Clean vs. Natural, what’s the difference?

This is a question that many have asked because the beauty industry uses a lot of confusing buzz words like “organic” “certified organic” “cruelty free”, “non-GMO”, “vegan” "wildcrafted" "sustainable", "natural",etc.

The biggest misconception I find among consumers is that a product that is natural automatically equates to it being clean. Sadly, that is not true at all. Think about it, ingredients like lead, which is a natural ingredient, (and commonly found in lipstick) would not be considered clean because it is toxic when consumed. In order for a product to be classified as clean, which is the holy grail of the clean beauty standard, the ingredients must have been sourced ethically, are sustainable and non-toxic to the body and the environment.

The reason one must educate themselves about the differences between these 2 types of products is because what we put onto the skin, inevitably ends up in the blood stream affecting our entire system. Our skin, the largest organ in the human body absorbs that we apply to it like a sponge, about 60% to be exact. What you put on and into your body should be transparent and a great rule of thumb is if you can’t pronounce it or recognize it, it’s probably un-wise to consume it.

Take a moment to review “The dirty dozen” for a list of ingredients banned by the clean beauty industry. https://ecodiscoveries.com/eco-friendly-green-cleaning-products-blog/dirty-dozen-12-ingredients-to-avoid-in-cosmetics-and-5-clean-beauty-brands-to-try/

xoxo PWB Team