Trying new beauty products that work for your skin can be a tricky process full of trial and error, and clean beauty products are no exception. As with cleaning products, the very best personal care products have the winning combo of both containing natural, non-toxic ingredients AND enclosed in sustainable packaging.

Find clean beauty brands and product recommendations.

How to find clean beauty products

The beauty industry is fairly self-regulated—technically the FDA does regulate these products to some degree, but FDA-approval does not exist. The FDA does not legally have the authority to approve products, deeming them safe or effective for the intended use, before they go on the market. They have banned a grand total of nine ingredients from cosmetics, and despite this, some still show up in products. By contrast, the EU has banned over 1,300 chemicals. Great, right?

This lack of full regulation makes it difficult to identify what beauty and cosmetic products are actually clean. The burden falls to us as consumers to educate ourselves in order to have the ability to discern what products are the best for both our health and the environment. I have compiled the most important information and resources here to help you familiarize yourself with what to look for in clean beauty products.

Ingredients to avoid in beauty products

So what ingredients should you avoid? I reviewed more than a dozen different webpages, including non-profits, news outlets, and beauty sites, and the following chemicals are the most recommended ingredients to steer clear of.

• Formaldehyde
• PFAS, aka “forever chemicals” – ingredients containing “fluro” or “perfluoro”
• Triclosan & triclocarban
• Parabens, such as methylparaben and propylparaben
• Phthalates, like dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)
• PEG (polyethylene glycol) compounds, especially 1,4 dioxane
• BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole) & BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), most notably toluene
• DEA (Diethanolamine)
• Certain synthetic dyes, especially
  • Coal tar dyes like m-, o- and p-phenylenediamine
  • Carbon black, also listed as CI 77266, D&C Black No. 2, acetylene black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black, and thermal black
  • Green No. 3, Red No. 3, and Yellow No. 6 
  • According to Made Safe, avoid colorant “lakes,” which are usually expressed as a color and number combination, followed by the word “lake” (e.g., “Red 28 Lake,” “Yellow 6 Lake FD&C”).
  • Be wary of products that are marketed as using natural colors, as these are not evaluated by the FDA and may be subject to adulteration or contamination.
• Fragrance
  • While fragrances may cause dermatitis in some people, this is not the main reason why we should avoid them. Fragrance ingredients are proprietary, meaning they are not required to be disclosed. This lack of transparency allows room for companies to hide other chemicals under the fragrance guise. Therefore, going fragrance-free is the safest choice.
• Sulfates, like SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and SLES (sodium laureth sulfate)
  • The safety of SLS for humans and the environment is a controversial subject. Many sources say it should be avoided, but others say it is fine, like this NIH study. Despite being written by a company that does not use sulfates in their products, I think this blog post by Puracy is one of the best I’ve read on the subject, with good source links if you want to read more. I also like this article by Healthline. The bottom line is, it seems that if formulated correctly (which I’m not sure how to verify) these are generally safe to use. One additional concern is the sourcing of the oils to formulate this product, especially palm oil.

Interestingly, many of these chemicals are the same ones being used in cleaning products that we have been advised to avoid. For information about the environmental impacts of some of the harmful chemicals in beauty products, check out this article by Treehugger.

Another layer of clean beauty: plastic-free

Another extremely common suspect is dimethicone, which is a silicone polymer (i.e. synthetic). All sources seem to agree it is safe for your skin, but differ on whether it contributes to the microplastic problem. From what I have read, I lean towards it being an environmental concern. Finding mainstream brand products without these ingredients, especially dimethicone.

Beat the Microbead is a helpful resource with lots of information and an online database and app where you can scan barcodes or search specific products. I went through everything in my bathroom and felt quite disgusted at what I found. This adds a whole new level to choosing products, as if it weren’t already complicated enough. Sigh.

Clean beauty certifications

Company and product certifications earned by third-party organizations are a very useful too to help us find ethically-produced products free of harmful chemicals. These are important because it helps us to see through vague claims and potential greenwashing. Use these certifications to identify companies who actually have put their money where their mouth is by meeting the rigorous standards set by these third-party organizations.

Helpful resources

Since it is up to us to educate ourselves on what products are safest for both us and the environment, we need some helpful, reliable resources to get information.

The simplest place to start your research is with the retailer where you normally buy your personal care and beautfy products. Many companies have a clean category option or filter, such as Clean at Sephora, Ulta Clean Ingredients, Nordstrom Natural Beauty, or Target Clean Beauty. Each company program dictates which ingredients to include on their prohibited lists.

At first glance, I was a bit skeptical about these company designations, since they obviously want to sell us something. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the Retailer Report Card gave Sephora an A grade, even stating that their ‘Clean at Sephora’ program “provides a particularly transparent and comprehensive approach.” Target itself earned an A+!

Organizations dedicated to clean beauty

• The Retailer Report Card ranks companies on their efforts to reduce/eliminate harmful chemicals.
• Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a great resource to help you learn the ingredients you want to avoid in beauty products.
• The Environmental Working Group has a large database of personal care (and cleaning) products, including certification for the products they endorse. You can read about the EWG’s research process. You can also access their database from their app.

• My long-time favorite app is called Think Dirty. You can enter the name or scan the barcode of tons of personal care (and cleaning) products and they have a rating system of how ‘dirty’ they are based on the ingredients. It’s kind of a fun and addicting activity going through the house, scanning everything you find. Or is that just me? It’s also handy as you’re deciding on products at the store. One thing to note is that any product with added fragrance rates poorly since those ingredients are unknown–as mentioned previously, fragrance is proprietary and the ingredients don’t have to be disclosed, therefore companies could easily hide ingredients as “fragrance.”

Responsibly sourced ingredients

Some common ingredients found in cosmetics and other personal care products can have significant environmental repercussions when it comes to sourcing. The most significant of these are palm oil and mica.

Palm oil

Palm oil is widely used in cosmetics and personal care products due to its versatile properties. Here’s how it’s utilized:

1. Moisturizer: Palm oil is rich in fatty acids and vitamins A and E, making it an effective moisturizer that helps to hydrate and soften the skin.
2. Emollient: It acts as an emollient, smoothing the skin and providing a protective barrier to lock in moisture, which is why it’s common in lotions, creams, and lip balms.
3. Thickener: Palm oil and its derivatives, like stearic acid, are used to thicken products such as creams, lotions, and makeup, giving them a desirable texture and consistency.
4. Surfactant: In shampoos, soaps, and body washes, palm oil derivatives serve as surfactants, helping to create a lather that cleanses the skin and hair by removing dirt and oils.
5. Preservative: Due to its antioxidant properties, palm oil helps to extend the shelf life of cosmetics and personal care products by preventing the oxidation of other ingredients.
6. Base Ingredient: Palm oil is a key ingredient in the production of soaps, where it contributes to the soap’s hardness and longevity.
7. Color and Shine Enhancer: It is used in lipsticks, foundations, and other cosmetics to enhance color vibrancy and provide a glossy finish.

Unfortunately, palm oil has developed a bad reputation, and deservedly so. The farming practices used to produce this oil are largely damaging to the environment and often exploitative to workers.

Deforestation & habitat destruction

Deforestation to clear land for palm growth remains the largest environmental issue related to palm oil production. Oilseed production accounts for 18% of tropical deforestation, which is second only to the raising of cattle.

This deforestation destroys the natural habitat for already endangered species such as the Orangutan, pygmy elephant and Sumatran rhino. It also contributes to erosion and land degradation, as well as creating significant carbon emissions as tropical peat forests in Indonesia are converted to palm plantations. These natural carbon sinks store more carbon per unit area than any other ecosystem in the world, and this carbon is released into the atmosphere as land is destroyed, which is often by fire, an additonal emission source.

Exploitation of workers

The Associated Press investigated rampant exploitation of workers in the palm oil industry. These include people like women, children, and migrant workers who are subjected to horrific conditions, including trafficking, forced labor, child labor, dangerous and difficult working conditions, beatings, sexual assault, and more.

But don’t boycott just yet

Despite the numerous ills of palm oil production, there are still significant positives to consider.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, boycotting palm oil could create worse consequences by taking support away from the producers that are working hard to operate responsibly and ethically. It could also potentially encourage other companies to utilize other oils that actually might have more negative impact on the environment.

The cultivation of palm oil offers several compelling advantages, with the most notable being its exceptional efficiency in land utilization. Palm oil yields far more product (2.9 tonnes) per hectare of land than any other oil crop. This allows farmers to produce larger quantities of oil from relatively small land areas. Comparatively, this is about four times higher than canola or sunflower oil (0.7 tonnes), and 10-15 times higher than coconut or peanut oil.

Additionally, palm oil boasts the lowest production costs compared to other cooking oils and offers unparalleled versatility for applications in both the food and non-food sectors. In fact, one study determined “there are no viable alternatives to oil palm in terms of its yield and delivery of a range of specific oils for human use.”

Sustainably certified palm oil

Palm oil can be produced sustainably and ethically. Look for the RSPO Certified or the Palm Done Right labels to ensure you purchase products made with certified sustainable palm oil. This label verifies that the palm oil was produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

Mica

Mica is common in makeup like eye shadow and lipstick and other products that glow or shine. It is a naturally occurring mineral, often considered eco-friendly due to its non-toxic and biodegradable properties. On ingredient labels, it can be labeled simply as ‘mica’; other names include ‘potassium aluminium silicate,’ or ‘CI 77019’.

However, the environmental and ethical implications of mica mining can complicate its eco-friendliness.

Most mica is extracted from mines in India, which can lead to significant environmental degradation, including deforestation, soil erosion, and habitat destruction. The mining process can be invasive and damaging to local ecosystems.

Mica mining is often associated with poor labor practices, especially child labor and unsafe working conditions. The unethical aspects of mica sourcing have led to calls for more responsible and transparent supply chains.

To address ethical concerns, the non-profit Responsible Mica Initiative (RMI) was formed. This group includes a diverse group of stakeholders from various sectors, all working together to create a responsible and sustainable mica supply chain. Unfortunately, when considering the vast number of cosmetic brands, members of this group are a drop in the bucket.

Additionally, there aren’t any third party certifications for ethically sourced mica.

Synthetic mica, also known as fluorphlogopite, is a possible sustainable and ethical alternative. This material is made in labs by heating oxide–fluoride mixtures to extremely high temperatures. I haven’t been able to find specific information regarding the eco-friendliness of this process, but the process results in a substance that mimics natural mica, and is generally considered safe.

Bonus points for sustainable beauty packaging

Beauty companies with minimal packaging

• 65% of products from Lush are package free, and the rest are made from 100% recycled and recyclable materials.
• Ethique is a completely plastic-free company, and packaging is sustainably sourced and compostable.
• Plaine Products and Meow Meow Tweet are companies that have reusable containers. When you are finished with the product, ship the bottle back and the company sterilizes and refills it.
• See if your favorite companies offer refills, like L’Occitane.
• Online stores such as Package Free, EarthHero, and ZeroWasteStore carry a large selection of beauty and skin products with eco-friendly packaging.

Recycling empty beauty containers

What if recycling isn’t available for the type of packaging I have?

Recycle in-store

Many stores and brands work with Terracycle to recycle beauty and personal care products packaging and containers. The most easily accessible is Nordstrom’s Beautycycle program, available at all 350 stores, including the Rack locations. You will find a collection bin in the beauty/cosmetics department where you can deposit empty bottles, caps, tubes, dispensers, tubs, vials, and containers for any brand of hair care, skin care, and makeup products, no matter where they were purchased. They cannot accept aerosol cans, perfume, nail polish or nail polish remover bottles, electronic hair and skin care tools non-empty containers of product, or biomedical or biohazardous waste.

L’Occitane stores also participate in the same Terracycle recycling program.

Select Sephora locations across the country offer their own recycling program is called Beauty (Re)Purposed, which accepts the same items as the others. The only major difference is that they accept empty perfume/cologne bottles.

Pact Collective has numerous drop-off locations for empty beauty package recycling. If there aren’t any near you, they do have a mail-in option, but since Pact is a nonprofit, they ask $8 to cover shipping and recycling costs. There are other free mail-in options listed below.

Other stores that will accept their own empties for recycling:

• bareminerals
• Origins
• Aveda

Recycle & Get Rewards

Some companies will take back empty containers for you, and even give you something in return.

• MAC – get a free lipstick in exchange for six empty containers of their products.
• Lush – receive $1 off your next purchase for returning one of their containers, or a free fresh face mask if you return five. 
• Kiehl’s – get a free travel size item for every 10 bottles you bring in for recycling.
• Credo – get rewards points

Mail-in Program Options

• Check Terracycle for the myriad of beauty brands participating in their free mail-in recycling programs. You will find brands like Acure, Burt’s Bees, dermalogica, eos, and more. If you use enough products to warrant a large box of your own, you could choose to invest in a beauty product and packaging collection box from Terracycle. They have a personal care products box as well. They are pricey, but you could split the cost between a few people. However, now that the Saks program is available, I don’t see any reason to do this.
• If you use Versed products, they will send you a prepaid shipping label when you have three empties to recycle.
• One last option is mailing your empties in to Pact Collective, if you’re willing to pay/donate $8 to this non-profit for shipping.

Do you have unopened and unwanted beauty & personal care products taking up precious space in your bathroom cabinet? Maybe 20 bottles of Bath & Body Works lotion you’ve received as gifts, or the package of five sticks of deodorant you bought from Costco only to discover it gives you a rash)? Instead of throwing them out or letting them collect dust, donate them to places like the YWCA, IRC, or a local homeless shelter. Buy Nothing is a great option to give away opened and partially-used products.

Find clean beauty brands and products.

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