Editor’s letter: May Healthy
Healthy Sampler
‘Clean beauty’ seems to be replacing ‘clean eating’ as the new battleground for the wellness warriors. Clean eating started as the well-intentioned idea that people are better off eating minimally processed food – so an apple over a bag of crisps, or a home-made stir-fry sauce over a shop-bought one. So far, so uncontroversial. But then the backlash started – with detractors arguing clean eating was causing disordered eating, food guilt, and, worst of all, lots of showing off on social media about avocados. And what, they said, is unprocessed food anyway? Even that lovely bag of lentils has gone through processes to get to our kitchens.
Which, while true, seems to be wilfully missing the point. healthy’s position on clean eating is about balance, having a choice and making it count where you can, and not worrying too much about the rest. And we take the same non-judgemental common-sense approach to clean beauty – hence, this issue, we are introducing the term ‘cleaner beauty’.
The clean-beauty battles are varied and complicated. There are those who dispute the need for it entirely. There are those who can’t agree about what, exactly, constitutes clean beauty – does a product have to be 100 per cent organic, vegan, eco-friendly, natural? Which are the important chemicals to leave out? And what is a chemical? We say, pick what matters to you and do the best you can. If you’ve had a bad experience or heard questionable things about chemicals, find a product that leaves it out. It’s all about your choice – and we’re here to help you make an informed one.
