Is Clean Truly Clean? Allergenic Compounds in Clean Beauty Products

Background: The clean beauty market is projected to reach 39 billion USD by 2033, reflecting the growing demand from consumers who are increasingly conscious of the ingredients in their personal care products. As this trend continues, it has become more crucial to examine the composition of clean beauty products to better assess their safety, efficacy, and impact on consumer health and behavior. However, the lack of a universal consensus on the definition of “clean” has led to varied interpretations within the cosmeceutical and skincare industry. In some cases, the clean beauty movement’s vilification of certain ingredients, such as preservatives, has led to their replacement with potentially more allergenic alternatives, like isothiazolinones. These unintended consequences and the ambiguity surrounding the term “clean” warrant further investigation. Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of allergenic ingredients in clean-labeled skincare products. Methods: The ingredient lists of 313 moisturizers, cleansers, and sunscreens in the “clean skincare” category of the leading online beauty store worldwide (sephora.com) were carefully assessed for the presence of potentially allergenic compounds, selected based on the American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allergen listings. Results: Tocopherol, an antioxidant and preservative, was the most common allergen found in the moisturizer and sunscreen categories, present in 73.8% and 63.8% of these products, respectively. Alkyl glucosides were the most common allergens in cleansers, found in 46.7% of products. Preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and benzoate derivatives were consistently present across all three product categories. Conclusions: This study shows that clean-labeled skincare products often contain allergenic ingredients, underscoring the complexity and potential misinterpretation of the safety of these products.