You know that beauty is only skin deep, but did you know that the products you place on your skin are absorbed into your bloodstream? No matter how committed you are to clean eating, if you’re not using clean beauty products that are free from toxins, you could be allowing harmful chemicals into your body without even knowing it. Let that sink in.
Green or clean beauty is loosely defined as cosmetics that are made without harmful irritants or toxic ingredients. Many of these ingredients, which are banned in other countries, are still allowed by the FDA. Add that to the lack of testing regulation in the beauty industry and you’ll find that many of the “all natural” branded products on the shelves probably still contain ingredients that could be harmful. Your skin is your largest organ, so what you put on your body is just as important as what you put in it.
To help you make a fresh start in 2020 and detox your beauty routine, we vetted brands that are truly leading the charge for clean beauty. Founded by champions who want to see change in the market, these beauty products are non-toxic, effective, and luxurious. If you are looking to get back to basics, these 10 beauty brands are proving that less really is more. Trust us, your skin will thank you.
Sparrow for Everyone
Blending 12 essential oils to create the ultimate does-it-all-product for human skin, Sparrow for Everyone believes that “simplicity can be the foundation for healing.” Created by Susan Flaga, owner of Sparrow Salon in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, her True Essential Oil blend is made by hand using only organic or ecologically ethical oils and non-GMO Vitamin E. It is toxic free, so the only fragrance comes from the softly aromatic sweet orange, rosewood, and pepper essential oils. Flaga created this powerful multipurpose oil, which can be used as cleanser, moisturizer, or even an aftershave, for people who care about what they put on their skin.
Kaike
A plant-based skincare line designed for melanated skin, Kaike is on a mission to prove that you can have your “Kaike” and eat it too, when it comes to skincare, of course. Why sacrifice beauty over sustainability? Founded in 2015 by Keli Smith, Kaike believes that less is more. They formulated a line of multipurpose products, including marshmallow masks and scrubs and frosting hair and body butter, that solve a variety of skincare issues. They are also vegan, all-natural, cruelty-free, preservative free, and made by hand in small batches.
Town & Anchor
Town & Anchor, a luxury beauty line that believes that skincare should be “simple, uncomplicated, effective, and never harmful,” is not only 100 percent vegan, but they also source from responsible ingredients and are zero waste. Established in 2014 in Chicago, the artisan apothecary was founded by Parisa and Jeremy Morris. Parisa, who attended cosmetology school, has made it her mission to create a change in the beauty industry. Town & Anchor was launched to help kickstart this change by offering conscious, affordable, and luxury skincare, all without sacrificing sustainability. Their line of organic and cold-pressed botanical face oils, which including balancing or restoring formulas, are covetable, packaged beautifully, and highly rated.
YASOU Skin Care
YASOU, Greek for “health to you,” was founded by Theodora Ntovas as a way to connect her heritage and love of living a holistic lifestyle. YASOU’s mission is to combine luxe beauty traditions and natural, organic ingredients to provide a Greek skincare experience for all. It is truly merging old and new world traditions, with Ntovas’ line of water-based skincare that includes vegan and 100 percent natural face creams, body lotions, and a lip elixir — all EWG verified and packaged in recyclable materials, too. Ntovas also sources from the best high-quality local growers whenever possible.
REMIX by Giselle Wasfie
Based in Chinese medicine, the REMIX aromatherapy and beauty line was founded by Giselle Wasfie, an acupuncturist and herbalist. Known for delivering ancient remedies remixed for a new age, Wasfie’s products are made by hand and sourced from 100 percent natural essential oils. In each product, or therapy, she blends the principles of energy medicine to deliver mind-body healing in an effective and modern way. For example, her Spirit Cleanse Face Wash not only leaves your skin clean, but it also includes the Chinese herb Pearl Powder to make your skin really glow. In Chinese medicine, your spirit is known to “open to the face” like a window to your inner soul, so the Spirit Cleanse is formulated to connect your inner and outer beauty perfectly.
La Bella Figura
La Bella Figura independently researches, develops, and sources their own ingredients to formulate and manufacture their line of botanical beauty products. This is what sets them apart from other skincare brands, as they are formulators first and are hyper-focused on one thing: quality ingredients. Their wide range of products are handcrafted in small batches at their Chicago studio daily, allowing them to deliver effective formulas that meet their high standards time and time again. From the Under Eye Repair Serum to a Healing Manuka Mask, La Bella Figura’s line is organic, innovative, and harnesses natural ingredients that you can feel good about.
Juice Beauty
Started in 2005 by Karen Behnke, a serial wellness entrepreneur who built one of the first corporate wellness companies in the country, Juice Beauty products have an antioxidant and vitamin-rich organic botanical juice base and never include potentially harmful endocrine-disrupting ingredients. Juice Beauty skincare and makeup products meet rigorous USA organic regulations supported by solid eco-values that include purchasing many ingredients locally from West Coast certified organic farmers, manufacturing only in the USA — often with solar and wind power — using sustainable containers, and printing with soy ink.
True Botanicals
After being diagnosed with thyroid cancer, True Botanicals founder Hillary Peterson made it her quest to create beauty products that are pure, potent, and proven to be good for people and the planet. Every True Botanicals formula is MADE SAFE certified. MADE SAFE products are entirely free of endocrine (hormone) disruptors, carcinogens, parabens, SLS and SLES, phthalates, synthetic fragrance, GMOs, and animal cruelty. Additionally, every True Botanicals item is developed, produced, packaged, and shipped in a way that minimizes its impact on the environment.
Trust Beauty
Trust Beauty creates skincare products that don’t chemically alter your skin, but bolster your skin’s own natural defenses. Formulated, produced, and packaged in Colorado, Trust Beauty products include certified organic ingredients whenever possible and never contain harmful ingredients like parabens or sodium lauryl sulfates. Instead, this all-natural line taps into the power of plant extracts called adaptogens, which are a unique class of herbal plants that have been used for centuries to help the body cope with various environmental stressors.
Tata Harper
One-hundred percent free from GMOs, toxins, fillers, artificial colors and fragrances, and synthetic chemicals, Tata Harper is a bestselling beauty brand with a cult following. Made in Vermont on their very own farm, the line of 100 percent natural skincare ranges from serums and cleansers to moisturizers and masks. Tata Harper founded her namesake company in 2007 after she struggled to find products that she didn’t have to risk her health for. To this day, Harper will not launch a product that doesn’t feel perfect. In her own words, Harper says, “I love doing this. I feel very happy creating a product that not only makes your skin beautiful but also keeps people health and improves quality of live. That is extremely rewarding.”
