‘Clean Beauty' – What Does It Really Mean?

The term ‘clean beauty' has become a buzzword in recent years and is rapidly gaining momentum in the skin care industry. The demand for clean beauty products is driving a major change in the world of cosmetics.

But what exactly is clean beauty? Often, people get confused and find it hard to identify the real meaning of the term. If you know what clean eating is, you probably understand the term "clean beauty." Clean eating refers to a diet full of fresh, organic, and sustainable foods; clean beauty refers to the cosmetic products that are free from toxic ingredients. These include, but are not limited to, parabens, sulfates, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), toluene, triclosan, artificial fragrances/parfum, PEG compounds, BHT, BHA, formaldehydes, phthalates, mineral oil, polyethylene and polypropylene (microbeads), metallic aluminum, chemical sunscreens (oxybenzone, avobenzone, and octinoxate), and DEA-related ingredients, all of which may cause harmful health effects, lead to skin irritation, or damage the environment.

While conscious consumerism has begun trending only recently, Synergie’s founder and chief formulator, cosmetic chemist Terri Vinson was ahead of her time. Right from the start, over 15 years ago, Terri understood that what she kept out of the products was as important as what was included, prompting her to create a range of clean beauty products backed by a standard that ensures thoughtful evaluation of ingredients used in its products. The company is transparent about revealing information about elements it uses for manufacturing beauty and skin care products for its end-users. Synergie Skin uses only ingredients that are ethically sourced, cruelty-free, and not on their long list of those that have questionable safety data or environmental impact. Synergie formulators combine cosmeceuticals (formulations that contain biologically active ingredients and are tested for effectiveness) with botanicals, vitamins and minerals, for Clean Science™ products created and manufactured in Melbourne, Australia, keeping in the mind the health of humans and the environment.

Skin Elegance is the US distributor of Synergie Skin's clean beauty products. Synergie Skin's products are completely free from controversial ingredients and are manufactured according to strict ISO standards. Here, we’ll reveal information on particularly crucial aspects related to beauty products.

Most Common Myths Related To The Formulation Of Clean Beauty

Undoubtedly, clean beauty cosmetics are gaining more attention nowadays. Here’s some common myths that will help you understand what to look for in cosmetics labelled as ‘clean beauty’ products.

Natural Products Are Always Clean

Nope… While some people think that that products consisting of all-natural ingredients should be considered clean, this is not necessarily the case. For example, talc is a natural product (and one that’s often used as a filler in mineral makeup) but it’s been shown to be contaminated with asbestos (also a natural product, but known to cause cancer). Lead is also a natural ingredient (and may contaminate certain red pigments), but it’s not an ingredient I’d like to have in my lipstick!

Laboratory-Produced Ingredients Can’t Be Clean

Not true! There are many amazing and safe cosmeceutical ingredients that are produced in the laboratory, which Synergie’s formulators include in its products. For example, for certain biological ingredients with proven benefits, it’s better to use mimics of them that are created more sustainably in the laboratory (which also ensures consistency of the ingredient). If vitamins are used in their pure form, then formulators can be confident that every batch of their vitamin product contains exactly the amount it should (rather than relying only on botanical ingredients for them, which may have differing amounts of the vitamin in different growing seasons.) These are just two examples, but there are plenty of other effective cosmeceutical ingredients that are ‘manufactured’ to maintain the stability and consistency of the formulation and ensure sustainability.

If It’s Not Organic, It Can’t Be Clean

Again, not the case! Many people are confused when it comes to differentiating the properties of clean products and organic products. Clean beauty products contain ingredients that are safe and sustainable – whether or not they are organic.

There is no proper definition for the term 'organic' as it applies to cosmetics or body care in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act.1 Organic beauty products contain ingredients that are grown, handled, and packaged as per the US Department of Agriculture standards.2

If a product is labelled as "includes organic ingredients" but doesn’t have the USDA stamp on it, then less than 70% of the ingredients are organic. If a product says it’s "made with organic ingredients", then at least 70% of the ingredients must be certified organic. Even those labelled "organic" with the UDSA organic stamp, may include up to 5% ingredients that are not organic. (Only those labelled "100% organic" and the stamp contain only organic ingredients.)

What’s more, even organic ingredients can cause problems. As the FDA website notes: "An ingredient’s source does not determine its safety. For example, many plants, whether or not they are organically grown, contain substances that may be toxic or allergenic"1 (cause allergies). Clean beauty products are not necessarily organic, but they can be. If you’re buying clean beauty products from a responsible manufacturer like Synergie, you can be assured that they are sourcing the best quality botanical ingredients, even if they’re not officially labelled organic.

How to Determine the Cleanliness of Clean Beauty Products?

If you want to purchase a clean beauty product, it’s helpful to get some knowledge about what ingredients to look out for, then read the label and make sure there’s nothing on the ingredient list that’s alarming. (It’s probably easier to learn about the ingredients that are harmful than the ones that are not.) This should help you make a better-informed decision. Dr. Tracey Lambert, the CEO of Skin Elegance International, has created a guide to help you understand cosmetic ingredients.

Why Synergie Skin Is A Great Clean Beauty Choice

All Synergie products (both skin care and makeup) are created, not just according to clean beauty standards, but to Clean Science™ standards. That means they are formulated with the best botanicals and laboratory-derived cosmeceutical ingredients with proven benefits for your skin – but without any ingredients with questionable effects on either your skin (irritation, sensitivity), your health (cancer causing, hormone disrupting), or the planet (microbeads, coral bleaching, etc). Synergie products strictly prohibit the use of parabens, phthalates, SLSs, PEGs, and other toxic ingredients, Also, Synergie is proudly certified cruelty-free and ensures its ingredients are ethically obtained ( such as mica in some of the makeup products).

Synergie provides a complete range of both skin care and makeup clean beauty products. They’re manufactured according to Synergie’s SEED principles, which means they are stable, effective, elegant to use, and deliver ingredients to the targeted site. Synergie Skin has everything you need for your skin routine: cleansers, essential vitamin serums, targeted serums, moisturizers and more. At Skin Elegance, you’ll find an extensive range of clean beauty skin care products by Synergie Skin for your diversified needs, from an anti-aging cream for men to anti-redness products for those with rosacea (and a lot more besides!). Check the products based on your skin concerns.

Synergie Minerals is an all-natural mineral makeup line that we call ‘intelligent makeup’, because every item does more than beautify – it benefits your skin too (e.g. with sunblock in the foundation or argan oil in the mascara). Synergie Minerals is a complete makeup line, with foundations, blushes, bronzers and highlighter, and eye, lip and brow products.

Whether for skin care or makeup, Synergie products make a great choice for the future of your skin health. For a wealth of information about Synergie products visit Skin Elegance now!

Sources:

1. https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-labeling-claims/organic-cosmetics
2. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Cosmetics-Body%20Care%20Products.pdf