The beauty industry is continually progressing—not just with the advancements made in technology or business, but with the processes, formulas, and ingredients in products. Today approximately 53% of consumers purchasing fast-moving consumer goods say the absence of undesirable ingredients is more important than the presence of beneficial ones, according to Neilsen’s 2018 report, “The Future of Beauty.” The latest movement in the industry looking to close this gap by offering quality products to meet these consumer expectations is clean beauty.

What is Clean Beauty?

The term “clean beauty” is not defined or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), thus leaving it open for interpretation. Despite the unregulated phrase, the movement looks to remove harmful substances from products, ultimately focusing on the safety rather than the source (meaning that synthetic ingredients are accepted as much as natural ones). However, most clean beauty products stay away from ingredients like sulfates, synthetic fragrances and phthalates, formaldehyde, and parabens.

Is Clean Beauty and Natural Beauty the Same?

Products that fall under the clean beauty category can be natural, but it’s not required. The term “clean” encompasses the idea that products do not contain any ingredients that are toxic or unsafe to use whereas “natural” only looks to ingredients derived from nature. Taking this into account, not all clean beauty products are natural because not all natural ingredients are safe (think mercury, lead, or poison ivy) and not all synthetics are unsafe.

Why has Clean Beauty Become a Trend?

The clean beauty movement is part of the much larger clean living movement where consumers are more conscious of not only the food they are consuming but also the beauty products they are using. Consumer interest and demand for products with safer ingredients has been the driving force behind the clean beauty movement.

Many brands and retailers have responded to customer concern by not only creating their definition of the term “clean” but by making it easier to identify these products by providing lists, implementing seals, and setting standards.

The clean beauty movement is projected to grow as more consumers seek safer alternatives of their beauty products, making it essential for brands and retailers to practice transparency with ingredients until regulators set a universal definition for the term “clean.” Visit Nectar today to research and find products that fall under the “clean” category.