The majority of consumers have heard of clean beauty—60%, in fact—but only 27% know what the term means. According to Jennifer White Boehm, director, beauty and personal care for market research firm Mintel, at its core, clean beauty is a “marketing term, which perpetuates inconsistency among suppliers that leads to confusion among consumers.”

Most consumers define clean beauty through a product’s ingredient panel, with 63% associating “clean” as being natural/organic, 51% saying nontoxic ingredients and 49% defining it as being free from certain ingredients, noted White Boehm. A large swath of consumers also define “clean” through a lens of conscious manufacturing or positioning: eco-friendly (54%), cruelty-free (37%) and ethical (32%).

Despite its ambiguity, “clean” product usage is strong.

“Beauty companies and brands simply can’t be all things to people when it comes to defining clean,” White Boehm said. “There is a notable shift toward people when it comes to defining clean…the most successful brands will remain authentic to their mission and identity by leveraging a compelling and transparent ingredient story.”

The clean beauty market also relied heavily on social media to maintain a connection with consumers. According to market research company Kline, brands such as Glow Recipe and Tula Skincare saw tremendous engagement and activity from product tutorial videos and consumer stories on TikTok in the past year. Meanwhile, Ilia Beauty, Mineral Fusion and Beautycounter used Instagram for product and ingredient education. 

Total clean beauty sales soared 21% to $3.5 billion for the year ended through Aug. 31, 2023, according to Circana data.

Based on Circana’s 2023 Female Facial Skincare Report, the importance of clean facial skincare brands was similar to last year, with 71% of women saying that a clean brand (“safe, non-toxic ingredients”) is important when making a facial skin care purchase; significant increases were seen among Millennials. Most females (55%), especially Gen Z and Millennials (over 60%), prefer to do their own due diligence when it comes to deciding if a brand is clean, as opposed to relying on the retailer to identify if the product/brand is clean, according to Circana.

An Industry Focus on Clean

In recent months, more companies stepped up to the plate when it comes to responsible and ethical sourcing of ingredients. For example, in September 2023, almost 40 businesses and investors collaborated on a letter to EPA calling for expansion of its popular Safer Choice eco-certification program to beauty and personal care products. The letter was signed by major retailers and brands like Sephora and Seventh Generation, as well as groups such as Toxic-Free Future and the Environmental Working Group. The letter comes at a time when major retailers like Amazon are increasingly promoting products that are Safer Choice-certified.

The document was written in response to a public comment period that EPA launched inviting stakeholders to submit comments on how the program could be expanded to other product categories. Currently, the Safer Choice program primarily certifies products for formulated household cleaners, with approximately 2,000 products already certified.

“Safer Choice has proven successful in helping purchasers, retailers, product formulators and ingredient manufacturers to move toward safer solutions,” said Liz Hitchcock, director of Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, the federal policy program of Toxic-Free Future.

In conjunction with Climate Week NYC this September, Colgate-Palmolive has signed a 20-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for a solar energy farm outside of Waco, TX. The new Markum Solar Farm will be a long-term source of clean, renewable energy in the US. With start-up anticipated in 2025, the project is expected to produce the equivalent of 100% of the company’s US-based operational electricity needs.

This news follows the company’s 2022 announcement that it was the first large multinational company in the consumer durables, household and personal products sector to have its Net Zero Carbon targets approved by The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

“Colgate is committed to making progress towards our ambitious Net Zero goals, and we are pursuing this important priority through innovative and diverse ways that are proven and measurable,” said Ann Tracy, chief sustainability officer. “Renewable energy agreements are a valuable part of our renewable energy master plan and will help us achieve our targets of Net Zero carbon emissions by 2040 and 100% renewable electricity across our global operations by 2030.”

Colgate has been working to address climate change and disclose greenhouse gas emissions data for over 20 years.

For National Organic Month in September, indie brand Sky Organics extended its support of the initiative with Ecologi, a subscription-based carbon offsetting platform, to plant trees in core reforestation sites around the world. With the partnership, Sky Organics has committed to planting one tree for each order online and one tree for every person who signs up for Sky Organics’ newsletter.

The company is also amplifying its sustainability efforts and dedication to supporting the climate crisis through reforestation. Sky Organics will plant five trees for every order made through its website and for every customer who signs up for email and SMS alerts.

“At Sky Organics, we are committed to making a positive impact on the world and dedicated to environmental responsibility. Through our partnership with Ecologi, we are able to protect our planet, one tree at a time,” said Co-Founder and Chief Sustainability Officer Dean Neiger. “We continue to lead by example and invite our customers to join us in our efforts to fight climate change during National Organic Month and beyond.”

Since its inception in 2015, the B Corp-certified, family-founded company has pioneered simple ingredient blends for face, body and hair that harness the purity and potency of certified organic ingredients, noted Neiger.

Natural Developments in Personal Care

Shaklee, a well-known name in the wellness industry, received the EWG Verified mark by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) for more than 10 products in the Shaklee Body and Youth lines. The Shaklee Body line is dermatologist-approved clean, body care that is nutrient-rich and vitamin-infused to provide nutrition from the outside in, said the company. The Youth line is developed with anti-aging vitamins and polyphenols and is vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free and dermatologist-tested.

“Shaklee scientists have spent the last 67 years creating products that are both safe and clinically proven to be as effective as brands that use questionable chemicals,” said Roger Barnett, CEO of Shaklee Corporation. “We are proud to be EWG Verified and are fully aligned with the Environmental Working Group’s commitment to help consumers get access to products that protect human health and the environment.”

Shaklee’s formulas and natural ingredients, such as muscadine grape fruit extract, chardonnay grape seed extract and resveratrol, continue to set them apart in the wellness industry, added Barnett.

To further reduce the environmental impact, its Body collection is also sustainably packaged in the US from post-consumer recycled plastic and polypropylene.

When it comes to clean beauty formulation, EWG is considered the “gold standard” in the clean beauty domain, say some proponents. With 10 EWG Verified products and an eight-year partnership with EWG, skincare brand Sonäge announced another first, The Sonage EWG Verified Facial—a seven-step cleansing, exfoliating, treatment, hydration and SPF routine. It will roll out to spa partners nationwide through the end of the year. A kit featuring each product along with step-by-step use for at-home is also available.

Established two decades ago, Sonäge, Santa Monica, CA, is deeply rooted in European skin care traditions, crafting small-batch, plant-based products. According to Founder Anisha Khanna, the Sonäge EWG Verified facial delivers hydration while also being ethically responsible by way of natural sourcing.

“Saffron, niacinamide and vitamin C have skin-brightening properties that help even out skin tone, reduce the appearance of redness and improve the skin’s barrier function,” she told Happi. “Snow mushroom, vegan collagen and ceramides help with deep hydration and moisture retention, leading to a smoother, plumper complexion and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”

Weleda, the brand behind cult-favorite Skin Food and the award-winning Skin Food Face Care line, expanded its facial care offerings with a new Plumping range. The serum, day cream, night cream, facial oil and eye & lip cream are all formulated to target the first signs of aging by supporting the skin’s renewal process for firmer-feeling skin that shines with natural radiance.

The Plumping range features pomegranate seed oil and maca root peptides. Rich in rare punicic acid and antioxidants, pomegranate seed oil is ideal for anti-aging formulations while maca root peptides play a key role in biological functions of organisms, improving skin’s feeling of elasticity, helping to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and intensifying skin’s natural radiance, said the company.

Weleda markets plant rich, NaTrue-certified body and skin care formulas. The company’s 50 acres of Biodynamic gardens—The Weleda Biodynamic Gardens in Schwabisch Gmund, Germany—are some of the largest in Europe, according to the company. These farming principles are in Weleda’s roots and continue to inspire its high-quality products today. Weleda is a recipient of the UEBT certification for “Sourcing with Respect,” assuring consumers that biodiversity is protected along the company’s supply chain. All Weleda packaging is recyclable through Terracycle.

Weleda became certified B Corp in 2021. To qualify for B Corp certification, a company must complete the rigorous B Impact Assessment (BIA) and obtain a minimum of 80 points on a 200-point scale; Weleda’s score was 106.9.  During a BIA, businesses are rigorously assessed and measured in five areas: workers, community, governance, environment and customers.
B Corp itself is expanding its efforts, too.

Late last year, 27 leading certified B Corporations across eight countries and three continents formed a coalition seeking to improve the sustainability standards of the beauty industry.  The B Corp Beauty Coalition’s mission is to enable collaboration and exchange between companies; identify and share better practices, implement improvement actions and publish their outcomes; help beauty customers more easily navigate the category; and influence the beauty industry to trigger broader changes which can ultimately improve its social and environmental footprint. The coalition’s vision is to deliver “beauty for good.”

According to Shaun Russell, founder of fragrance and body care brand Skandinavisk, a co-founding member of the B Corp Beauty Coalition, time and effort will be invested in four key issues: ingredient sourcing and sustainability; greener logistics; packaging responsibility; and consistent and clear external messaging that customers can understand and trust.

The B Corp coalition includes personal care companies such as Arbonne, Davines, Prose and Badger, to name a few.

The latest personal care creation at fellow clean marketer Goop is Goop Beauty makeup. A first for the brand, which just celebrated its 15th anniversary, the Colorblur Glow is billed as a “creamy, moisturizing balm that delivers an effortless, translucent pop of color that works anywhere that the sun might hit your face—cheeks, lips, brow bones, temple and beyond,” according to the company.

Jean Godfrey-June, executive beauty director for Goop, told Happi that Colorblur Glow is a natural fit for the Goop portfolio.

“We’ve always emphasized the power of great skin care first and foremost, so color evolving out of a skin care formula—as Colorblur did—felt really organic. And it’s really beautiful, and luxurious—it’s kind of hard to pick just one of the colors, because they’re all really designed to flatter skin, no matter what your skin tone.

“It’s made with one of my all-time favorite skin care ingredients: sea buckthorn! It’s this intensely yellow berry that’s got a ton of vitamin C in it and vitamin C makes anyone’s skin look good—it’s great for glowy, even skin that just looks …healthier. Then ingredients like vitamin E and safflower oil moisturize, and the clean pigments are just gorgeous.”

According to Godfrey-June, today’s clean beauty shopper wants “chic, luxurious, super-effective, fun to use, beautifully packaged products that really work…there are no longer compromises to be made in shopping clean—it’s all upside.”

The Future of Clean Ingredients

The global organic skin care market jumped nearly 11% to $10.9 billion in 2023, according to a new report from Research And Markets. It is expected to increase 10.2% a year to $16.1 billion by 2027.

Product innovations are a key trend gaining popularity in the organic skin care market. Major companies operating in the space are focused on developing new products to strengthen their position.

Clean beauty is a concept that is equally fascinating and frustrating to beauty industry insiders. Yarden Horwitz of market research firm Spate noted: “On the one hand, a ‘clean’ lens reveals a more educated—and critical—consumer. On the other hand, clean beauty has no single, regulated definition and often encourages the proliferation of false and occasionally dangerous information. With 5.3 million searches on average each month for clean beauty trends across the beauty category, this is a trend that can’t be ignored.”

Consumers are prioritizing personal safety over environmental considerations, according to Spate.

“While clean beauty claims encompass various aspects like recyclability and sustainability, current searches indicate that consumers are primarily focused on hypoallergenic products, demonstrating their emphasis on personal health,” said Horwitz. “This doesn’t imply a lack of concern for the environment; rather, consumers tend to choose products that prioritize personal safety. Brands can seize this opportunity to convey that personal safety and environmental responsibility are not mutually exclusive. It’s also important to highlight that certain claims, particularly those related to non-toxicity, lack scientific evidence in specific contexts.”

Ultimately, the ethical and sustainably-sourced beauty market will continue to grow as both consumers and marketers link up to what clean really means.

“The increased push toward cleaner and healthier products, coupled with consumers’ demand for newness, efficacy and innovation, will continue to drive growth in the market,” noted Luke Nadolny, analyst, beauty and personal care, Kline.  “However, as competition is becoming more intense, it is important for brands to understand how to best stand out from each other.”  

What About the Cleaning Industry? ACI Pushes for Sustainable Feedstocks Earlier this year, the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) unveiled its Sustainable Feedstocks Initiative, aimed to drive the use of more sustainable feedstocks in cleaning product ingredients and products throughout the industry. The initiative, launched with a set of guidance materials, focused on the major raw materials used in cleaning products. Member companies of ACI participating in the initiative are meeting the following goals associated with the Sustainable Feedstocks Pledge: Identify relevant feedstocks, risks and sustainability opportunities across cleaning ingredient portfolios; Increase the use of more sustainable feedstocks and feedstocks created with more sustainable production practices across cleaning ingredient portfolios; and Collaborate across the cleaning products value chain to drive increased transparency, availability and adoption of more sustainable feedstocks. ACI is recognizing member companies who have been “Early Adopters” of this pledge, committing to grow their procurement of more sustainable feedstocks for their cleaning product ingredients. In many cases, these companies have already met and exceeded key goals around high volume feedstocks in their portfolios. Each company’s commitment can be viewed on the new webpage. “Contributing to a more sustainable planet requires commitment, transparency, innovation and continuous improvements,” said Nathan Sell, senior director, sustainability, ACI. “We’re proud to shine the spotlight on companies who are supporting ACI’s Sustainable Feedstock Initiative and our supply chain’s sustainability successes.” Early Adopter companies include Henkel, International Flavor and Fragrances, Inolex, Novozymes and Twin Rivers Technologies. ACI is defining a sustainable feedstock as a raw or recycled material available to meet the requirements of the cleaning product industry today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. “More sustainable” feedstocks reduce emissions, value nature, have increased transparency, and/or contribute positively to the well-being of the global community. For more news about the household cleaning category, see p. 66 in this issue.