Hey Beauties,
Welcome to Issue 01. Before we get into telling you which mascaras are clean and the glazed skin trend, let's start with the question I get asked most: why does clean beauty even matter?
First, what does "clean" actually means
There's no legal definition of "clean" in Australian beauty. A brand can put it on the front of a bottle and it can mean almost anything.
At Beauty Originals, clean means three things. Nothing from our BO No List with a commitment to ongoing research. Full ingredient transparency around the products we sell and formulate. And products that actually perform, because a clean product you hate using isn't doing the girlies any favours.
It doesn't mean "natural is good, chemical is bad." Everything is a chemical, water included. What matters is which ingredients, how much, and how often.
The rules aren't the same everywhere
This surprised me the most when I started reading labels. The EU bans or restricts more than 1,400 ingredients in cosmetics. The US restricts only a handful by comparison. Australia's rules are also far looser than Europe's.
So an ingredient that's restricted in Paris can still turn up on a shelf in Australia. That's why we use the stricter, research-backed rulebook as our starting point. I was sick of my friends feeling confused about where to start and what was 'actually' clean.
Why it adds up
Girls, let's take a moment to think about our morning routine: we use a cleanser, a serum, a moisturiser, an SPF, a foundation, then mascara, a bit of lip, maybe some body lotion. One often-quoted survey found the average woman uses around 12 personal care products a day, and I know that a few of us use a little more than 12.
It's not about one lipstick being the devil in our day. It's our everyday layering, morning and night, for years. That's why we care so much about the ingredients in the products we stock and formulate.
What clean beauty isn't
It isn't about creating more fear. Although research shows that a lot of us are moved by fear, which is why you'll see click bait when it comes to the low tox world. We don't want our girls throwing out their whole bathroom tonight (although I did do that to my pantry when we switched to additive free). And it definitely isn't about giving up the fun part of beauty products. Beauty should still feel like a treat and that's the whole point of BO.
Remember it's progress, not perfection. Swap as things run out.
Why I built Beauty Originals
I spent years down the research rabbit hole so you don't have to. Every product at BO has been checked before it reaches you, so you can get back to the fun part of your beauty shopping.
Welcome to the club, beauty.
Shay x
