The question I get asked most often is simple:
“Is this product clean?”
And every time, I want to answer with another question:
Clean according to whom?
In beauty, clean has become a comfort word. It feels like safety and signals responsibility. It can even make you believe you can finally relax and trust what you’re putting on your skin. But in most markets, clean isn’t a standard, it’s a claim, and claims don’t protect your skin or your health.
That’s exactly why Kungul exists.
Kungul stands for clarity over confusion, and for evidence over slogans. We don’t evaluate products based on what they promise on the front label. We look at what they contain, because the only place where the truth is always written is the ingredient list.
Why “Clean Beauty” Has No Clear Definition
Despite how widely the term is used, clean beauty has no universally accepted definition. There is no global regulatory framework that defines what makes a cosmetic product clean, no shared ingredient list, and no common threshold for safety.
Instead, clean beauty is largely shaped by self-declaration. Each brand decides what clean means to them, which ingredients are acceptable, and which risks are considered low enough.
This is how the same product can be considered clean in one context and questionable in another.
A Real-World Example: “Clean at Sephora”
One of the most well-known clean beauty initiatives is Sephora’s “Clean at Sephora” label. It has played a major role in popularizing clean beauty and increasing consumer awareness around ingredients, and that, in itself, is a positive step.
However, it also perfectly illustrates the limits of clean beauty as a concept.
“Clean at Sephora” is based on a predefined list of excluded ingredients. If a product avoids those substances, it can qualify for the label. What this system does well is create clarity around what is intentionally left out.
What it does not do is evaluate the full formulation in context.
Products carrying the “Clean at Sephora” label can still contain ingredients that may be irritating, sensitizing, or not ideal for long-term daily use, depending on concentration, skin type, or cumulative exposure. The label does not assess how ingredients interact with one another, how often a product is used, or how many similar products are applied across a routine.
In other words, Clean at Sephora defines cleanliness by exclusion, not by overall formulation safety.
Why Exclusion Lists Are Only a Starting Point
Excluding certain ingredients can reduce risk, but it does not guarantee safety. When one ingredient is removed, another takes its place and alternatives are not always better studied or better tolerated.
A product can meet the criteria of a clean program and still be problematic for sensitive skin, reactive conditions, or long-term use. This doesn’t mean the product is “bad.” It means that clean labels simplify a complex reality.
Safety is not binary. It exists on a spectrum.
What’s Often Missing: Dose and Long-Term Exposure
Clean beauty programs rarely account for how often a product is used or how many similar products are layered daily. Yet this context matters.
An ingredient may be considered acceptable within a clean framework, but when applied twice a day, every day, across multiple products, exposure changes. Long-term, low-dose use is one of the most overlooked aspects of cosmetic safety, and one of the least discussed in marketing.
Natural Ingredients Are Not Automatically Gentle
Many clean beauty initiatives, including those focused on retail labels, emphasize natural or plant-based ingredients. But natural compounds can be biologically active and, in some cases, irritating or allergenic.
Essential oils, botanical extracts, and natural fragrance components may still trigger reactions, especially on sensitive or compromised skin. The skin responds to chemistry, not intention or origin. his is also why reactions can happen even with products marketed as gentle or botanical. If your skin is reactive or you’re trying to understand recurring flare-ups, you may find our guide “Born Tolerant, Made Reactive: The Truth About How Skin Allergies Develop“.
How Kungul Evaluates Products
Kungul does not classify brands as clean or not clean. We analyze each product individually, because formulations vary even within the same brand or retailer program.
Every product score is based on ingredient-level analysis. Each ingredient is evaluated according to available scientific and regulatory data, its role in the formulation, and its suitability for regular use. The final score reflects the balance of the entire formula, not a single claim or label.
That’s why some products labeled clean perform very well, and others less so. Safety is not a brand identity. It’s a formulation outcome.
The Bottom Line
Programs like Clean at Sephora have helped start an important conversation. But without shared standards and full-formula evaluation, clean beauty remains an entry point, not a guarantee.
Real safety is not defined by labels or retailer badges. It is defined by transparency, evidence, and context.
That is what Kungul stands for: helping people look beyond marketing language and understand what they are truly choosing.
By Entela Çeliku, PhD in Natural Product Chemistry
