INTRODUCTION
The global market for "clean" cosmetic and personal care products are projected to increase from 34.5 billion dollars in 2018 to 54.5 billion dollars in 2027.1 But what exactly does clean, vegan, natural, or organic mean when it comes to skincare? With the dramatic rise in popularity of these terms, this is one of many valid questions patients are raising. The difficulty lies in the continued lack of regulation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to substantiate any of these label terminologies. In this commentary, we summarize the meaning of clean, natural, organic, vegan, and cruelty-free (Table 1) as they apply to personal care products, briefly discuss commonly marketed ingredients of concern, and provide recommendations to give patients in pursuit of informed beauty.
The FDA does not define or regulate & "organic" as it applies to skincare. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the National Organic Program and certifies agricultural products as organic. Cosmetics may only obtain and display the certified USDA seal if comprised of 95 to 100 percent certified organic agricultural ingredients (ie, grown on soil with no prohibited substances including synthetic fertilizers and pesticides applied for three years prior to harvest, and no genetically modified organisms). Adding to consumer confusion, skincare products may be certified by other private certifying bodies which are not regulated by the USDA.2 The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) International and the American National Standards Institute formed a joint committee and created a personal care product standard requiring products to contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients in order to display their certified organic seal.3 A number of international certifying bodies follow the Cosmetic Organic and Natural Standard (COSMOS), which has less stringent standards with a requirement of at least 20 percent of organic ingredients in a product for certification.4 Without broad regulation, "organic" can be placed on any product without further clearance.
The accepted definition of a vegan product does not contain animal products or by products. Commonly cited excluded
The FDA does not define or regulate & "organic" as it applies to skincare. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the National Organic Program and certifies agricultural products as organic. Cosmetics may only obtain and display the certified USDA seal if comprised of 95 to 100 percent certified organic agricultural ingredients (ie, grown on soil with no prohibited substances including synthetic fertilizers and pesticides applied for three years prior to harvest, and no genetically modified organisms). Adding to consumer confusion, skincare products may be certified by other private certifying bodies which are not regulated by the USDA.2 The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) International and the American National Standards Institute formed a joint committee and created a personal care product standard requiring products to contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients in order to display their certified organic seal.3 A number of international certifying bodies follow the Cosmetic Organic and Natural Standard (COSMOS), which has less stringent standards with a requirement of at least 20 percent of organic ingredients in a product for certification.4 Without broad regulation, "organic" can be placed on any product without further clearance.
The accepted definition of a vegan product does not contain animal products or by products. Commonly cited excluded
