“Clean beauty” has to be one of the biggest buzzwords in the beauty space right now. What was once something that only indie brands and beauty hipsters are familiar with, has now become mainstream and more sought after by consumers, as our lifestyle habits, stress level, and environment take a toll on our skin.
For the uninitiated, “clean beauty” refers to products that are mindfully formulated for optimal skin health, and produced to be free from “nasties” (toxic or aggressively irritating ingredients that can potentially have harm on your skin and health).
Most of the time clean beauty brands also make sure that their ingredients and packaging are ethically sourced and sustainable, so that the final product isn’t just good for the user but also good for the earth.
Having heard so much about the clean beauty trend, the Daily Vanity team decided to check out a few popular clean beauty products from Peau Peau Beauty, and tried them out for two weeks to see how they compare to conventional products. Will the results surprise us? Read on to find out!
1. Purito Centella Green Level Safe Sun
About the product: A South Korean brand, Purito believes in doing away with harmful substances that are commonly found in beauty products by replacing them with safe and honest alternatives that are suitable for everyone to use.
This sunscreen uses 70% of water base and three active ingredients to nourish skin while protecting it. These skin-loving ingredients include Centella Asiatica, which is known for its soothing and anti-ageing properties. It also claims not to leave a white cast on skin after application.
All ingredients found in this clean sunscreen are EWG Green Level 1-2* and suitable for sensitive skin.
*The EWG rating is an ingredient hazard score that goes from 1 to 10, which measures the number of known and suspected hazardous in a product. The lower the score, the lower the hazard level.
Reviewer: Eleanor, 26
Eleanor’s review: My impression of clean beauty has always been that it would be very good for my sensitive skin but I never had the chance to really try one out until this. I find the smell of the product a bit strange at first, but thankfully it doesn’t linger after it has been applied on my face.
What impressed me most is how lightweight the sunscreen felt, especially when it delivers a high SPF of 50++. After using it for a few weeks, I find that the moisture level of my skin has improved and I like that it sits very nicely under my makeup. But the best part has to be that, compared to my regular sunscreen, this didn’t clog my pores at all. It is definitely a great sunscreen that I would recommend for those with sensitive or acne-prone skin.
Verdict on clean beauty: I had such a good impression with the Purito sunscreen that I’d like to include more clean beauty products into my skincare regime after this.
Availability: Purito Centalla Green Level Safe Sun retails at SGD24 and is available at Peau Peau Beauty.
2. 23.5°N Rice Soothing Gel Mask
About the product: A dual-use treatment gel mask from Taiwanese clean beauty brand 23.5°N, this can be used as an intensive treatment or sleeping mask, depending on how you use it. As an intensive treatment, apply a generous layer, leave it on for 20 minutes and rinse off thoroughly. As a sleeping mask, apply a thin layer as the last step of your evening routine.
23.5°N sources their ingredients from local farms in Taiwan and creates simple formulas with lightweight textures.
This rice mask is recommended as a cooling “bath” to address redness and can also hydrate and heal skin barrier so your complexion looks brighter and more soothed.
Many people who have tried it also say it’s a great after-sun care or as a soothing treat after laser treatments!
Reviewer: Karin, 33
Karin’s review: This is a lightweight mask that doesn’t have a scent – which is something that I like. I started noticing some brightening effect on my skin after using the product for a week, and I believe that the results will be even more apparent if I continue to use it over a longer period of time.
I like the cooling effect it has on my skin and how it soothes redness – something that I get sometimes because of external pollutants.
Only gripe I have: I wish they have provided a spatula for scooping the mask out from the tub for an easier user experience.
Verdict on clean beauty: I had an impression that clean beauty products come with an expensive price tag but I was surprised that this is very affordable! The effective results I received from this gel mask have also made me more receptive to clean beauty products, so I’m definitely open to trying more of them in the future.
Availability: 23.5N Rice Soothing Gel Mask retails at SGD33 and is available at Peau Peau Beauty.
3. Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner
About the product: This toner is from Korean clean beauty brand Benton, which is dedicated to helping your skin revert to its original strength, using high quality skin-friendly ingredients. Besides hydrating and soothing skin, the product is also able to lightly exfoliate skin on a daily basis and prevent the occurrence of blackheads. This is ideal for those with dehydrated, combination, and oily skin.
Reviewer: Vivian, 23
Vivian’s review: My first impression of the toner is that there wasn’t any fragrance, so I was quite happy because fragrances tend to irritate my skin. I brought this toner along on an overseas trip to see if it could control the inflammation and zits that I always get when I travel. I was shocked to see that some of my acne cleared up in the week that I used this toner and my skin actually looked much better when I was overseas than I was in Singapore!
It also moisturised my skin sufficiently, so I didn’t have any dry or flaky skin – another problem I usually suffer from when I travel. I am quite impressed with this cooling and soothing product, which contains snail mucin in the formula – an ingredient that always works wonders for me whenever I feel that my skin is flaring up!
Verdict on clean beauty: I was actually a bit skeptical about clean beauty because I used to find it rather gimmicky and not as effective as products formulated in the lab. I was surprised to find that this toner actually worked much better for me than some other products I have used before and didn’t cause any skin problems for me, so I do think that clean beauty can actually be quite good! With my regular product, I find that the efficacy can be quite inconsistent, and on the days that my skin is more sensitive, I feel that my regular product can even backfire on me – but this doesn’t happen with this toner at all.
Availability: Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner retails at SGD25 and is available at Peau Peau Beauty.
4. Ere Perez Translucent Corn Perfecting Powder
About the product: This is an ultra-light translucent powder compact by Australian clean beauty brand Ere Perez that helps to soak up excess oil from skin.
Ere Perez specialises in skincare and makeup infused with botanical extracts that benefit skin. This powder creates an invisible layer that keeps skin shine-free and helps soothe the appearance of stressed skin. You can use it as a finishing powder over makeup for a natural, polished, and non-cakey look.
Reviewer: Wan Kee, 26
Wan Kee’s review: This powder feels comfortable and lightweight on the skin and doesn’t have any distinct scent. I find that it absorbs oil instantly, leaving skin feeling soft and smooth. My skin continues to feel comfortable and not oily even by mid-day, which shows that the product really helps to control oil.
The sponge that comes with the product delivers a matte, powdery finish because it allows you to pick up more product. But for a quick touch up, I use my own kabuki brush to go over my makeup. I like that there’s some shimmer to the formula when you look up close, which helps to make my skin look more radiant and healthy after application.
Verdict on clean beauty: I have no experience with clean beauty previously but it feels good to know that clean beauty products do not contain any harmful ingredients. I will definitely look out and try out more clean beauty products after this. In terms of efficacy, I think it is comparable to my regular powder, but knowing that it has a clean ingredient list that gives me more long-term benefits, I think clean beauty is definitely the way to go.
Availability: Ere Perez Translucent Corn Perfecting Powder retails at SGD49 and is available at Peau Peau Beauty.
5. Sioris Time Is Running Out Mist
About the product: Sioris is a South Korean clean beauty brand that creates safe products using seasonal botanical ingredients, and this mist is one of its bestsellers. It has been featured by international influencers and TV programmes, thanks to its three-in-one functions (toner, mist, and serum) and amazingly lightweight texture. Formulated with nourishing plant ingredients including organic plum water, macadamia seed oil, jojoba seed oil, and sunflower seed oil, this mist is best suited for dehydrated skin, especially if you’re constantly in air-conditioned settings.
Reviewer: Kristen, 34
Kristen’s review: Multi-tasking products are a huge help on busy mornings so I’m very thankful for this product. The product has a subtle and pleasant scent and I like that it gives a boost of hydration that perks up my complexion instantly, making my dehydrated skin look fresher and brighter. The mist particles are very fine, which feels better on the skin than other sprays I’ve tried that feel heavier.
It is also interesting to use: shake up the bottle to mix the oils so the nourishing ingredients can go more evenly onto your skin. I was also happy to know that while the product includes natural oils, it wasn’t greasy at all but feel refreshing and comforting on skin.
Verdict on clean beauty: I’ve never tried clean beauty products before this and was worried I wasn’t going to be used to them. But my experience with the Sioris mist has been great and it encourages me to look out for more clean beauty products in the future. And hopefully, a cleaner and more sustainable ingredient list will help my skin and health become better in the long run, and of course, allow me to play a small part for the environment too!
Availability: Sioris Time Is Running Out Mist retails at SGD29 and is available at Peau Peau Beauty.
Conclusion: Is the clean beauty trend the real deal?
Every reviewer has managed to have an even better impression of clean beauty after trying out the products for themselves. Most of our reviewers say that the clean beauty products they’ve tried are either just as good as their regular products, or in some cases, even better.
It’s nice to know that we’re not shortchanging the short-term noticeable results with the promise of better care for health and environment in the long run. The overall positive feedback received from the team makes us think that we will keep an eye out and add more clean beauty products into our skincare regime.
And if you’re still on the fence – why not go ahead and try it and decide for yourself? After all, like the products we’ve tried, they can be effective and quite affordable!
Get clean beauty products from Peau Peau Beauty
The products that we’ve tried are all available at Peau Peau Beauty. Based in Singapore, Peau Peau Beauty is an e-commerce platform that consciously curates innovative and beneficial clean beauty products from exciting global brands that are also safe for sensitive Asian skin.
They source for brands that have a dedication to safe and effective cosmetics to make a difference in skin health, and look out for ingredient transparency, stable scientific formulas, unique branding, authentic claims, and the latest in beauty R&D.
Practising a strict curation, Peau Peau Beauty promises that the products they stock will always meet the following criteria:
- Clean formulations without toxins and aggressive irritants
- Safety for sensitive skin
- Cruelty-free
- Grounded in scientific research
- Formulated with good ingredients
With Peau Peau Beauty doing the legwork for you, you’ll know that your sensitive skin will be in safe hands and be able to make better beauty choices for healthier skin!
Visit Peau Peau Beauty to shop for the products we’ve tried or discover more clean beauty products.
This article is brought to you by Peau Peau Beauty.
