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In today’s oversaturated beauty market, navigating the world of “clean beauty” products can feel like a confusing maze. Are those “natural” ingredients truly safe? And what exactly does “clean” even mean? Enter Found Clean Beauty, an online store dedicated to dismantling the confusion and empowering you with informed choices. 

Found Clean Beauty is the UK’s first online retailer of truly clean skincare, haircare, and makeup products, completely free from known human toxins.  We created our own screening system that’s far more stringent than anyone else’sm providing the UK’s first truly toxin-free product selection under one roof”, founders Charlie McIntosh and Zoe Bulgin explain. In a nutshell, they do the hard work for you – only stocking products that contain no harmful ingredients, without the confusion.

“A shock stage 3 cancer diagnosis at the age of 45 made me completely rethink the way I treated my body. While many people focus on what they eat, skincare, haircare, and makeup all contribute to our toxic load. After researching ingredients, I was horrified. So, I set about finding toxin-free alternatives for myself and my family,” McIntosh tells us. “Partnering with long-term friend Zoe, Found Clean Beauty was born out of frustration with the lack of regulation around the word ‘clean’ and the lack of transparency about ingredients.  We were frustrated with the inability to source all the products we wanted under one roof, so we created a one-stop shop for truly clean beauty products that we had properly vetted without any compromises.”

Sitting down with Hip & Healthy, McIntosh and Bulgin reveal their mission, their meticulous vetting process, their commitment to transparency, and their passion for demystifying clean beauty for all. From dispelling myths about “natural” ingredients to highlighting the science behind safe formulations, Found Clean Beauty is your guide to a healthier, more conscious beauty routine. Finally.

What makes Found Clean Beauty different from other clean beauty platforms?

Sadly, the term’ clean’ is often misused as a marketing tactic, confusing things further with words like ‘natural’. Many brands make minimal effort to research their ingredients, and very few offer products completely free from harmful toxins. We screen on a product-by-product basis – not just on a brand level – and we don’t throw the term clean around casually. We understand the personal and important reasons behind people’s wellness journeys.

Why do you think there’s so much confusion around the term clean beauty?

It’s frustrating that the term clean is so often and deliberately misused. It’s no wonder consumers are so confused! One of the main issues is that it’s completely unregulated, so it’s a quick, easy way for companies to market their products to people who are trying to find clean alternatives. 

It doesn’t help that influential voices in the industry are so dismissive of clean beauty. You have to look at their motivations, which usually come down to a conflict of interest with existing brand relationships. Having a big platform comes with responsibility, so claiming there are no harmful ingredients in UK skincare products shows they haven’t done any sort of digging into the topic. It’s not right. It’s spreading misinformation and muddying the water for brands that are trying to do the right thing.

Companies and individuals need to be braver and more accountable. That will drive change. It’s the elephant in the room that needs to be talked about, in the same way that the food industry talks about toxins and harmful ingredients. It’s not about scaremongering, it’s about education and pushing for change. It’s worth saying that there are some big players who are starting to talk about this, which is encouraging.

Debunk the biggest myth you’ve heard about clean beauty…

That clean beauty products aren’t effective. They are highly effective! Many harmful ingredients can be switched out for cleaner alternatives. All the brands we stock use innovative formulations and high-quality ingredients that deliver excellent, targeted results.

What’s the biggest challenge you face and how do you deal with it?

Some brands wouldn’t let us stock their products because we wouldn’t carry their entire range due to some products containing problematic ingredients. We stand by this and won’t compromise. It just makes us love the brands that are open to working with us even more!

The other major challenge is the misuse of the term ‘clean’ by many companies. 

We’re building a community of like-minded people looking to reduce their toxic load. By providing information and education, we empower them to make informed choices based on their individual wellness journey. Our goal is to become a trusted source for clean beauty products, known for our authenticity and commitment to quality.

Do you think there’s a misconception between “natural” and “clean”?

Yes! One of our biggest challenges is changing people’s misconception that chemicals are bad and natural is good. Everything is a chemical, and lots of synthetic chemicals are completely safe because they’re produced in highly controlled environments, whilst some natural ingredients can be toxic or cross-contaminated. For example, talc, a naturally occurring mineral, can be contaminated with asbestos. We look for ingredients that can harm human and reproductive health, natural or not.

Sometimes processing and storage methods can produce a harmful byproduct, such as diazolidinyl urea – a known formaldehyde releaser.

It’s a lot of information to learn and to wrap your head around, which is why we try and do it for consumers. We’re still learning too, and science and research are ongoing. As new reports are published, we are able to be at the forefront of passing that information onto customers.

Your screening process is seriously impressive. Can you talk us through how you came up with it?

We spent over two years researching. We read a lot and poured over white papers, scientific reviews, blogs, articles by various cancer associations, and more. We researched the current UK legislation and created our own list of no-go ingredients. It’s far more extensive than anything out there. It’s probably even a bit over-the-top, but we wanted to err on the side of caution, especially when science was still wavering on the safety of an ingredient.

It’s not finite either. We are constantly adding to our list, screening products for over 800 ingredient names and numbers. Often the same ingredients can go by different names, such as Titanium Dioxide which can also be listed as its CI Number, adding to the confusion.

The research doesn’t stop. When you see claims like ‘The dirty Dozen’, it suggests that there are only 12 harmful chemicals to avoid. The reality is that there are loads and it’s ever evolving. We know that consumers just don’t have time to do this level of research and scrutiny on products, so we do the hard work for them.

Are some beauty products “worse” than others?

Makeup is really tricky because we won’t stock products containing titanium dioxide – the key lightening ingredient that makes colours pop. Clean nail polish and fragrance are also very hard to find, but we’re working on bringing a few amazing fragrance brands to the UK very soon, so watch this space!

How do you define “clean beauty,” and how do you see the term evolving?

For us it’s toxin-free ingredients. We won’t stock a product that has even one harmful ingredient. It doesn’t mean sustainable or vegan. These terms are often confused with clean beauty which dilutes its meaning and confuses customers. We hope it evolves into the term understood correctly. That when you say clean, people don’t roll their eyes or think you mean the products are natural – it means they are safe.

We hope brands will start using the term ‘clean beauty’ more responsibly or, ideally, consumers will demand accountability by supporting trusted sources and brands that are genuinely committed to advancing clean beauty.

What do you think is the future of clean beauty?

Our dream is that one day all beauty will be clean, and it’s entirely possible. There are plenty of clean alternatives for pigments, preservatives, and other essential ingredients that are successfully being used in products. Consumers need to drive this forward and demand and purchase clean products to make the big players rethink how they do things.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone looking to switch to clean beauty products, what would it be?

Don’t get overwhelmed! You can always start with the products that you use most often such as soaps, shampoos, and body washes. Be realistic – this isn’t about giving up all your favourite products at once. Wait until you’ve finished a product and then try out a clean alternative. 

What three clean beauty products can you not live without…

Charlie: Wahh! How do you pick!? I love all our products…but the ones I currently can’t live without are: 

Evolve’s ‘Blue Tansy Beauty Balm’. It’s so multi-purpose. I use it for removing makeup, rubbing into dry skin, or even as a deep moisturising treatment for my face and body. I’m a bit obsessed with its magical blue colour.

Rahua’s ‘Color Full Glossing Oil Mist’ – it smells amazing and I love how it makes the dry ends of my hair soft and shiny.

100% Pure’s ‘Fruit Pigmented Blush’ – all fruit, no nasties, beautiful colours and how it glides on and stays put is amazing. ‘Pretty Naked’ is my go-to shade for a natural, healthy glow.

Zoe: Oh my gosh we have so many incredible products, but three of my non-negotiables are:

Conscious Skincare’s ‘Enrich Serum’ is hands down my number one. It’s been a game-changer. I put it on at night and wake up with clear, glowing, plump, soft skin. I don’t need to use a moisturiser as it’s so rich with beautiful, nourishing oils. It’s one of those products that I don’t know how I lived without!

I love Josh Rosebrook’s ‘Hydrating Accelerator Toning Mist’ and have it in my bag all the time. It’s a lovely way to keep your skin glowing and fresh during the day. It helps accelerate hydration, so I use before applying my morning and evening skincare.

I must admit that makeup is not my thing. I love it but have no idea how to apply it properly and lean towards a more natural look. Ollie e Osso tinted balms are perfect as they’re multi-tasking, so I can use them on my eyes, lips, and cheeks.  My perfect shade is ‘Tea Rose’ – I add a touch to my eyelids and cheeks for a fresh, healthy daytime look.

words by Frankie Jabarkhyl

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