How to find non-toxic body care products

Learn what to look for in personal care products and cosmetics with my full guide on how to find clean beauty products. Here is a summary on what to look for:

• Certifications – Independent, third-party sustainability certifications are a valuable tool to verify that a company lives up to its claims. Marketing terms and labels such as ‘natural,’ ‘clean,’ and ‘eco-friendly’ are vague and unregulated. These certifications prove that a company lives up to specific, rigid standards regarding ingredient sourcing, production, and/or labor practices. I think the Certified B Corporation endorsement is the best overall indicator of a company’s business practices, encompassing overall social and environmental performance, ethical practices, and governance.
• Clean Ingredients – Are products petroleum-based? Are they free from substances such as carbon black, parabens, phthalates, BHA/BHT, silicone, formaldehyde, or synthetic fragrances and dyes? Meeting Credo, Clean at Sephora, or the EU standards is a good safety indicator.
• EWG Scores – The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a consumer watchdog organization that is a fantastic resource for finding non-toxic cleaning and personal care products. EWG Verified products are the safest to use, while those given a 1 or 2 rating are a low hazard, 3 to 6 are a moderate hazard, and above 7 is a high hazard, with 10 being the worst.
• Mica – The mining of mica is associated with environmental degradation and poor labor practices. Ensure that mica is sourced from a member of the Responsible Mica Initiative, which works to ensure a responsible and sustainable supply chain.
• Palm Oil – Palm oil is associated with widespread deforestation and worker exploitation, so it is important that any product containing palm oil is certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), indicating that it is sourced responsibly. Learn more about this in an upcoming blog post.
• Vegan or Cruelty-Free – If a product is Certified Vegan, this means it does not contain animal products or byproducts, and has not been tested on animals. Be aware that this does not make the product any less toxic–most conventional skincare products (including vegan) contain petroleum-based ingredients, many of which are not biodegradable. Cruelty-free certifications, such as Leaping Bunny or PETA, ensure companies do not conduct animal testing or use/purchase ingredients from companies that do.
• Packaging – About 70% of the beauty industry’s waste comes from packaging. Ideally, everything would be plastic-free, but in the world of cosmetics, this is a rarity. Seek recyclables such as aluminum, glass, and responsibly sourced paper (which can also be composted. Refillables are another excellent option.
• Where Made – This is tricky. Made in the USA is preferable to support the local economy and jobs, in addition to shorter shipping distances. But the FDA doesn’t regulate beauty products, so much more research is required on the part of the consumer. Products made in the EU have much stricter chemical regulations than the USA, but may lead to a higher carbon footprint from shipping. It might be a toss-up.
• Where to Buy – Buy directly from companies themselves, especially when offering plastic-free packing materials and carbon-free shipping, or purchase from reputable retailers.

Non-toxic body care product recommendations

Natural body soap & body wash

Go Green: Plastic-free packaging

There are infinite natural body soap choices. Bar soap is the most sustainable option compared to body wash because of both packaging and the volume/weight to transport. Even further, the ultimate eco-friendly option is to find a local soap maker that uses clean ingredients and minimal packaging. In my experience, there are numerous individuals and small companies that make soaps in most areas. If you’re unable to find one near you, there are plenty of great larger soap companies to choose from.

Bar soap

Some of my favorite bar soaps include:

• Ethique – a 100% plastic-free company that offers bar soaps and bodywash concentrate, as well as shampoo bars and more. Also available at Amazon.
• Meliora Bath & Body Soap Bar – Soaps are MADE SAFE® Certified, Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free, and vegan. Available in four scents or unscented. They may be purchased unboxed for a zero-waste option. Also available at EarthHero
• Lush – I love the minimal packaging for their products, which include a variety of fun scents of soaps, body wash, and many other personal care products.
• Dr. Bronner’s – You may be familiar with their liquid castile soap, which is their premier product. Body wash is listed among its numerous uses, although I’ve never tried it for this purpose. I really like their castile bar soaps, especially the almond scent. Available at Grove / Amazon / Whole Foods / Target

When soap becomes too small to use, smash it together with other pieces. This can be better accomplished in a soap saver bag, such as this one sold by Ethique. Read other uses for these small pieces of soap on their blog.

Plastic-free body wash

• Blueland’s Body Wash Starter Set comes with a refillable 18oz bottle and a pouch of body wash powder. All you do is add the powder and water to the bottle and you’re good to go. You could also just start off with a bottle of your own and order the compostable pouch refills.
• Plaine Products Hair + Body Wash comes in a refillable aluminum bottle. Order a pump on your first purchase, and when you have used all the body wash, send the empty bottle back to the company free of charge and they will sterilize and refill it. Keep the pump and use it for your next refill, which will just come with an aluminum cap.
• Hand In Hand Body Wash is also packaged in an aluminum bottle. The scents are great, and so is the price. Available at Grove / Whole Foods

Natural bubble bath & soaks

I love baths during the wintertime, but finding inexpensive bath products in plastic-free packaging has proven very difficult.

Bath bombs are great, but expensive, and I find that most are wrapped in plastic. The most economical choice I have found are Purelis Bath Bombs, which are made without parabens or sulfates and scented with essential oils. This set comes with 30 bath bombs individually wrapped in paper and packaged in a cardboard box. And the price can’t be beat: at $25, one bomb is only $0.83.

If you’re willing to fork out $7-10 per bath, Lush has a nice selection of bath bombs and bubble bath bars which you can purchase free of any packaging.

Dot & Lil bath cubes contain milk and real flower petals, all packaged in a paperboard box. They sell for $9 apiece.

Body exfoliators

Physical exfoliators

Ethique’s exfoliating bars utilize sugar and pumice for their scrubbing power. The Exfoliating Lime & Ginger Solid Body Scrub Bar includes cocoa butter to soften skin.

EcoRoots Organic Body Scrubs include either sugar or sea salt.

Chemical exfoliators

I’ve really been liking FaceTheory Glycolic Acid Face and Body Scrub. I felt like it irritated my face too much, so I’ve only been using it on my body, where it has been very effective treating patches of bumpy skin. I also love the FaceTheory Glycomide Body Cream, which contains 9% glycolic acid as well as ceramide 3. It helps with ingrown hairs and small bumps, even those from keratosis pilaris. It can sting a little at times, like after a fresh shave, so I skip it on those days. The cream is very light and not at all greasy and leaves my skin soft. Both come in a recyclable aluminum tube, and a little goes a long way.

Deodorant

Go Green: Natural deodorant

Switching to natural deodorant

Reportedly, there is a detox transition period when switching from antiperspirant to deodorant. After years of essentially clogging your sweat ducts with aluminum to prevent sweating, it can take up to a month for your body to adjust to a natural deodorant. I’ve seen reviews from people reporting they sweat less after making the switch. Treehugger has a great guide answering all your questions about switching to natural deodorant.

So if you’re a sweaty beast like me, it might take some patience, which apparently I don’t have. Choosing a deodorant that contains arrowroot or baking soda may help to absorb extra moisture. If you’re ready to take the plunge and make the switch, there are numerous natural deodorants to choose from. And if you’re doing that, you might as well go with one that comes in a zero waste container.

Zero waste natural deodorant

• Each & Every Natural Deodorant – The reviews for this deodorant speaks for itself: over 15K glowing reviews on their website, and 18K on Amazon. EWG Certified clean ingredients without artificial fragrances, vegan and cruelty-free. Packaged in plant-based sugar cane packaging, which can be mailed back for recycling with a paid shipping label through the company’s Conscious Club Recycling program. Available on Amazon.
• Lush – deodorant bar or powders available without packaging
• Ethique – solid deodorant bars in paper tubes. Available on Amazon.
• HiBAR – Leaping Bunny certified plant-based deodorants are packaged in SFI (Sustainable Forest Initiative) certified paperboard printed with plant-based inks. Available at EarthHero / Grove / Amazon
• Fat and the Moon Deodorant Cream – Organic ingredients, including essential oils, coconut oil, arrowroot and baking soda. If you are sensitive to baking soda, their Sensitive Pit Cream is for you. Packaged in a glass jar with aluminum lid. Available at ZWS / EarthHero
• Meow Meow Tweet – Choose between deodorant cream or sticks in a variety of scents. Packaged in paperboard or glass jars with aluminum lid. Available at Earth Hero

This list by Sustainable Jungle has some additional natural deodorants in zero-waste packaging.

Can you recycle deodorant?

Tom’s of Maine and hello have a partnership with Terracycle to accept ALL brands of deodorant and caps for recycling, along with toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes & caps, mouthwash bottles & caps through their free mail-in program.

Clean Perfume & Cologne

Google ‘sustainable perfume’ and there are lists galore, from Sustainable Jungle and Sustainably Chic to Elle and Harper’s Bazaar, and even a recent article from the NY Times dedicated to the subject. Apparently it’s a big thing right now. Since there are an infinite amount of preferences and the aforementioned articles provide plenty of clean fragrance choices, I’ll skip any recommendations here and just review what to look for when shopping for sustainable fragrances. Besides, I am not a frequent wearer of fragrances and a bottle of perfume will last me years, so I will never be able to personally try enough.

The biggest issue with fragrance, whether it is in the form of perfume and cologne or added to beauty products or cleaners, is that nobody but the manufacturer knows what ingredients are included. Fragrance information is proprietary and therefore does not have to be disclosed to the FDA. It’s a great place for companies to hide basically any ingredient they want. So when it comes to non-toxic fragrance, transparency is key. If you cannot find an ingredient list, avoid purchasing that product.

You’ll have to do your research on whether a fragrance company fully discloses the ingredients used; many will not. I’m not sure how rampant fragrance recipe thievery is, but apparently exposing these closely guarded secrets is not worth the health of consumers and the general population.

As with any other skincare or beauty product, be sure to avoid ingredients discussed on the clean beauty page. Chemicals of particular concern with perfumes and colognes include:

When selecting perfumes, opting for products that are labeled “phthalate-free,” “paraben-free,” and “synthetic fragrance-free” can help reduce exposure to these potentially harmful ingredients.

Look for recyclable glass bottles; some companies even offer a refill option.

Can you recycle perfume bottles?

Perfume bottles cannot be recycled with other glass recycling because the liquid residues are flammable. Before learning this, I never realized how weird it is that it’s normal to douse ourselves in flammable liquid…that can’t be healthy, right? But when you walk by a dude bathed in a cologne like Sex Panther (Anchorman, anyone?), it all makes sense.

Drop off empty bottles at participating Sephora locations recycling drop-off. Glo Recycling’s Flammable Waste bucket is another recycling option.

Body lotion

Natural lotions are relatively easy to come by so here I will focus on my favorite plastic-free lotion options.

Lotion bars

Check Sustainable Jungle’s article on zero-waste lotion for more ideas.

Remember that plastic pumps cannot go into your recycling since they contain a metal coil. Pumps can go with any other empty beauty product containers to Nordstrom Beautycycle or other drop-off locations.

Sunscreen

There are two categories of sunscreen: chemical and mineral.

Chemical sunscreens filter and absorb UV light with chemicals such as avobenzone, octinoxate, oxybenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate. The concern with chemical sunscreens is that all of these substances have been shown to absorb through the skin. There is not enough research available to determine whether this is harmful or have long term health effects, except in the case of three of these chemicals.

Make sure whatever brand you buy does not contain oxybenzone, octinoxate, or homosalate, which are endocrine disruptors. In addition, oxybenzone and octinoxate are toxic to coral reefs. Check ingredient labels to be sure, but usually products without these chemicals are labeled ‘Reef Safe.’ Read more about these and other skincare chemicals that are toxic to coral and other marine animals.

Mineral Sunscreens are considered physical sunscreens since they block and reflect UV rays. This barrier can lead to a white cast left behind, especially with darker skin tones, which is a big downside to some people. The active ingredients–zinc oxide or titanium dioxide–are the only ones the FDA considers to be safe in sunscreen, however concerns arise regarding inhalation when used in spray and powder products.

If you’re interested in a deeper dive into chemicals in sunscreen, check out the EWG’s The Trouble with Ingredients in Sunscreens.

Zero waste sunscreen

Plastic-free packaging for sunscreens is a little harder to come by, but there enough awesome options to keep your skin protected.

• Utu – These mineral sunscreens are made with USDA Biobased and Leaping Bunny certfied ingredients, packaged in aluminum tubes. Their sunscreen stick comes in an aluminum tube that you can purchase refills for. Available at ZWS / EarthHero.

• All Good Sunscreen Butter – Mineral sunscreen made with organic botanical ingredients, many of which come from their own organic farm. The sunscreen butter is packaged in a tin; they have other sunscreen and body care products available in plastic. They are a Certified B Corp, WBENC certified Women Owned, Climate Neutral and Leaping Bunny certified, and 1% for the Planet member. Available at Grove / EarthHero / ZWS

• Badger Mineral Sunscreens – Badger offers two of their sunscreens in a tin. Made with organic, Fair Trade certified ingredients. The company is a Certified B Corp andWomen Owned. Available at Grove / EarthHero / Target

• Raw Elements – Many plastic-free options available. Non-Nano Zinc Oxide is their only active ingredient; the rest are either certified organic or certified natural and sustainably sourced. EWG Certified, Leaping Bunny, 1% for the Planet member. Available at Grove / Amazon / Target

Check out Sustainable Jungle’s sunscreen guide for more zero waste sunscreen alternatives.

Eco-friendly body care tools

Loofah

Go Green: Natural loofah or skip altogether

Bath brush

Go Green: Wooden bath brush

Eco-friendly hand & foot care

Eco-friendly hand sanitizer

Go Green: Skip wasteful sanitizer wipes; go plastic-free

The CDC recommends consumers use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% ethanol.

Plastic-free Hand Sanitizers

• Hand in Hand Hand Sanitizer – vegan, cruelty-free, Certified B Corp, packaged in aluminum bottle.
• Grove Hand Sanitizer Gel – vegan, blood orange fragrance made from essential oils and plant extracts; packaged in aluminum bottle. Certified B Corp, Cruelty-free.
• Earthy Edith’s Grand Hand Sanitizer – 100% plant-based made with organic, non-GMO cane alcohol paired with jojoba oil, glycerin, and essential oils. Packaged in a glass bottle with refills available for purchase. Also available at Zero Waste Store.

Natural hand Soap

Go Green: Skip antibacterial soaps; buy soap refills

Refrain from using antibacterial soaps. There is no evidence that they are more effective at spreading germs than regular soap and water, and may even contribute to creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Additionally, these soaps usually contain triclosan, which should be avoided in any product as it can has numerous adverse health effects.

I personally don’t like foaming soap, and luckily there are great liquid options that come in aluminum bottles.

Plastic-free hand cream

• Right now I’m loving Facetheory HydraSmooth Hand Cream, a luxurious, unfragranced moisturizer comprised of clean ingredients such as 5% urea, fermented rice water, and cold-pressed apricot kernel oil. It is free of any animal by-products or petrochemicals, synthetic dyes, or artificial scents. The company is a Certified B Corp, Leaping Bunny and PETA certified, and offers carbon neutral shipping.
• Manicurist’s Everyday (Rose) Hand Cream ($16 for 2 ounces) contains 98.7% natural ingredients, all contained in a recyclable aluminum tube. For even more moisture, try the Natural Nourishing Balm ($19), an all plant-based formulation packaged in a tin. Ingredients are certified organic by COSMOS, Certified Vegan, and PETA Cruelty-Free.

Pumice stone

Go Green: Natural pumice

Don’t buy synthetic pumice stones. Natural pumice is a volcanic rock, and there are plenty of options available, such as this Redecker pumice stone or the Pumice Valley stone.

What to do with dull pumice stones

I can’t find any info on this, but since pumice is natural lava rock that is often used as mulch, I would think that once your stone gets dull, you could crush it up and put the pieces in your yard among other rocks. Pumice is also used to amend soil, so you could beat it down to finer pieces and add it to the dirt.

Foot file

Go Green: Non-plastic foot file

The Beauty by Earth Foot File (affectionally called a cheese grater by my husband) is composed of a stainless steel file and bamboo handle. It’s really the only way I can get my heels soft. Available at Grove / Amazon

Find more clean beauty brands and products.

• Eco-friendly oral care
• Zero waste hair care
• Non-toxic nail care
• Sustainable skincare
• Clean makeup brands
• Eco-friendly period products
• Eco-friendly health & first aid