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This is such a great example of the Clean Beauty lobbies success. Could've been written by me years ago, when I fell for the lies of Clean Beauty.
It is so tempting isn't it, a perfect divide between “good” and “bad” skincare. Clean beauty seems like the perfect antidote in a harsh, dirty, polluted and scary world.
Why isn't every brand “clean”, you ask? That is because it is not based on science, or truth. But fear and demonising other brands sells verrrry well. So the labs follow the orders of the (unisnformed) clean beauty marketing teams as long as they get their paychecks.
Believing in Clean Beauty is political and I will tell you why, there is a clean beauty to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pipeline and it is a short one.
No shade to the writer and I love what she did from a graphic design ad conceptual POV but it is important to note that this article is full of misinformation.
I’m sure it’s unintentional, but her words on ingredient safety are based on unreliable sources like the EWG and clean beauty brands.
Clean beauty is a marketing tactic, that drives on fear. It is literally anti science. Ask any chemist. And it is more dangerous than it appears.
A few things I wanna say on this as a skincare product developer and ex clean beauty believer:
One of the first rules of chemistry is: the dose makes the poison.
(unlike supplements) Skincare is highly regulated, not just in the EU, also in the US.
Accumulation is absolutely a 100% being taken into account by toxicologists when assessing any formulation
Lavender is a known carcinogen, and we are not bashing lavender, please think about why
Everything is a chemical and everything is toxic depending on dose and way of use
“Natural” does not equate safety or efficacy
synthetic ingredients in skincare are even more rigorously tested than "naturally derived” ingredients. (not that there is a clean line between the two from a scientific perspective, even molecular structure can be exactly the same)
It is sooo important for us to stop sharing misinformation, please fact check everything and believe science over everything, especially these days!
If you’re not convinced but curious about the science behind this, I talk a lot about this on my softglow substack.
Not enough people are talking about this cause its pretty complex and nuanced. Unlike the simple and clear promises of clean beauty, which are so easy to share and believe. But that is usually the case with science, it is a bit more complex.
Stay critical out there,
and make sure to subscribe to Dr Michelle Wong for more science insights behind your beauty products