Why slow beauty is the new clean beauty

The conscious approach of clean beauty is now underscored by mindfulness, and here’s what you need to know about itWe dug deeper into the ‘less clutter, more calm’ mindset being advocated by the experts in the business, and here’s what we discovered.

What is slow beauty?
“Slow beauty is a movement and a philosophy to help people develop a sustainable self-care practice grounded in nature, health and wellness which includes the use of multi-sensory products, tools and resources to support a joyful way of feeling and being in the world,” says Shel Pink, founder of sustainable beauty brand SPARITUAL and author of ‘Slow Beauty: Rituals and Recipes to Nourish the Body and Feed the Soul’.
The principles of slow beauty
Much like slow fashion, its beauty counterpart is devoted to cultivating the longevity of beauty products as an antidote to mass-produced and easily disposed products. The core principles of generating less waste, utilising quality ingredients and supporting ethical production all unite to increase the longevity of the product, she believes. A closer look at the philosophy affords better knowledge of the guiding pillars of the movement.
1. Slowness
“Slow beauty is about allowing routines to be the same for long enough that you start to see a positive change in the way you look and feel,” says Rawla, and Pink agrees. She says, “Quick fixes and instant results are not sustainable and do not create value for health and well-being. Slowing down through daily self-care rituals can enhance beauty on the inside and out. When we take care of ourselves in deep, meaningful and loving ways, we are better able to care for others and life itself, and experience authentic loving relationships based in trust, intimacy and companionship.”
2. Mindfulness
A direct subset of the slow beauty mindset is mindfulness, she believes. “We want to show up in the world as the best version of ourselves. This is a work in progress, and the process, rather than the perfection, of mastering this art is where beauty truly thrives. As a society, we have lost our understanding of joy and one of the core principles of the slow beauty philosophy is to engage in practices that prioritise feelings and encounters of joyfulness,” says the Los Angeles-based author.
3. Batch-made production
Since slow beauty advocates the philosophy of slowing down, it comes as little surprise that the same principles apply to production as well—Rawla believes that small-batch making processes adhere best to the slow beauty philosophy. She adds, “The key would be to use products that are sensorial in nature as they activate the senses in addition to enhancing the overall appearance of the skin. The idea is to change your mindset of taking care of your skin as a chore and transforming it into something we can look forward to in our hectic lives.”
4. Ethical production
Abbitt believes that mass-produced items dilute the essence of slow beauty as it negates the foundation of ethical production. She says, “If a product is being sold for next to nothing, it means the workers creating that product were paid next to nothing as well. 30 per cent of the world’s mica is made with child labour, as are other common cosmetic ingredients like cocoa butter, shea butter and carnauba wax.
5. Roots in Ayurveda
According to Rawla, the philosophy of slow beauty echoes the principles of Ayurveda since it advises a slow and gradual approach to beauty, as opposed to momentary instant results and quick chemical fixes. “As per Ayurvedic principles, any concern can’t be treated with just external application of different products. The main concept of Ayurveda teaches us is that the mind and body are completely connected.