Thread by @TheCut

#AskABeautyEditor: Recently, TikTok was awash with allegations that clean beauty brand Kosas’s concealer and other products grew mold or caused reactions. So: are “clean” beauty brands less stringent on stability? @jenn_edit investigates trib.al/AJuSCRC

The U.S. doesn’t set standards for the use of preservatives in makeup or require expiration dates on cosmetics. Instead, TikTok has become a de facto (and highly unreliable) database for reporting concerns trib.al/Oltxgmk

Although no laws regulate how cosmetics are preserved or their shelf life, the FDA does require that all cosmetics manufacturers ensure safety. According to cosmetic chemist Krupa Koestline, clean and traditional are subject to the same standards and tests trib.al/Oltxgmk

TL;DR: “Clean” preservative systems can be just as effective as traditional ones. But just because they can be effective doesn’t mean they are, and that goes for any formula. If a product separates, smells funky, or changes color or scent, stop using it trib.al/Oltxgmk

It’s also important to point out that the term “clean” has no legal definition. Some brands call themselves “clean” to indicate they formulate without ingredients that could be linked to health issues or environmental concerns trib.al/Oltxgmk

So how do chemists preserve “clean” makeup? Read the full #AskABeautyEditor column where @jenn_edit gets into all that and more trib.al/Oltxgmk