I'm going to take a deep dive into a topic that I think really needs to be addressed sooner rather than later in the beauty and wellness space. I'm not sure what happened around 2012 or so, but how did we end up in a world where fear was at the forefront of our buying decisions for beauty & wellness products? Oh that's right! When marketers realized they could capitalize on it. Welcome to the Clean Beauty Revolution! *barf*
Here's the deal. I have been in the beauty industry since 1998. I have worked for, with, and been a customer of hundreds of brands in my personal and professional life. Since when do we believe marketers over science? When did we become so easily manipulated? I want to introduce you to Arbonne, a MLM brand that decided it's market differentiator was "No Mineral Oil." Ehh..ok? Mineral oil is regarded as very safe by the scientific community, so why is there an issue with having it in product formulations? Because Arbonne needed a marketing ploy. Now, ingredient safety aside, I'm not a fan of petroleum-based products. I think fossil fuels are harmful to the environment. Guess what? Two things can be true at the same time! So now we have a bunch of MLM gals touting the mineral-oil-free benefits of a sub-par product with questionable formulations, transparency, and selling tactics.
Then came DoTerra, Beauty Counter, EWG, etc etc etc. The whole beauty and wellness world became more about what was NOT than what WAS. We disregarded science, shunned common sense, and allowed marketing directors to spend our money for us. I'm an esthetician, my entire professional life has been about the study of ingredients in regards to safety, results, and environmental sustainability. But I have always followed the science. We stock a variety of brands that align with our values:
- Integrity: of formulations, marketing, sustainability
- Viability: do the products actually work?
- Fact-Based: Science is about facts, not opinions
- No Fear Mongering
- No Green Washing
We implore our customers to do their research. Google is a wonderful tool to help you decipher what's a marketing tactic and what's sound science. We are also available to help you dredge through the murk and help you better understand any questions you may have. We are here to help you live your life better. Products and brands that are good, do good, and are a joy to use.