What is Beauty with a Clean Slate?

The challenge this new shift presents is that industry experts do not yet expressly agree on the definition of clean beauty. And, as with naturals, clean beauty is not regulated, so each brand must work to define its own version of clean beauty. The genuine fear, of course, is being perceived as greenwashing or applying random clean-sounding claims without any real transparency. In a world where “cancel culture” can turn a well-loved brand to most-hated within a matter of days, it bodes well for brands to proceed with caution as they explore this space. 46 percent of consumers say they’ve boycotted a brand before, 24 percent did so because of unsustainable products, while 23 percent did so due to unsustainable practices (Genomatica, 2019). A strategic approach is essential, requiring brands to spend time carving out a space they can confidently occupy within the clean beauty realm.

According to Euromonitor, global consumer trust in green labels in 2019 hovered below 60% for claims such as recyclable, environmentally conscious, eco-friendly, natural, organic, and sustainably produced (Euromonitor, 2019).

This lack of trust leads to increased ingredient scrutiny, and a growing need for the industry to help consumers understand what to look for on labels and how to understand ingredient lists. While consumers are generally more well-informed than ever, there is still work to do in educating them. 27 percent of consumers still  don’t understand the difference between “natural” and “clean” (Mintel, 2019).

With so many competing sources of information, brands need to help provide clarity, using transparent practices to help increase ingredient literacy. Within the industry, we know that ingredient innovation is the only way to deliver the efficacy consumers expect while aligning with their clean beauty values and sustainable expectations. However, we need to share that knowledge with the consumers themselves, helping them understand product claims, ingredient performance, and more.

As the clean beauty movement continues to evolve, we can expect brands to explore new ways to authentically align to the values of their consumers, and be a resource for questions and education. We can also expect ingredient innovation to continue to shape future product claims and performance. Transparent sustainability practices will become a growing requirement, and the list of ingredients with free-from claims will continue to expand.

We can also expect some wins and losses, new market disruptions, new environmental concerns, and unexpected micro and macro trends. However, the most critical expectation is from consumers: they expect clean beauty to be the industry’s path forward, and because of that, we need to do our best to help define it.