One of the best decisions I’ve ever made was to change my skincare routine to include only certified clean beauty products. Over the past few years, I’ve noticed my skin getting more sensitive—in particular to allergens and fragrances. Our skin is the largest organ in our body. So switching to non-toxic beauty products means feeding our skin and bodies with the best nutrients. Studies who that when your skin absorbs harmful toxins, it may lead to allergies, sensitivities, and other serious health issues.
What is Clean Beauty?
In simple terms, clean beauty products are made without ingredients shown to harm human health or the environment. Some examples of “toxic ingredients” harmful to both human health and the environment are parabens and formaldehyde. Both of these ingredients are known as carcinogens.
Beauty Product Seals You Can Trust
The Federal and Drug Administration regulates beauty products. but they’re not technically approved before going on the market. According to the FDA, “the law does not require cosmetic products and ingredients, other than color additives, to have FDA approval before they go on the market, but there are laws and regulations that apply to cosmetics on the market in interstate commerce.”
So how can you trust that a product is truly clean? Glad you asked! Here are a few things to help guide your decisions.
Clean beauty products that include the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Verified™ and Sephora Clean seals are typically a safe bet. According to the EWG, when you see the EWG Verified™ mark on a product, you can be sure it’s free from chemicals EWG considers a concern and meets their strictest standards of health.
The Sephora Clean seal ensures that the beauty product has no harmful ingredients such as parabens, sulfates SLS and SLES, mineral oils and contains less than one percent synthetic fragrances.
My Green Lab is another certification you might want to look out for. It ensures that facilities that clean beauty products have a minimal environmental impact.
Biossance is an excellent example of a clean beauty brand that uses safe ingredients for both human health and the environment. Most of the Biossance products are EWG Verified™, certified Sephora Clean, and hold the My Green Lab Certification.
A good rule of thumb to ensure that what you’re buying is “clean” is to review the ingredients. Be sure that the top-listed ones are natural. It also may be a good practice to test out the product on your inner arm for a few days to test your skin’s reaction. If you do not see a reaction after a week of application, the product is most likely safe for you to use on your face.
These days, I use five products religiously, and my skin is very happy about it. So here are my favorite clean beauty products that I absolutely love and use daily if you need some inspiration.
1. Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Oil Cleanser
This is the holy grail of clean beauty skin cleaners. Not only does it cleanse and moisturize my skin without leaving any residue, but it also contains Japanese camellia oil (tsubaki, which has a high concentration of powerful vitamins A, B, D, and B, D, and E and nourishing Omegas 3, 6, and 9), so my skin food for the day is sorted.
2. Tata Harper Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Floral Essence
This is a lightweight moisturizing mist that boosts the skin’s natural hydration with a bioidentical Hyaluronic Acid and a weightless blend of natural humectants, so my skin feels hydrated and plump all day. It also helps to minimize pores, and helps with that glowing complexion skin goal. I use this essence to give my skin a “boost” when I’m experiencing dry skin, or when I want a nice dewy look.
3. Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream
The human body produces its version of squalane called squalene, the production, and retention, decreasing as we get older. Biossance found a way to create a 100% plant-based squalane made out of bio-fermented renewable sugarcane. I love my Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream because it’s a powerful moisturizer but doesn’t leave my skin feeling greasy or shiny. Instead, after just a week of using it, my skin felt hydrated, plump, dewy, and baby soft.
4. Biossance Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum
If you’ve ever used pure retinol, you may be aware of the harsh side effects that it can have: redness, dryness, tightness, or peeling. The Biossance Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum is a powerful squalene serum, including a plant-derived alternative to retinol, Bakuchiol. Using this product has helped me minimize signs of aging, such as lines and wrinkles, without the harsh side effects that pure retinol can have.
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5. Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil
Including a vitamin C serum in your skincare routine has many benefits: collagen production, protection against sun damage, reduced hyperpigmentation, brighter skin, and more. But what I love specifically about the Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil is that after just a week of using it, my skin was more firm, hydrated and brighter. Of course, I didn’t mind the numerous compliments on my more glowing complexion either. And while most vitamin C serums need to be stored in the fridge because of the short shelf life, this one doesn’t, so you can easily travel with it. Plus, I love the pretty pink bottle and the natural rose scent from the petal extracts.
These are my current I-can’t-live-without beauty products. What are yours? I’d love to know. Comment below and let me know.
Comments
I can’t live without Farmacy Green Clean cleansing balm. Though these days, I don’t wear much make up. Thanks Covid.
Thanks LaShonda! I’ll have to try this product. I’m a big fan of the Farmacy brand too. 🙂