The Myth of ''Clean'' Beauty

“Clean beauty” sounds like your skin should feel guilty if it uses anything else. But once you look past the mood lighting, the term falls apart: there’s no official definition, no scientific standard, no universal list of what counts as “clean.”

That vagueness is exactly why it sells.

Clean = whatever you want it to be

Brands use “clean” to mean anything from paraben-free to sulfate-free to vegan to “chemical-free” (which isn’t a thing). It’s a label that bends to the trend of the month. A skincare horoscope—open to interpretation.

Reality check: every formula, from a basic moisturizer to a high-end serum, is built from chemistry. Water is chemistry. Hyaluronic acid is chemistry. Your skin can’t tell if an ingredient grew on a tree or in a lab; it responds to structure, concentration, and stability.

Natural doesn’t automatically mean safer

Lavender can irritate. Essential oils trigger allergies. Plant extracts cause sensitivities. Meanwhile, many synthetic ingredients are designed to be safer, more stable, and more effective than their “pure” counterparts.

The gap between “natural sounds good” and “synthetic often works better” is exactly where the myth takes root.

What actually matters

Not the label—just the facts:
– Dermatologically relevant concentrations
– Stability of active ingredients
– pH levels that respect the skin barrier
– Transparent formulation without fear-based marketing
– Clear explanations of what an ingredient does and why

The bottom line

“Clean beauty” isn’t a scientific category. It’s an aesthetic choice, a marketing tool, and sometimes a comforting story. Not harmful—just hollow.

At The Body Dept., we skip the mythology. No shifting “free-from” lists. No purity tests. Just ingredients that work, in concentrations that matter.

The rest is noise.