All-Natural Beauty Products
“Non-toxic,” “clean, “eco-friendly” – these terms in the beauty industry all sound great in theory, but they’re pretty confusing (often misleading, too). Brace yourself for a truth bomb: the FDA regulates precisely zero of these claims. A beauty brand can make slap all of these words onto their packaging, whether or not it’s true. Just because the box says “100% Clean!” and has a little picture of a leaf next to it doesn’t mean that it's natural, organic, or vegan.
You have to verify these claims before you believe them. If a product says that it’s “green,” but the ingredients list is a suspicious mixture of chemicals like “sodium lauryl sulfate” and “methylene glycol,” the chances are that it isn’t eco-friendly. However, if there is just one ingredient listed, that product’s all-natural claim is probably true. It’s also helpful to look for a certification stamp from a third party, such as the USDA, Natural Products Association (NPA), or COSMOS.
Keep in mind, just because a product doesn’t have a third-party certification, it doesn’t automatically mean that it’s falsely advertised. Those certifications are simply an extra step to let consumers know that a product is chemical-free. You can always check the FAQ section of a brand’s website or call them directly and ask if you’re unsure!
But why make the switch to all-natural products in the first place? You may have your reasons, but there are generally four key benefits of using all-natural beauty products over conventional ones:
No More Irritation
Traditional beauty products are chock-full of artificial colors, byproducts, and chemicals that cause skin irritation. All-natural products have precisely zero of these irritants, so you are far less likely to experience irritation from them.
Natural Fragrances
A lot of those irritants we just discussed are found in the fragrance of beauty and hygiene products. Natural products have a pleasant smell thanks to natural oils, extract, and other wholesome ingredients – NOT because of chemical scents.
While this may go without saying, it’s still a key benefit. Those toxic additives and chemicals in conventional beauty products aren’t just irritating for your skin; they’re irritating for the planet. When you wash it all off of your skin, where do you think those chemicals go? Through your drainage systems and into our waterways. Natural beauty products are sustainably made and don’t pose a danger to the environment when you wash them off, either.
Overall Performance
All-natural, organic beauty products usually have hundreds of years of history backing them up. They’re still used today because they are effective; they perform well. Synthetic products may or may not do the trick for you, but natural products have stood the test of time as a viable solution to your hygiene and beauty needs.
Regardless of whether you have sensitive skin, other skin conditions, or allergies, organic, all-natural beauty products are better for your health – not to mention better for the Earth. Basically, you would be doing us all a favor (yourself included) if you switched to all-natural products! And don’t worry about turning every cosmetics purchase into a research project – we’ve gathered up some of the best all-natural beauty products for you, so all you have to do is Add to Cart. To get you started, here are a few all-natural beauty product alternatives.
All-Natural Body Products
1) Deodorant: Vasarii nakd. Deodorant
Vasarii’s nakd. Deodorant has just one ingredient: all-natural mineral salts. While conventional deodorants and antiperspirants use a concoction of toxic chemicals to stifle your sweat glands, nakd. Deodorant lets your pores breathe and attacks odor-producing bacteria instead. The mineral salts are responsibly sourced from Thailand, where people have used them for this very purpose for centuries. It’s much better for your health, much better for the planet, and much better for your clothes – say goodbye to sweat stains forever!
2) Exfoliating Scrub: Frank’s Body Coffee Scrub
Many body scrubs use tiny plastic pellets or beads to slough off dead skin cells. While they’re useful for exfoliating your skin, they’re also effectively harming our ocean ecosystems. The plastic beads are too small to be filtered out of the waterways once you rinse them down the drain, so they end up in rivers, streams, and oceans, only to be ingested by sea creatures.
Frank’s Body Coffee Scrub substitutes harmful plastic beads with coffee grounds to exfoliate your skin. Other natural ingredients such as almond oil and vitamin E hydrate your skin and help promote healing while fading scars away. It can improve the appearance of stretch marks and cellulite, too!
3) Lotion: Bambu Earth Petitgrain Moisturizer
Bambu Earth’s moisturizer has just four ingredients: organic raw fair trade shea butter, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, and petitgrain essential oil. It’s a waterless formula that helps balance your skin’s sebum (oil) production naturally. These ingredients will hydrate your skin and even fight bacteria, too. It’s a little on the pricey side, but it’s worth it for an all-natural moisturizer that restores your skin’s healthy functions.
All-Natural Skincare Products
1) Facial Oils: Herbivore Botanicals / Botanics 100% Organic Nourishing Facial Oils
Herbivore Botanicals Facial Oils have a wide selection to choose from, all of which contain pure plant extracts – no hidden chemicals. Since each formula is made from a few different oils instead of one, the various plant oils and extracts work together to make your skin glow, whether you have dry, oily, or normal skin type. Every one of Herbivore’s facial oils is free of fragrances, alcohol, artificial colors, or fillers.
We would be remiss if we didn’t also mention Botanics 100% Organic Nourishing Facial Oil. This product is mostly made of rosehip oil, which deposits plenty of fatty acids and omegas into your skin. Botanics formula is very lightweight and works well for hot, summer days – no amount of sweating will keep it from soaking into your pores.
2) Moisturizer: Juice Beauty Nutrient Moisturizer
Juice Beauty is a USDA certified organic company, and most products are both cruelty-free and vegan. They use sustainable energy sources in their production of all their products, including the Daily Essentials Nutrient Moisturizer. This gentle formula is made with plant oils rich in fatty acids, botanicals to calm irritation, vitamins, and antioxidants to keep your skin hydrated and youthful. The Nutrient moisturizer also comes packaged in a recyclable glass container, and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper.
3) Sheet Masks: Orgaid Organic Sheet Mask Set
Orgaid is a company on a mission to produce organic, natural, cruelty-free products that work. They don’t just want you to feel good about using their products because of the short ingredients list – they want you to love their product because it’s effective for your skin. And their sheet masks are no different!
The Organic Sheet Mask Set comes with two Anti-Aging & Moisturizing masks, two Greek Yogurt & Nourishing masks, and two Vitamin C & Revitalizing masks. None of their formulas contain parabens, sulfates, or alcohol, and most are vegan friendly (except for the Greek Yogurt formula, of course). These masks are soaked in organic fruit extracts, plant oils, and plant extracts – all of which are sustainably sourced.
4) Makeup Removing Wipes: Kaia Naturals The Vitamin Cleanse
Makeup wipes are oh-so-convenient but also highly wasteful. Conventional makeup wipes take a long time to decompose and quickly pile up in landfills around the globe. However, Kaia Naturals is here to change that narrative.
The Vitamin Cleanse makeup removing wipes are bamboo cloths soaked in a host of natural ingredients such as sunflower seed oil, jojoba oil, organic honey, vitamins, and minerals. Since they’re made from bamboo, they are 100% compostable and biodegradable – you can even plant them in your garden to add fertilizer to the soil! The wipes are perfect for sensitive skin and are formulated at 5.5 pH to prevent any irritation. And, of course, there are no parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, or alcohol ingredients included.
5) Makeup Remover: Beauty by Earth Makeup Remover
Most makeup removers have a litany of chemicals in their list of ingredients, plus a few that tend to dry out your skin and strip away your natural facial oils. Not so with Beauty by Earth’s Makeup Remover. Their formula contains natural ingredients such as witch hazel extract, aloe vera leaf juice, green tea leaf extract, and sweet orange essential oil – and oh, does that citrusy scent smell good.
Beauty by Earth’s Makeup Remover is made with 100% natural and 91% organic ingredients, but it’s still tough, even on stubborn mascara. It’s a gentle formula that’s good for all skin types, even sensitive skin, and doesn’t leave any oily residue behind.
All-Natural Makeup
1) Foundation: Alima Pure Satin Matte Foundation
Alima Pure’s Satin Matte Foundation is a fantastic choice for natural makeup with minimal environmental impact. They are a certified B Corp specializing in organic and natural cosmetics, all while staying 100% carbon neutral.
In addition to being carbon neutral, the Satin Matte Foundation comes packaged in reusable compacts so you can order refills when you’re running low, rather than buying a whole new container. It’s made with just four hypoallergenic ingredients, all of which are vegan and cruelty-free as well. And with over 45 shades to choose from, you don’t have to worry about finding your skin tone’s perfect match!
2) Highlighter: RMS Beauty Living Luminizer
Highlighter is like the cherry on top of every makeup look. And RMS Beauty’s Living Luminizer highlighter takes things to the next level. Coconut oil is the base of this natural formula, with vitamin E and castor seed oil doing some heavy lifting as well. It gives you a luminous, dewy glow without any crazy glitter or harmful chemicals.
This highlighter is kind of like a pressed cream – it’s firm inside of its container but melts under the heat of your fingers for a smooth application. And with six shades to choose from, they have the perfect match for every skin tone and look.
3) Eye Shadow: 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Eye Shadow
Yep, you read that right – fruit pigmented. 100% Pure’s mission is to create and produce the purest line of all-natural, organic beauty products in the world. Not only are these cosmetics all-natural, but they’re also jam-packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and essential oils to feed your skin while you wear them!
Back to the “fruit pigmented” thing: yes, 100% Pure uses pigments from papaya, blackberries, apricots, blueberries, and so many more to give their makeup vibrant colors. Their metallic eyeshadow shades are also formulated with responsibly-sourced mica, a natural mineral, to create a beautiful, shimmering glow.
4) Lip Gloss: W3ll People Bio Extreme Lipgloss
Unfortunately, many lip glosses can contain harmful ingredients like aluminum, petroleum, and even lead. You don’t want to put these ingredients anywhere on your body, much less near your mouth, where you can easily ingest them!
W3ll People’s Bio Extreme Lipgloss cuts out the toxic chemicals and replaces it with sustainably-sourced, certified organic ingredients such as aloe leaf extract, grapeseed extract, and shea butter. Not only is this better for your overall health, but those ingredients will moisturize and hydrate your lips while you wear the lip gloss, too! You can choose any of their seven colors for the Bio Extreme Lipgloss to create a simple, understated look, or go big and bold.
5) Lip Balm: Avalon Organics Intense Defense Lip Balm
Lip balm is an integral part of any makeup routine since it keeps your lips soft, supple, and ready for any product you put on them. And lip balm is easily ingested (hello, it’s on your mouth), so you should be sure those ingredients aren’t harmful in the long run!
Avalon Organics Intense Defense Lip Balm is a certified organic product with tons of coconut oil and jojoba oil to keep your lips soft and smooth – without putting the rest of your body at risk. The rest of the ingredients are a powerhouse of organic botanicals and essential oils, with plenty of antioxidants and vitamin C to keep that soft, sensitive skin well-protected.
All-natural beauty products are the better choice – for you, for the planet and the creatures we share it with. At Vasarii, we are committed to changing the cosmetics industry's toxic nature for the better, and we invite you to join us in that cause.