A Guide to Informed Skincare: The Meaning of Clean, Natural, Organic, Vegan, and Cruelty-Free

Abstract

The number of cosmetic and personal care products marketed as clean, natural, organic, vegan, and cruelty-free continues to expand, raising questions from patients about the meaning of these product labels. Dermatology providers should be aware of the validity of the marketing terms and educate patients on the safety of personal care product ingredients. Herein, we explore the meaning of clean, natural, organic, vegan, and cruelty-free and address the safety of commonly banned ingredients in the informed skincare market.

Tallow, Rendered Animal Fat, and Its Biocompatibility With Skin: A Scoping Review

“…Additionally, we must consider the attractiveness of a product like tallow as it is naturally derived from animals and how this plays a key role in the rise of its use in the skincare industry. With the rise in demand for “natural” products in skincare, an increasing number of products are being marketed as “natural” or “clean,” calling into question what these terms really mean [ 11 ]. These terms can be used as a marketing ploy by the cosmetic industry to deem synthetic or lab-created ingredients as “toxic” or “chemicals” that are harmful to the skin.…”

“…The words “clean” and “natural” are unregulated marketing terms that can be used to describe any product free of ingredients deemed unacceptable by a particular company. The most common ingredients targeted include parabens, petrolatum, formaldehyde releasers, and phthalates because of possible hormone disruption [ 11 ]. Companies such as Toups and Co. found a way to use tallow as the main ingredient in their moisturizers.…”