On the plus side, the popularity of clean beauty has spawned a growing awareness about what goes into skincare products and a more nuanced understanding of sensitive skin types, she adds: “An allergy to fragrances that many skincare products contain is very common. Many self-proclaimed clean brands are recognising the need, therefore, to create products that are free of such allergens.”

Nikita Deshpande, Dr Chytra Anand and Colette Austin

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A common misconception about clean beauty products is that they are inherently better for the environment. “While certain ingredients, such as formaldehydes, that are avoided by clean brands are also harmful to the environment, it doesn’t necessarily translate into these brands being completely sustainable. Sustainability is not just about the formulation but also how products are manufactured, sourced, packaged, transported, and sold. One cannot talk about sustainability without also considering the entire carbon footprint of the product,” Dr Anand says. 

Her views are echoed by Nikita Deshpande, co-founder of Ilana, who explains that just because a product claims to use plant or fruit extracts, it isn’t necessarily more eco-conscious. “On the contrary, it is much more environmentally-friendly to manufacture certain ingredients in labs, as opposed to harvesting entire plants for extracts. Then, there’s also the question of how far ingredients travel; how much plastic or paper is used to package them; whether or not the packaging is reused or recycled; how the manufacturer handles wastes and effluents and various other considerations that cannot be ignored,” she elaborates.

Instead of relying on tags such as clean, sustainable or all-natural, Colette Austin, founder of Skin Pantry, recommends actually reading the ingredients on the label and referring to the brand’s website and social media to better understand their ethics and practices. “In addition to people becoming more aware about the nuances of skincare such as actives and formulations, they have also begun to take interest in how beauty products are manufactured and sold. More than regulations, the future of skincare will emerge from what customers demand from manufacturers; this will compel the latter to become more mindful,” she concludes.