i.am.klean

I.am.klean is headquartered in Hasselt, Belgium, but it is unclear whether production also takes place here. The brand states that the basic ingredients of their products come from official and certified suppliers. Exactly which organisations these are is currently unclear to COSH! Apart from knowing that the kaolin comes from China and some of the minerals come from Peru, we do not know where the ingredients are sourced and how the products are made. And so we also do not know what laws are enforced regarding working conditions. 

The composition of the i.am.klean line is as pure and natural as possible. The brand states that this means there is no addition of talc, non-natural oils, dyes, perfume and parabens in the products. However, we do come across perfume in the ingredient lists of the Klean Primer and Fixing sprays, among others.

A number of i.am.klean products consist of 100% natural minerals, such as mica minerals sourced from the mountain ranges in Peru. These minerals are carefully scraped from the rocks and micronised into usable and beautifully coloured powders. But because of the poor working conditions in mica mines and the lack of transparency about working conditions, make-up products containing mica are best avoided. Apart from mica, the brand also works with the metals titanium, iron and zinc. 

Products that are not made entirely of minerals are as natural as possible, according to the brand. However, the Clean Beauty app shows thatsome synthetic and polluting ingredients are used in the make-up. For instance, the liquid glow foundation contains undecane, a suspected polluting mineral oil. The lip gloss, among others, contains cyclopentasiloxane and disodium edta. Quite a mouthful, but even these ingredients show up in the Clean Beauty app as suspected pollutants (as well as irritants and allergens).

The brand’s brushes are made of rice and PP recycled plastic. Other than that, the brand shares little about materials and packaging they use. 

We at COSH! find it unfortunate that the brand does not say anything about where the ingredients come from and where the product is made and packaged. Indeed, this does not allow us to say anything about how long the supply chain is.

i.am.klein’s products are not tested on animals. Because, as the brand itself says: ​“We love beautiful products, but we also love cute animals.” In addition, they are careful to ensure that the ingredients do not harm animals in any other way either. However, the brand is not completely vegan, although they do have some vegan products. For instance, the bristles of the brushes are made of synthetic nanofibres instead of natural (read: animal) bristles. Some of the brand’s lipsticks are also vegan. 

For some make-up products, such as the klean lipsticks and the concealer stick, refill packs are available. This way, you save on packaging material. With i.am.klean, you can go for on-the-go beauty to a full-face look with a smokey eye. There is a wide range of colours: from nude to bright colours or sparkling glitters for a statement look. This is because the brand believes it is important that its make-up line is accessible to women of all ages and backgrounds.

Despite i.am.klean stating that clarity is an important value for them, communication on how they operate is limited. They are, however, transparent about the composition of the products. It would be nice if they would also communicate about the percentages of natural and organic origin in this regard.