‘Clean beauty’, ‘non-toxic’, ‘cruelty-free’, ‘gluten-free’, ‘vegan’ - these are just a few terms that have been thrown our way in the name of ‘clean skincare’ over the last few years. The big question is — what does it all mean?!
Well, let us break it down for you. When we say ‘clean skin care’ or ‘clean beauty’, we mean products that are safe for people that are using it as well as the environment and planet. This means that the products you are using are safe for your skin and non-toxic and, in many cases, use vegan and gluten-free ingredients. Most clean beauty brands follow the cruelty-free policy, ensuring that no products are tested on animals. As for the environment, clean beauty brands use sustainably sourced cartons and ingredients and even 100% recycled plastic bottles for their packaging.
Now that you know what clean beauty is, here comes the next hurdle — how to get started and pick the right clean beauty products. Well, fret not because we have put together a complete skincare routine with product recommendations that you can follow. Scroll on!
01. Cleanse

Cleansing and keeping your skin clean is the first step in your skincare routine. If: getting started and picking you to wish to pick a clean face wash for your skin, look for labels that say 100% soap-free. Soaps tend to wash away the essential natural oils from the surface of your skin, leaving it dry. The Simple Kind To Skin Moisturising Facial Wash has no soap, alcohol, parabens, perfumes, harsh chemicals or artificial colours. Instead, it comes with bisabolol, pro-vitamin B5 and vitamin E, which are extremely gentle for your skin, and leave it hydrated, soft and replenished. Plus, their products are PETA certified cruelty-free, non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic, making them perfect for all skin types, especially sensitive skin.
02. Tone

Once you have cleaned up your face, toning becomes extremely important. Using a toner helps minimise your pores and balance your skin's pH levels to keep excessive oiliness at bay. Since toning is an important part of your daily skincare routine, it’s best to switch to a toner that’s paraben-free and safe on your skin, like the Simple Kind To Skin Soothing Facial Toner.
With ingredients like pro-vitamin B5, chamomile, witch hazel and allantoin, this toner deeply hydrates and soothes your skin while preventing inflammation and boosting antioxidants in your skin. This toner is paraben-free, cruelty-free and vegan with no artificial fragrances and colours. Just spritz some over your face and let it work its magic.
03. Serum

You need a good serum to improve your skin texture, reduce the spots and scars and brighten the skin. Two popular ingredients to look for in serums are collagen and vitamin C — they help fade blemishes and restore the skin’s elasticity to make it look youthful. Our go-to clean serum pick is the Dermalogica Biolumin-c Vitamin C Serum.
What we love about this product is that it is paraben-free with no artificial colours or fragrance. With key ingredients like vitamin C complex, chia seeds oil and lactic acid, this serum helps reduce pigmentation while hydrating and preventing free radical damage on your skin. Just take 2 to 3 drops o your palms and gently pat it into your skin after toning for visibly brighter and more radiant skin.
04. Moisturise

Moisturisation is extremely important for your skin, period. Whatever your skin type, one must always make sure to keep their skin moisturised and hydrated. This helps against skin damage and also prevents excessive sebum buildup in oily skin types. Since moisturiser is one of the few skincare products that sit on your skin throughout the day, it is a good idea to shift to a clean face moisturiser for healthy, supple skin.
We recommend the Simple Kind To Skin Replenishing Rich Moisturiser for your daily skincare routine. Enriched with pro-vitamin B5, bisabolol, glycerin and allantoin, this moisturiser is non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic. The best bit is that these products have no added alcohol, harsh chemicals, perfumes or colours and are cruelty-free and vegan.
05. Sunscreen

Stepping out without sunscreen is as bad as not taking care of your skin at all! The sun damages your skin severely, and unprotected exposure must be avoided at all costs. Therefore, it is essential to choose a sunscreen with high SPF to take care of your skin while you are out. The Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport SPF 50 is a good pick.
This paraben-free, gluten-free and vegan sunscreen from Dermalogica has hyaluronic acid, liquorice extracts and glycosome microspheres that protects your skin from harmful UV rays. You’ll also love the non-greasy, calming effect this sunscreen has on your skin.
Written by Tashika Tyagi on Jul 24, 2021
A writer who loves to read, travel, eat and explore new places and things. With a bachelor's degree in journalism, she has over two years of experience in writing about food, lifestyle, and travel. She also doubles up as a rom-com expert and home baker when she isn’t writing!