As a brand owner and extreme skincare enthusiast, it’s always interesting to observe what’s happening in the skincare industry: the trends, the new product releases, the claims by other brands, who’s influencing what, the changes in policies around ingredients and packaging….the list goes on.
I often find myself taking a deep breath as I digest some of the rhetoric, wondering how we got here? or conversely, how fantastic to see this or that change? Either way, it’s an ever-changing landscape that I remain glued to.
In recent times, the term ‘clean beauty’ is one that’s used more and more, and one that I’ve also found increasingly deceptive. To the casual observer, this term suggests purity, health, wellness and higher beauty standards, however if one were to challenge this concept, even at surface level, it would become obvious just how many brands are insincerely masquerading under the banner of ‘clean beauty’.
To be crystal clear, I am a huge advocate of any brand that works hard to create authentically great products that value-add to the consumer experience however in my world of cosmetic chemistry, integrity and transparency are everything, primarily because of the dire consequences of misinformation and worse, unsafe formulations. That’s why I thought I’d attempt to set the record straight by busting a few myths to help guide you to make clearer choices around skincare claims.
What’s ‘clean beauty’ and why is this term so misleading?
According to my most recent AI search, ‘clean beauty’ generally refers to products that are formulated with ingredients that are considered ‘non-toxic’ and ‘environmentally friendly’. Such products prioritise natural and sustainable ingredients while avoiding potentially harmful ‘chemicals’, or perhaps more accurately ‘synthetic’ ingredients, because after all (strictly speaking), all elements are chemicals if you want to get technical. But you know what I mean!
Many consumers are now mindful of what they’re putting into and onto their bodies driven to make better choices in relation to their health and the environment.
The lack of industry standards regarding the term ‘clean beauty’ means that increasing numbers of brands are marketing their products as pure and natural when they are far from. This in turn leads to consumer ambiguity and confusion.
So, what’s ‘greenwashing’ then?
As consumers become increasingly motivated to purchase ‘clean’ cosmetics and skincare, the beauty industry has proportionally increased its use of misleading marketing claims to match.
The term ‘greenwashing’ is a relatively new term that describes consumer brain washing that some brands deploy to represent their products as healthy in order to make sales to the uneducated or unsuspecting, often when products are not ‘clean’ at all but instead contain inconsequential proportions of natural ingredients, sometimes less than 1% of the total ingredient list.
Terms such as ‘natural’ and ‘eco-friendly’ are bandied around without any concrete evidence to substantiate such claims.
Greenwashing capitalises on growing consumer demand for natural products with no genuine commitment to health or sustainability.
Sadly, no standards exist in the beauty industry that clearly articulate what 'natural' means, thus the term ‘natural’ is not regulated. The result? Many companies are making garbage claims without repercussion.
As a brand owner I find this worrying, deceptive and irresponsible.
Does ‘natural’ mean ‘safe’?
If you take anything from this blog, it should be that ‘natural’ doesn’t mean that it’s better for you or safe. It’s not uncommon to hear stories of skin irritation from poorly formulated or skincare; one simply can’t assume that natural equates to better, so be mindful!
At Indira Organics we regularly test our products to ensure they’re safe for use, ensuring we use safe levels of active ingredients that maintain the skin’s barrier. Other brands are not so thorough which is concerning for all, so you must do your homework.
Our policy on ‘clean’, ‘green’ and ‘organic’?
Every choice we make regarding ingredients, packaging, marketing claims etc. is intentional and a deep reflection of how we operate as people and the love and care we have for others, our world and the environment.
Here’s how we show our genuine commitment to the environment and the health of our consumers:
- We exist to provide highly effective skincare solutions using the purest ingredients available, in responsible packaging that’s either fully recyclable or made from 100% recycled material (where accessible to us, given our relatively small buying-power compared to corporates).
- We prioritise Australian botanical ingredients that are backed by clinical data proving their positive effect on skin health and improvement.
- We incorporate certified organic ingredients where available (where most of our products contain a minimum of 90% certified organic ingredients), as well as carefully created blends of essential oils that have functional benefits for the skin and enhance the skin’s barrier.
- We are dedicated to small batch production that prioritises quality and freshness over quantity and mindless turnover for the sake of more sales.
- We only use ingredients that you will recognise including oils, butters and other botanical ingredients, and steer away from synthetic ingredients that may be considered toxic to the body based on scientific studies and data that exists.
- Whilst it’s imperative to use ingredients such as emulsifiers, preservatives and antioxidants for the efficacy and stability of our products, these ingredients are as close to nature as possible.
As consumers it behoves us all to stay informed.
Ultimately a safe beauty product is the best kind of beauty product, but why not also choose one that’s brimming with nourishing oils and butters and topped up with botanical actives that improve your skin and overall health?
Discover your best skin naturally with Indira Organics.