In the beauty world, there’s no term buzzier than clean right now. Whether you shop online or are walking through a store, you’ll find product after product categorized as “clean beauty”—and people are snapping them up. According to market research company Statista, over half of women prefer natural or organic products when they shop for skincare. While it’s crystal-clear that we are in the midst of a clean beauty movement, defining it is more than a little murky. For some, clean beauty means that formulas contain only natural, “nontoxic” ingredients. Others say it also has to do with a product being sustainably and ethically produced. And then there are those who expect clean beauty to check both boxes—and a few others.
The tricky thing is that although the FDA regulates cosmetics, it doesn’t review or approve products or ingredients before they go on the market (a spokesperson points out, though, that companies must make sure the products are safe under the law. Also, the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 will give the FDA more resources and authority to monitor cosmetic brands and enforce recalls). “In Europe, more than 1,300 ingredients are prohibited,” says Defne Arikan, CEO of Bryhel Cosmetic Labs, who works closely with chemist Yehiel Amouyal. “But in the U.S., only a [relative] few substances are prohibited by the FDA in formulas.” (The Personal Care Products Council, an industry trade group, has written that “80 percent of those ingredients have not been used and never would be used as a cosmetics ingredient.”)
This is all to say that terms like clean, green, and eco-friendly aren’t regulated by a governing body, so anyone (or any brand) can interpret and define these terms however they’d like. To help you find products that are clean, natural, sustainable, and effective, we called on cosmetic chemists, brand founders, dermatologists, and environmentalists to guide you to the most important attributes of clean beauty products.
Skin nutrients
These oil blends call on the power of consciously sourced plants and safe synthetics to boost skin health.
1. Vintner's Daughter Active Botanical Serum
Twenty-two plants are methodically infused into this oil-based skin treatment that balances, soothes, and brightens all skin types.
Apply this lightweight oil, made with squalane, rose hip oil, and vitamin E, to damp skin after cleansing or toning to seal in hydration, then layer a treatment, like retinol, and moisturizer.
Antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals from a host of oils and extracts (including sea buckthorn, rosemary, and plum) give skin a glow, especially if you mix the blend into your foundation.
Considering the ingredients
Your skin is the largest organ in your body, so it makes perfect sense that you’d want to be thoughtful about what you’re slathering on it. Many people will tell you the best way to do that is to pick clean formulas that contain natural ingredients.
This thinking isn’t totally wrong. After all, there are a number of great skin-boosting substances found in nature—think shea butter, jojoba oil, argan oil, and many others. Not only that, but there are a number of synthetic ingredients that can irritate sensitive skin or harm the environment. For example, silicones may pollute the environment, and certain sulfates, such as SLS (a surfactant or foaming agent), can harm marine ecosystems and be irritating to skin. “One, if not the main, motivator for formulating my own [clean skincare] line 15 years ago was the knowledge that using products with toxic chemicals outdid any good from the so-called active ingredients within them,” says Macrene Alexiades, MD, a dermatologist in New York City.
But there’s a catch. Just because an ingredient comes from a natural source doesn’t mean it’s unequivocally good for your skin. There are plenty of natural ingredients that can be irritating or even harmful. Poison ivy is a prime example, but there are also essential oils purposefully used in skincare that can cause redness or contribute to acne.
And just as “natural” doesn’t mean “good,” “synthetic” doesn’t mean “bad.” In fact, in some cases, synthetic ingredients may be even more eco-friendly than the earth-made versions. “I prefer certain ingredients in their synthetic form in order to ensure purity and higher quality,” says Krupa Koestline, a cosmetic biochemist and consultant for KKT Consultants. “Colorants fall into this category because natural colorants can contain concerning levels of heavy metals that need to be processed in order to remove them and meet FDA guidelines. Synthetic colorants are produced in a controlled environment and do not contain these heavy metal impurities. [New] synthetic methods for producing vitamins are also preferable because extracting a naturally sourced vitamin depletes natural resources and is an energy-intensive and costly process.”
Companies like Amyris (which is behind popular brands like Stripes and Biossance) are finding ways to marry technology and chemistry to create sustainable, safe ingredients that are better for the environment than it would be to use the natural form. Take, for example, squalene, a moisturizing ingredient that is traditionally harvested from shark livers and plant sources like olives (then hydrogenated to become “squalane” for cosmetic use). To create a lab-derived version, “we use proprietary yeast strains and sustainably harvested sugarcane,” says Daan Thorn Leeson, senior director of product innovation at Amyris. “The result is a squalane that has greater quality and is more pure than olive oil squalane.”
At the end of the day, those who are shopping for clean beauty tend to be looking for products that contain safe ingredients for them and the world—and that can be accomplished through sustainably culled natural ingredients or smartly made synthetics.
Makeup essentials
Clean cosmetics have come a long way in the performance department: Pigment and formula innovations have led to rich colors and lasting formulas that glide on easily and improve the look and feel of skin.
Swirl a fingertip in this creamy peach tint (housed in a refillable, recycled plastic resin compact), then tap onto cheeks for a dewy, natural flush.
Mango, avocado, coconut, and grapeseed oils make this gloss shiny and not even a bit sticky, while peppermint oil adds a tingly finish.
3. Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Dewy Foundation Drops
Makeup meets skincare in this sheer tint that has ginseng and pomegranate extract to improve skin texture and radiance.
Legendary makeup artist Bobbi Brown’s latest venture brings us the clean version of a classic eyeliner that swipes and smudges with the best of ‘em.
Swertia flower extract and hydrating squalane soften lip lines, while creamy pigments offer a gorgeous payoff.
6. Honest Beauty Extreme Length Mascara + Lash Primer
This double-ended wand has a primer that ensures the mascara applies evenly to lift lashes, then stays put.
Good for you and the Earth
While an ingredient list may be the first thing people think of when considering what makes something clean or not, it’s not the only factor worth considering. “I wish we could rename the category ‘thoughtful beauty’ because that’s really what it’s about,” says Sasha Plavsic, founder of Ilia Beauty. This thoughtfulness extends to the environmental and social impacts of a brand. The best formulations consider the safety of the user as well as the environment, Koestline notes. And they are “inextricably connected. What goes into our water comes back to us,” says Jeannie Jarnot, founder of retailer Beauty Heroes and the blue beauty movement, which recognizes companies that are focused on trying to make a positive environmental impact.
Say you prefer natural ingredients. If the farms those ingredients are harvested from are negatively impacting the environment, would you feel quite as good using them? Ideally, the clean beauty brands you use would work with farms that practice regenerative organic agriculture (as a few brands are starting to do). This is a system of farming practices that rehabilitate the ecosystem and boost natural resources, such as rotating both organic crops and grazing cattle, and composting. “If regenerative organic agriculture was implemented fully across the globe, it would have the potential to offset significant amounts of annual greenhouse gas emissions,” says Andrew Smith, PhD, the chief operating officer at the Rodale Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on regenerative organic agriculture.
Hair infusions
The active ingredients in these Davines shampoos come from local farms in Italy, and the packaging is especially lightweight, made from recycled plastic, and carbon neutral.
To rejuvenate brittle hair, this gentle formula relies on the proteins and antioxidants in Fiaschetto tomatoes.
Cartucciaru melon hydrates and fortifies strands with mineral salts and vitamins A and C.
Fatty acids and vitamin E in minuta olives help soften and tame hair.
Though it may not be totally within your reach to investigate where the ingredients in your products are being sourced from, it’s worth scanning a brand’s website. If they’re focused on being clean and green, they’ll often touch on how they source the material used.
Looking closely at the way your products are packaged is another way to ensure your beauty regimen isn’t wreaking havoc on the earth. In 2018, nearly eight billion units of plastic packaging were produced for beauty and personal care in the United States, according to market research firm Euromonitor International. And most of those compacts, tubes, bottles, and wands weren’t recycled. The best thing you can do: Use the products you already have. And seek out those that come in glass, aluminum, or cardboard—these materials can be recycled multiple times.
You can also look for symbols—a bunny, a butterfly, and others—on the outer packaging of many clean beauty products. These are seals that brands can use if they meet an organization’s qualifications. Here, a cheat sheet of the ones most commonly used.
The Deal with Seals
Leaping Bunny
None of the ingredients or any iteration of the formula has been tested on animals by the company or companies it contracts with.
Made Safe
This means the formula has either limited or no known or probably hazardous ingredients. In order to get certified, companies submit detailed information on how the ingredients are manufactured and the formula is made.
Non-GMO Project
The formula does not contain genetically modified ingredients.
EWG Verified
A product cannot contain any of the thousands of ingredients on the Environmental Working Group’s “Unacceptable” list.
Certified Vegan
The formula doesn’t have animal products or by-products and wasn’t tested on animals.
Eco Cert Cosmos Organic
Seeing this international seal ensures that at least 95 percent of the plant ingredients are organic and packaging is recycled or recyclable.
USDA Organic
This is the U.S. government seal indicating that 95 percent of the ingredients in the formula are certified organic. If the product is 100 percent organic, the seal will note that.
Climate Neutral Certified
A brand must show that it reduces and offsets its emissions to this group’s standards to qualify for this seal.
The goal is progress, not perfection
Most of us don’t have the time to google ingredient lists and sustainability options. Even if we did, it’s not foolproof. “For example, sometimes ingredients aren’t listed in full, like with fragrances, and formulas can contain contaminants at trace levels or ingredients that release other ingredients,” says Holly Moore, who has a master’s in public health and is founder and product developer of The Ingredientist, a company that consults with brands committed to sustainability.
So, if you are wanting to clean up your routine, your objective should be to do what you can. That could mean avoiding overpackaged products or noting what’s in your favorite formulas. You can also consider retailers that vet for you. Clean beauty companies like Credo Beauty, The Detox Market, and Beauty Heroes research brands and have a section on their sites outlining what they require of the products they consider to be clean. Sephora and Ulta Beauty also feature products they have designated as clean. (See the Clean at Sephora and Conscious Beauty at Ulta Beauty sections of their respective sites.) Shopping these areas can make it easier to find products that will work for you and the environment. You can also shop the clean beauty products featured throughout this story and below:
Even More of Our Favorite Clean Beauty Products
Innersense Organic Beauty Hydrating Cream Hairbath
Shea butter, avocado oil, monoi oil, and tamanu oil make this deeply nourishing shampoo ideal for very dry, thick, or coarse hair.
Josh Rosebrook Hair Spray
It's hard to find a clean hairspray that actually controls hair. This uses organic brown rice extract and organic yucca starch to hold strands in place without stickiness.
Ranavat Regenerative Veda⁴ Bond Complex Shampoo
This Ayurvedic formula soothes the scalp, strengthens strands, and adds shine.
Act + Acre Cold Processed Stem Cell Serum
Encourage hair growth with a formula (bottled in glass) that uses Swiss apple stem cells, aloe vera, and bamboo extracts to balance the scalp's microbiome and decrease hair shedding.
Maybelline New York Green Edition Butter Cream High-Pigment Bullet Lipstick
Get vibrant color in a creamy, easy-to-glide base thanks to vegan pigments and cocoa butter. The outer tube and cap is 95 percent recycled plastic.
RMS Beauty "Re" Evolve Natural Finish Liquid Foundation
If clean foundations tend to be too sheer or greasy for your taste, give this medium coverage, silicone-free formula a whirl.
Fath The Rose Nectar
When skin can't take the arid office air, we mist this gorgeous blend of organic aloe vera, Bulgarian rose, apple, pomegranate, and lotus extracts—picks us right up.
Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique Multi-Retinol Night Emulsion
This clean retinol is a blend of lab-derived retinoid and plant-extracted retinoid-like ingredients, as well as non-allergenic preservatives (caprylhydroxamic acid and glyceryl caprylate).
Ursa Major Mountain Glow Natural Face Serum
Glide this juicy serum across dry skin and it turns into an oil that treats fine lines, redness, and dullness with 44 active, vegan ingredients.
Oceanly Phyto-Age Face Cream
This solid stick, packaged in 100 percent biodegradable cardboard, hydrates and treats skin with peptides, watercress extract, and plant-derived phytoglycogen.
Maya Chia Super Naked Plum + Chia Face Oil
If essential oils are too harsh for your sensitive skin, then this is the swap for you: plum and chia oils give skin a dose of omega fatty acids 3, 6, and 9, astaxanthin offers powerful antixoidant benefits, and squalane (from sugar) improves moisture levels.
Stripes Dew As I Do
The ideal a.m. moisturizer: this hydrates parched skin, brightens tone, and protects against free radicals with vitamins C, B, E, squalane, and ectoine (a molecule that directs water to dry cells).
Honua Hawaiian Skincare Paʻakai Cleansing Cream
Housed in glass, this gentle yet effective cleanser leaves skin noticeably smoother with Hawaiian salt and hibiscus extract, a natural source of alpha hydroxy acid and antioxidants.
Costa Brazil Kaya Jungle Firming Oil
When you're still a bit damp from a shower, spread a few drops of this luxurious body oil across your limbs for a hydrating glow that delivers vitamins A and E plus omegas 3, 6, and 9.
Emily Barth Isler is the author of AfterMath, an award-winning middle grade novel about grief, resilience, friendship, math, and mime. Activist and comedian Amy Schumer calls the book "a gift to the culture." Emily lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and their two kids. In addition to books, Emily writes about sustainable, eco-friendly beauty and skincare, and has also written web sitcoms, parenting columns, and personal essays. She has a B.A. in Film Studies from Wesleyan University. Find her at www.emilybarthisler.com
