The paradox of clean beauty

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The beauty industry is constantly churning out new ideas and trends to guide consumers to interesting and appealing products and beauty regimes. The clean beauty movement is one of the mainstream responses to the rise in a concept termed “conscientious consumerism.” The idea of clean beauty stems from this consumer concern to buy products that have a positive social, healthy, economic, and/or environmental impact. The wave of clean beauty has infiltrated virtually every store that sells cosmetics, with flowery branding along with ecological and sustainable messaging folded into the ads. Yet, the definition of clean beauty is unclear and murky. Since it is a newish term, the phrase continues to evolve, but it can lead to confusion and complications because the consumer decides what clean beauty means to them. Additionally, the standards behind the clean beauty movement do not have regulations, suggesting many of the catchy phrases may be meaningless. Even worse, some of the most popular narratives around clean beauty are false. From prescription to all-natural products, these items can be categorized into “tiers” based on their overall objective in serving the consumer. Yet, the disconnect between the promise and performance leads to the consumer’s paradox- prioritizing what is more important, a clean or an effective product.