ingredients in vegan products are lanolin, honey, beeswax, collagen, albumen, carmine, cholesterol, and gelatin. Recognizable certified vegan labels may include endorsements by certifying bodies such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Vegan Society, or Vegan Action. These certifications are dependent upon the transparency and accuracy of the brand’s disclosure upon application for certification.
Cruelty-free products are those that do not participate in animal testing. This definition can be open to interpretation by manufacturing companies. For instance, a final product may not be tested on an animal but ingredients contained within the product may have been animal-tested. It is important for consumers to investigate what the cruelty-free label entails. The Leaping Bunny Program is widely recognized for certifying companies based in the United States and Canada are free of animal testing from all stages of product development.5
Clean and natural are unregulated marketing terms described as products free of ingredients deemed unacceptable by a company. For example, the Clean at Sephora Program features brands that comply with a list of over 40 banned ingredients such as parabens, formaldehyde releasers, and mineral oil.6 The "Made Without List" at Ulta prohibits parabens, phthalates, and formaldehyde releasers, amongst others.7 Whole Foods has a list of over 100 ingredients banned in their clean beauty line, including a favorite amongst many dermatologists, petrolatum jelly.8 Public interest groups, including the Environmental Working Group, contribute to the clean beauty trends followed by cosmetic companies by retaining an unacceptable ingredient list and assigning cosmetic ingredients a hazard score.
Parabens are often excluded from clean beauty products for fear of endocrine disruption or allergenicity. The most potent xenoestrogen, butylparaben, has activity at least 10,000 times less than estradiol at a concentration 25,000 times greater than used in cosmetics.9 The low potency combined with rapid metabolization and excretion of parabens suggests little systemic effect. Parabens were named nonallergen of the year by the American Contact Dermatitis Society in 2019 to highlight the relatively low incidence of allergic contact dermatitis despite public scrutiny.10 Phthalates are commonly banned due to a study in rodents linking high levels to hormone disruption, although, absorption through human skin is minimal.11 The amount of total phthalate exposure through cosmetics is unknown and the greatest exposure is thought to be through food sources.9 Formaldehyde releasers are one of the most commonly banned ingredients in the clean beauty movement. The leading cause of formaldehyde exposure is from inhalation rather than skin absorption. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review expert panel concluded that formaldehyde is safe for use as a preservative in cosmetics at the minimal effective concentration, but no greater than 0.2%.12
We emphasize the misconception of clean, natural, organic, and vegan to equal safe. The clean beauty movement has led to replacement of safe ingredients with alternatives causing contact dermatitis.13 Many naturally derived ingredients are the cause of dermatitis, with the most common cosmetic-related natural ingredients causing facial dermatitis being propolis and hydroperoxides of limonene and linalool.14 Our role is to educate about misinformation and marketing strategies to direct patients towards safe, effective, and affordable skincare. Patients should be encouraged to investigate how the terms clean, natural, organic, vegan, and cruelty-free are defined by the producers of their personal care products. A reasonable approach to sort through countless certifying bodies and broad definitions of clean beauty is to direct patients towards reliable sources of information such as the Cosmetic Ingredient Review13 or Contact Dermatitis Institute Allergen Database for those with known sensitization. With the dramatic rise in popularity of these terms, this is one of many valid questions patients are raising, and something dermatology providers should be prepared to answer.
Cruelty-free products are those that do not participate in animal testing. This definition can be open to interpretation by manufacturing companies. For instance, a final product may not be tested on an animal but ingredients contained within the product may have been animal-tested. It is important for consumers to investigate what the cruelty-free label entails. The Leaping Bunny Program is widely recognized for certifying companies based in the United States and Canada are free of animal testing from all stages of product development.5
Clean and natural are unregulated marketing terms described as products free of ingredients deemed unacceptable by a company. For example, the Clean at Sephora Program features brands that comply with a list of over 40 banned ingredients such as parabens, formaldehyde releasers, and mineral oil.6 The "Made Without List" at Ulta prohibits parabens, phthalates, and formaldehyde releasers, amongst others.7 Whole Foods has a list of over 100 ingredients banned in their clean beauty line, including a favorite amongst many dermatologists, petrolatum jelly.8 Public interest groups, including the Environmental Working Group, contribute to the clean beauty trends followed by cosmetic companies by retaining an unacceptable ingredient list and assigning cosmetic ingredients a hazard score.
Parabens are often excluded from clean beauty products for fear of endocrine disruption or allergenicity. The most potent xenoestrogen, butylparaben, has activity at least 10,000 times less than estradiol at a concentration 25,000 times greater than used in cosmetics.9 The low potency combined with rapid metabolization and excretion of parabens suggests little systemic effect. Parabens were named nonallergen of the year by the American Contact Dermatitis Society in 2019 to highlight the relatively low incidence of allergic contact dermatitis despite public scrutiny.10 Phthalates are commonly banned due to a study in rodents linking high levels to hormone disruption, although, absorption through human skin is minimal.11 The amount of total phthalate exposure through cosmetics is unknown and the greatest exposure is thought to be through food sources.9 Formaldehyde releasers are one of the most commonly banned ingredients in the clean beauty movement. The leading cause of formaldehyde exposure is from inhalation rather than skin absorption. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review expert panel concluded that formaldehyde is safe for use as a preservative in cosmetics at the minimal effective concentration, but no greater than 0.2%.12
We emphasize the misconception of clean, natural, organic, and vegan to equal safe. The clean beauty movement has led to replacement of safe ingredients with alternatives causing contact dermatitis.13 Many naturally derived ingredients are the cause of dermatitis, with the most common cosmetic-related natural ingredients causing facial dermatitis being propolis and hydroperoxides of limonene and linalool.14 Our role is to educate about misinformation and marketing strategies to direct patients towards safe, effective, and affordable skincare. Patients should be encouraged to investigate how the terms clean, natural, organic, vegan, and cruelty-free are defined by the producers of their personal care products. A reasonable approach to sort through countless certifying bodies and broad definitions of clean beauty is to direct patients towards reliable sources of information such as the Cosmetic Ingredient Review13 or Contact Dermatitis Institute Allergen Database for those with known sensitization. With the dramatic rise in popularity of these terms, this is one of many valid questions patients are raising, and something dermatology providers should be prepared to answer.
DISCLOSURES
The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
REFERENCES
1. Global market value for natural/organic cosmetics and personal care in 2018-2027. Statista. Accessed January 22, 2022. https://www.statista.com/ statistics/673641/global-market-value-for-natural-cosmetics
2. Cosmetics, Body Care, and Personal Care Products | Agricultural Marketing Service. Accessed January 20, 2022. https://www.ams.usda.gov/gradesstandards/ cosmetics-body-care-and-personal-care-products
3. Organic Personal Care Standards. NSF International. Accessed January 20, 2022. https://www.nsf.org/standards-development/standards-portfolio/organicpersonal- care-standards
4. COSMOS-STANDARD | Certification for cosmetic products and ingredients. COSMOS. Accessed January 22, 2022. https://www.cosmos-standard.org/ about-the-cosmos-standard
5. The Leaping Bunny Difference | Leaping Bunny. Accessed January 22, 2022. https://www.leapingbunny.org/leaping-bunny-difference
6. Best Clean Beauty Products 2022. Sephora. Accessed January 21, 2022. https://www.sephora.com/beauty/clean-beauty-products
7. Made Without List | Conscious Beauty at Ulta Beauty. Accessed January 21, 2022. https://www.ulta.com/conscious-beauty/clean-ingredients/made-withoutlist. html
8. Our Standard: Beyond Clean Beauty. Whole Foods Market. Accessed January 21, 2022. https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/quality-standards/beauty-bodycare- standards
9. Juhász MLW, Marmur ES. A review of selected chemical additives in cosmetic products. Dermatol Ther. 2014;27(6):317-322.
10. Fransway AF, Fransway PJ, Belsito DV, Yiannias JA. Paraben Toxicology. Dermatitis. 2019;30(1):32-45.
11. Hubinger JC. A survey of phthalate esters in consumer cosmetic products. J Cosmet Sci. 2010;61(6):457-465.
12. Boyer IJ, Heldreth B, Bergfeld WF, et al. Amended safety assessment of formaldehyde and methylene glycol as used in cosmetics. Int J Toxicol. 2013;32(6 Suppl):5S-32S.
13. Rubin CB, Brod B. Natural does not mean safe—the dirt on clean beauty products. JAMA Dermatol. 2019;155(12):1344–1345.
14. Bruusgaard-Mouritsen MA, Garvey LH, Johansen JD. Facial contact dermatitis caused by cosmetic-relevant allergens. Contact Derm. 2021;85(6):650-659.
2. Cosmetics, Body Care, and Personal Care Products | Agricultural Marketing Service. Accessed January 20, 2022. https://www.ams.usda.gov/gradesstandards/ cosmetics-body-care-and-personal-care-products
3. Organic Personal Care Standards. NSF International. Accessed January 20, 2022. https://www.nsf.org/standards-development/standards-portfolio/organicpersonal- care-standards
4. COSMOS-STANDARD | Certification for cosmetic products and ingredients. COSMOS. Accessed January 22, 2022. https://www.cosmos-standard.org/ about-the-cosmos-standard
5. The Leaping Bunny Difference | Leaping Bunny. Accessed January 22, 2022. https://www.leapingbunny.org/leaping-bunny-difference
6. Best Clean Beauty Products 2022. Sephora. Accessed January 21, 2022. https://www.sephora.com/beauty/clean-beauty-products
7. Made Without List | Conscious Beauty at Ulta Beauty. Accessed January 21, 2022. https://www.ulta.com/conscious-beauty/clean-ingredients/made-withoutlist. html
8. Our Standard: Beyond Clean Beauty. Whole Foods Market. Accessed January 21, 2022. https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/quality-standards/beauty-bodycare- standards
9. Juhász MLW, Marmur ES. A review of selected chemical additives in cosmetic products. Dermatol Ther. 2014;27(6):317-322.
10. Fransway AF, Fransway PJ, Belsito DV, Yiannias JA. Paraben Toxicology. Dermatitis. 2019;30(1):32-45.
11. Hubinger JC. A survey of phthalate esters in consumer cosmetic products. J Cosmet Sci. 2010;61(6):457-465.
12. Boyer IJ, Heldreth B, Bergfeld WF, et al. Amended safety assessment of formaldehyde and methylene glycol as used in cosmetics. Int J Toxicol. 2013;32(6 Suppl):5S-32S.
13. Rubin CB, Brod B. Natural does not mean safe—the dirt on clean beauty products. JAMA Dermatol. 2019;155(12):1344–1345.
14. Bruusgaard-Mouritsen MA, Garvey LH, Johansen JD. Facial contact dermatitis caused by cosmetic-relevant allergens. Contact Derm. 2021;85(6):650-659.
AUTHOR CORRESPONDENCE
Katelyn Urban DO KUrban19071@med.lecom.edu
