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Clean beauty has gone from a niche trend to an everyday marketing claim, with retailers like Sephora and Target promoting entire clean-labeled product lines. As more brands market themselves as “clean,” consumers are becoming increasingly critical. According to CivicScience data, 21% of U.S. adults say they read ingredient labels in personal care products, up from 18% in 2023, suggesting a modest but meaningful shift toward closer consumer attention. As interest in clean beauty continues, key questions remain: How do people define “clean?” Do they trust the label? And with rising costs from inflation and tariffs, is clean beauty still a priority, or is it becoming a luxury?
Answer our Poll: Are you a fan of “clean” beauty products?
Clean beauty remains a priority, but not always a purchase.
Clean beauty interest has remained relatively steady in recent years, with 23% of U.S. adults ‘very’ interested and 38% ‘somewhat’ interested in products made without potentially harmful ingredients. However, the profile of the interested shopper may be changing. In 2025, just 15% of adults earning over $100K said they were ‘very’ interested in clean beauty, down from 25% in 2024, while interest among lower- and middle-income groups has remained relatively stable.
Rising costs are also clearly influencing behavior. CivicScience data show that 65% of people who say they’re buying fewer products due to higher prices still report being interested in clean beauty. Among those who continue to buy despite price increases, 77% say they’re ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ interested. Rather than opting out, many consumers appear to be recalibrating their routines — holding onto clean beauty, but spending more carefully.
How do consumers define “clean” beauty?
Despite widespread interest in clean beauty, there’s still some ambiguity around what “clean” actually means. CivicScience data show that among consumers familiar with clean beauty products, they most associate “clean” with being free from parabens, sulfates, or phthalates, followed by associations with natural/plant-based ingredients and cruelty-free products. Notably, 36% say they’re not sure how to define it. However, understanding of clean beauty improves significantly among those interested in it – only 17% of clean beauty fans say they’re unsure how to define the term.
Join the Conversation: How important is it to you, if at all, to use “clean” beauty products?
Gen Z is more likely to trust clean beauty, but older Americans and individuals with a graduate degree or higher are more likely to distrust it.
While many consumers value clean beauty, it doesn’t mean they aren’t skeptical about it. Among those familiar with clean beauty, 38% of respondents say they ‘somewhat’ or ‘completely’ trust that products labeled as “clean” are truly free from harmful ingredients. This compares to 38% who feel neutral and 24% who distrust “clean” labels, highlighting that while many trust clean beauty, there’s still a substantial share of respondents who could be swayed.
Gen Z adults tend to be more trusting, with 54% of 18–29-year-olds saying they trust clean beauty branding, compared to just 18% of adults over 65. While also likely a proxy for age, education level also influences trust in clean beauty – 40% of those with a graduate or professional degree distrust clean beauty, over 10 percentage points higher than those with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. Higher-income adults also express more doubt, with 30% of those earning over $100K saying they distrust clean-labeled beauty products.
Use this Data: CivicScience clients have access to insights like these, allowing them to see consumer sentiments in real-time and how they vary among specific segments and customers.
Overall, interest in clean beauty remains strong, even in the face of rising prices, and many consumers are still trying to prioritize cleaner products where they can. At the same time, definitions and levels of trust vary widely. This blend of high interest, mixed understanding, and uneven trust suggests that many consumers remain cautious, potentially contributing to the use of third-party tools and ingredient-rating apps to validate what “clean” means. For brands, a clean label may generate interest, but clarity and credibility are what earn trust.
