Clean Beauty has become one of the most requested concepts in cosmetic product development.

Over the past few years, more beauty brands—especially emerging brands—have started asking for “clean” color cosmetics. But behind this simple request is a much bigger question:

What exactly does “Clean Beauty” mean?

Some brands ask manufacturers to follow Clean at Sephora. Others refer to the Clean Ingredients requirements under Conscious Beauty at Ulta Beauty®, including the Made Without List™. IPSY has developed its own approach through The IPSY Clean Standard and The Out List™.

Some beauty companies also create their own Restricted Substance Lists (RSLs).

“Clean” is not one universal cosmetic standard. In practice, it is often defined by the retailer, brand, market, or individual formulation policy.


Clean Beauty vs. Cosmetic Regulation

Cosmetic regulations establish legal requirements related to product safety, ingredients, labeling, and market compliance.

Clean Beauty is different. It often adds another layer of requirements based on retailer policies, brand values, ingredient preferences, consumer expectations, or sustainability goals.

A product may therefore comply with applicable cosmetic regulations but still not meet a particular retailer’s Clean Beauty standard. Likewise, a formula that meets one retailer’s clean requirements should not automatically be assumed to meet another retailer’s criteria.


How Do Sephora, Ulta Beauty and IPSY Define “Clean”?

Retailer / Platform Current Program Main Approach
Sephora Clean at Sephora Products formulated without certain ingredients according to Sephora’s clean requirements.
Ulta Beauty Conscious Beauty – Clean Ingredients Participating brands follow Ulta Beauty’s Made Without List™, which prohibits or limits certain ingredients.
IPSY Clean at IPSY / The IPSY Clean Standard Clean products follow IPSY’s science-backed guidelines; IPSY also applies The Out List™ across its portfolio.

These programs share similar goals around ingredient transparency and consumer choice, but their criteria are not identical. This is why simply asking “Can you make this product clean?” may not give a cosmetic manufacturer enough information.

A better question is: “Which Clean Beauty standard, retailer requirement, or RSL should this formula meet?”


Why Do Emerging Brands Talk About Clean Beauty More?

Many emerging beauty brands actively use terms such as Clean Beauty, Clean Ingredients, Conscious Beauty, and Free From as part of their brand positioning.

Established prestige brands, however, may build consumer trust through different signals, such as brand heritage, product performance, formulation technology, luxury experience, ingredient transparency, testing and quality standards, and established brand reputation. This does not mean one approach is better than another. Instead, it suggests that Clean Beauty is not only a formulation decision—it is also a communication strategy.


Is “Free From” Still the Future?

For many years, Clean Beauty communication focused heavily on what products did not contain: paraben-free, talc-free, silicone-free, PEG-free, mineral oil-free, and similar claims.

But a longer “free-from” list does not automatically mean a formula is safer, better-performing, or more suitable for every consumer. The industry may be moving toward a more mature conversation.

Instead of asking only “What ingredients did you remove?”, brands and consumers may increasingly ask why an ingredient is used, whether it is appropriate for the product, whether the formula meets the intended market requirements, and whether the brand can explain its formulation choices clearly.

Transparency. Traceability. Safety. Performance. Consumer Trust.

Perhaps the next evolution of Clean Beauty is not simply about having fewer ingredients. It may be about greater transparency and clearer reasons behind formulation decisions.


Frequently Asked Questions

What is Clean Beauty?
Clean Beauty generally refers to cosmetic products developed according to specific ingredient or formulation criteria. However, there is no single globally harmonized Clean Beauty standard.

Is Clean Beauty legally defined?
Clean Beauty is generally not a single universal legal category. Retailers and brands may establish their own ingredient requirements in addition to applicable cosmetic regulations.

Are Sephora, Ulta Beauty and IPSY Clean standards the same?
No. Each platform has its own program and ingredient criteria, so meeting one standard should not automatically be assumed to mean compliance with another.

Is Clean Beauty only about removing ingredients?
Not necessarily. The concept is increasingly connected with transparency, formulation choices, safety, sustainability, performance, and consumer trust.


Official References


Continue Reading

Developing a clean color cosmetic? Read our practical guide: How to Develop Clean Beauty Color Cosmetics: A Practical Guide for Beauty Brands (planned internal link for Article 2).

Learn more about YCY Cosmetics and our Face Makeup capabilities.

Publishing note: Retailer Clean Beauty requirements may change over time. Brands should refer to the latest official retailer or brand requirements before beginning product development.