Most 'Clean Beauty' Products Score Between 50 and 70 on Yuka. OM Botanical Asks Why.

As consumers increasingly rely on ingredient-scanning apps to evaluate product safety, OM Botanical calls for greater transparency in the clean beauty industry.

RALEIGH, NC, UNITED STATES, June 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The clean beauty movement has transformed the skincare industry over the past decade, promising consumers safer, healthier alternatives to conventional personal care products. Yet a growing number of consumers are discovering a surprising reality: many products marketed as “clean,” “natural,” or “non-toxic” receive only moderate safety scores when evaluated by independent ingredient-analysis platforms.

OM Botanical, a North Carolina-based manufacturer of plant-based skincare and hair care products, is calling attention to what it describes as a growing transparency gap within the beauty industry.

According to OM Botanical, many products promoted as clean beauty receive safety ratings ranging from 50 to 70 out of 100 on popular ingredient evaluation platforms, while the company’s own products consistently achieve scores above 90.

The discrepancy raises an important question for consumers:

If a product is marketed as clean, why doesn't it receive the highest possible safety ratings?

The Rise of Ingredient-Conscious Consumers
Consumer behavior is changing rapidly.

Rather than relying solely on marketing claims, shoppers are increasingly scrutinizing ingredient labels, researching formulations, and using mobile applications that analyze cosmetic ingredients based on published scientific and regulatory data.

The trend reflects a broader shift toward transparency across the food, supplement, and personal care industries.

“Consumers are becoming far more educated about what they put on their skin,” says a spokesperson for OM Botanical. “People no longer accept vague marketing terms. They want evidence, ingredient transparency, and products that align with their health and wellness goals.”

This evolution is especially significant because the global clean beauty market is projected to continue expanding as consumers seek products that prioritize both safety and performance.

Yet despite the industry's rapid growth, there remains no universally accepted regulatory definition of the term “clean beauty.”
As a result, products with vastly different ingredient profiles may all carry similar marketing claims.

Why “Clean” Doesn't Always Mean Clean

One of the most misunderstood aspects of the beauty industry is that the term “clean” often refers to what a product excludes rather than what it contains.

A product may be marketed as clean because it avoids certain controversial ingredients such as parabens or phthalates, while still containing highly processed synthetic ingredients, harsh surfactants, petroleum derivatives, synthetic fragrances, or preservatives that consumers may wish to avoid.

In many cases, brands can legally market products as natural or clean despite using ingredients that are significantly altered through industrial processing.

“Consumers often assume that clean beauty products are created equal,” says OM Botanical. “In reality, there can be enormous differences in ingredient sourcing, processing methods, purity standards, and overall formulation philosophy.”

The company argues that transparency should extend beyond ingredient lists to include how ingredients are sourced, refined, processed, and combined.

The Science Behind Ingredient Scores
Independent ingredient-rating platforms evaluate cosmetic products using a variety of criteria, including:

• Potential allergenicity
• Irritation potential
• Environmental impact
• Regulatory restrictions
• Scientific literature
• Ingredient concentration
• Long-term safety concerns

Many scoring systems also assess whether ingredients have been associated with endocrine disruption, sensitization, bioaccumulation, or ecological concerns.

While no rating system is perfect, consumer adoption of ingredient-analysis tools has accelerated dramatically because they provide an accessible way to compare products.

The result is a new level of accountability.

Consumers can now scan a barcode and instantly view information that previously required hours of research.
This shift is reshaping purchasing decisions across the beauty industry.

Why OM Botanical Formulates Differently

Founded on the principle that skincare should be both safe and effective, OM Botanical takes a fundamentally different approach to formulation.
The company emphasizes whole-food-inspired, plant-based food grade ingredients and avoids many commonly used cosmetic additives.

Its formulations feature ingredients such as:

• Organic aloe vera
• Ayurvedic botanical extracts
• Cold-pressed plant oils
• Fermented ingredients
• Microalgae
• Plant-derived antioxidants
• Plant based emulsifiers

Rather than relying on heavily processed ingredients, OM Botanical prioritizes minimally processed botanical ingredients whenever possible.

The company's philosophy is simple:

Use ingredients that nourish the skin while minimizing unnecessary chemical complexity.
“We believe skincare should work with the skin, not against it,” the company says.

The Skin Barrier and Modern Formulation Science

Scientific understanding of skin health has evolved significantly in recent years.
Researchers increasingly recognize the importance of maintaining the skin barrier and supporting the skin microbiome—two factors that play essential roles in hydration, resilience, and overall skin function.

Many conventional skincare products rely on aggressive detergents, high levels of synthetic fragrance, or ingredients that may disrupt the skin's natural ecosystem. While such ingredients may provide short-term sensory benefits, emerging research suggests they can contribute to irritation, microbiome imbalance and barrier dysfunction in susceptible individuals.

OM Botanical designs products with skin compatibility in mind.

Their formulations incorporate soothing botanicals, microbiome-friendly ingredients, and gentle cleansing systems intended to support the skin's natural balance. This approach reflects a broader movement within dermatological science toward barrier-first skincare.

The Processing Problem

Ingredient quality involves more than ingredient names. Two products may contain ingredients that appear similar on a label while differing substantially in quality, purity, and manufacturing methods.

For example:

Plant oils can be cold-pressed or solvent extracted.
Botanical extracts can be minimally processed or heavily refined.
Surfactants can be gentle or highly aggressive.
Preservation systems can range from naturally derived fermentation technologies to synthetic systems that may raise consumer concerns.

OM Botanical believes that ingredient processing deserves greater public attention.

“Consumers have become highly educated about food processing,” the company notes. “We believe skincare deserves the same level of scrutiny.”

A Growing Demand for Radical Transparency

Transparency is rapidly becoming one of the most valuable currencies in consumer trust. Recent consumer surveys across multiple industries indicate that shoppers increasingly reward brands that provide detailed information about sourcing, manufacturing practices, and ingredient selection. This trend is particularly evident among younger consumers, who often conduct extensive product research before making purchasing decisions. For these consumers, transparency is not a marketing advantage. It is an expectation.

OM Botanical believes that brands should move beyond broad claims and provide meaningful information that helps consumers make informed decisions.

Performance Without Compromise
Historically, consumers were often told they had to choose between product safety and product performance.

OM Botanical rejects this assumption.
The company argues that advancements in botanical science, fermentation technology, plant-derived actives, and delivery systems make it possible to create products that deliver visible results while maintaining high safety standards.

Its formulations combine traditional Ayurvedic wisdom with modern research into skin biology, antioxidants, peptides, barrier repair, and microbiome support. The result, according to the company, is skincare that prioritizes efficacy without relying on questionable ingredients.

The Future of Clean Beauty

As ingredient-analysis platforms continue to grow in popularity, the beauty industry may face increasing pressure to substantiate marketing claims with measurable standards. Consumers now have more tools than ever to evaluate products independently. This shift could encourage greater transparency, improved ingredient selection, and higher formulation standards throughout the industry.

OM Botanical welcomes this trend.
The company believes informed consumers ultimately drive innovation and accountability. “When consumers ask better questions, the entire industry improves,” says the company. “Clean beauty should not simply be a marketing term. It should represent a genuine commitment to safety, transparency, sustainability, and performance.”

Raising the Bar
OM Botanical is encouraging consumers to look beyond labels and investigate the ingredients behind the marketing.
The company hopes that increased awareness will inspire broader conversations about formulation quality, ingredient sourcing, manufacturing practices, and consumer education. As ingredient transparency becomes increasingly important, brands that can demonstrate both safety and performance may be best positioned to earn consumer trust.

For OM Botanical, that mission is clear:
Create safe enough to eat skincare and hair care products that are, highly effective, environmentally responsible, microbiome friendly, and transparent from ingredient sourcing to finished formulation. Because in an era of informed consumers, trust is no longer built through marketing claims alone—it is earned through transparency.

About OM Botanical

OM Botanical is a plant-based skincare and hair care company dedicated to creating high-performance skincare products using carefully selected full spectrum botanical ingredients, Ayurvedic extracts, fermented actives, microalgae, and sustainable manufacturing practices. The company focuses on microbiome-friendly formulations designed to support healthy skin while maintaining exceptional ingredient safety standards.

Sudhir Shah
OM Botanical
+1 919-629-8389
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