What to Look For in Clean Beauty Products

“Clean beauty” has become a bit of a buzzword. But what does it actually mean? While it’s up for interpretation, we believe that choosing clean beauty means being clued-up about what goes into your products and their impact on the world around us.

If you’d like to make some positive changes to your beauty routine, keep reading. We’ve put together a checklist to help you create your own clean beauty routine.

Is it paraben and sulfate free?

Parabens are a family of ingredients used as preservatives. Sulfates are types of surfactants (similar to detergents). We know some people prefer to use products without sulfates or without certain types of parabens. That’s why Dove body washes are all sulfate free and paraben free. You can find these claims on the back of all our body wash bottles. 

Are the ingredients biodegradable?

Biodegradable is about “leaving no trace” to reduce the impact on the world around us. Body wash ingredients that are biodegradable will eventually break down into basic components like water, CO2 and minerals. We’re working towards biodegradable body wash formulations. Some of your favorites like Dove Deep Moisture, Dove Pampering and Dove Refreshing Body Wash now have 98% biodegradable formulas.*

*98% of ingredients break down into carbon dioxide, water & minerals (OECD test methods 301,302 and/or 310) 

Speaking of clean beauty packaging: is it recyclable?

Familiar with the reduce, reuse and recycle logo? It’s good practice to look out for it when shopping, most clean beauty packaging will have it clearly printed on the back. Dove Anti-Stress Body Wash is no different – alongside the recycle logo you’ll find another claim, our body wash bottles are also made from 100% recycled plastic. 

Does it contain natural or plant-based ingredients?

There are many answers to the question “what does clean beauty mean?” But it’s how you interpret it that matters. When it comes to clean beauty skin care, it’s the ingredients that count – Dove body washes contain naturally-derived cleansers and plant-based nourishers. 

Choose Cruelty-Free beauty products

While we’d like to say it’s expected brands are approved Cruelty-Free, sadly that’s not always the case. So, look for information on your clean beauty packaging for confirmation. And just in case you didn’t know – it’s been over 30 years since Unilever started to use non-animal testing methods to assess the safety of its products and ingredients. Globally, Dove does not test on animals and is certified Cruelty-Free by PETA. 

Does the brand give back to the community in any way?

Looking further than the product at hand and into a beauty brand’s values is something to think about. You can choose to support a brand whose values align with your own, so before trying a new brand or product, do a little research on their practices – you might be pleasantly surprised. The Dove Self-Esteem Project is helping 1/4 of a billion young people build self-esteem from 2004 to 2030. Download our tools for free at dove.com/selfesteem. (Link opens in new window.)

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