Cut Down on Chemicals with These 7 Green Cosmetics & Beauty Brands
So, you’ve heard of farm-to-table. But what about farm-to-face?
The premise is as follows: These days we care about the provenance of the food we eat, shop for sustainable clothing, and track the chemicals in our cleaning supplies. But from our lipstick to our sunscreen, our deodorant to our mascara, are we turning the same critical eye to the ingredients in our body products?
It’s time to eco-fy your bathroom cabinet, and we’re rounding up our favorite green cosmetics brands to get you started. Made with locally sourced and sustainably raised ingredients, free of harsh chemicals, and resolutely cruelty-free, they’re good for your body—and beyond.
1. ACURE ORGANICS
ACURE Organics’ sample kit is the best way to intro your body to 10 different natural products. Image courtesy ACURE Organics.
The family-owned ACURE Organics are serious about making sure their products are good for your hair and skin. Their green cosmetics—which range from argan oil to dry shampoo—are gluten-free, vegan, and free from artificial colors, sulfates, phthalates, parabens, and other toxins. Clean, indeed.
What to try: ACURE’s products are more than just good for you, as their “It’s Not Enough to Be Natural, It Also Has to Work” sample kit proves. Packed with 10 sample-sized products, it’s the perfect intro to green living—and lets you put their recipes to the test.
2. OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics smacks on big color that’s easy on the eyes. Literally. Image courtesy Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics.
One for the would-be professionals, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics was developed by makeup artist David Klasfeld. 100% vegan and never tested on animals, the brand is bright and beautiful—and in your furry friend’s corner, too.
What to try: Looking for a pop of color? OCC’s pure cosmetic pigments are made from 100% uncut pigments. They’re brilliantly bold—and can be used on your eyelids, cheeks, and lips.
3. DR. BRONNER’S
This family-run green brand is a stalwart of the “good for you and everyone, too” body-care world. Image courtesy Dr. Bronner's.
Green brands don’t get much more eco-cred than Dr. Bronner’s. The family-run company uses ethically sourced, fair trade ingredients, makes products free from animal testing and ingredients, works in partnership with a number of charities, and skips the synthetics. As for their body products? They’re pretty great, too.
What to try: Though Dr. Bronner’s began by making soaps, its super-fresh and tingly peppermint organic hair crème is more rejuvenating in the morning than a cup of joe. (We won’t blame you if you want both, though.)
4. 100% PURE
Toxin-free and made with all natural ingredients. Their name says it all. Image courtesy 100% Pure.
As all-natural makeup brand 100% Pure points out, our skin tends to absorb the things we put onto it—a sentiment which might make you question your morning beauty routine. (What’s “petrolatum”…and is my face going to like it?)
What to try: We like the sound of makeup made from fruit dyes, of which 100% Pure stocks a whole collection. And for those who like their lashes on their fluttery side, the retailer’s mascara—made from tea and blackberry extracts—is one of the best non-toxic options on the market.
5. PROVINCE APOTHECARY
A Canadian firm that sources from small farms across their land. Hardly provincial. Image courtesy Province Apothecary.
Back to that “farm-to-face” thing. Province Apothecary is so named because it sources its ingredients from across the Canadian Provinces, from seaweed from Nova Scotia to maple syrup from Quebec. Using ingredients sourced from small-farms, free from all kinds of dubious additives—no petroleum, endocrine disrupters, or other harmful synthetics here—and cruelty-free, the brand is a slam-dunk when it comes to all-around health.
What to try: Its moisturizing cleanser doubles as a make-up remover—and features avocado and raspberry oil. Smooth skin, meet smoothie.
6. SOAPWALLA
Brooklyn is on the cutting edge. Dump your deodorant, but still smell fresh as a daisy. Image courtesy Lauren Coleman (laurencoleman.nyc).
Why do green cosmetics enthusiasts hate commercial deodorant so much? ’Cause its ingredients—including aluminum compounds and triclosan— aren’t exactly your body’s BFFs. Soapwalla to the rescue. This Brooklyn-based brand specializes in healthy skincare, using vegan, gluten-free, food-grade ingredients. (We wouldn’t recommend eating them, though.)
What to try: Deodorant cream? You heard it here first. Made from ingredients as diverse as clay and tea tree oil, it’s a new way to keep yourself fresh.
7. COOLA SUNCARE
The future’s so bright, I gotta wear skin protection without toxins. Image courtesy COOLA Suncare.
It’s a catch-22: We know that protecting our skin from the sun is important…but many sunscreens come loaded with seriously questionable, potentially toxic ingredients. Trade up instead to COOLA, which uses organic, plant-based ingredients sourced from local vendors.
What to try: Begin with the basics and pick up a tube of unscented SPF 30 moisturizer. Things are looking sunnier already.
