probably seen some examples of this. While you were scrolling through Instagram, browsing the Internet, or walking through your local pharmacy or whole-foods store, you may have seen wild claims that seek to frighten you.
“These products are made with antifreeze!” one post may warn.
“Use this and you’ll get cancer!” another says.
Most of the time, these types of extreme claims are unproven, at best, and plain fear-mongering, at worse. These companies or individuals are trying to sell you a product, so they figure they can do that best if they convince you to be afraid, very afraid, of all other products.
There’s science and then there’s pseudoscience. At CV Skinlabs, we have always believed in the former. We took years to research our formulas to make sure they would be suitable for even the most sensitive skin types.
But we think that scaring people is unethical and potentially dangerous, so you won’t find any of that here. Instead, we simply wish to inform you of your choices and help you make the ones that will best suit your overall health.
Our Clean Beauty Swap Suggestions for Your Beauty Routine
As mentioned above, there is currently no regulated standard for clean beauty. That means any manufacturer can claim to be devoted to clean beauty principles whether they really are or not.
You have to do your research. Read the labels. Educate yourself on which ingredients to avoid.
Then check your cabinets and swap out those not-so-good-for-you brands for those that are far superior when it comes to creating healthy, youthful-looking skin.
Clean Beauty Swap# 1: Petrolatum Balms OUT, Our Restorative Skin Balm IN
If you use products like Aquaphor or Vaseline, you may not know that they contain petrolatum and mineral oil, as well as silicones, parabens, and fragrances. Petrolatum and mineral oil are derived from crude oil.
You may have heard that these products can contain contaminants linked to cancer. That was a concern at one time, but most of today’s products are believed to be made from pure and refined sources.
That doesn’t mean petroleum and mineral oil are good for your skin, however. While petrolatum helps prevent the evaporation of moisture from the skin, it can also clog pores and prevent other nourishing ingredients from getting into the skin.
Our Clean Beauty Alternative: Restorative Skin Balm
Our Restorative Skin Balm works like petrolatum in that it locks in moisture, but it also provides nourishing ingredients to the skin. These are breathable, non-clogging ingredients that, unlike petrolatum, won’t increase acne breakouts.
Instead, our balm provides soothing relief for dry, flaky, chafed skin, as well as for those with eczema, psoriasis, and rashy, itchy skin. It also promotes healing and helps shore up the skin’s moisture barrier to protect it from environmental aggressors.
Clean Beauty Swap #2: Chemical-Laden Face Moisturizer OUT, Calming Moisture IN
Your moisturizer is one of the main beauty products that you leave on your skin. (You don’t rinse it off.) That means at least some of the ingredients absorb into your body every time you apply it.
If your moisturizer is full of potentially harmful chemicals, you’re giving those chemicals a chance to get into your body every day when you apply your moisturizer.
It’s best to ditch those brands that contain chemical fragrances, parabens, petroleum-based ingredients, formaldehyde-releasing ureas, and preservatives, and replace them with our Calming Moisture.
Our Clean Beauty Alternative: Calming Moisture for Face, Neck, and Scalp
This lovely moisturizer, like all of our products, is 100 percent toxin-free, hypoallergenic, and fragrance-free. On the other hand, it’s full of plant-based antioxidants, plumping lipids, and natural extracts to help combat damage and delay aging while supporting natural healing and protecting the skin barrier.
Perfect for all skin types, Calming Moisture will leave your skin smooth, clear, radiant, and refreshed.
Clean Beauty Swap #3: Alcoholic Toner OUT, Our Rescue + Relief Spray IN
We highly recommend that you continue using a toner in your daily skincare routine. It can help pick up any dirt and grime that your cleansing left behind, while better preparing your skin to accept a moisturizer.
Unfortunately, many conventional toners contain alcohol, ureas, parabens, fragrances, and more that can disrupt your natural skin barrier and pH level, dry out your skin, cause irritation, and even create an imbalance in your skin’s microbiome.
Even some of those more “natural” micellar water or cooling spray products may contain these types of toxic ingredients.
Our Clean Beauty Alternative: Rescue + Relief Spray
We offer a much cleaner option for toning, cooling, and refreshing your skin. Our Rescue + Relief Spray is made without all those damaging ingredients yet it works great for toning, hydrating, and soothing acne-prone and irritated skin.
Clinically proven to relieve irritated skin and leave behind a radiant glow, this product is pH balanced and won’t clog your pores. It’s even won awards for its ability to provide hydrating moisture while minimizing redness and encouraging repair.
Clean Beauty Swap #4: Petrolatum/Silicone-Filled Body Lotion OUT – Our Body Repair Lotion IN
The skin on your body deserves a non-toxic product as much as the skin on your face. Perhaps even more so, as the skin on your body creates a much larger surface for absorbing ingredients than the small amount of skin on your face.
Unfortunately, many manufacturers fill conventional body creams with mineral oil, parabens, fragrances, preservatives, and other potentially harmful ingredients. Even some brands that advertise themselves as having “natural” ingredients will sometimes include these harsher chemicals. (Always read labels.)
Our Clean Beauty Alternative: Body Repair Lotion
Relieve dry, itchy, and even eczema-prone skin with this fragrance-free, deeply hydrating lotion. It replenishes and soothes dry skin while immediately restoring comfort and radiance.
Instead of absorbing chemicals, your body will soak in our Tri-Rescue Complex (a blend of turmeric, alpha-bisabolol, and reishi mushroom) to help tame inflammation and encourage repair.
You’ll also enjoy super moisturizing, collagen-boosting beta-glucan and St. John’s wort, as well as calming calendula and aloe. Your skin is left feeling soft and smooth with a radiant glow.
Have you made any clean beauty swaps lately?
