Clean Beauty Consumer’s Guide: How to Avoid Greenwashing and Shop with Confidence

The clean beauty and personal care industry has seen an explosive rise in popularity. In fact, the global clean beauty market is expected to reach a value of $15.3 billion by 2028 (up from $8.25 billion in 2023). As consumer demand for safer products grows, more and more brands are jumping on this marketing train, regardless of their convictions, might I add, and proudly touting their products as “clean,” “non-toxic,” or “chemical-free,” (as IF).  This makes it seem like finding the safest, most effective products should be easier than ever. However, there’s a significant issue that consumers often overlook: without clear regulations and a standardized definition, these marketing claims can be incredibly misleading. It’s like the wild, wild west out there when it comes to regulations and clear standards in the clean beauty industry! 

So, how can you navigate the clean beauty space effectively? Let’s break down the most important things to consider when shopping for clean beauty products—and why you need to be cautious about what you’re buying.

1. What Does “Clean Beauty” Actually Mean? The Problem with Unregulated Terms

One of the biggest hurdles in clean beauty is the lack of a standardized, legally enforced definition for the word “clean.” Unlike terms like “certified organic” (which are regulated by agencies like the USDA when it comes to food and agricultural products) “clean” in the beauty industry remains unregulated and open to interpretation. That means any brand can call its product clean, natural, or safe, without meeting any specific standards.

Some brands define “clean” as free from synthetic ingredients. Others emphasize environmental sustainability, cruelty-free testing, ethical sourcing, or the use of fewer ingredients overall. Some brands even slap “clean” on a label because their packaging is green—literally or figuratively. In short, “clean” can mean whatever a brand wants it to mean.

Why it matters:
Without consistent standards or oversight, the term “clean” becomes more of a marketing buzzword than a true reflection of safety or integrity. You could be buying a product labeled clean and still end up applying ingredients you’d personally choose to avoid—like hormone-disrupting preservatives, allergens, carcinogens, and skin irritants.

So what’s changing—and where do we still fall short?
In 2022, the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MOCRA) was passed—the first major update to U.S. cosmetic law since 1938 (mind blowing, right?). 

It’s a significant step forward and includes new requirements for:

• Manufacturer facility registration and product listing
• Mandatory adverse event reporting
• Clear labeling requirements
• And a push for the regulation of formaldehyde in cosmetics

But—MOCRA still doesn’t define what “clean,” “natural,” or “non-toxic” means. It also doesn’t ban or restrict thousands of other ingredients that are already prohibited in other countries, including known endocrine disruptors and allergens. So while it’s progress, the burden of researching ingredients and vetting brands still falls largely on consumers.

What to do:
Don’t stop at the front label. Investigate a brand’s ingredient philosophy and look for transparency around safety standards. Third-party certifications like EWG Verified, COSMOS Organic, or USDA Organic can offer helpful guardrails—but remember, not every trustworthy brand pursues certification, and not all certifications will align with your personal definition of clean.

When in doubt, your best tool is education: learn to read ingredient labels, know your personal “no” list, and follow voices you trust in the clean beauty space.

2. Fear-Factor. When Clean Beauty Marketing Turns to Alarmist Hype

Let’s talk about the darker side of clean beauty—fear. Some brands and influencers lean hard into scare tactics, painting every lab-created ingredient as a villain and every “unpronounceable” name as a red flag. Suddenly, your moisturizer sounds like a chemical weapon unless it’s made from berries and a prayer.

But here’s the truth: fear isn’t the same as science.

Yes, there are ingredients worth avoiding (and I’ll help you spot them). But blanket statements like “if you can’t pronounce it, don’t use it” oversimplify a very nuanced topic. Spoiler: water is dihydrogen monoxide. And last I checked, that one’s pretty safe.

Unfortunately, this kind of oversimplification often starts in places like well-meaning “mommy blogs” (yes, I get the irony since I’m both a mom and a blogger) that toss out bold warnings without digging into the actual research. (Remember the sodium benzoate + citric acid panic? That combo isn’t dangerous in the context of skincare formulations. It was actually sodium benzoate plus ascorbic acid, ingested, and only under certain conditions. But one viral blog post got it wrong and suddenly, everyone was side-eying their face wash.)

Let’s address that elephant in the room from above-I know I’m a mom. And a blogger. But here’s the difference: I cite scientific sources and encourage informed decisions, not fear-based ones. When I hear some new rumor, my instinct is to research first, report findings second. Never the reverse.

Why it matters:
Scare tactics might make you throw away half your skincare drawer out of panic…when what you really need is education. The goal isn’t to fear every synthetic or worship every plant extract—it’s to understand what you want to avoid, why, and who you trust to help you figure it out.

What to do:
Find trusted, science-informed voices (I’d love to be one of them!) who are honest about nuance and open about sourcing. Ask questions. Read labels. And stay curious—but calm.

3. Lack of Transparency in Clean Beauty Marketing & Labeling

Many beauty products marketed as “clean” still use vague or proprietary terms like “botanical fragrance blend” or “plant-based surfactants.” These sound harmless—but they can hide a toxic soup of ingredients you’d probably prefer to avoid.

Let’s take a look at a super common labeling term that causes a lot of confusion: “All natural.” It sounds reassuring, but in reality, it’s one of the most greenwashed terms in the industry!  Because it’s such a largely unregulated marketing term (in a problematically unregulated industry), a product can be labeled “all natural” even if it contains synthetic preservatives, fragrance, or other lab-derived ingredients—as long as some of the ingredients are plant-derived. There’s no legal requirement for a product labeled “all natural” to be 100% natural. In fact, according to some labeling standards, having as little as 5–10% natural content can still qualify a product to make that claim. Not so transparent, huh? 

The lack of regulation we’ve been discussing makes it all too easy for brands to use the term as a greenwashing tactic, banking on your trust without offering full transparency. When in doubt, flip the product over and scan the full ingredient list—because “natural” doesn’t always mean non-toxic or safe.

Why it matters:
Without full ingredient disclosure, you’re left guessing—and that defeats the purpose of clean beauty in the first place.

What to do:
Flip straight to the ingredients list. Look for full INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) listings. Seek out brands that openly disclose their formulas and explain their sourcing and safety standards.

4. Clean AND Effective? Yes, Please!

A common frustration: clean beauty products that sound amazing but just… don’t work. In my product junkie level quest for clean AND high performing products, I’ve been disappointed more often than not. Products with pristine ingredient labels failed in the performance category time and time again. Have you been there too? Maybe your clean mascara smudges or burns your eyes, or your deodorant wears off by lunch (not fun for anybody), or your foundation turns orange before the day is done… in so many cases, brands sacrifice performance in their efforts to avoid synthetics…even safe ones. Turning a blind eye to science-backed data and ignoring clean ingredients that can improve your product’s performance due to ignorance or bias just doesn’t make sense to me! 

Gone are the days when being crunchy meant your products could either be clean or effective, but never BOTH. Thanks to research, brilliant product formulators entering the clean beauty market, and safer synthetics, today’s low-tox formulas can deliver serious results without questionable ingredients. From long-wear foundations to retinol alternatives and skin barrier protecting actives, you really can have high performance and peace of mind.

You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your standards to get real results. Thankfully, clean beauty has evolved—and the best brands are formulating with both performance and purity in mind. The secret? Ingredient literacy and scientific innovation. When clean beauty brands lean into data, not just dogma, they can create products that rival (or outperform!) their conventional counterparts.

Why it matters:
You shouldn’t have to choose between safety and effectiveness. A product can be both clean and high-performing.

What to do:
Look for brands that formulate with science-backed safe ingredients, whether natural or synthetic, and have a reputation for quality results. Reading reviews helps. So does patch testing and giving your skin time to adjust.

5. The Problem with Packaging

Greenwashing is an issue-even when it comes to packaging! Plenty of brands slap on “eco-friendly” labels or use green-colored packaging to imply sustainability. But claims like “recyclable,” “zero waste,” or “carbon neutral” are often loosely defined, unverified, or misleading. Plastics cannot be infinitely recycled, and some cities have such strict regulations on recycling that much of what goes to the recycling facility still just ends up in the landfill. 

When we talk about sustainable packaging, the conversation often centers on environmental impact—and rightfully so. However, there’s another critical aspect to consider: how packaging materials can affect the product inside.

Plastic containers, commonly used in the beauty industry, can leach chemicals into skincare products over time. Such contamination can compromise the purity and efficacy of formulations that were initially created with clean, toxin-free ingredients. 

Emerging research also suggests that plastics might not only leach unwanted substances into products but could also absorb active ingredients from them. This means that the beneficial ingredients (like peptides in your anti-aging serum) might bind to the plastic packaging, reducing their availability for your skin. While specific studies on this phenomenon are ongoing, the potential for such interactions underscores the importance of considering packaging materials in product formulation and selection.

Why it matters:
Clean beauty isn’t just about what’s in the bottle—it’s about how the bottle got there, and what the bottle is doing to your product. If sustainability matters to you, greenwashing undermines your efforts to shop responsibly. Also, if the integrity of the product matters to you, plastics are not the ideal packaging solution.

What to do:
Look for third-party certifications like B Corp, FSC-certified packaging, or plastic neutral certifications from organizations like 4Ocean or CleanHub. Check a brand’s website for real data, not vague promises. For product integrity, look for packaging in glass, paperboard, or aluminum (with food safe liners) when you’re shopping. 

6. The Price Perception Problem: Is Clean Beauty Really More Expensive?“

One of the biggest misconceptions about clean beauty is that it’s always more expensive—and therefore completely out of reach for the average consumer. Yes, some low-tox brands cost more (and some even more than others…), but it’s not always just for their profit margins. 

Here’s what many people don’t realize:
Clean beauty brands often use higher-quality, responsibly sourced ingredients that cost more to produce. Not only are there sustainability issues involved, but human rights issues as well! Radiance shouldn’t be rooted in exploitation. If it costs a child their education, dignity, and innocence, it’s too high a price, no matter how much it increases a company’s profit margin. Because of these ethical convictions and refusal to compromise, many clean beauty businesses simply can’t compete with the rock-bottom pricing of mass-market or Amazon-sold products. They’re not cutting corners on ingredients or ethics—and that comes at a cost.

But here’s the flip side: some clean, low-tox products are actually a bargain when you compare them to the overpriced department store or luxury brand counterparts that still use potentially toxic or irritating ingredients. In some cases, you’re paying more for the name, packaging, or marketing than you are for what’s actually inside the bottle. Sometimes toxin-free products actually last longer than their conventional counterparts as well! While the price tag might be a bit more steep on the front end, you might be replacing them far less often due to the higher quality ingredients and formulations.

Why this matters:
If you’ve written off clean beauty as “too expensive” without digging deeper, you might be missing out on products that are both safer and surprisingly affordable. Or worse, you might be paying a premium for conventional products that contain cheap fillers and questionable ingredients.

What to do:
Shift the mental narrative from “clean beauty = expensive” to “what am I really paying for here?” Read ingredient labels. Compare formulations. Consider the sourcing, packaging, brand values, and longevity of the product. And don’t assume a small brand’s price tag is inflated—many of them are just trying to survive in a landscape dominated by mega-retailers and $4 knockoffs.

How to Shop Smarter in the Clean Beauty Space:

• Read ingredient labels—and learn how to decode them. I have a pocket guide you can keep on your phone, drop a comment if you want a copy! I can email it to you or we can connect on IG/FB.
• Don’t fear every synthetic—there are safe, effective, even nature-identical synthetics available for use. Sometimes these ingredients are more cost-effective than their natural counterparts.
• Prioritize transparency—not just in marketing, but in formulation. Avoid vague “ingredients” like: natural fragrance, or natural flavors. Watch for products that hide the full ingredient list and only highlight key ingredients.

• Stay curious—educate yourself, question claims, and seek out trusted voices. I would be honored to help you there.

• Support better brands—those that push for stricter regulation, transparent sourcing, and truly clean innovation. A truly conscious company isn’t just mass producing products, they’re heavily involved in the mission.

The Bottom Line

“Clean beauty” should be more than a marketing buzzword—it should reflect a genuine commitment to safety, transparency, and integrity. But until regulatory standards catch up, it’s up to us as consumers to ask better questions and expect better answers.

You don’t have to live in fear of your skincare—but you also don’t have to accept greenwashed, feel-good language at face value. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress.

What do you think? Have you ever felt misled by a clean beauty product? Let’s continue the conversation in the comments below—or share this with a friend who’s navigating the clean beauty world, too.

If you’re new to low-tox living, check out my blog on why it’s important and how to get started: here

For more tips, tricks, videos, and product recs, follow me on Instagram: here