24 Underrated Reasons to Finally Clean Up Your Beauty Routine

Many of us routinely acknowledge Earth Day, but we rarely celebrate it with meaningful action. The sad but true reality is that most of us (okay, me) aren’t practicing the simplest of eco-conscious habits, like recycling the plastic bottles inside our homes. That’s why one of the best (and most effortless) benefits to supporting an eco-conscious beauty brand is with the help of our purchases, they can do things like amplify environmental causes and house their products in biodegradable packaging.

At the same time, the biggest challenge facing these brands is learning to convey why these products are worth the investment in the first place. But one thing is for sure: In 2019, with the onslaught of global warming, growing pollution, and other global crises, we’re finally paying attention.

“There are so many advantages to using natural ingredients to create clean, safe products,” says Alima Pure founder Kate O’Brien. “Alima Pure was founded over 10 years ago, and we are just now starting to see a shift in the industry. The standard has been raised, and there’s now an emphasis on the need for both corporations and consumers to make environmentally conscious choices. A new challenge likely to face the industry is the breadth of choices within the eco beauty sphere.”

There’s no better time than today to refamiliarize yourself with a slew of underrated products that fit under the eco-conscious label. Whether these brands make their products with naturally derived ingredients or they donate part of their proceeds to environmental organizations, the gamut is wide enough for everyone to find something they’ll like … and feel good using.

Pai Light Work Rosehip Cleansing Oil

This brand new makeup remover not only feels like a dream when lathered onto the skin; the entire brand is also cruelty-free, certified organic and vegan.

$56 at Pai Skincare

Ogee Sculpted Lip Oil

This is one of the few luxury skin-care brands to use exclusively naturally derived organic ingredients.

$22 at Ogee

Alima Pure Pressed Eyeshadows

This all-natural makeup brand sticks to a less-plastic-and-packaging approach by using only refillable compacts.

$26 at Alima Pure

Biossance Squalane + Micronutrient Fine Mist

Every Biossance product is verified by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), free from animal testing, ingredients, or by-products and made with tree-free outer packaging, created from sugarcane paper.

$32 at Biossance

BLEACH London Illuminati

The cardboard in this brand’s packaging is 100-percent recyclable.

$8.42 at BLEACH London

The Body Shop Almond Milk & Honey Bath Milk

For more than 30 years, this seasoned brand has been working with the organization Cruelty Free International to ban animal testing across the globe.

$8.70 at The Body Shop

Dear Dahlia Lip Paradise

This K-beauty brand prides itself on being cruelty-free and vegan.

$30 at Dear Dahlia

Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm

According to the brand’s website, packaging is made with FSC certified paper from well-managed forests, with inks made from naturally renewable raw materials, and the jars are all recyclable.

$34 at Farmacy

Inika Long Lash Vegan Mascara

This Aussie brand specializes in all-natural and organic ingredients.

$33 at Inika Organic

Innisfree My Real Squeeze Mask

This sheet mask is biodegradable and made from 100 percent eucalyptus fibers.

$1.80 at Innisfree

Kevin Murphy Leave In Repair

Through an initiative with EcoHeads, this hair-care brand is offering innovative showerheads to salons, which will allow them to save up to 98 gallons of water in a single basin, and use up to 65 percent less water than regular showerheads.

Available at select hair salons

Knours In-Bed Cleansing Wipes

This brand bears the EWG mark, meaning that its ingredients are safe for your skin.

$12 at Knours

Leef Organics Nooks & Crannies Soap

This all-natural cleanser is packed with plenty of botanicals, including CBD oil.

$22 at Leef Organics

LOLI Beauty Plum Elixir

This superfood-infused brand is waterless and sold in reusable glass jars in compostable packaging for zero waste. Each label also comes with an easy-to-read graph that tells you exactly where each ingredient was harvested.

$78 at LOLI Beauty

Love Beauty and Planet Tea Tree and Vetiver Body Wash

The scents in these drugstore body washes are made of ethically derived ingredients, while the packaging is made of 100-percent recyclable plastic.

$6.99 at Target

Lush Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner

Besides the fact that the products are handmade and 100 percent vegan, this brand has also left an indelible mark on the world of natural skin care, thanks to its “naked packaging,” which eliminates waste once you’re finished.

$35.95 at Lush

Nyakio Marula & Neroli Brightening Oil

The natural ingredients in this brand are sourced from all over the world; from Chinese rice powder to Indian tamanu oil.

$42 at Nyakio

Phlur Hanami

In addition to the bottles being made of 20-percent recycled glass, this fragrance brand requires its partners to comply with the IUCN red list, the highest and most comprehensive standard in threatened and endangered materials.

$88 at Phlur

REN Atlantic Kelp And Microalgae Anti-Fatigue Bath Oil

This brand, a pioneer of the clean beauty movement, recently announced its partnership with the Surfrider Foundation and a commitment to be waste-free by 2021.

$30 at REN Clean Skincare

Stowaway Radiant Complexion Beauty Balm

This brand stays committed to a more eco-conscious existence by offering to recycle customer’s finished product cases.

$26 at Stowaway Cosmetics

Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask

All of the products made by this brand are cruelty-free and eco-certified.

$62 at Tata Harper

Weleda Almond Soothing Body Wash

This seasoned natural skin-care brand has a long-standing partnership with a cooperative in the Valencia region of Spain, where about 100 almond farmers work to sustainably grow almonds for their products.

$8 at Weleda

W3LL People Expressionist Liquid Eyeliner

All of these products are cruelty-free and made without harmful fillers in small batches.

$17.99 at W3LL People

Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate and Glow Oil

All of this brand’s products are made in the USA and with 100-percent vegan cold-pressed ingredients.

$44 at Youth to the People