The "Clean Beauty" claim: a gateway to greenwashing?
Cosmebio informs us about the origin of the "Clean Beauty" claim.
Clean adj. inv. : that which is neat, clean
This terminology appeared on the French market a few years ago. However, its origin lies in the United States; it is a new marketing method that promotes cosmetics claiming a so-called "clean" composition.
"Clean Beauty" was used by brands that wanted to offer products with more natural ingredients and fewer superfluous, or even harmful, ingredients.
This approach, noble in itself, owes much to the American regulatory context. In the United States, only about ten molecules are banned under American regulations, while in Europe we have more than 1,300. Clean beauty was therefore born out of a response to this lack of regulation.
Despite the existence of very strict European regulations and a strong organic label, "Clean Beauty" has nonetheless found its place in the French market. A market which, we remind you, already benefits from our organic label, whose requirements are far stricter and more precise than the commitments of some uncertified brands that claim to be part of the Clean Beauty movement.
The noble promises of clean beauty lose their appeal as soon as they try to deceive the consumer through storytelling without providing proof of their real commitments.
Since the use of the term "Clean Beauty" is not regulated, it can be used for all brands: those that offer cosmetics based on petrochemical ingredients, those that offer cosmetics based on ingredients of natural origin but not certified (therefore with a lack of traceability of its raw materials) and those that are truly certified organic.
An allegation without verification or certification
The lack of a definition or official guidelines for Clean Beauty perpetuates the ambiguity surrounding the commitment of brands claiming to be part of this movement, which remains, in effect, very open-ended. For them, "Clean Beauty" is an easy answer to the consumer's demand for reassurance.
Indeed, many abuses are hidden behind this terminology:
First example: A brand that claims to be "Clean Skin Care" in its slogan markets a product containing a large number of synthetic ingredients but also harmful ingredients and ingredients prohibited by our COSMOS standard: Carbomer (suspected of being carcinogenic), Phenoxyethanol (irritant, suspected of being toxic to the liver and blood, very polluting manufacturing process), Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate (formaldehyde releaser).
The second case we wish to highlight: A brand that displays a "Clean Beauty" label and proclaims to be "Clean certified" uses Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI) in its products.
This ingredient is notably prohibited by the COSMOS standard due to its highly polluting manufacturing process, which relies on heavy chemicals. It seems contradictory to call a product "clean" when it contributes to environmental pollution and harms workers' health.
Clean Beauty should not be confused with "certification" and even less with "organic".
All certified organic cosmetics (those bearing the Cosmébio label) are "clean," but not all cosmetics claiming to be "clean" are certified organic. The lack of oversight mentioned above has created a market rife with "free from" claims and "blacklists." How can consumers navigate this?
Moreover, if a brand can claim that its ingredients are of natural origin without certification, how can the consumer be sure that, for example, the "ASCORBYL PALMITATE" mentioned in its list is not of synthetic or animal origin?
What bothers us about the terminology "Clean Beauty" is that it is used to replace stricter claims such as "Natural cosmetics" and "Organic cosmetics" which are claims subject to regulation no. 655/2013 and controlled by the DGCCRF*.
Conclusion
Since its arrival in France, "Clean Beauty" has captured the consumer's attention with a simple message, sometimes at the expense of certification and "real" organic cosmetics.
With this stance, we wish to remind consumers that only natural and organic certification provides a genuine guarantee regarding the composition of cosmetics. Furthermore, only labels such as Cosmébio are recognized as "excellent" by ADEME (the French Agency for Ecological Transition). We therefore encourage consumers to investigate the true motivations of brands claiming to be clean beauty. In the absence of certification, a paradoxical reality may sometimes be revealed.
So, we clearly state that "storytelling" is part of the marketing approach of brands but that only the Cosmébio label and the COSMOS standard provide a real guarantee to the consumer today regarding the composition of products and the safety of formulas.
When choosing good cosmetics: "Clean" is good! But organic is better!
SOURCES:
1 https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/prohibited-restricted-ingredients-cosmetics
2 https://www.economie.gouv.fr/files/files/directions_services/cge/filiere-parfums-cosmetiques.pdf?v=1648227721