Shop Clean Without The Headache

You want to start shopping clean, maybe have a few ideas on products you’d like to try…but then what? Your eyeliner runs out and you think, I’d try a clean version but I don’t even know where to start…Or, this brand says all natural, and that’s the same thing right?

Read on for what to do and what not to do when shopping clean.

What to do:

Find stores and brands that have a committed clean mission.

You don’t have to sit and google each product or ingredient while at a huge makeup store (I’ve tried, it sucks), instead, browse online or in person at stores that only carry clean beauty products. They are becoming more and more popular, and it really takes the pressure off of you to be an expert. Plus, this narrows down your search, so instead of wondering if it’s clean, you can focus on what type of product you are looking for. Below is a short list of places to start:

• The Goop Shop: The OG in clean beauty shopping. They thoroughly vet everything and have refreshing reviews on products.

• The Detox Market: Clean mission, good products, win win.

• Credo Beauty: Clean beauty that also offers clean beauty services.

• Sephora… with caution: Shop the Sephora clean badge. Sephora has made strong progress to include a trustworthy clean beauty section. You can look for a clean badge of approval on products at stores or on their website.

What not to do:

Trust “natural” terms and/or branding (i.e. organic, clean, natural).

There is no standard “badge of approval” or laws around clean beauty, like what organic labels mean for our food. In the US, there is no enforceable agency that vets or monitors chemical use - crazy, I know. A brand claiming they are “natural” or “organic” doesn’t hold weight, only the actual ingredients do.

Some popular brands that I always believed were clean, without naming names, are far from it. Just because a brand includes plant-based ingredients and uses marketing to seem natural, or states it is clean, does not mean it’s made without harmful chemicals.

What to do:

Look for the “made without” call outs on packaging and use Apps

With Clean Beauty at the forefront of a lot of consumers' minds, many brands are calling out what they are made without to help you shop smarter, easier. Look for no parabens, phalates, sulfates, formaldehyde, synthetic fragrances and other harmful ingredients. Here is a short list of what to avoid and why.

• Parabens: A preservative that messes with hormones and your endocrine system. Found at the end of ingredients, i.e. isobutylparaben

• Formaldehyde: A preservative that is a known carcinogen. You’ll never see this on a label, because it’s released by chemicals that create this compound when mixed.

• Phalates: A harmful disruptive that is a plasticizer to help fragrances and nail polish stick.

• Fragrance: This black hole term is a loop hole in the US Federal Fair Packaging and Label Act, allowing companies to add harmful ingredients under this label.

• EDTAs, Ethanolomines, Sulphates, and many more…

If a brand doesn't have these listed out and you aren't sure, type it into the EWG app Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, while the list might not have everything you are looking for, it's a great start and gives you insights into how ingredients are harmful. Also to note – just because this looks like only a handful of ingredients, be warned that they don’t just show up like this in the ingredient list…which brings me to my next point…

What not to do:

Don’t try to become a scientist.

Reading a beauty ingredient list, even if clean, can be a headache. Harsh chemicals come in all sorts of names, so even though the list is straightforward of what to avoid, it becomes a lot more complicated in scientific terms. Save yourself the stress, and shop for brands who brag about what they leave out.

The moral of the story is to let others do the work for you and trust the amazing brands and companies that are committed to clean beauty

Have any other ideas on how to easily shop clean? Comment below!