What Does Clean Beauty Mean For Your Haircare Routine?

Over the past few years there has been a paradigm shift in the beauty industry’s approach to clean and sustainable products. More than ever, we are aware of the impact that our routines have on the environment and our bodies. Many brands are stepping up to meet a demand for products that are effective, good for our skin and hair, and planet-conscious. Bonacure Clean Performance, a Schwarzkopf Professional-owned brand, is one of those closing the gap between clean beauty and effective, high-performing haircare. If you’ve ever felt like you had to pick between sustainability and salon-quality haircare, here’s everything you need to know.

In the realm of haircare, ‘clean beauty’ means hair products with kinder-to-you-and-the-planet formulas. To establish whether a product is clean, it’s key to look at the ingredients that have been excluded from the formula as this often tells us how clean it is as much as the ingredients that are actually inside. For instance, every product in the Bonacure Clean Performance range is free from sulphates, silicones, parabens, phthalates, mineral oils and artificial colourants.  The products are also free from microplastics – the tiny plastic fragments formerly used in many beauty products which are known to be near-impossible to remove from the environment once embedded, having detrimental effects on the organisms that encounter them.

As we learn more about our environment and the way consumption affects our planet, companies are innovating ingredients to suit our needs. The new Vegan Keratin is a good example. Used throughout the Bonacure Clean Performance ranges, this groundbreaking ingredient is at the heart of the high-performing haircare products. It is a plant-based alternative to the fortifying ingredient found in many haircare products, which mimics the natural protein found in our hair – sustaining the hair’s integrity by strengthening each strand. It’s proof that effective haircare needn’t rely on animal-derived ingredients.

You should also look into your product’s biodegradability credentials – this shows the ability of ingredients to be broken down quickly and completely by bacteria and other living organisms, therefore preventing pollution (Bonacure products are between 88% and 99% biodegradable). Packaging-wise, there are many ways in which a brand can pledge to make your haircare sustainable. Scour the packaging to find the percentage of plastic that is recyclable. Bonacure Clean Performance is made of up to 97% recycled plastic and uses 72% less plastic on all the shampoo and conditioner caps. Recycling plastics helps the environment by reducing greenhouse gases, preventing ocean pollution and reducing the use of natural resources. Knowing this information about products can help you make decisions that are good not just for you but also for the environment.

The great misconception about opting for clean haircare is that you’ll have to sacrifice some results, such as thorough cleansing, strengthening and shine. “I think the main misconception is that by choosing clean hair products you will be compromising the quality of the product,” agrees Schwarzkopf Professional hairstylist Melenie Tudor. But Bonacure Clean Performance seeks to bridge this gap. "There is so much research put into these products to ensure the highest quality results are achieved in the most eco-friendly way," says Melenie.

The line-up consists of ranges that cater for any hair type and condition. Colour addicts will love the Color Freeze range, which is formulated at pH 4.5 to rebalance the hair structure and protect coloured hair from advanced fading. The Repair Rescue range is for damaged hair and utilises the ingredient Arginine to help reverse damage, whether it’s recent or caused by years of styling, brushing or colouration. “This range is also good for fragile hair; it doesn't have to be heavily damaged,” says Gary Taylor, Schwarzkopf Professional Global Hair Expert. Finally, the Moisture Kick range caters to hair in need of hydration. If you often find the ends of your hair are dry or on the dehydrated side, this range is a thirst-quencher. Moisture Kick products contain Glycerol to lock in moisture for a hydrated feeling for up to 48 hours post-wash.

If your hair is professionally treated, the quality of the products you use at home is integral to maintaining your look. Colour needs to be held into the strands, bleached hair needs to be refortified, dry hair requires moisture. “You always spend a lot of money on your hair,” says Gary. “Why go to a supermarket and buy cheap products that just strip colour from your hair and leave it in a vulnerable state?” 

As Melenie points out, we’re just at the start of the clean beauty revolution. “Nowadays people are wanting to be as ethical as possible, so they are attracted to buying cleaner products,” she says. With clean beauty sweeping the haircare industry, it’s understandable if you’re sceptical about switching up your routine – especially if you have your 'go-to' products. But with launches like Bonacure Clean Performance, you can be confident that you’re leaving your hair and the planet in a better place, without compromising on results.