I’m often questioned on my stance on "clean beauty" and whether or not Graydon Skincare is a “clean beauty” brand. Usually, I try to stray away from giving a direct answer because, truthfully, this topic is quite controversial.
Let me explain.
To begin, there’s no official regulation or set definition for "clean beauty".
So essentially, any brand can create their own definition of the term and run with it.
To some, "clean beauty" means formulating products with naturally-derived ingredients. To others, it means caring about the environment and being as sustainable as possible in all stages of production. Or it could mean creating products without the use of controversial (err... dirty) ingredients.
At Graydon Skincare, we focus on formulating our products with powerfully-natural superfood ingredients because we believe in the power of Mother Nature. That’s our ethos. To us, sustainability is an extension of this ethos and it is at the forefront of our mission to bring you results-driven, plant powered skincare.
So by these standards, we are definitely a clean beauty brand.
The thing is, sometimes a few bad apples can really spoil the bunch. And in some instances, "clean beauty" is synonymous with misinformation and pseudoscience. Or at least, that’s the perception of it.
You may have heard things like…
“Use chemical-free products only since chemicals are bad.” Everything is actually a chemical. Water is made up of chemicals. So is the air. And so is everything else around us. Chemicals are not inherently good or bad. It’s a matter of how they are used.
Or…
“That ingredient is toxic. You should never use it.” This is a terribly overgeneralized statement. According to the study of toxicology, anything can be toxic depending on the circumstances. A glass or two of wine over dinner sounds reasonable. Healthy, even. But several glasses within an hour? A bottle a day?? Not so much.
Or...
“Synthetic ingredients are bad for you. Use natural ingredients instead.” Also not true because it totally depends on how the ingredients are formulated within a product. Poison ivy is natural, but we don’t use it on our skin.
And you can find a plethora of other sensationalized statements.
So you see, sometimes the term "clean beauty" comes with fear-mongering and pseudoscience that’s pushed by people who want to sell you things.
Just to be crystal clear, that’s not what I believe in and it’s definitely not what Graydon Skincare is all about. You won’t find us using fear-mongering as a sales tactic. At Graydon Skincare, we hope to empower, not hinder you.
And that puts us at a catch 22.
Due to our stand on sustainability and our preference for plant-based ingredients, we are a clean beauty company. But we do not align ourselves with the tactics that some people associate "clean beauty" with these days. So are we not "clean beauty"? And if we are not "clean" beauty, what are we then?
There’s really no good answer here.
However, I’ve given this some serious thought for a very long time. And I think I may have arrived at an answer that best portrays us and our values.
So, what is Graydon Skincare?
We are a Toronto-based skincare brand that is committed to doing our best and bettering ourselves every day. We are committed to providing results with our plant-powered approach. We are committed to protecting the environment. And above all, we are committed to empowering you with your best skin days, every day.
In fact, our Mindful Beauty Magazine is all about giving you evidence-based, expert advice on how to best take care of your skin, so that you can tackle the world with confidence.
It is my wish that, in the future, we will no longer use terms like "clean beauty" or "conventional beauty". And that instead, there will only be one, unified "beauty". And that’s the type of beauty that I stand for. ❤️
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