Credo Beauty: The Sephora of Clean Cosmetics
Image Courtesy: Credo Beauty
As someone who has always loved makeup, I have spent far too much time and money curating the perfect beauty regimen. However, I neglected to consider how “clean” the products I was putting on my face were. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon Credo, a clean makeup and skincare product retailer, that I realized I needed to do my own research.
When I first walked into the Credo store in Brooklyn, New York, I was met with a light and bright space of wood fixtures lined with a variety of makeup, skincare, and fragrances. On the store's back wall was a sign that read “the Credo clean standard.” This is certainly not something you would find within a Sephora or Ulta, so it grabbed my attention. Naturally, this prompted me to investigate what it means for makeup to be recognized as clean. I learned that this standard is a part of Credo’s mission to create a cleaner beauty industry through ethical, sustainable, and safe practices.
Image Courtesy: Women's Wear Daily
The Credo Clean Standard is upheld by the company’s transparency and commitment to healthy skincare. According to Credo's website, the United States has only excluded 30 ingredients from products related to the beauty industry, whereas Europe has banned over 1300 of these harmful additives. It is easy to distinguish between clean and harmful products with Credo’s “dirty list,” a lengthy compilation of over 2,700 harmful ingredients that Credo Beauty refuses to put on its shelves for the sake of its customers and the wellbeing of the planet. Each ingredient on the list is categorized by its harmful impacts, such as cancer, hormone disruption, allergies, skin sensitivity, and toxins to the environment and the human body.
Image Courtesy: Beauty Independent
Last spring, I expanded my makeup and skincare collection with several of Credo’s products. This consisted of a face and body moisturizer, a tinted brow gel, a blush, and a tinted sunscreen. I have since tested the quality and functionality of these products, and I noticed significant differences with the simple change to clean beauty. I didn’t experience any of my usual flare-ups after starting my new Credo regimen. Instead, my skin was hydrated, and my makeup looked just as good as usual—if not better. This comes from a girl with dry, sensitive skin prone to irritation from using anything outside the ordinary. I am hooked.
After my research and personal experience with Credo, it is safe to say that I am officially a follower of the clean beauty movement. It is hard to deny the reality of dirty ingredients, which plague our skin and produce harmful long-term impacts. Don’t get me wrong, I have not yet stopped using some of my tried-and-true products that certainly don’t fall under the clean category. However, thanks to Credo and their abundance of knowledge and variety of clean beauty products, I am certainly moving in the right direction, and I hope you can too.
Strike Out,
Writer: Carly Woollard
Editor: Noelle Knowlton
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