NEO I SPOTLIGHT
Clean beauty staples and why this movement is so important

Clean beauty staples and why this movement is so important

By Carolina Malis

There’s a big chance you’ve probably heard about Clean Beauty already, but do you really know what’s behind it? While some think clean, and green beauty are the exact same thing, there’s a few details that make them different. So, what’s Clean Beauty and why it’s so important?

In a nutshell, regulations for skincare, beauty and self-care industries are pretty low, to say the least. The FDA doesn't need to approve a makeup or skincare item in order for it to hit the stores, and that can be a very problematic situation. Companies are basically free to do and formulate whatever they want with no government oversight, which can lead to unhealthy formulas, packaging, ingredientes and overall products we use on a daily basis. For that same reason and because there’s no regulations, every brand has the power to use any words the way they want in order to sell a product. Natural, eco-friendly, mineral, pure, botanical, plant-based… these sound good but in many occasions mean absolutely nothing more than a marketing strategy, one many fall for.

So now, what’s Clean Beauty then? You could call it a movement embracing both natural and human-made ingredients but with a focus on safety over source. That doesn't mean every single natural product is safe for you and every chemical or synthetic ingredient is toxic. Clean Beauty is more about what you’re keeping out of your products, such as parabens, silicones, sulfates and fragrances, AKA, providing your skin only with the things it actually needs and it’s able to process.

While some brands are not into this movement at all, some others have made a commitment to turn their old formulas intro cleaner ones and come out with new products based on non-toxic methods, where the focus is on bringing down the number of ingredients on the list but not the effectiveness of the products. On those terms, Neogen has been working for the past few years on newly curated formulas featuring ingredients that will not only help our skin stay away from irritation and damage but also help it protect itself from the environment.

Testing out these different products is that I got to try out their Real Cica Micelar line - featuring three different cleansers plus toning pads - and not gonna lie, they’ve been part of my routine non-stop since. This line is considered a part of the Clean Beauty movement, as all its ingredients are naturally sourced and proven non-toxic for your skin or your body. But why is this line in particular so special? On the first place, Cica is without a doubt one of the best ingredients you can add to your routine: anti inflammatory, helps with scaring, bacteria, pigmentation, irritation and redness, AKA, a dream for those with troubled, sensitive skin types; but that’s not it. All these cleansers are Micellar, a word you’ve probably heard all over the place already, but what does that really mean? All these products are made up of micelles, tiny balls of cleansing oil molecules that are attracted to dirt, waste and oil, so they are able to draw out impurities without drying out the skin, not only cleansing it but hydrating it too.

These incredibly soothing ingredients make these cleansers a sensitive/acne prone/combo skin type best friend, and a staple on their skincare routines, one you’ll definitely want to keep on your cabinets in order to stay away from those ingredients that could not only damage your skin but your lifestyle too.