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What does ‘Clean Beauty’ mean?
We’re always thinking healthy and keeping track of the food that enters our system, whether it means sanitising products till they are squeaky clean or skimping on junk food. But when it comes to our bodies, do we mindlessly lather our skin with beauty products? And do we know the effects that these products can have on our skin?
Well, in the beauty industry, ‘clean beauty’ is a statement that seems to be getting more popular by the day. Some may even say it’s the biggest trend of the decade. However, we think that sustainable practices and clean ingredients should be more than just a trend or a catch phrase targeted towards “woke” consumers. There should be merit behind your purchases as you decipher ingredients and labels to find what’s good for you, your skin and the planet.
So what is clean beauty? In a nutshell, clean makeup and skincare products made without the use of ingredients that are harmful for human health. However, clean beauty also means high-performance products that don’t expect you to compromise but leave you looking and feeling your prettiest. And now with even more options than ever before, it is easy to find a natural version of your favorite skin care, makeup, and hair care products.
What are the harmful ingredients in cosmetics and beauty products?
From parabens, phthalates, and sulfates to oxybenzone, triclosan, hydroquinone, and artificial fragrances, these nasty beauty words are fear-inducing enough to Marie Kondo your beauty shelves. In simple terms, these harmful chemicals in cosmetics range from carcinogens (ingredients that cause cancer) to endocrine-disruptors (causing hormonal imbalances) and fetal-developmental toxins.
How do these actually affect our bodies? Everyday toxins and pollutants affect your endocrine system. These toxic chemicals in cosmetics disrupt our hormonal functions and cause birth defects, illnesses, hormonal breakouts, irregular periods and even cancer. Triclosan is an antibacterial ingredient that is currently registered as a pesticide and can pose risks to our health and the environment. Phthalates are linked to birth defects and miscarriages, while parabens used in alot of skincare products are closely linked to breast tumors. When you read the term “fragrance” on the back of a label, there are most likely phthalates. In fact, fragrance on its own can also be a trigger for allergies and asthma attacks.
Mineral oil and paraffin – a widely used moisturizing agent sourced from petroleum is mostly found in lip balms and face creams and contain harmful chemicals for skin. There are about a thousand reasons to avoid petroleum products from an environmental point of view but there are health concerns as well. Untreated or mildly treated mineral oils used in manufacturing are listed as carcinogens by the World Health Organization, and the amount of these chemicals entering your body through the years can be quite staggering, posing a serious health risk.
So, what are clean beauty products?
This brings us to clean beauty ingredients! Safe for people and the planet, clean beauty means that a product puts into consideration human and environmental health first, by using non-toxic elements and plant based ingredients for performance based results. Just like eating clean rejects the idea of processed and junk food, the same is true for beauty. So when a beauty product is labeled non toxic, it means that the ingredients have not been proven to cause adverse health effects at the levels found inside the formula and mentioned for use.
Natural beauty products describe the purity of ingredients where the formulations are pure with nature-derived ingredients and without synthetics. When you say green beauty, it means that the products have been created without doing any harm to the environment. This also means biodegradable packaging or simply being able to reuse or refill containers. A vegan beauty product is one that is cruelty-free and doesn’t contain any animal by-products or ingredients sourced from animals. And when a product’s ingredients and formula are produced without harmful pesticides, it is termed as an organic beauty product.
What are the benefits of clean beauty products?
The use of plants as a source of nourishment and to protect our skin is really not new. Before we embraced serums, moisturisers and conditioners, people used fruits, vegetables, grain and herbs. And most of today’s beauty products are based on these wholesome ingredients. With scientific research deep diving into the topical benefits of plants growing from strength to strength, researchers are discovering that specific botanical extracts can even surpass their lab-grown counterparts. Clean cosmetics are even more effective than regular products because there is no separating, converting, or filtering that the body has to do to break them down. It can be absorbed as biocompatible. And you can get the desired results without any side effects. This also means stronger resistance to disease, less toxins entering your body, better organ function, no skin irritations, and a lower risk of cancer and hormonal imbalance.
What are the products one should use for a completely clean beauty lifestyle?
If a product is intended to stay on your skin all day such as a moisturiser or if it covers a large area of your body, like a body lotion, you should switch to a cleaner alternative soon. You can start by finding a natural replacement for your daily sunscreen, hand soap and serum. Then slowly move to a cleaner shampoo, conditioner, skin care, and makeup products.
When it comes to makeup look for clean makeup products with skincare benefits – products that care for your skin, repair and restore while giving off great colour. Steer clear of harmful chemicals in beauty products used on a daily like parabens that are aplenty in face washes, night creams, makeup, masks, and shampoos. Lead – a heavy metal and neurotoxin can mostly be found in lipsticks, lip glosses and lip balms and can cause serious behavioral and learning problems.
How do we choose clean beauty ingredients?
At Kiro, we believe in makeup that’s gentle and made with integrity. All our products perform with rich colour and gorgeous texture. Every product undergoes rigorous research and is tested for efficacy, so you can get the desired results – gentle and effective, luxurious and conscientious. None of the products are tested on animals, contain animal ingredients or harmful cosmetic ingredients. We are a transparent and clean beauty brand and have created a long list of nasties that are completely eliminated from all our make-up and formulations. With safety at the core of what we do, our clean beauty products are also skincare powerhouses with super ingredients such as plant oils like jojoba, avocado and rosehip oil filled with anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals that will make you feel good and look good. Our clean cosmetics are loaded with skincare benefits to repair and restore, our makeup contains Vitamin C and E that help reverse the signs of aging only to promise a softer, natural glow.
A healthy and happy person reflects their most beautiful self and clean beauty fits this philosophy since it binds the concepts of wellbeing and beauty. Afterall, beauty is not achieved through glossy smooth skin or living up to the definition of perfect but is achieved by nurturing your skin and caring for your body. Thus, the clean beauty industry with its skincare beauty products and organic makeup products is driven to create effective and nourishing botanical formulations for better well-being.
