Many beauty brands take pride in their careful curation of ingredients. But if you are not
an organic chemistry major or a scientist working with these ingredients, reading the
labels on the beauty products might actually be more confusing and irritating than being
beneficial in nature. Usually, we tend to gravitate towards beauty products with
“natural,” and “safe” written on it, but when it comes to Indian products, there is no strict
guideline when it comes to the formulation of beauty products. In generic terms, an
apricot cannot hurt you, but in this case, it can surely damage your skin barrier in the
long run! However, GLOW UP, an innovative beauty brand based in India is consciously
working in the beauty industry in order to champion consumer awareness, transparency,
and following ingredient guidelines set by the FDA in the USA.
Usually, we think that “natural” beauty products are better. We tend to instinctively grab
for naturally formulated products, with ayurvedic origins. But in an untracked industry,
there is no actual evidence that natural ingredients are better than chemically
formulated ones. Also to put things in perspective, the world around us is composed of
complex protein chains and chemicals. To the untrained eye, the chemical components
of an apple and a serum will be the same, and so, it is important to note that everything
that is natural is not necessarily the better product. We like apricot scrubs but they are
harsher on the skin than a chemical exfoliant like salicylic or glycolic acid. For folks with
allergies and skin sensitivities, it is seen that “organic” lavender oil triggers more rashes
than the synthetic version. As mentioned before, GLOW UP is striving to clear the myths
that are seen in the beauty industry and is actively trying to counter these claims that
“natural” is always better. The bottom line is that there is nothing wrong with choosing
clean and organic beauty, but a mere 2% formulation on the basis of natural ingredients
makes just enough difference to raise the price but its effect on the skin will not be
noticeable.
At the same time, we pay more bucks when we see “dermatologically tested” plastered
on any given face wash, cream, or serum. But upon examination, it is revealed that a
group of dermatologists have already tested it to pass the minimum requirement for a
beauty product to be labeled a cream or lotion. Adding this label to any product makes it
redundant. With GLOW UP, consumers can rest assured that every product they use will
not only be dermatologically tested but also dermatologically approved. India has
banned animal testing of products, so it is simply repetitive to mention it on beauty
products that something is not animal tested, especially if it is formulated and
manufactured in India.
GLOW UP is a pillar of the Indian beauty community where they stay true to morals and do
not give in to cheap gimmicks like these just to boost their sales. They are working on
busting common myths surrounding popular beauty terms in order to present the
average consumer with the best products without compromising on their integrity of
formulations or ethics.