We've all heard about eating clean, clean energy and "clean" cleaning products for our homes. The latest buzz in the cleanliness movement is clean beauty.
Along with the food you eat and how much exercise you engage in, the products you apply to your skin, hair, nails and teeth directly affect your health and beauty, even if you prefer a no-makeup look. But what, exactly, is clean beauty?
The oral hygiene experts at GLO Science take a look at this new industry movement and break down what you need to know about cleaning up your makeup bag.
What is Clean Beauty?
Unlike renewable energy sources that are regulated by the government, clean beauty products are not regulated by any governing body. That means most brands simply define "clean beauty" however they need to so that it includes their own products. Words like green, all-natural and eco-friendly may appear without providing insight into how these items fit into those categories.
Enter the Good Face Project - a data-driven index of cosmetics ingredients focused on educating and empowering consumers. This team of scientists and engineers has analyzed over 45,000 skin care and beauty products in search of answering two main questions:
- Are the ingredients of the product nontoxic?
- Are all the product's ingredients clearly labeled for consumer use?
The bottom line is that clean beauty means using products that do not contain ingredients that are toxic to people or the planet. It's easy to get confused by terms like "green beauty" or "all-natural" products. Green simply means plant-derived, animal friendly and sustainably sourced, but not necessarily nontoxic. Similarly, all-natural ingredients can be toxic, like arsenic.
Ingredients Clean Beauty Products Avoid
What are these toxic ingredients that make some products "dirty"? You've likely heard of some of them, but there are literally hundreds of toxic ingredients in makeup, shampoo and other personal care products.
Before you rush to the medicine cabinet to read every label, start with learning about these top offenders from the Good Face Project:
- Parabens, which can disrupt hormone production
- Fragrance, which is a term often used to hide toxic substances
- Octinoxate and oxybenzone, chemical UV filters
- Diethanolamine (DEA), a skin irritant that can cause kidney and liver problems
- Triclosan, a skin irritant that causes long-term hazards to aquatic life
- Phthalates, which are banned in Europe for causing reproductive hazards
- Sodium laureth sulfate (SLS), a skin irritant
- Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen often used as a preservative
- Butylated hydroxyanisole, a fragrance and preservative known to be carcinogenic
Clean Beauty for Your Smile
Your smile is your most powerful beauty asset. As you move toward embracing clean beauty, you're also moving toward being healthier by avoiding all those toxic chemicals. Clean, white, healthy teeth look gorgeous - but they also reflect a beautiful state of overall health. That's why oral hygiene is an essential element of clean beauty.
As you clean out your makeup kit, consider breaking bad oral hygiene habits and picking up some better, cleaner products.
Start with your toothpaste. Ditch any brands that contain triclosan as an antibacterial agent or SLS, and consider adding ECO Balance with antimicrobial hydrogen peroxide as a topper. This powerhouse freshens your breath, boosts gum health and lifts stains without alcohol, antibiotics, triclosan, SLS or gluten. It's also cruelty free and made in the U.S.
Get a lustrous glow with soft, nourished lips to frame your pearly whites with GLO Science Lip Care. This ultra-hydrating clean lip gloss passes the Good Face Project bar with natural ingredients you recognize, like shea butter, aloe and peppermint leaf.
Clean Beauty + Oral Hygiene = A Winning Combo
If you want to really step up your clean beauty routine, add in safe home teeth whitening ingredients for an inner glow that shines brightly. When you look into how to choose teeth whitening products that align with clean beauty, you'll find GLO Science in your corner.
Both GLO Lit and GLO Brilliant were developed by a practicing dentist to be the best products for teeth whitening at home that also improve your overall oral health.
These systems include GLO Vials full of a patented hydrogen peroxide teeth whitening gel that doesn't drip onto your gums, where most sensitivity occurs, and doesn't require a messy, bulky tray. This vegan formula of hydrogen peroxide helps lift stains from your teeth and reduces the levels of harmful bacteria in your mouth, and our patented GLO Vials keep the gel fresh even after opening.
Get better results by combining this minty-fresh gel with our Guided Light Optics technology in the GLO Lit and GLO Brilliant devices. In just eight-minute sessions, these teeth whitening systems apply blue LED light and gentle warming heat to whiten teeth an average of five shades over the course of only one week - and they're hands-free so you can easily incorporate them into your daily routine.
Now that's a clean white teeth system that elevates any clean beauty regimen!
Finding the Best Clean Beauty Products
To clean up your self-care, start by keeping informed. Read up on everything from hand soap to shampoo to teeth whitener ingredients so you know exactly what you're putting in and on your body.
