Frequently Asked Questions



​What are the Clean Beauty Awards?
The Clean Beauty Awards are designed to celebrate and reward beauty brands providing safer beauty alternatives to traditional products, specifically, beauty products which comply with the CertClean Standards.  

This Awards is also a way to prove to skeptics that clean beauty products perform beautifully!  

How are the products judged?
The Judges (mixed panel - from beauty and health experts to consumers) will lather, splash and pucker up for a year to identify the best performing clean beauty products.  The average rankings of three judges will determine the top products.

For categories with over 30 entries, the judging will be split into 2 rounds. First round will dictate the top 9 of the corresponding category.  These shortlisted brands will submit an additional 3 products for the second round of judging.

The second round of judging, which evaluates the shortlisted products, will occur from January to April (subject to change).  The finalists and winners will be announced soon after.

What is Clean Care and CertClean? 
CertClean is formerly known as Clean Care. 

My brand does not have the CertClean Certification yet, can we still participate in this Award?
Yes, the Award is not limited to brands and products with the certification; the awards is open to beauty products that meet the eligibility requires and comply with the CertClean Standard.

Are there any geographical limitations to who can participate?
Not at all. We welcome brands from all over the world to take part in the Clean Beauty Awards! 

Why are 4 units required for each entry? 
Three units will be sent to three judges. The average of the judges' rankings will determine the top performing products. The fourth unit will be kept for promotional purposes - ie. photoshoots!

We are in the midst of re-branding, can we send our new labelled-products when they're ready?
We do not accept late submissions. So you may want to submit product with your old packaging so you can still take part in the Clean Beauty Awards. In the event that you are shortlisted for the second round, you can then submit products with the new look.  Remember to send one extra one to us for promotional purposes as well!


Entry FAQ

  • Do you accept wire transfers or money orders?
    • At this time, we only accept paypal and credit card payments.
  • Are the charges in Canadian Dollars?
    • Yes, we only accept Canadian Dollars.
  • My products need to be refrigerated or stored at certain temperatures. Can I still submit them?
    • Unfortunately, no. We cannot currently guarantee that the temperature of the products will be sustained at all times, and do not want the product’s integrity to be compromised.
  • Are refunds available?
    • Once a product has been submitted, no refunds will be provided. Please make sure you review the eligibility and timelines before you enter!
  • Can I save the submission application for it to be finished on a later date?
    • While you cannot save the application to be submitted at a later date, we have tried our best to keep the submission process simple and short for your convenience.
  • Our brand participated in the Clean Beauty Awards last year and submitted three units for each product. Do we have to submit four units this time around?
    • Yes, all participants – regardless of whether they’ve participated earlier or not – should submit four units for each product. Thank you!
  • What is the timeline? When are winners and finalists announced?
    • June 17th - July 26th - Brands enter the Awards
    • By August 9 - All products must be received by our office
    • August - November - judges try/test the products and submit ranking forms
    • December - Finalists are announced; Finalists must submit additional products
    • December - February - judges try/test finalists and submit ranking forms
    • February - Winners are announced
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                 *Note: The timeline is subject to change.
​
  • I want to submit my products. What is the process of applying?
  • How many products do I need to ship? When do they need to be shipped by?
    • All participants must submit 4 products per product entry. They need to arrive at the CertClean office by August 9th. If you do not receive an email confirming receipt of products, please email us at info@certclean.com to make sure that your products have arrived. 
  • Where do I ship it to? 
    • CertClean / YSpace
      169 Enterprise Blvd, Suite 301
      Markham, ON Canada
      L6G 0A2
  • Who pays the taxes and duties when my products cross an international border?
    • You. CertClean is not responsible for the payment of duties and taxes associated with your shipment to us. If/when there are duties and taxes, we will confirm with you that you are willing to remit these fees.   
  • What if my products don't arrive at the office in time?
    • ​Once the products are sent to the judges, there is no way to include the late products. As a result, they will not be entered.
  • I made a mistake when filling out the form! What should I do?
    • ​Please email info@certclean.com about the mistake (provide brand name, date when submission was sent, and details about the mistake) and we will be happy to help out!

​Categories

Make-Up:
  1. LipStick: Lipsticks, and other products for the purpose of enhancing the lips with pigment and colour
  2. LipGloss: Lipgloss, and other products for the purpose of enhancing the lips with gloss
  3. EyeColour: Products such as eyeshadow and other products for the purpose of enhancing the eyelids with colour
  4. Mascara: Products such as mascara and other products for the purpose of enhancing eyelashes with colour, volume or length
  5. EyeLiner: Products such as eyeliners and other products for the purpose of defining the eyes
  6. NailPolish: Products used to colour nails.
SkinCare:
  1. BodyCare: Products such as creams, gels, oils, balms, moisturizers, lotions and other products which are applied for the purpose of hydrating and soothing the body
  2. FaceCare - Products such as creams, gels, oils, balms, moisturizers, lotions, serums, and other products which are applied for the purpose of hydrating and soothing the face
  3. LipCare: Products such as balm, butter, conditioners, and other products which are applied for the purpose of hydrating and soothing the lips
  4. OdourCare: Products such as deodorant and others which are applied to reduce or eliminate body odour
  5. EyeCare: Products such as creams, gels, oils, serums, lotions and other products which are applied for the purpose of reducing the look of wrinkles and puffiness around the eye area.
  6. SunCare: Products used to protect the skin from UV rays.
SkinWash:
  1. BodyWash: Products such as shower gels, liquid and bar soaps, bath oils, body scrubs and others which are applied for the purpose of cleansing the body
  2. FaceWash: Products such as cleansers, gels, scrubs, masks, and others which are applied for the purpose of cleansing the face
HairCare:
  1. HairWash: Shampoos, and other products which are applied for the purpose of cleansing the scalp and hair
  2. HairTreatment: Leave-in treatment products which are applied for the purpose of nourishing and strengthening hair
Exclusions
  • Limited edition products, product gift sets, and multi-step treatments or kits ie. more than one product
  • Oral care products and or supplements
  • Electrical or battery powered tools or accessories - hair, body or make-up
  • Brands/products that contain pornographic material, hate messages, defamatory statements
  • Products containing plastic microbeads
  • Anti-perspirants
​Only products belonging in the following categories will be considered for evaluation at this time.