I was a cult beauty product junkie once. As a professional makeup artist in the Bay Area, it was my job to pack my kit with all name-brand faves. You know, the companies that have counters at all the department stores. My customers knew and loved those products (as did I!), so that’s exactly what I gave them.

While I’d heard about a few clean beauty brands on the market, they hadn’t yet inspired me to break up with my conventional beauty go-tos, and there wasn’t a ton of information about these products easily available.

But the more conscious part of me couldn’t help but wonder about the effects of the products I was applying to my clients’ faces every day. Looking at the list of ingredients on the box of all my products gave me pause. And reading up on the effects of those ingredients came as a a bit of a shock. So I decided to dive deeper into the world of clean beauty – out of both curiosity and concern.

I spent about a year researching ingredients, and trying all the brands that met the industry standards of what’s considered clean. Slowly but surely, my personal makeup bag transitioned to clean beauty. I then transitioned my professional makeup kit to clean beauty as well. And I’ve never looked back.

I often tell my clients most of the products I use are clean. And almost every time I do, they surface a common clean beauty myth. These misnomers are often based on clean beauty of the past, not the advanced product formulas available now. And today, I’m setting the record straight.

Clean Beauty Myth #1: Non-toxic products don’t work as well or last as long.

The truth: The wearability and longevity of clean beauty products rival traditional cosmetics.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve applied clean makeup on women before a big event, and how many times they’ve come back to me asking me exactly what I used and where they can buy it for themselves.

At this point in time, we’re lucky to have a clean beauty substitute for almost every type of conventional product out there. Whatever you need, you can rest assured there’s a clean alternative that will not only match the wearability you’re used to, but will likely outperform it too!

Clean Beauty Myth #2: There aren’t as many fun, highly pigmented colors to choose from.

The truth: Many brands have created an array colors that pack a punch – from pops of bold colors to natural-looking neutrals.

There’s a misconception that clean beauty brands only carry neutral makeup colors like taupes and browns. This is totally false! Clean beauty enthusiasts love a bold red lipstick or bright blue eyeliner as much as anyone. The difference is, clean beauty companies ensure no icky ingredients are part of the formula.

And just because these products are formulated with clean ingredients doesn’t mean they lack the pigments that deliver. “Pigment” refers to the vibrancy of the color of your product. Low pigmentation lends to a more translucent look, whereas high-pigment products are more opaque, an important factor for longer-lasting wearability. Clean beauty companies have created a wide range of highly pigmented colors that last all day – whether you’re going for a glamorous, playful, or casual everyday look.

Clean Beauty Myth #3: Their products probably don’t account for my skin tone.

The truth: Clean beauty is much more inclusive than conventional cosmetics.

Many clean beauty companies have learned from the missteps of conventional beauty brands. This includes making products with healthier ingredients and offering products available to a normal – rather than limited – range of skin tones. More and more companies have acknowledged the historical blindness to the needs of women of color and are changing their tune to reflect the beautiful multi-colored world we live in.

Clean Beauty Myth #4: It’s too expensive.

The truth: There’s a wide range of price points just like conventional makeup brands. Once you make the initial clean beauty investment, upkeep is no different than your favorite cult lines.

At the end of the day, when we choose clean beauty, we’re choosing to invest in our health. Our skin is the largest organ of our bodies after all.

Many clean beauty lines have prices that rival what you’d find in a beauty store, so you might not find yourself spending more money if you go clean anyways. Also, there’s always going to be cheaper makeup and makeup with a higher price point. And while we might not stumble upon a $2 clean beauty find in the drugstore—yet—the faster “healthy” becomes the norm, the faster “healthy” will be offered at scale.

Myth #5: It’s too hard to transition.

The truth: When you have NakedPoppy to guide you through the process, the transition is approachable, easy, and realistic.

We at NakedPoppy recognize that changing our beauty routines might feel a little overwhelming. That’s why we created our effective clean beauty algorithm.

The algorithm makes personalized product recommendations for you based on your answers to a series of quick, fun questions. These questions assess your skin type and tone, hair and eye color, and dive into your product preferences based on your lifestyle. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this post today. If you have comments or questions about clean beauty, please help us continue the conversation in the comments below.

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