Ingredients Matter: Not All Clean Beauty is Created Equal

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As a society, we’re taking responsibility for what we consume and what we put back into the environment– and the skincare industry is no exception. If you’ve ever googled “all natural skincare,” you’ve no doubt seen the countless brands, products, and suggestions that promise to nourish your skin and save the environment all at the same time.

There’s no shortage of clean cosmetics. Natural, organic, and environmentally friendly– these are just a few of the phrases you’ve surely seen thrown around the skincare scene. Finding out what actually constitutes clean beauty and what doesn’t may seem impossible. Don’t worry, there’s hope. By educating yourself you can make informed decisions for your skin and for the environment.

Luckily, there are clean beauty and made in USA cosmetics brands out there who are committed to being transparent with their claims. Malibu Mud is a new skincare brand that’s truly all natural and USA-made. Our specialty is mud masks for the face and body that are responsibly sourced and formulated with all-natural or certified organic ingredients– plain and simple. 

 

Don’t Believe All Claims

It’s easy to make all sorts of claims that promote a product as clean beauty. Unfortunately, the majority of these terms don't mean anything as they're not regulated by the FDA. The term “organic,” as it applies to cosmetics, body care, or personal care products is not even regulated. To woo consumers, certain clean cosmetics companies have caught on how to creatively pitch their products.

It’s easy to get confused if you aren’t familiar with cosmetic packaging and phrasing. Chances are if you’re left with a long list of ingredients and benefits that seem fishy, it’s not natural or environmentally friendly. If you’re looking to dip your toes into the clean beauty scene, you’re going to have to understand which ingredients and claims to look for in the first place.

 

What to Look For

EU Banned Ingredients

The European Union has led the way in clean beauty for decades while the US seems to have fallen behind. In the cosmetic industry alone, the EU has banned or restricted at least 1,300 chemicals while the US has only placed restrictions on 11. These EU banned cosmetics ingredients have been shown to potentially be unsafe, toxic, and in some cases, completely untested. The most notorious of these are parabens, phthalates, and formaldehydes.

The unfortunate reality is that the majority of made in USA cosmetics use many of these EU banned cosmetics ingredients. Not only are most of them toxic to the environment, but they can worsen acne, cause skin, eye, and respiratory irritation, trigger allergies, and cause contact dermatitis.

Malibu Mud and other clean beauty skincare brands that are truly natural and non-toxic will be free of these EU banned ingredients– even if they’re made in USA cosmetics.

 

Phthalates and Parabens

Two common ingredients used in skincare and other made in USA cosmetics are phthalates and parabens. And despite all the research that phthalates and parabens are harmful, they still haven't been banned for use in cosmetic products in the US.

Phthalates are a class of plastics used to make a product’s texture more pliable and help fragrances adhere to skin long after they’ve been applied. Phthalates are toxic to the body as they may disrupt the endocrine system and have even been shown to cause birth defects.

Parabens are a common preservative used in cosmetics to keep them shelf-stable. Parabens are unsafe for the skin and body since they mimic estrogen, wreaking havoc on the hormonal system in both males and females.

Here is a comprehensive list of other ingredients shown to be toxic, unsafe, and potentially harmful to the skin.

 

Malibu Philosophy and Third Party Testing

The FDA doesn’t legally have to approve how a company labels its products and whether or not the ingredients are all natural or clean. That being said, what can a responsible clean beauty company do to stand up to their clean beauty claims? They can employ the use of third party certification agencies that are impartial, unbiased, and transparent in their testings.

Third party testing refers to when a company sends its finished product to an independent laboratory for testing. An independent laboratory will confirm the product’s ingredients, claims, and benefits. Third party testing also verifies if the packaging of the product accurately represents the product, if the product is stable, and if it’s safe for consumer use.

 

Other Things to Consider

Made in USA Cosmetics Brands

Clean cosmetics that are made in the USA are more likely to be held to higher standards with respect for local communities and the environment. Malibu Mud only uses suppliers who comply with local regulations and laws governing workers’ rights, work conditions, safety, and biodiversity.

 

Tested on Animals

Historically, animal testing by cosmetics companies has been done to test product safety before being used on humans. Running sufficient tests on the toxicology and safety of formulas and ingredients is important, no doubt– but there are plenty of alternative methods. To operate with the highest level of responsibility and ethics for all creatures, Malibu Mud does not conduct any animal testing.

Be wary of “cruelty-free” claims by clean cosmetics brands, too. Just because a company doesn’t conduct animal testing doesn’t mean that its ingredients aren’t animal-derived. Malibu Mud is both vegan and cruelty-free, meaning we don’t use any animal derivatives or conduct testing on animals at any point during the manufacturing process.

 

Sustainable Sourcing and Packaging

Protecting the environment goes beyond the product itself; it includes the manufacturing process from start to finish. As threats to biodiversity and natural resources increase, now more than ever it’s important to incorporate responsible sourcing and recyclable packaging.

Malibu Mud commits to clean beauty by using 100% wind energy. This renewable energy source is completely powered by wind and requires no fossil fuel to operate. Renewable energy doesn’t release carbon emissions that harm the animals and the environment.

 

Malibu Mud Ingredients, Sourcing, and Manufacturing

All Malibu Mud products are made from 100% all natural or certified organic ingredients that are responsibly sourced and manufactured in Los Angeles, USA at an OTC drug-licensed facility. Our products are vegan, non-GMO, gluten free, paraben free, and cruelty free. We don’t believe in additives, hidden ingredients, or harmful chemicals.

Our Malibu Mud Daily Detox Mask is made of 10 simple ingredients:

**Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, *Dead Sea Mud, *Kaolin,*Bentonite, *Glycerin,*Charcoal, **Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Essential Oil, *Xanthan Gum, *Glyceryl Caprylate, *Caprylhydroxamic Acid.

**Certified Organic *All Natural

 

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