Clean Beauty: What is really behind the trend?

"Clean Beauty", "natural", "free from chemicals", or "without questionable ingredients." Hardly any term in skincare is used as frequently as "clean beauty." At the same time, hardly any topic creates as many misunderstandings.

Many people automatically associate clean beauty with better or healthier skincare. But what does the term actually mean? Is there even an official definition? And what should you really look for when buying skincare?

As a dermatologist, I therefore view clean beauty somewhat differently: it is not a label that decides whether a product is good, but the scientific basis behind it.

 

 

What does "clean beauty" actually mean?

 

 

There is no legally established definition for clean beauty. The term is used differently by various brands and usually describes skincare that consciously avoids certain ingredients or values transparent formulations.

Therefore, a product may count as "clean beauty" for one brand, while another brand interprets the same term quite differently. More important than the marketing promise is therefore always the question: Is the formulation sensible, well-tolerated, and scientifically sound?

 

 

Clean beauty does not automatically mean better skincare

 

 

Many people equate clean beauty with ingredients that are as natural as possible. However, naturalness alone says nothing about the quality or tolerability of a product. Natural ingredients can also irritate the skin or cause allergies. At the same time, there are many modern, synthetically developed active ingredients that are excellently researched and can be particularly skin-friendly.

In dermatology, we therefore always look at the entire formulation, not the origin of a single ingredient.

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Sustainable cosmetics start before the ingredient

 

 

Sustainable cosmetics mean far more than natural ingredients. They take the entire life cycle of a product into account—from development and packaging to responsible manufacturing.

This can include, for example:

• resource-saving packaging

• responsibly selected raw materials

• long-lasting and stable formulations

• short transport routes

• as little unnecessary packaging waste as possible

 

 

Vegan skincare – what does that mean?

 

 

Vegan skincare avoids ingredients of animal origin. These include, for example, beeswax, lanolin, or collagen of animal origin.

For many people, vegan skincare is a conscious choice based on ethical or ecological reasons. At the same time, the same applies here: vegan does not automatically mean better tolerated or more effective.

 

 

What I really look for in skincare

 

 

In my daily work, other questions play a significantly larger role than whether a product is labeled as "clean beauty." I look at:

• whether a product is scientifically sound in its formulation

• whether the contained active ingredients are suited to the specific skin

• whether the skin barrier is supported

• whether unnecessary irritation is avoided

• and whether the formulation proves effective in the long term

 

 

Science instead of buzzwords

 

 

Clean beauty has contributed to consumers paying more conscious attention to ingredients and transparency. Fundamentally, that is a positive development. At the same time, skincare should never be chosen based solely on trends or marketing terms.

Whether it is clean beauty, sustainable cosmetics, or vegan skincare – all these characteristics can be part of a good product. The decisive factor, however, is that the formulation is scientifically sound, suits your own skin, and supports its natural functions. Because beautiful skin is not created by the most beautiful label, but by skincare that delivers what it promises.