If you know me or have read my previous articles, you know how interested I am in the beauty industry and how involved I am in this industry, especially after I recently established my own brand. Cosmetics, make-up and skin care have always been topics that I love to research, learn and talk about because they make people feel good. However, in today's article, I will talk about an aspect of cosmetics that makes people feel bad considering the harm that we have perhaps closed our eyes to until now and the opposite of feeling good. It was the forest fires that we were in as a collective and that hurt us all. We have begun to see the consequences of global warming, which we have been tired of hearing for years and have begun to ignore, in a way that cannot be ignored. In this difficult process, we all reconsidered what we can do individually. In times of crisis, we may tend to act in the first area that seems to be the solution at that moment psychologically. For this reason, donating trees at first seemed like a solution that made everyone feel like they contributed. But as informed consumers, we can and should do much more than that. While we wait for nature to renew itself after such situations occur, we should make changes in our lifestyle to prevent this crisis from happening again, and shape our shopping habits by considering the consequences. While I describe myself as someone who is conscious, careful and consumes less plastic, I noticed that all my recent shopping has come in plastic cargo bags, wrapped in plastic patties. Even a tiny lotion in a glass bottle is delivered wrapped in huge plastic packages that are insoluble in nature. We are all a part of this system, and plastics that we throw away after taking them out of their bags and throwing them aside, are too small for us and drag us to the brink of an inextricable crisis.
Every minute, a truckload of plastic is dumped into the seas and oceans around the world. According to data from the World Economic Forum, an average of 8 million tons of plastic ends up in ocean waters every year. The World Economic Forum warns that if this trend continues, by 2050, the amount of plastic in the seas and oceans will be higher than that of sea creatures. Increasingly, scientists find turtles, fish, seagulls and other smaller sea creatures caught in pieces of plastic and are forced to save these animals. Plastic pollution, which affects all sea creatures from microscopic plankton to giant whales, has become one of the biggest threats to natural life.
We are in a period when we need to reconsider our value tables in our subconscious. For this reason, we should change our shopping and consumption habits by taking into account the extent to which they harm the environment. We should support sustainable brands and make our voice heard so that cargo processes can become plastic-free. In this regard, I do my best to mobilize other brands, especially my own brand, on this issue. Because we can only achieve this transformation if we take action steps together.
So, while changing our shopping habits in more sustainable ways, what should we pay attention to about the cosmetics brands we shop? We are always trying to make the choices that will be most beneficial for our world, but how do we manage to make the right decisions for our skin health and stay away from ingredients that do not benefit our skin? What should we pay attention to when choosing a product?
This is where the concept of “clean cosmetics” comes into play. In essence, clean beauty or clean cosmetics means you can use a product without risking your own health. A beauty product's ingredient list should contain only safe, clean ingredients. From shrinking pores, eliminating wrinkles and defying ageing to hydrating and plumping, we expect our beauty products to do a lot for us. Besides the visible results we hope to see, we want these products to provide said skin protection with clean ingredients that are not harmful or toxic to our health. The clean beauty movement has grown exponentially in recent years, and since there is no official explanation for this definition, different brands offer their products around this concept. But the new clean beauty standard for skincare, makeup, and hair care actually has some ambiguities – so-called clean products ("organic", "non-toxic", "vegan", etc.) have become more difficult to understand exactly what the labels say. Clean beauty also creates the illusion that alternative offerings are "dirty" or bad for you. While any brand may describe itself as “clean,” taking a close look at labels and ingredient lists is a way to protect yourself against products that could do you more harm than good. Here are a few components to watch out for:
Paraben : A known endocrine disruptor, parabens mimic estrogen in the body. Commonly used preventatives are linked to early-onset puberty, thyroid problems, and even cancer. While most cosmetics use only very small amounts of paraben in their formulas, the ingredient is easily absorbed and can cause long-term harm through frequent exposure over time.
SLS/SLES: SLS and SLES can irritate the eyes, skin and lungs, especially with prolonged use. SLES can also be contaminated with a substance called 1,4-dioxane, which is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals. This contamination occurs during the manufacturing process. SLS strips the skin of its natural oils, causing skin dryness, irritation and allergic reactions.
Alcohol : When nasty alcohols are used in skin care in high concentrations, they break down your skin's protective barrier, which means your skin is no longer effective at retaining moisture. It also stimulates oil production, which can lead to acne breakouts if your skin produces too much oil.
Dye : The toxins that Artificial Colors leave on your skin greatly increase your risk of sensitivity and irritation, allowing these chemicals to be absorbed into your body and cause even greater damage. They can also clog your pores, leading to a greater risk of acne.
A beauty brand is on the right track in the name of clean cosmetics if it lists all of its ingredients and labels them accordingly. Unfortunately, not all brands are transparent about this.
However, another phenomenon confused by consumers is that clean cosmetics is "natural". The fact that its components are mostly natural ingredients obtained from herbal extracts does not make a brand a clean cosmetic brand. A brand that uses natural ingredients may also be formulating its products with questionable ingredients. Likewise, a brand that markets clean cosmetics does not have to use natural ingredients in its ingredients.
Considering all these, you need to think about both nature and your own health in order to make conscious consumptions in your cosmetic shopping. To support recyclable packaging processes and sustainable brands in order not to have a greater share in the damage done to the world we live in; For our health, choosing clean cosmetics brands are the two most important steps we can take individually.