Hey besties! it’s your friendly neighborhood esthetician, and I’m here today to shine a light on a topic that is near and dear to me: clean beauty. Today is National Clean Beauty Day! This day was founded to educate and create awareness around clean beauty, from makeup to skincare.
Clean products are those whose focus is centered on organic, nontoxic, vegan, and cruelty-free, hand-crafted ingredients, with minimal environmental impact. Let’s look at what it means, and how to spot good products! Plus, I’ve got you covered with a local guide to where to find them in Charleston.
What Does “Clean Beauty” Mean?
Loosely, “clean beauty” is defined as any product made without ingredients known to cause human harm. Millions of consumers (i.e., you and me) are educating themselves about the dangers of putting chemicals in their bodies and turning to safer, cleaner products as a result.
Now we’re seeing clean beauty blow up into a trendy buzzword that gets thrown around more often than a beach ball at a Jimmy Buffett concert. The term itself is not regulated by any governing board, so, it can mean several different things and can be quite subjective. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the company and how they choose to market their offerings.
For example, it can be used to define products that are vegan and cruelty-free, which doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a safe or clean product. While a product being vegan and cruelty-free is always a good thing, there could still be some dodgy ingredients hidden inside like phthalates and parabens. Both ingredients are known or suspected to be harmful to your skin and body. This is why it is extremely important to always check labels and ingredient lists.
If using clean-conscious products is important to you as it is to me, my recommendation is to look for products that are organic and ethically sourced whenever possible. If that is not a reality for you, look for “free-from” products. Free-from products do not contain harmful chemicals such as sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances. You can learn more about safe ingredients from the Environmental Working Group’s skincare database here.
Another broadly used term is “100% natural.” Sounds like that would be something you would feel good about using, right? Well, not necessarily. All this means is that the company making the product isn’t using artificial or synthetic chemicals in their ingredients, but rather naturally occurring chemicals. This is confusing and vague, and again, does not mean that the product is necessarily safe or clean. Often it is merely clever advertising.
Whether you are new to clean beauty, or new to the Charleston area, I’ve compiled a quick guide to help you on your journey.
Local Clean Beauty Shops
- Wildcraft Charleston: 38 Windemere Blvd. Charleston, 29407.
This is your one-stop shop, a beautiful retail space for all things clean beauty and wellness. It is truly dreamy and magical; I have spent hours here checking out everything they offer (and trying not to drain my bank account)!
- Aillea: 280 West Coleman Blvd. Unit F. Mount Pleasant, 29464.
While not completely local to Charleston, Aillea is a clean skincare and makeup shop with a few locations across the southeast and Colorado. They have an extensive offering of clean, safe products and are very rigorous in their selection process to ensure they bring the highest standards to their customers.
Local Clean Skincare Brands
- Me Time Botanicals: In full transparency, I’m biased when it comes to Me Time Botanicals. I’ve been a spa partner with the brand for a few years now because the products are that good. Not only are her products hand-crafted, organic, ethically sourced, and effective, founder and owner Kara Reich is an amazing woman and is continually making amazing products. Check them out; you will not be disappointed.
- Owl and Lily Apothecary: This is a brand that I discovered recently at the Summerville Farmers Market. The owner, Janice, is awesome and I had the pleasure of chatting with her about her “organic-responsible-wild” products. I purchased her turmeric and lemon sugar scrub. It smells so fresh and vibrant, and I love how soft my skin is after using it! I can’t wait to try more of her products!
Local Clean Beauty Spas
West Ashley
- Enlighten Skincare (Shameless plug, this is my spa!)
- Tamanu Skincare
Mt. Pleasant
Summerville
Downtown
James Island
