What is clean beauty? Who determines which ingredients are clean and which ones are harmful? Not the FDA, that’s for sure. That’s only a joke, kind of. Beauty products are regulated by the FDA, but the guidelines are a breeze. So, for years, beauty brands didn’t really care. As long as the products were selling, right?

What is clean beauty? The answers are endless. And the answer will probably differ depending on who you are asking. But what really matters is that you are asking at all. Caring about ingredient labels is a great first step because we all know that ignorance is bliss, right? It’s true, living in the darkness of not knowing how potentially harmful that petroleum-based lip balm is must feel great. Not a care in the world. But I have never been that girl. If my boyfriend is cheating on me, please tell me, I won’t be mad at you and the more details, the better! I would rather know the facts. Yes, it hurts parting ways with something you’ve cherished for so long. But it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. RIP Vaseline.

Moving on, clean beauty is such a broad term and can be defined in many ways. Does “clean” mean natural, vegan, non-toxic? What does it mean? Lucky for you, you get to decide what makes the cut on your bathroom counter. But before you make your decision. Let’s cover some popular buzzwords, definitions and ingredients we should all be avoiding.

Natural: existing in or caused by nature; not made or caused by humankind

Intune Breakdown: ‘All natural’ products mean that the ingredients are harvested and sourced from nature and not made in a laboratory. We believe the more natural our food, medicine, remedies, beauty and hygiene products are, the better. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a time and place for man made ingredients.

Intune Rule: Let your hygiene and beauty routine be as natural as possible, but when it comes to more bothersome or severe skin issues, it is ok to reach for more clinical strength products. Because guess what? Rose water and hempseed oil are not going to cure your chronic, cystic acne, hyperpigmentation or crow’s feet. And that’s a fact.

Intune Tip: When searching for potent products to target severe concerns, do your research. Make sure you know what ingredients to look for but try the more natural, less harsh alternatives first. Slow and steady.

Vegan: using or containing no animal products or by-products

Intune Breakdown: Everything from pig fat to bird feathers can be found in popular beauty products. This seems straight forward but it can get tricky. Realize that all vegan products are not created equally. For example, Sempre is the only Intune product that is not vegan because it contains (organic & thoughtfully sourced) beeswax. But, the lip balm in your purse may not be vegan because it contains ingredients derived from cow fat. Do you catch our drift?

Intune Rule: Don’t let the word ‘vegan’ be your only determining factor when it comes to picking out products. For the most part, beauty products can easily be vegan. Be aware that companies have the option of going with a vegan or non-vegan version of an ingredient. For instance, Lieto contains organic glycerin, a popular, moisturizing ingredient. We were faced with the option to use glycerin derived from vegetables or pig skin. The pig skin was cheaper, but we went with the first option, obviously.

Intune Tip: If you are a passionate vegan, be passionate! Don’t settle for anything less. Just be aware and informed. There are a lot of brands and products on the market that are vegan, but they also contain harmful dyes and plastic particles. Pick your poison!

Preservative: an additive used to protect against decay, discoloration or spoilage

Intune Breakdown: In recent years, we have been persuaded to think that preservatives are bad, all of the time. But, that’s not the case, especially when dealing with skin care products. Many safe, organic, “clean” products contain water. Water = life, life = living organisms, these living organisms include bacteria. Preservatives are added to products to prevent bacteria from spreading. Now, we all know in 2020 after taking our probiotics that not all bacteria are bad. But, anything that contains water becomes a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. So, unless you want to mist your face with coconut, rose water filled with mold, then you’re going to need a preservative.

Intune Rule: Use products that contain safe and effective preservatives. If a product contains water, it should have a preservative. Once again, not all are created equally, look for brands that use safe, natural options.

Intune Tip: Understand that the majority of harmful, carcinogenic beauty ingredients are preservatives. Get familiar with these commonly used harmful ingredients and stay away!

Non-toxic: not poisonous or toxic

Intune Breakdown: Wow, pretty straight forward with that definition. We can probably agree that we have all assumed that our favorite beauty brands aren’t poisoning us, but think again. Toxic ingredients are everywhere. Seriously, it’s alarming. Imagine toxic ingredients on a scale, some you should definitely stay away from, with no questions asked, some should be avoided for the most part, so on and so on. That may sound a little lenient, but if you tried to eliminate every, single toxic ingredient from your life today you would be left with nothing, expect Intune. And we only have three products as of now so that won’t cut it. On a serious note, we should strive for balance. So, one step at a time.

Intune Rule: Familiarize yourself with common toxic ingredients and stay away. Many of these ingredients are classified as carcinogens, expect unlike cigarettes they don't come with a health warning. Lucky for us, companies are moving away from some of the most dangerous, toxic ingredients. Cleaner options may cost more at the moment but you’re investing in your health.

Intune Tip: Sorting through your products and looking for toxic ingredients should be a slow process. You can’t have a non toxic household overnight. If you’re using a cream that has one, potential toxic ingredient it's probably not the end of the world. But, if you have an entire drawer full, reconsider.

If you made it this far, thank you. There is so much information about what is healthy, clean, green, etc when it comes to health and beauty. I encourage everyone to start caring about what goes in and on your body and strive for balance. Everything isn’t black and white and there is no perfect, universal formula. Below you can find a list of harmful, toxic ingredients to always avoid. After reading this, I hope you have a better sense of how to navigate your way through the isles of a drugstore or shelves of Sephora.

Commonly Used Ingredients to Avoid

Parabens

Sulfates: SLS & SLES

Phthalates

Mineral oil

Formaldehydes

Formaldehyde-releasing agents

Coal Tar

Parfum

Dimethicone

Methylisothiazolinone (MIT)