At the end of July, Sephora will introduce regulations designed to tighten the programs standards. When shopping for these products, I found that the labels in the industry can get really confusing: there's "clean," "natural," "nontoxic," -- I could go on. You can probably guess the brand's mission based on the name: clean beauty powered by marine ingredients. It didn't make sense for me so I slowly made the switch and changed out all of the products one by one -- I didn't throw everything away, but when something ran out, I would replace it with a "clean" option. It's one of the causes that Beautycounter is most known for. Clean beauty means a cleaner planet, which is why we don't use ingredients that could pose a hazard to the environment. Clean Ingredients Clean at Sephora approved. I installed Clearya and look at the product page of some (but not all) of the Clean Label products at Sephora. "We know that not everyone is going to have access to find or afford our products, so our ultimate goal is to disrupt the beauty industry once and for all, through passing meaningful legislation.". as well as other partner offers and accept our. Parabens are linked to hormone or endocrine disruption, a recent Environmental Working Group report, Best facial moisturizers to buy for 2020: SkinMedica, The Ordinary, Drunk Elephant and more, The best self-tanners and bronzers for 2020: St Tropez, Jergens, Supergoop and more, The best beauty tools and gadgets for 2020: Nuface, Foreo and more, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. At the time, the requirements for a product to achieve the Clean at Sephora seal were that it be formulated without 13 specific ingredients including SLS, SLES, parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates and mineral oils all common ingredients consumers are becoming increasingly wary of in personal-care and beauty products. Additionally, they have to agree that none of theirfutureformulas will contain any of these ingredients and have to demonstrate transparency in the form of a public-facing standard and point of view around formulation, she told MBG in 2019. D-Panthenol 75L is clear, colorless to slightly . Best Overall: Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum, $83. Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Reviews team. Every product deserves a shout-out, but two items we hoard are the exfoliating AHA tonic ($35) and the energizing kelp and magnesium body wash ($27). The Food and Drug Administrationcurrently only bans nine ingredients from beauty products for safety reasons, and Congress has not updated laws on personal care and beauty product safety in about 80 years. Wendy Lewis talked to some leading experts about this emerging category of skin care . All rights reserved. The world's trusted guide to sustainable and ethical fashion. And you can still go to Sephora and buy products with unsafe ingredients, so dont look at this as an act of altruism. $40.00 $20.00. The Conscious Beautyat Ulta Beauty category houses clean, cruelty-free, vegan, and sustainably packaged products. Items with the green seal won't include a long list of . Let that sink in for a bit. Which is why I talked to two brands that are leaders in the clean beauty world -- Drunk Elephant, founded in 2012 by Tiffany Masterson, and Beautycounter, founded in 2013 by Gregg Renfrew. Read full article. And then theres Whole Foods Market, which got the ball rolling in the category when it banned more than 100 ingredients from its personal care and body care product offerings more than a decade ago. To obtain a Clean + Planet Positive seal, brands must meet guidelines in four areas: climate commitment, sustainable sourcing, responsible packaging and environmental giving. In its Conscious Beauty program, Ulta Beauty asserts that brands cant be deemed to have sustainable packaging unless 50% or more of their packaging is from recycled or bio-sourced materials or is recyclable or refillable. So two weeks ago, Sephora updated the list to 50 banned ingredients: acrylates, aluminum salts, animal oils/musks/fats, benzophenone + related compounds, butoxyethanol, carbon black, lead/lead acetate, methyl cellosolve + methoxyethanol, methylchloroisothiazolinone + Methylisothiazolinone, mercury + mercury compounds (thimerisol), insoluble plastic microbeads (applies to rinse-off products only), resorcinol, talc (asbestos-free talc is ok. Brands need to conduct testing to ensure no contamination. Sephoras Clean at Sephora program is expanding and getting more stringent, WWD has learned. What the brand vows to never use: Synthetic preservatives and fragrance, sulfates, phthalates, chemical sunscreens, and crude oil by-products like mineral oil and petroleum. If skin is our body's largest organ, why do we just use whatever body wash we got on sale last week? Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) that is 0.1% or more of total formula, **** As defined by the European Commission (, Bromostyrene, Deastyrene/acrylates/dvbcopolymer, sodium styrene/divinylbenzene, copolymer, styrene oxide, styrene. In November 2022, Sephora customer Lindsey Finster filed a lawsuit in the US claiming that "a significant percentage" of its products with the clean seal contain ingredients that are synthetic, making them "inconsistent" with how consumers understand the term "clean". We knew [when we launched] that the program would have to be evolved we take input from different sources, like our beauty advisers, brand founders, third-party labs, the EWG and with LVMH. Following its motion to dismiss the claim, the LVMH-owned beauty . Clean + Planet Positive at Sephora covers four categories: skincare, makeup, haircare, and fragrance. It contains keratin, beeswax and shea . Receive expert tips on using phones, computers, smart home gear and more. "There is no one clear path of rules for clean beauty, much like there is no one clear path to 'wellness.' So two weeks ago, Sephora updated the list to 50 banned ingredients: acrylates, aluminum salts, animal oils/musks/fats, benzophenone + related compounds, butoxyethanol, carbon black, lead/lead acetate, methyl cellosolve + methoxyethanol, methylchloroisothiazolinone + Methylisothiazolinone, mercury + mercury compounds (thimerisol), insoluble Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com. The vitamin C we use in C-Firma and C-Tango is nutritionally identical to the C that comes from an orange, but the synthesis that we use creates a more stable and concentrated version for skin.". Its Sukari Baby Facial ($80) will give you glowy skin for days and its new retinol cream ($74) has a low dose of retinol while still giving great results. The "clean clinical" brand fuses science with clean ingredients into efficacious products that have won everyone over. As of this month, products purchased with Sephora's Clean seal of approval won't contain ingredients such as BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole), Ethanolamines DEA/TEA/MEA/ETA, Toluene, Carbon. Sephora also has a special category of banned ingredients related to synthetic fragrances. The Echinacea GreenEnvy provides antioxidants while hyaluronic acid holds 1,000 times its weight in water to keep skin looking plump and hydrated, and propolis from beehives protects skin by filling in any gaps in your dermis. I am curious to see how Clearya would react to products in Follain or Credo. Every product deserves a shout-out, but two items we hoard are the. Beautycounter's CEO Gregg Renfrew testified as an expert witness at a hearing on cosmetic reform in Congress in 2019. Vote for your favorite beauty products now! But to give you some point of reference, Sephora launched its Clean at Sephora assortment with 61 brands in 2018, and even after the ingredient-ban update, there are 68 brands that meet those strict requirements. Though much of her background is in fashion and beauty, Jada is a versatile writer and editor and has covered home decor, health, financial wellness, and more with the same eye for details. For instance, Follain, the Boston-based clean beauty retailer, caused a stir last year when it announced it was banning phenoxyethanol, a preservative alternative for parabens commonly used by clean beauty brands. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. The body wash ($25) and lotion ($25) are already cult items despite the brand only being around since November 2018. The Clean line is Sephora's collection of products free of ingredients such as SLS and SLES, parabens, and so on. The mascara is . "For us, clean beauty is so much more than just using skin-friendly ingredients and actives or simply not using known irritants," says David Delport, Ren's global ambassador and head of education. For many clean beauty brands, sustainability is a priority -- whether that means using sustainable ingredients or choosing packaging that is biodegradable and better for the environment. It also means sustainably sourced mica and sustainable or Fair Trade sourced palm oil. The whole program is evolving to be more robust, comprehensive and sophisticated, said Deily of the updates made to Clean at Sephora. According to Cindy Deily, a VP of skin care merchandising at Sephora, brands that want to qualify for the Clean at Sephora seal have to conduct a thorough audit of each and every one of their formulas to ensure none of the ingredients on the companies formulated without list are being used. Phthalates: Phthalates are commonly used in nail polish, hairspray and perfume to make fragrance stick to the skin. You should still take a look at the detailed ingredient list on each product page if you have additional concerns . They've already been vetted by Sephora, so you know you're shopping clean. Skin Advanced Night Retinoid Serum, $22. The specially curated assortment of skin, hair, fragrance and makeup products officially launched back in 2018 with the purpose of making it easier to get your hands on clean beauty. Even though there are over 1,300 ingredients that are commonly banned in clean beauty products, there are a few specific ones that are most commonly called out as harmful and left out of clean products. Clean + Planet Positive launches Thursday with 18 brands, including Farmacy, Biossance, Youth to the People, Tata Harper . Sephora's Dubious Clean Class-Action Complaint Could Be Just What the Industry Needs. Amazon has also upped its categorizations to highlight clean beauty products. For example, most brands have synthetic fragrance under 1%, so that standard was somewhat meaningless, and experts questioned why Sephora let something like polyethylene glycol through. The expanded product list is live today, so go ahead and gather those paraben-free, sulfate-free, and all-around clean VIB Rouge points. Sephora recently updated this program: going forward, a product bearing Sephora's [] No. It has anti-inflammatory effects and soothes irritated and sensitive skin. To earn the seal, brands need to use at least 30 percent post-consumer recycled content in half of their packaging. Triclosan: An antimicrobial pesticide that is found in antibacterial products like soap and toothpaste. But don't think that all ingredients are straight from the farm; Farmacy uses synthetic ingredients too as long as they're safe. Allure may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with Deily says the landscape can be challenging for a variety of reasons that include regulation, terms, or claims that are widely used by mass and prestige. Beauty Heroes has barred single-use samples as well. For example, Sephora launched " Clean at Sephora ," an initiative in which the beauty retailer badged over 2,000 products as "clean," in this case meaning free of ingredients like. In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies. "From the start, we wanted Summer Fridays to only use healthy ingredients," the founders tell Business Insider. Shop the best clean beauty products now at Sephora! Lawsuits levied against brands like the formaldehyde-laden Brazilian Blowout and Johnson & Johnsons Baby Powder are two prime examples of industry promises gone wrong. Best Clean Skin-Care Products at Sephora 21 Top-Rated, Clean Skin-Care Products From Sephora to Get 2021 Started Off Right December 29, 2020 by Morgan Ashley Parker But for Masterson, choosing ingredients for her brand isn't just about safety in terms of potential links to endocrine disruption or other health issues, it's also about "respecting and supporting the healthy function of skin. The assessments would allow consumers to compare products and their impacts on the environment. All Rights Reserved. For external use only. We have you covered. Single-use packaging is out for the responsible packaging criteria, and packaging should be as recyclable as possible. Best for Dry Skin: Allies of Skin Tranexamic and Arbutin Advanced . Many people associate vegan with clean, but this is not the case. However, a significant percentage of products with the "Clean At Sephora" contain ingredients inconsistent with how consumers understand this term. Im not a chemist, and the safety of common ingredients in consumer products is hotly debated by even the professionals. Sephora is the beauty retail category leader, with sales surpassing $5 billion in the U.S. in 2020; globally, its sales are more than $10 billion. All rights reserved. It will help get brands like us who put a lot into doing the right thing into the spotlight and validate the work we have done. She mentions pumps are a big reason its difficult for haircare brands to gain the Clean + Planet Positive seal. We welcome your feedback. Find the full list of banned ingredients and regulations here. What the brand vows to never use: Sulfates, parabens, mineral oil, and more according to the "Clean at Sephora" seal. By contrast, the European Union bans over 1,300 ingredients from personal care products. Drunk Elephant. Brands must allot 1% of their profits to environmental causes. Fragrance: Manufacturers don't technically have to say what chemicals are in fragrance since, according to Beautycounter, "Fragrance formulas are protected under federal law's classification of trade secrets and therefore can remain undisclosed." Environmental Hazards. Starting 2022, they are completely prohibited in rinse-off and . Formulated without phthalates, formaldehyde or formaldehyde releasers, oxybenzone and octinoxate, hydroquinone, triclosan, coal tar, methylisothiazolinone, insoluble plastic, microbeads. Our approach is to be clean, effective, transparent, and sustainable.". But the appeal can lose its luster if you're skeptical about the science behind the claims or if the luxury price tags of many brands seems out of reach for your budget. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Now at more than 180 ingredients, Whole Foods says that it engages with many of its beauty and personal care suppliers and participates in the journey with them. Start your day with Beauty Independents free daily mailing of top headlines in indie beauty, and gain the knowledge to help your business grow. The plaintiff alleges "a significant percentage of products with the "Clean at Sephora" contain ingredients inconsistent with how consumers understand the term. Susteau and makeup brand Athr Beauty didnt have to adjust to comply with the Clean + Planet Positive standards. The publication Glossy points out that, beginning in 2019, Sephora has been actively attempting to moderate its environmental footprint by relying on renewable energy, diverting waste from landfills, and urging efficient store and packaging design. Its product line also includes exfoliators, facial serums, mists, lip balms, and even full customized skin-care routines. For context, the European Union's list of banned ingredients includes almost 1,400 ingredients, while the US's list has only 30. After you've taken your Drunk Elephant #shelfies, you'll realize that it's more than just an Instagram-friendly brand. With Clean at Sephora, we're making it easier for you to navigate the vast and growing beauty sphere so that you can make more informed decisions about the products you buy. For instance, the Saie Mascara 101 contains numerous synthetic ingredients, several . Sephora Announces Clean + Planet Positive Program. Instead of using a single-use, makeup-removing wipe (many of which aren't biodegradable or recyclable), try a reuseable makeup-removing cloth. One of the OG pioneers, Ren has been in the business of clean skin care since 2000. The brand is aiming to be completely waste-free by 2021 and has started rolling out bottles made with fully recyclable packaging, reclaimed plastic from oceans, and even glass so consumers can send back and refill. Branding by Idil Berken. Were learning every day, and we expect our program and criteria to continue to evolve to meet or exceed the wants and needs of our clients, as well as keeping pace with what science and innovation make possible.. Thats just a handful of ingredients on its new list, proving that Sephora is serious about transforming at least partially into a clean beauty haven. Take a look at how some clean skin-care brands are setting a foundation in the world of beauty and wellness. "I've always found it odd that natural is associated with safety, because nature creates some of the most powerful toxins and poisons," Masterson says. But most clean brands ban fragrance since they can contain allergens or other chemicals that disrupt hormones. You can either shop the list of qualifying clean beauty brands, or shop as you would normally, and look for the green logo as you peruse items. What the brand vows to never use: Just about everything. Discover high-quality beauty without toxic ingredients (like parabens, sulfates, phthalates + more)! *** Talc that is free of any asbestos can be used in the formulation provided that Brand conducts testing to ensure that talc is free of any asbestos. "We decided to work on a new corporate philanthropy model, not based on a percentage of sales or profits, but on a fixed donation. For climate commitment, this includes operations that are carbon neutral, run on renewable energy, or have emissions reductions in place. Climate Commitment : Brands must meet at least one of the following climate goals: carbon-neutral operations, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, or corporate office and owned or leased operations . Wouldnt it would be nice if what we bought in the U.S. were at least as clean as what is legally allowed in Europe? Products that fit the bill of clean. Perhaps one of the brands with the strictest set of self-imposed rules, Beautycounter defines clean with five principles ban intentionally, screen rigorously, learn constantly, source responsibly, and share transparently. Both wake up your skin and give it a nice glow, and the body wash is housed in a 100% recycled bottle, 20% of which is made with reclaimed ocean plastic and is absolutely genius. All the packaging is recyclable, and if you get the skin-care or body-care kits, the bottles aren't individually packaged inside the boxes so there's less waste overall. 2023 Indie Beauty Media Group LLC. I did the Whole30 challenge, which basically forces you to read the label of everything you eat and focuses on eating mainly whole, unprocessed foods for 30 days. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. Last year, Sephora took a step to rectify that at least within its own ranks with the launch of Clean at Sephora, a product category that included only items formulated without a target list of 13 ingredients. You can find pretty much anything you need or want there, and they deserve your support. In order to obtain the Clean + Planet Positive at Sephora seal, brands must satisfy four criteria: climate commitment, sustainable sourcing, responsible packaging, and environmental giving. James Manso. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. Experts explain what's going on with this concealer and why it's fueling a backlash against "clean beauty" as a whole. The program kicked off with 50 brands and a list of 13 restricted ingredient groups. Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays. Because there isn't an official definition, brands, retailers, and watchdog organizations have created their own filters, whether it be following the European Union's list of almost 1,400 banned ingredients or creating certifications to better educate consumers on what's safe or not. The Inkey List. It was just last year that Sephora rolled out Clean at Sephora, a new labeling initiative that aims to help shoppers select products that aren't formulated with a number of . Chemicals used in consumer products are a priority for Target, the guests, and the suppliers. ), The Market For Baby Hair Products Grows Up As Interest And Offerings Increase, Exosomes: What They Are, Why Theyre Becoming Big, And How Theyre Raising Concerns, The Brand Incubators And Holding Companies Pursuing The Huge Wellness Opportunity, Brands Are Blurring The Line Between Body Care And Sex Stuff, Beauty Retailers Want In On Wellness, But Theyre Not Winning Over Wellness ShoppersYet, SkinCeuticals Brings Growing Med-Spa Concept SkinLab To Santa Monica, User-Generated Content Powers E-Commerce Destination See New Skincare, Pop Up Grocer Set To Open Its First Permanent Location In New York City, SkinSplendid Offers Med-Spa Services To NYC Dwellers And Their Suburban Counterparts. The Environmental Working Group is a key civic group known for providing groundbreaking research on how toxic ingredients and other practices can harm people and the environment. 2. Earlier this month, on November 11, 2022, a class-action complaint requesting a jury trial was filed in New York's Northern Federal District Court against Sephora USA, Inc., on behalf of Lindsey Finster, a resident of Oneida, New York, and "others . "For Beautycounter, it's more than just formulating safe ingredients. In the United States, the beauty and cosmetics industries are largely unregulated when it comes to what ingredients they can and cannot use, and also how they can market and label products as "clean," "natural" or "nontoxic.". Fast forward a few more years and I started to take the same approach to my skincare and cosmetics and largely started using "clean beauty" products -- those formulated without what are thought to be potentially harmful or toxic ingredients. "Not all natural ingredients are good for you (poison ivy and arsenic) and not all synthetics are bad. These include parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, formaldehyde, sulfates, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), ethanolamines DEA/TEA/MEA/ETA, toluene, carbon black, mercury and mercury compounds, aluminum salts, lead, and lead acetate, among others. July 12, 2019, 2:14 PM. Last year, The NPD Group tracked a 20 percent rise in vegan and cruelty-free brands carried by retailers. Clean at Sephora products are formulated without the following banned or restricted ingredients (please see Clean at Sephora landing page for full list of specific restrictions and allowances by category this is not an exhaustive list): Since there's little regulation in the US beauty industry, many people are working to pass laws that would help take more ingredients off the market that are scientifically linked to adverse health effects like endocrine disruption. View the Made Without List What we're loving these online stores that are dedicated to selling. Drunk Elephant also chooses to use synthetic ingredients as long as they're safe for the body. When you can use nonfragrant plant oils and extracts that deliver the same and better benefits, why risk it? "It must also proactively support the natural function of the skin and never force a short-term result at the cost of the skin's equilibrium, sensitivity, or barrier health. The most significant change is the tripling of its free-from ingredient list, to include about 45 ingredients that Clean at Sephora products are required to be formulated without. Jada is a contributor at Insider Reviews and previously served at senior editor of home and kitchen coverage. Since 2019, Sephora has made important progress to reduce toxic chemicals in the beauty and personal care products it sells. "In fact, Summer Fridays' co-founder Lauren was pregnant at the time of our first formulations so everything we tested had to be good for our bodies and her growing son. One Ocean Beauty has also partnered with conservation and advocacy non-profit group Oceana, donating $250,000 total to help protect our oceans. Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Every Clean at Sephora beauty product is stamped with a green seal of approval for easy shopping. Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde is used as a preservative in some personal care products like body wash. When it comes to clean mascara, ILIA has set the bar high. Made with marula, cacay, and meadowfoam oils, niacinamide, and an alphabet soup's worth of vitamins, the formula reads like a luxurious facial serum. Your California Privacy Rights. For Beautycounter, "clean beauty" means much more than the list of ingredients that the company bans from its products, which it calls the Never List. Developed by licensed aesthetician Kerry Benjamin to deal with her eczema, StackedSkincare is based on the idea that you should "stack" your skin-care products and tools to push active ingredients deeper into your skin for better results. 2023 Fairchild Publishing, LLC. For sustainable sourcing, they must avoid microplastics, and use eco-conscious mica and palm oil. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. Rinse to transform into a milk or remove with damp washcloth and enjoy the glowy results. $13 AT SEPHORA. The ingredients in Drunk Elephant products won't cause irritation or congestion and they keep the acid mantleintact -- that's what makes them biocompatible. The updated list includes ingredients such as undisclosed synthetic fragrances, aluminum salts, animal oils, musks and fats, carbon black, talc, toulene, oxybenzone, retinyl palmate, butylated hydroxyanisole, nanoparticles as defined by European Union guidelines, certain types of styrene and phenoxyethanol above a 1 percent concentration. Some of the 50 ingredients aren't completely banned but limited in concentrations: BHA & BHT: allowed at 0.1% and under. Together, Sephora, EDF and ChemForward developed safer alternative portfolios for four major cosmetic ingredient groups on Sephora's list of high-priority chemicals - preservatives. So it might be OK.) Farmacy and Olehenriksen also had several allergens, Supergoop! It's known to be irritating to the skin and harsh, which is why many clean companies remove them. On July 1, certain free-from claims on cosmetics products may be banned should member states wish to, including free-from parabens and free-from perfumes., Despite the differences in regulatory and labeling standards, Deily said Sephora is looking into whether the Clean at Sephora program could work outside of North America. The "clean clinical" brand fuses science with clean ingredients into efficacious products that have won everyone over. Kailey Bradt, founder and CEO of Susteau, one of two haircare brands in the Clean + Planet Positive category, lauds Sephora for taking the guesswork out of shopping for consumers wanting to make better choices for the earth. Shake into your palm, rub your hands together and gently pat the solution onto a clean face and neck. Founded by Kimberly Shenk, a former clean beauty brand entrepreneur herself, Novi is connecting brands, suppliers, and retailers to make access to clean ingredients and packaging easier than ever. Ad Choices. The 11-page class action complaint was filed November 11 by Lindsey Finster. And it's largely thought that at least some of the ingredients that you put on it absorb into your bloodstream. What the brand vows to never use: Phthalates, parabens, mineral oil, formaldehyde, synthetic fragrances, colorants, preservatives, and more as noted on Credo and Follain. Sunscreen is obviously a must, and this one is good. Ask anyone how they define "clean skin care" and you'll get answers ranging from "products made without parabens, sulfates, or mineral oils," or "things you DIY-ed in your kitchen at 2 a.m." There's no right or wrong answer, but loosely defined, clean skin-care products are made without questionable ingredients or harmful irritants. Now, Sephora is expanding that formulated without list to ban over 50 different ingredients from its products. Keep reading to learn more about what clean beauty means, why Masterson and Renfrew decided to start their brands and how they choose ingredients, plus more on how ingredients are regulated. Best popular clean makeup products at Sephora Milk Makeup Sunshine Skin Tint Clean SPF 30 Foundation With its light coverage, this foundation leaves your skin with a dewy glow. We use proven skin-enhancing actives and avoid all known toxins, questionable chemicals, and ingredients that are irritating to sensitive skin.". Hopefully this news gets you excited to add a new Clean at Sephora product to your shopping cart in the near future or to at least impress your friends with your new skin-care ingredient knowledge. Shop Clean Ingredient products by Makeup Skincare Hair Bath & Body Fragrance Nails You can be sure that every brand certified as having Clean Ingredients complies with our Made Without List, which outlines substances like parabens, phthalates and more. Play Everyday Lotion Spf 50 Pa++++. Buy It ($32) Sephora. More than 40 nations around the world have tighter restrictions on the ingredients used in personal care products than the US. May 13, 2019. Fenty Beauty by Rihanna's Gloss Bomb in Hot Chocolit is the stuff lip-plumping dreams are made of. D-Panthenol 75L is valued in skin and hair care for its moisturizing properties. If irritation develops, discontinue use and consult a . The Banned List. But there are plenty of ingredients in nature that, if ingested or applied on the face, may be harmful," says Marcos.