Clean Beauty: Trend, Marketing Hype, or Conscious Choice?
Today, the shelves of beauty stores are flooded with labels like clean beauty, non-toxic, natural, and eco-friendly. These buzzwords promise safety, purity, and better skin health. But what truly lies behind the term clean beauty — and is it really worth paying extra for this trendy label?
What Is Clean Beauty?
The concept of clean beauty has no strict legal definition. In general, it refers to products that:
- Avoid potentially harmful ingredients (such as parabens, sulfates, and phthalates),
- Feature “cleaner” formulas — often vegan or cruelty-free,
Focus on sustainable manufacturing and packaging.
However, standards vary dramatically from brand to brand. What one company labels as “clean” might be rejected by
another for not meeting its criteria.
Clean ≠ Natural
It’s important to note that clean beauty doesn’t always mean natural. Many clean brands rely on synthetic ingredients, but these are carefully selected and proven to be safe.
For example, synthetic vitamin C is often purer, more stable, and more effective than its natural counterpart extracted in unstable ways.
Marketing Strategy or True Care?
The rise of clean beauty was largely driven by consumer concerns — particularly the surge in sensitive skin, allergies, and the effects of overusing harsh skincare products. However, not every product stamped with “clean” is inherently better or safer.
At times, it’s simply a marketing play on fear — with brands demonizing “chemicals,” forgetting that everything in cosmetics (and nature) is made of chemicals.
A Mindful Approach
Clean beauty isn’t a magic cure, but it represents a step toward a more mindful approach to skincare. The ideal strategy is not to blindly trust labels but to:
- Study the ingredient list,
- Pay attention to how your skin reacts,
- Choose products that genuinely work for you.
In the end, the real power lies not in trendy labels but in being an informed and conscious consumer.
About the Author
Katya Rich is a licensed cosmetologist, beauty expert, hairstylist, and award-winning makeup artist. She is a regular participant in
Fashion Weeks in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Katya is the founder and lead artist of Rich Beauty Studio in San Francisco.
For more information, visit katyarich.com and follow her on Instagram: @katya.rich.makeup.
Team Credits:
Model: McKenzie Calvird
Photographer: Mo Barzegar
