Welcome to week two of Cosmo’s Clean Beauty Month! On the agenda: a crash course on sustainable beauty brands. Your first lesson? To repeat after me when I say that progress is more important than perfection. Really. If you’re already panicked about how to make your entire routine sustainable, you don’t need to be, because ultimately, one of the best sustainable steps you can take is just becoming more mindful of your beauty-buying habits. You know, the ones that are directly related to the health of our planet (aka all those shampoo bottles floating around in the middle of the ocean didn’t just appear out of nowhere).
So before you drop any cash on your next face cream or lipstick, stop for a sec and ask yourself: Is the company I’m shopping from doing something (anything?) to protect the Earth? If the answer is yes, go forth, bb. If the answer is no—or you’re not even sure—you might want to consider switching to some new eco-friendly brands, like these 12 below.
Although this is by no means a comprehensive list of every sustainable brand in existence, these brands—and their top-rated products—are currently making big moves when it comes to sustainability, which means you should definitely know about them.
Sustainable skincare and body treatments
From drugstore staples to indie gems, the number of environmentally conscious skincare and body-care products out there is (1) impressive and (2) slightly overwhelming. So to help you kick things off, I’ve highlighted my four favorite skin and body products below.
This bb is made with grape leaves—a by-product of the winemaking process that’s normally considered waste. The Circumference team extracts antioxidants and nutrients from the leaves, infuses them into this cream, and returns the leftover “mulch” to vineyards for fertilizer. Cool, right?
I know, I know—but this natural deodorant really, truly works. Like, 60-minutes-of-Peloton’ing-and-I-don’t-smell works. And it’s refillable! Once you’ve used it up, remove the inside part (which, btw, is recyclable) and pop in a new cartridge (it’ll cost ya $18). Less waste and less money too.
When it comes to drugstore brands, Garnier is making major sustainability strides. This serum-cream comes in a bottle made of 100 percent recycled material and, as an added bonus, is produced in a factory that’s powered by 59 percent renewable energy. Love to see it.
One of these plastic-free facial cleansing bars will last you about 100 washes—which is just as many as, if not more than, your typical liquid face cleanser. Making the switch is an easy way to treat your skin to a nice gentle cleanse and minimize your waste output too.
Sustainable makeup
Gone are the days of eco-friendly makeup being, well, un-makeup-y. These brands deliver big on color, texture, and performance and create packaging that won’t contribute to our planet’s ginormous plastic problem. See? We can all win here.
Not only is this tube made of (recyclable!) bio-resin from sugarcane, but Saie as a brand is also committed to being carbon-neutral certified and fully plastic-free (in products, packaging, and shipping materials) by the end of 2021.
Meet the brand behind the industry’s first zero-waste eyeshadow palette that’s not only 100 percent recyclable (since it’s made without magnets or mirrors) but also filled with ultra-pigmented shadows that rival traditional formulas.
Once you finish this cult-favorite mascara, just pack it up, download the prepaid shipping label, and drop it off at USPS. It’ll be sent to TerraCycle, a third-party company that ensures empties are properly recycled and won’t end up in a landfill.
Every product on PYT’s website outlines exactly how it’s sustainable, including the materials used in its packaging (ex: this balm is made with a combo of recycled and pre-degraded plastic) and how to recycle it properly. 10/10 here for it.
Sustainable hair products
Whether you’ve got stick-straight strands or 4c curls, there are plenty of sustainable options to choose from for your hair arsenal. Start your ~journey~ by adding one (or all!) of these brands into your routine—I promise you won’t be disappointed.
This dry shampoo feels practically weightless, but that’s bc it’s powered by compressed nitrogen, which emits zero greenhouses gases (unlike traditional aerosol dry shampoos). All the lightweight vibes = a reduction in carbon footprint when it comes to shipping.
The celeb beauty space is crowded, but there’s always room for an affordable, eco-friendly haircare line at the party (well done, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, well done). This shampoo bottle is extra cool, IMO—it’s made from plastic that’s been diverted from landfills and the ocean.
Sure, this lightweight oil moisturizes dry hair, smooths frizz and flyaways, and adds major glossiness and shine, but it also comes in a bottle that’s made of 100 percent post-consumer recycled materials (aka materials that have already been used and recycled in the past).
This solid, concentrated bar (just mix it with boiling water to create a creamy conditioner) is waterless, 100-percent plastic-free, and housed in certified compostable cardboard packaging. Oh, and it works really well too.
Sure, it’s easy to load up your vanity with all the sustainable products and call it good, but ideally, you learn a little somethin’ along the way too. Which is why I tapped eco-activist Leah Thomas for a few easy steps (beyond buying from eco-conscious brands) that you can take to be more sustainable. Here, the top three to remember:
"Recycling is important, but it's also complicated and imperfect," says Thomas, which is why she puts an emphasis on "reduce" and "reuse," especially in beauty. What does that look like? "Limiting your waste—by simply buying less when you can—and then reusing whatever waste you do make—by, say, repurposing an old foundation compact to hold jewelry," she says. "It's incredibly valuable for our planet in the long run."
"It doesn't matter how 'clean' or 'natural' an ingredient is if communities are being exploited along the supply chain," says Thomas. "There's absolutely nothing sustainable about that." (Not sure if your favorite products hold up? I highly recommend checking out BCorporation.net to find beauty brands that value both people and planet.)
"I'd rather have a million people taking small steps toward sustainability than have two people hacking the system and figuring out how to exist on sunshine and water alone," says Thomas.In the end, it's really about doing something, rather than doing nothing at all. And, yes, that can even include swapping a few of your favorite beauty products for sustainable alternatives. Every little change helps.
In the end, it’s really about doing something rather than doing nothing at all. And yes, that can even include swapping a few of your favorite beauty products for sustainable alternatives. Every little change helps.
Lauren Balsamo is deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, where she writes, edits, and produces all types of beauty content—from product reviews to personal essays and trend reports. She has covered beauty for nine years at Cosmopolitan and has contributed to Women’s Health and Seventeen magazines as well. Follow her on Instagram.
