The Rise of Clean Beauty: Navigating the World of Non-Toxic Skincare

The movement towards "clean" and "sustainable" skincare has been attracting more attention. But what does it actually mean for a brand to have "clean" ingredients? What ingredients should be avoided? And how can we as consumers manage personal needs and health risks?

In this post, we will begin to dive into what "clean" and "toxic" ingredients actually are, and how to manage personal and environmental risk.

But continue reading at your own risk, you may never be able to look at an ingredient label the same way again...

What ingredients are Toxic?

The list of ingredients known to pose internal and external health risks is ever growing, so it may be helpful to divide them into some categories:

1. Safe in their "pure" form

Some of the most commonly known "bad" ingredients are only dangerous because of potential impurities. For example, Polyethylene glycols (PEGs), are generally considered safe and nontoxic in their molecular form. When they have impurities, however, they have been considered carcinogenic (cancer causing). Many companies will claim to use only the safest form of their ingredients. But as consumers, there is no way to know what shortcuts they may be taking, so it may be best to avoid PEGs all together.

2. AVOID

Ingredients falling into this category are typically what you'll see printed on the front of a label after a "free off:" claim. These compounds have been well researched and thus their negative side effects are well known and easy to find. It is, however, important to note that many still consider them "safe in small concentrations". Two common examples include:

• Parabens: Can be very irritating to skin and carcinogenic

• Sulfates: Can leave residue in the body's vital organs and overly strip and damage the skin

3. Microplastics / Nanoparticles

Being the newest member of the "toxic" family, this category has only just come to consumers' attention and lacks regulations and certifications that you may find in group two. Many regulatory agencies have only very recently begun looking into the harmful effects of microplastics, but there is research out there about it, so here is a quick summary:

Microplastics & nanoparticles can be ingested in a number of ways, but they are a challenge in skincare because they are so small that they can penetrate the skin's barrier and enter the bloodstream. This poses a number of health threats such as cancer, gene / DNA damage, damage to vital organs, etc.

Microplastics are slightly harder to identify on an ingredient list, but some common ones include: polyacrylates, acrylates, copolymers, and polypropylene.

All of these groups should be, for the most part, avoided. However, we also want to use the most effective and fitting products for our skin, which may indeed have some of these ingredients.

Evaluating risk vs. effectiveness

For most, if not all, of us, the products we use and enjoy will inevitability have some ingredients that could be harmful (if used consistently for long periods of time). It is therefore a difficult balance, how do I find products that do xyz for my skin, feel good, AND don't have any problematic ingredients? This is not easy to find, and may be impossible depending on individual needs.

I have spent many hours trying to find such products that fit my routine, and will be providing recommendations going forward to the best of my ability. In addition, I welcome any and all questions you may have, and will be answering questions in the form of these blog posts.

Please leave any recommendations and questions for me!

*I am NOT a licensed esthetician or dermatologist. Please seek one out for any serious skin concerns and more in depth knowledge.