Target Adds 'Target Clean' Icon to Nearly 4,000 Beauty Products

Earlier this year, eagle-eyed Target shoppers might have started noticing a little green symbol on products throughout household-essentials and baby-care aisles. That's the Target Clean icon, and the retailer launched it as a way for customers concerned about certain chemicals to avoid bringing them into their homes. And in a move that many beauty lovers will applaud, Target has announced that the Target Clean icon can now be found on select hair, skin-care, and makeup items.

A press release shared on Target's corporate website says that products deemed worthy of the Target Clean icon are "formulated without a group of commonly unwanted chemicals." There's no universal definition of what clean beauty products do or don't contain, but Target's idea of clean beauty is the absence of propyl-parabens, butyl-parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, formaldehyde-donors, nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), Oxybenzone, sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), retinyl palmitate, hydroquinone, triclosan, triclocarban, BHA, and BHT. Additionally, deodorants without aluminum and oral care without artificial sweeteners earn the label.

“We introduced the Target Clean symbol earlier this year in household essentials and baby and we’ve had many guests tell us that it’s made their shopping trips easier. That’s why we are excited to introduce the Target Clean icon to the beauty department,” Christina Hennington, a Target senior vice president, said in the press release. “Now, guests can easily shop for skin care, hair care, cosmetics, oral-care items, and more that are formulated without a group of commonly unwanted chemicals they may not want included in their daily beauty routines.”

The Target Clean icon joins 13 other icons that shoppers may have already seen on their beauty products: Bio-Based, Biodegradable, Cruelty Free, Dye Free, No Fragrance Added, Non GMO, Non Toxic, Organic, Paraben Free, Pthalate Free, Plant-Based, Sulfate Free, and Vegan. Many of these labels overlap with the new Target Clean icon but have a lower burden of proof, like unchecked claims on the label.

Target has nearly 4,000 products that qualify for the Target Clean icon, which is both amazing and overwhelming. If you need a place to start, consider these icon-earning products.