Beauty tips: Key features to consider while switching to clean beauty products

Clean beauty has seen enormous growth over the past couple of years, however, we finally have made a place for clean beauty products in our makeup cabinet. For the longest time, the idea of sumptuous packaging, gold-engraved brand names on bright cardboard, pimple patches and sheet masks had held us back from making a switch.

Clean beauty is the latest buzzword in the beauty industry and is embracing much-needed changes thanks to conscious customers and currently, the beauty market is flooded with products claiming to be under the clean beauty category. However, customers should properly understand the term clean beauty before jumping on this trendy bandwagon and buying products made with ethically sourced ingredients.

With the entire world coming to a standstill owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, terms like cruelty-free, sustainable and organic are finally getting the attention they deserve. There has been a growing demand to incorporate wellness into beauty, prompting brands to start a new venture amidst the pandemic and witness a rapid increase in sale volume.

With real-life reviews and a passion for skincare that puts the emphasis on ingredients, skincare, beauty and lifestyle influencers have started vouching for a higher rate of adoption. As a result, consumers’ adoption rate has increased and clean beauty can be the next industry to rise aggressively after EV and Bitcoins.

Understanding your own skin type is of utmost importance before starting any new skin care regime and you need to pay close attention to how your skin looks and feels when you feed it with certain nutrients. Switching to clean beauty products will do wonders for your skin health but it won’t lead to the right results if they don’t have the right ingredients that match your skin type.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Merin Liza Jacob, Co-Founder of Green and Beige, explained, “Clean beauty is that which does not make our home dirty. Our bodies and the earth we live on are the two homes we can never replace if damaged. Clean beauty does not contain any ingredient whose continued usage will any way impair the health of our skin and our bodies. And they are devoid of ingredients that are procured by desecrating the environment or whose wash off accumulates in water bodies or soil and kills them.”

Mihir Gadani, Co-Founder of OZiva, suggested, “One of the most important things to keep in mind while switching to clean beauty products is to review each ingredient mentioned in the label of the product to know their potential positive and negative effects on your skin especially when you are a beginner. The more knowledge you acquire about the ingredients and the quantity of usage, the easier it will become for you to adapt to the clean beauty products. Some of the most notorious ingredients to avoid are Sulphates, Parabens, Phthalates, heavy metals like lead. You should also keep an eye out for the usage of artificial fragrances as they can cause skin irritation, rashes and others.”

He added, “For eg: Plant-based Salicylic Acid is great for oily and acne-prone skin however, it is not recommended for people with extremely dry skin, as the ingredient works towards reducing sebum production. Dry skin usually has decreased levels of sebum production. So always keep in mind to pick clean beauty products with ingredients that support your skin type. Each brand and formula works differently, from person to person. Always do a patch test before trying out a new product.”

Talking about the efficacy of clean beauty products, “The growing popularity of clean beauty has led to newer brands and products being launched frequently. However it would be incorrect to assume that all clean beauty products provide effective results as efficacy depends on various factors and not just the absence of harmful or toxic chemicals. So, always do your research before opting for a new product or brand to ensure that you are able to get maximum benefits from the same. Few factors to look out for are presence of bioactive ingredients, clinically proven actives amongst others.”

According to Dolly Kumar, Cosmetic Engineer and Founder of Skinella, clean beauty isn’t just a modern-day luxury trend and it is a pressing need for the planet and its constituents. The beautiful thing about clean beauty products are that they are extremely beneficial for the skin keeping the environment and sustainability aspect intact.

She revealed, “One of the most significant differences between clean beauty products and chemical based products are that the former are made without any harsh substances which might be harmful for the skin in the long run and the environment too. Transparency is a key factor impacting our daily choices, especially while choosing something for our skin. One must make sure they read the back label carefully, because many products have confusing ingredient lists or undisclosed compositions like ‘fragrance, sulphate, and alcohol,’ which could contain several toxins. A product containing ingredients linked to hormone disruption, cancer risk and organ toxicity are not considered clean and it becomes a matter of serious health concern, though it might have fast results.”

She added, “Contrary to popular belief, the presence of a product on a pharmacy or high-end department store’s shelf does not equate with harmlessness. Furthermore, the price tag doesn’t guarantee its quality or safety either. In fact, there’s a laundry list of harmful elements in the beauty products, particularly in the hygiene ones we use daily. Thus, thoroughly reviewing each component before using a product is essential. Familiarise yourself with the products and their adverse effects on your health, especially in the beginning. When transitioning to a clean beauty routine, you must constantly learn about your skin. Pay close attention to how your skin looks and feels when you feed it certain nutrients and formulas.”

Detoxing your existing beauty routine can be much easier if you make these small changes:

– Natural deodorant – Unlike your regular deodorants and antiperspirants, natural deodorants are aluminium-free. They remove all the chemicals blocking your sweat glands, making you smell better.

– Clean lipstick – You consume a large proportion of what you put on your lips. With conventional lipstick, you eat hazardous dyes such as petroleum and plasticizers. Hence, one should always opt for naturally formulated lip tints or balms.

– Clean shampoo – Hair products are filled with toxins that can damage your hair and scalp permanently. Using clean shampoos will not strip your hair of its natural oils as they do not contain industrial sulphates.

– Clean exfoliants/scrubs – There is a common misconception that clean beauty is less powerful but in reality, it is the opposite of that. Instead of fillers and texturizers, using clean exfoliants and scrubs will give you the goodness of active ingredients that reach the deepest parts of your pores and clean them safely.

Hitesh Dhingra, Founder of The Man Company, highlighted, “While there’s no set definition of clean beauty, it is widely considered unadulterated and free of harmful chemicals, parabens and sulphates. Customers should keep a few things in mind to evaluate clean beauty products. Foremost, natural ingredients do not remain scented for long. Only a chemically preservative formula may have a long fragrance consistency. Apart from this, it is crucial to know your skin if you want the product to deliver what it claims. Each brand and product works differently from person to person. Understand your skin texture and needs, and most importantly, be gentle with it. Do not, under any circumstances, experiment on the skin, at least not without consulting a professional.”