Cosmetic indies demand an end to “ultra-processed beauty”

A coalition of independent beauty brands is uniting against corporate giants whose profit-first mentality is hurting consumers. They’ve called out these behemoths for pedalling “ultra-processed” beauty products, viewing this as analogous to highly processed fast food. They insist consumers deserve better.

Independent beauty brands Neve’s Bees, Lyonsleaf, Husk & Seed, Shade All-Natural Sunscreen, have teamed up with the sustainability-focused media platform Live Frankly to spotlight toxic products under the ‘clean girl’ aesthetic. They are doing this as part of their new campaign, launched today.

The independents skin care providers aren’t alone in this mission. We wrote about Lush’s products and their diligent use of natural ingredients and zero-tolerance policy toward chemicals. Others are likely to follow suit.

‘Clean beauty’

Live Frankly aim to expose the cocktail of chemicals hidden in skin care regimes, arguing the the world is abandoning ‘clean beauty’ for a ‘scientifically-minded’ approach. While ingredients like peptides, retinol, and hyaluronic acid are touted for their benefits, Live Frankly points out that “science” has been reduced to a marketing tool with benefits falsely exaggerated.

In an open letter to the industry as part of their campaign, which launches today, they wrote:

These ingredients are not just being marketed as effective, but as essential for anti-aging. Anti-aging being the indisputable goal since before the dawn of early commercial beauty brands, when both Elizabeth Arden and her rival Helena Rubinstein preyed on women’s fear of aging, with Rubinstein reportedly telling the press in 1930: “Women have a duty to keep young.”

Women have faced relentless pressure to look a certain way and never age. Often, they feel anxious and confused about where to start. This campaign reminds us that health comes before beauty – and that health itself is beautiful.

Live Frankly spoke with Emma Dawes of the Soil Association for her perspective:

I disagree with that word anti-aging, everybody ages and it shouldn’t be looked upon negatively.

So, my personal view might be different to what the cosmetic industry or the Soil Association view could be, but I would say these ingredients have some functions, but maybe not as much as brands make out.

They state that one brand particularly notorious for this is the Ordinary, whose ‘ethos’ tagline is “Grounded in science. Driven by purpose.”

Their bestselling serum, Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides), for example, is proven to target signs of aging and claims to deliver instant and
long-lasting hydration. Their testing shows results over four weeks – on 32 people.

Referring to the Ordinary’s well received ‘Periodic Fable’ – a parody of the scientific table that claims ‘dispel common beauty myths’ – chemist Julie Macken of Neve’s Bees describes it as a crafty market ploy.

A scientific table with zero science’, as it says in its heading, is exactly what it is. It’s very clever marketing but it’s also
faux-transparency and a smokescreen for all the ingredients they’re not talking explicitly about. I feel like
that little boy shouting ‘But, the emperor’s got no clothes on!’ Why can’t anyone else see this?’.

Choose water-free skincare

To combat false advertising, the Live Frankly-backed campaign educates consumers on what their true skin needs, as protection against the allure of glitzy marketing campaigns. They draw attention to underhanded practices such as the bacteria-promoting preservatives, emulsifiers, and stabilisers big beauty brands use in their products – effectively diluting them to maximise profits.

In their letter, Live Frankly write:

The impacts of preservatives are still being discovered, but so far Parabens have been linked to hormone malfunction, obesity, and possibly increased risk of breast cancer.
Plus, when applied to skin, preservatives don’t differentiate between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria, so they are likely to compromise the skin’s microbiome. Just like a healthy gut, a healthy skin microbiome is said to help your immune system and defend against inflammation, irritation, and conditions like eczema.

The microbiome is also impacted by the emulsifiers that are required to blend oil and water and thickeners to create desirable textures. Other additives include fragrance stabilisers such as phthalates, which mimic human hormones and are linked to fertility issues, early puberty, and some cancers.

These “can and are likely to be derived from petrochemicals,” explains Dawes. They can interfere with natural oils and disrupt the barrier, leaving skin prone to dehydration and environmental stressors.

To combat this in a much simpler way for consumers, this group of forward-thinking beauty brands recommend one thing. Specifically, they advise consumers to avoid those with water in the ingredients:

If your skin constantly dries out, no matter how religiously you moisturise, then the problem could be your ultra-processed skincare products. Not you or your skin.

At this point, we could list ingredients to avoid but we’ve done that before. Let’s be honest, it’s a long list and deciphering ingredients listed on creams pretty much requires a chemistry degree.

So what if, instead of reading labels, there was a simpler option? One approach is to look for water-free skincare products. When brands don’t add water, they don’t need preservatives, emulsifiers or stabilisers. When it comes to moisturisers and sunscreen, this usually means choosing a balm, salve or oil rather
than a cream or lotion.

As women, we’re tired of walking down the beauty aisle feeling confused, overwhelmed, and unsure of what’s worth our money.

In the middle of a cost-of-greed crisis, every purchase counts. We work hard for our money and deserve real value — not clever marketing and over processed formulas. We’ve learned to be mindful about the food we put in our bodies, so it’s time we extended the same care to what we put on our skin.

Featured image via the Canary