No parabens, petrolatum or artificial fragrances. Only the best of natures ingredients. And hey, a recyclable bottle.

By now, youve heard of clean beauty and all its potential benefits. But if youve ever compared the price tags on your go-to foundation, moisturizer or conditioner, you may have noticed the clean version is a little pricier. Or, in some cases, much pricier than a not-clean but otherwise comparable product.

Browsing your favorite beauty retailer online can reveal some serious price disparities. Popular brands like Benefit sell highly rated foundations for $30, while a clean foundation from Tarte retails for $39 .

Skin care product pricing is similar. Consider this argan oil for $6.80 per ounce, compared with a clean version for about $28.80 per ounce. And hair care products arent exempt. A reparative hair mask costs $25 from Kiehls, versus $36 from clean brand Briogeo.

So, why do these clean beauty products cost more than the traditional alternatives? We spoke to experts who explained.

The confusion around clean

For starters, there is no official or agreed upon definition of what clean beauty really is. Most clean beauty brands define their version of clean based on the ingredients they leave out of their products ones they say may be harmful for people or the environment. For example, Drunk Elephant keeps the suspicious six out of their skin care line, while hair care brand Briogeo rejects six other outlawed ingredients .