The clean beauty movement is here to stay and rightfully so. Unlike the European Union (EU), which has banned approximately 1,300 chemicals in cosmetics and other beauty products, the United States has only banned or restricted nine. Five of these chemicals have been banned across the globe. This means that the US trails behind 40 forward-thinking nations that have passed laws to put the health and safety of their citizens first.
Unfortunately, the lack of chemical bans in the United States cosmetics industry requires us skincare and beauty lovers to regulate the products we use ourselves. Don’t worry—making the switch to clean beauty isn’t as hard as it seems!
Follow these simple steps to begin introducing clean products into your beauty routine today:
1. Get to Know Your Skin
Skin has many different personalities, just like people! Oily, combination, dry, normal, and sensitive are the skin-type categories you need to know in order to determine exactly what type of skin you have. Knowing your skin-type will help you purchase products that work with your skin to enhance your natural glow.
“The easiest means to determine your skin type is to see how it performs from morning to evening on a typical day,” Melanie Palm, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon told Healthline.
The best time to observe your skin is at the end of the day, before your nightly skincare routine.
Here’s a quick guide to help you determine your skin-type:
If your face feels oily or shiny, you might have oily skin.
If your t-zone is slightly oily but the rest of your face remains matte, you might have combination skin.
If your face is matte with minimal dryness, flakiness, or redness, you might have normal skin.
If your face is flaky and tight, you might have dry skin.
If your skin is itchy, red, and/or inflamed, you might have sensitive skin.
Check out MBG’s complete guide to the best organic products to use according to your skin type.
2. Familiarize Yourself with Ingredients Lists
If you’ve noticed an uptick in the usage of words like organic, all-natural, green, sulfate-free, or paraben-free throughout beauty aisles, here’s why: due to the lack of chemical regulation in the beauty industry, brands are free to label their products however they’d like.
Before putting all of your trust in the marketing tactics of major beauty brands, familiarize yourself with the most common harmful ingredients used in skincare and cosmetics.
Screenshot this list of commonly used toxic ingredients and refer back to it the next time you’re shopping for beauty products:
Parabens (more commonly Propylparaben and Iosbutylparaben): hormone disruptors
Fragrance: irritant and allergen, hormone disruptor
Octinoxate or Oxybenzone: Chemical UV filters, irritants, hormone disruptor
Diethanolamine (DEA): carcinogen, irritant, hormone disruptor
Triclosan: Allergan and Irritant, hormone disruptor
Phthalates (more commonly dibutyl phthalate): allergen and irritant, hormone disrupter
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS): carcinogen, irritant
Formaldehyde: allergen and irritant, hormone disruptor, carcinogen
Polyethylene (PEGs) like PEG-10 laurate: allergen and irritant
Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA): carcinogen, allergen, hormone disruptor
And this is just the tip of the iceberg—there are plenty of other toxic chemicals to be aware of!
3. Swap Out When You Run Out
Making the switch to clean beauty can be expensive—so we suggest swapping your most-used skincare and beauty products for cleaner versions when it’s time to replenish your stock. However, if you’re itching for a head start, La Bloom Beauty has your back. Check out our collection of niche clean beauty essentials that you won’t find on grocery or drug store shelves.
The Bottom Line
Just like humans—everyone’s skin is unique! If you’re ready to make the swap to clean beauty it’s as easy as 1-2-3. First, get to know your skin by doing a wash test or referring to the guide above before your bedtime skincare routine to determine your skin type. Then, do a little research on which harmful ingredients to avoid. EWG’s Skin Deep is a great tool you can use on-the-go to research the ingredients listed on the back of the product while you shop! Finally, it’s important to understand that it’s okay to ease into the clean beauty game. Finding products that work with your skin-type may take time, but don’t get discouraged. Have fun testing new products and inventing a skincare routine that works best for you!
La Bloom Beauty’s mission is to create niche clean beauty products you won’t find on commercial store shelves. Our collection of truly all-natural, vegan products is a great stepping stone for those new to the clean beauty world or for those who want to add a little zest to their clean beauty lifestyle.
Let us know about your favorite clean beauty products in the comments below!