Clean at Sephora: Your Guide to the New Category

Ever see those little green seals when you're shopping at Sephora Canada and wonder what "Clean at Sephora" really means?

I did, so I decided to look into things.

Officially, the green Clean at Sephora seal is awarded to any product that is made without ingredients like parabens, formaldehyde and phthalates – you know, things you really don't want to put on your skin.

Whenever you see that seal on a specific product, you know that Sephora has examined all its ingredients for you – which makes shopping for clean beauty a lot easier.

In a way, Sephora has been giving you really important product information like this for years. Almost every item on their site includes a brief description of what that product is formulated without. For example, here's that section for my favourite Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz:

But now, they're putting clean beauty products together in one category: Clean at Sephora. You'll still be able to shop these items like you would anything else on their site, but each one is marked with the green "Clean at Sephora" seal – so you know which ones they are right away.

What makes a "clean" beauty product?

Well, this depends on who you ask. At Sephora, a clean beauty product gives you "the beauty you want, minus the ingredients you might not." Anything they declare a clean product is free of sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan and triclocarban.

The Clean at Sephora category includes skincare, makeup, haircare and fragrances – and almost all brands marked with the Clean at Sephora seal contain less than one percent synthetic fragrances.

Sephora is also continuing to research clean beauty, and they'll update their ingredients list and add new brands to the category – so check back here to stay up to date!

Clean beauty products on our shopping list

There are already thousands of products marked with the Clean at Sephora seal – so how do you know where to start? We took a look through the category and pulled a few of our favourite products, as well as ones we can't wait to try. If you test them out, let us know what you think!

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream: Reviewers swear by this moisturizer, because it actually works. It helps your skin look younger (while reducing the signs of sun damage), and it contains proteins and nutrients to keep your skin hydrated all day long.

AXIOLOGY Natural Lipstick: I'm always a sucker for lipstick, especially when it's one you can actually feel good about wearing. These come in vibrant shades, are super creamy and are all organic, vegan and cruelty-free. What more could you ask for?

Playa Endless Summer Spray: Who doesn't want beach waves all year long? This texture spray is formulated with sea salt to help you get extra volume and that perfectly tousled look – and it won't even dry out your hair in the process.

CLEAN Reserve Acqua Neroli: Looking for a new signature scent? This Sephora-exclusive fragrance has notes of neroli, bergamot and sandalwood, and it's vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic and made with sustainable ingredients. It even comes in eco-conscious packaging, too!