How much of what beauty brands tell us is actually true? Rebecca Barry looks past the packaging and explores greenwashing in the beauty sector.
When it comes to cosmetics, we want to be sure that the products we buy are high quality, safe and sustainable. Walk into any beauty aisle and you'll find bottles covered in leaves, flowers and earthy colours, promising 'natural', 'clean', 'plant-based', 'non-toxic' or 'eco-friendly' beauty. Instinctively, we assume that the careful marketing truly reflects the product inside.
But there is a problem: the language on the front of a bottle can tell us much less than we think. A bar of soap in cardboard packaging can be labelled 'eco-friendly' without acknowledging environmentally harmful production processes. A moisturiser labelled 'pure and natural' can contain a single botanical extract alongside numerous synthetic ingredients. Countless products are labelled 'clean beauty' without defining what this actually means.
Greenwashing galore
Although the term 'greenwashing' sounds like something positive, it really isn't. Greenwashing is the use of environmental language, imagery or branding to make a product appear more environmentally responsible than the evidence supports.
Think of muted green packaging, pictures of leaves, recycled-looking labels and phrases such as 'earth friendly', 'eco', 'plant powered' or 'sustainable'. None of these things automatically means a product is misleading, but problems arise when the overall impression is greener or more sustainable than the product actually is.
The UK Government's Green Claims Code says environmental claims must be accurate, clear and supported by evidence. However, a claim can be misleading even when the individual words are technically true, if the overall impression given to the consumer is deceptive.
And greenwashing isn't limited to environmental claims. Beauty marketing can also create a similar form of healthwashing, using words such as 'clean', 'pure', 'non-toxic' or even 'chemical-free' to suggest a product is inherently healthier or safer than others, without giving a clear definition or evidence. With so many unregulated terms being thrown about, it falls to us to decode the claims.
But aren't cosmetics regulated?
Yes, cosmetics sold legally in Great Britain are (thankfully) subject to safety requirements. Ingredients are tightly regulated: some substances are prohibited, others are restricted, and products must undergo a safety assessment before going on sale. Products also need a responsible person and must be notified to the Office for Product Safety and Standards.
So the problem isn't that you can buy an untested bottle of moisturiser containing anything a manufacturer wants. The problem is that safety regulation is a different thing from the marketing language used to sell a product. A cosmetic can meet UK safety requirements while its packaging still uses vague language that makes it seem more natural, healthy or environmentally friendly than it is.
Decoding beauty buzzwords
This is where things get confusing, because each brand can take some creative liberties with what these words mean.
Natural: there is no specific legal definition of 'natural' in UK cosmetics legislation, and certification is not required. So 'natural' doesn't tell you how much of a product comes from nature, how those ingredients were processed or what the rest of the ingredients are.
Organic: similarly, 'organic' isn't specifically defined in UK cosmetics regulations, and organic certification is voluntary. That doesn't make certification meaningless. Independent standards give a defined set of criteria, so look for a recognised certification, such as the Soil Association's, rather than assuming the word alone guarantees anything.
Clean beauty: perhaps the biggest example of healthwashing. There is no legal definition of clean beauty in the UK, so it can mean whatever a brand decides: some natural ingredients, fewer synthetic ones, the absence of certain substances or environmental credentials. Or none of these, and simply a branding decision.
Chemical-free: a particularly meaningless claim. Everything is made of chemicals, including water, plants and our own bodies. What matters is which substances are present, their properties, their concentration and how much exposure we have.
Non-toxic: this sounds reassuring but tells you very little unless the brand explains what it means and what evidence supports it. Toxicity isn't a simple yes or no. Risk depends on the dose, how a substance gets into the body and for how long. So don't assume a bottle labelled 'non-toxic' is automatically safer than one that doesn't use the phrase.
Shop smarter
Next time you're browsing for new products or repurchasing a familiar one, keep these things in mind.
Read the ingredient list. Marketing claims and packaging are designed to catch your eye. The ingredient list tells you what's actually in the bottle. If a product screams natural but the list is full of red flags (parabens, fragrance, PFAS), reconsider.
Be sceptical of absolute claims. Words such as 'chemical-free', '100% non-toxic', 'completely safe', 'planet-friendly', 'clean' and 'all natural' should make you ask what exactly this means and where the evidence is. How does the brand define these terms, and what does its website say?
Look for help from other sources. Independent certification gives a marketing claim a defined standard behind it. Organic or natural certification from a recognised body like the Soil Association tells you far more than a brand printing 'natural' on its packaging. Apps such as Clearya, Think Dirty and Yuka, and the Environmental Working Group's online database, can also help you spot questionable ingredients.
Don't let a 'free-from' list do all the thinking. 'Paraben-free', 'silicone-free' and 'sulphate-free' can sound impressive, but the absence of one ingredient doesn't make the whole product healthier, safer or kinder to the planet.
This is a taste of Clean Beauty, Dirty Secrets from our autumn issue, where Rebecca also explains endocrine-disrupting chemicals, the four ingredient groups worth watching out for and how to keep children's products simple. Get the autumn issue, in print or digital.
