LWelcome back to the Plant Lab where this week we’re discussing a hugely emotive topic that’s on everyone’s lips right now. You know us, we’re never ones to shy away from discussing the big industry issues and this one is no exception. Buckle up and get ready because it’s going to be a bumpy, myth busting fuelled ride…
Thanks to the good old internet and our friend social media, we have more information than EVER before about what we’re actually putting on (and into) our skin. Out of the ashes of our collective naivety has risen the ‘clean-beauty’ movement. What began as a genuine revolt against the damage we were doing to ourselves and the planet (and still is at its core) has exploded a fully blown movement with some diehard fans and staunch critics on either side. It’s blasted onto our screens and it’s now impossible not to scroll past the next new trend or skincare brand that promises ultra ‘clean’ formulas.
Sure, as the proud guardians of an incredible natural skincare movement here at Plant DPT. you’d expect us to be in full support, chanting ‘down with the chemicals’ and declaring our formulas to be the cleanest of them all, but the reality might well just surprise you…
The shocker is that while there’s nothing wrong with pushing for products that are better for us and the planet (something we ACTIVELY encourage), there are so many buzzwords attached to this latest trend that its hard to sort through all the noise. The most common of them are ‘clean’ and ‘green; and when coupled with the fact that every brand and every retailer has their own definition of what the word clean means, things can get pretty murky, QUICKLY.
So, what’s the problem?
Generally speaking, ‘clean beauty’ refers to products free of nasties such as parabens, sulphates, phthalates, and artificial fragrances. Wait, surely that’s a good thing we hear you cry?! After all, these are all skin sensitizers that we know to avoid here at Plant DPT. The problem is that this new era of ‘clean beauty’ is one that has taken a genuine need to safeguard our skin and the environment and hijacked it to be something simply misleading on the one hand and downright untrue on the other…
Unfortunately for the die-hard clean beauty fans out there this will be a hard pill to swallow. Repeat after us: no skincare routine can be completely ‘clean’ just as it can’t be ‘dirty’ because every ingredient is in fact a chemical of sorts!
That’s right we said it.
Some products marketed as ‘clean’ are simply another way to sell us (often very expensive) products we don’t need and it’s our duty to help you navigate the bulls**t if you’ll pardon our French…
What to look out for?
The first tell-tale whiff of ‘clean beauty’ extremism often comes from language you read. If you spot phrases like ‘suspicious six’ and ‘disruptors’ (not to name names…) or any ingredient being referred to as a ‘sin’, now would be a good time to turn and run the other way (with your wallet)! How harmful an ingredient is depends on where in the world you are but, in the EU, the list of banned ingredients in cosmetics totals approximately x1,300. That’s 1,300 ingredients that brands are physically not able to include within skincare formulations if they intend to sell them to the public. How is it then that the ‘clean beauty’ industry has managed to make up its own rules to tell its audience what is safe for their skin and demonise others in the process?!
This isn’t to be confused with skincare brands that genuinely champion naturally sourced ingredients in their formulations. The difference is that at Plant DPT. we’re the first to put our hands up against this damaging new trend to say that our plant active ingredients are supported by the best synthetic ingredients to help keep our formulas safe for sensitive skin. No demonising, no ingredient shaming. After all it’s not (always) about what you use it’s about HOW you use it!
And obviously it goes without saying that some ingredients are higher performing than others. So we live by a simple philosophy - rather than flag flying what we're avoiding, we like to guarantee that we've used the most powerful, and effective ingredients we can get our hands on whilst prioritising efficacy in every formula. Because at the end of the day, results matter.
What to look out for?
The best way to navigate this jargon filled minefield is to do your research. Educate yourself on what sort of ingredients you personally want to avoid and why, to enable you make informed purchasing decisions. If you’re a sensitive (skin) soul who wants to guarantee that their purchase is going towards safeguarding the environment that brought them the incredible formulations, then checking out our products at Plant DPT. would be a great place to start.
Until next time,
Plant DPT.
