10 Affordable Sustainable Skincare Brands You Need to Know About 

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Looking for sustainable skincare that actually works? These are the top sustainable skincare brands that are kind to the planet and your skin.

This post is all about the best sustainable skincare.

This may be an unpopular opinion but I don’t think that any skincare brands out there are 100% sustainable. Not in the way we wish they could be. Any time a product is created it is going to cause some amount of harm to the environment. When I think of a sustainable brand I think of one that is putting in the effort to do the minimal amount of harm as possible while being safe and effective for your skin. These are the kind of products I look for and what you will find on this list! 

I don’t know about you but I’m not a dermatologist nor an esthetician and don’t know how to formulate my own products. I could cut aloe from my garden and slab it all over my face and that would be a very sustainable skincare choice. There is no packaging, I grew it myself, it’s my own labor, no animals were harmed, no pesticides etc. The list goes on. Unfortunately, as incredible and soothing as my fresh aloe is, it doesn’t cover all of my skincare needs. For full transparency, I do slab aloe all over my face and it is very calming and I love it! All this to say, there are sustainable skincare brands that thoroughly test products while also doing what they can to protect the environment. 

If you are like me and are trying to find skincare that works and is environmentally friendly you have found the right place. No magic is involved here. There is still a lot of trial and error that comes with finding the right skincare for you! So be patient with your skin, reach out to a dermatologist for help and enjoy the pleasure of nourishing your skin!

What is sustainable skincare? 

I do not have an official definition for this (feel free to Google!) but to me, sustainable skincare has an emphasis on three things:

Fair treatment to animals

I value skincare brands that are vegan and cruelty free.  There are ways to test products without harming animals. We don’t have their consent and animal testing can be excruciatingly painful. So why cause harm when it’s not necessary? 

Environmentally friendly

I try to focus on asking questions like: Where are these products are sourced? How were they sourced? Is there a recycling option for when you’re done using the product? What type of packaging does the product come in?

Some helpful certifications I look for are things like: 1% for the planet, reef-safe sunscreen, B corp certified, and more! 

Healthy for your skin and sustainable in your life

If your skincare is not working, you test tons of products and you throw away all of the barely used products, that is not good for the earth. We all know the effects of landfills being overfilled.

That’s why doing your research and not overconsuming skincare products is a great way to have a more sustainable skincare routine. To me, finding a simple skincare routine with effective products is the most sustainable choice. Find your tried and true products that are well tested and offer the results you are looking for and stick to them! 

The Best Sustainable Skincare Brands 

1. Versed

I came across versed by listening to a video from a dermatologist on Youtube! She raved about the sunscreen above and as I looked into the company I was excited to see how eco friendly they are.

Some things I love about Versed:

•  Post consumer recycled packaging
• recyclable materials
• ship their product in post consumer recycled material
• vegan/cruelty free (Leaping bunny certified)
• high standards for ethical labor within their manufacturing process.

2. Kinship

If you crumble at beautifully designed packaging (no shame!)  then you will love kinship.  Aside from their aesthetic, they have a long list of impressive values that drive their brand. 

Some things I love about Kinship is that they are: 

• Cruelty free
• plant based formulas
• use post consumer packaging (and minimal packaging when possible)
• company has efforts that remove plastic from the ocean
• non GMO products 

3. The Ordinary 

The ordinary is NOT marketed as a sustainable company. So then why is it on this list?? Because I do believe they are moving in the right direction. As their website states, they don’t have all of the answers but they are moving towards more sustainable and ethical practices.

Also, in terms of finding skincare that actually works, they have raving reviews and are backed by many dermatologists. 

Some things I love about The ordinary are: 

• Vegan/cruelty free (Leaping bunny certified)
• recycling program to dispose of products 

4. Ethique 

What first caught my eye about Ethique is that everything is in bars! I had seen shampoo bars before but Ethique even has things like face moisturizers in bars too. I have yet to try their products but I have only heard great things from friends about Ethiques products! 

Some things I love about Ethique: 

• Products are 100% plastic free
• plastic free shipping
• B corp certified
• vegan/cruelty free
• compostable packaging 

{RELATED POST: 5 Effective Zero Waste Face Wash Products That Are Kind to the Earth and Your Skin}

5. Lush 

Lush was one of the first eco friendly shops I went to when I started learning about zero waste living! Their face scrub Herbivore Herbivore was my go to cleanser in college and kept my breakouts at bay. Best of all they really emphasize bringing awareness to social issues through their charitable campaigns, product names, and more! 

Some things I love about Lush:

• 100% vegetarian
• focus on sourcing sustainable ingredients
• handmade products
• cruelty free

6. Cocokind

Cocokind carries a wide range of products to cater to a lot of skincare needs. They go far beyond face wash and moisturizer. They have retinol products, spf, essences, toners and more! This could potentially be your one stop shop for your entire sustainable skincare routine!

Some things I love about CocoKind are:

• Measure their carbon emissions for each product and are transparent about it
• ethical labor for production
• recyclable packaging
• plans to offset emissions as their company progresses 
• cruelty free

7. Osea

I wanted to love OSEA so bad! They are a women owned company that has been around for 25 years. They use high quality plant based ingredients, recyclable glass packaging etc. Truly they are an incredible brand. They have so many of the things on the checklist for sustainable and ethical products.

The only problem was (at least for me) was that their products simply didn’t work. I didn’t really see a difference in my skin after using them for a solid chunk of time. 

As I mentioned before Osea has been around a while so they must be doing something right! They are also well loved by the sustainability community so who knows, maybe I chose the wrong products for my skin type! 

One thing I can say from my personal experience using this product is that although they may not be the most affordable on this list, they do last a very long time! You really get your money’s worth of this product!  

{RELATED POST: 7 Incredible Zero Waste Lotion Options Guaranteed to Keep Your Skin Nourished and Glowing}

8. Paula’s Choice 

Ok so Paula’s Choice does not market themselves as sustainable and they have a ways to go in this regard. But they do have amazing skincare products that actually work! This is also the skincare line I have seen the most results from and I want to be fully transparent with what I use. 

Some things I love about Paula’s Choice is that they are: 

• Cruelty free (leaping bunny certified)
• seek sustainable ingredients
• Take back program for containers

Something else I wanted to mention is that Paula’s Choice is extremely mindful about the packaging they use to ensure the efficacy of the product. If products don’t work, they get wasted. From what I have learned, light and air can ruin skincare products. And we all know that ineffective and wasted skincare is bad for the environment!

9. All Good Sunscreen

Sunscreen is such an important part of your skincare routine! All Good Sunscreen has to be one of my favorite brands when it comes to reef safe and plastic free sunscreen. Their mineral sunscreen comes in aluminum tins that can be recycled! 

Some amazing things I love about them include: 

• B Corp certified
• 1% for the planet
• reef safe
• carbon neutral certified
• women owned company
• Leaping bunny certified

I will say, from personal experience, that this sunscreen does have a white cast. That doesn’t really bother me as much because I would rather my skin be safe and see where I have rubbed it in. I also am able to get my All Good Sunscreen refilled at my local zero waste shop. It is awesome that as a company they have refills at specific locations! We need more of that.

Overall, I love this sunscreen and it stays put while you’re adventuring outside!

10. Hey Human Deodorant 

Another important area of your skincare routine is deodorant! It can be so incredibly challenging to find a natural deodorant that actually works. I really think Hey Human deodorant has it covered!

Some things I love about Hey Human Deodorant: 

• Made from recycled paper
• vegan and cruelty free
• recyclable packaging

One thing I really love about this deodorant is that it is affordable and you can find many places you would normally shop at like Target and Amazon! 

This post was all about the best sustainable skincare brands

Have you tried any of these skincare brands? I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments below! Also, what kinds of things do you look for in sustainable skincare? I’m always trying to learn more about this topic! 

Be sure to sign up for the newsletter if you would like sustainability and wellness tips sent directly to your inbox! 

Stay well, 

Maggie 

Other posts you may like:

• 7 Incredible Zero Waste Lotion Options Guaranteed to Keep Your Skin Nourished and Glowing
• 5 Effective Zero Waste Face Wash Products That Are Kind to the Earth and Your Skin
• 8 Free Eco Friendly Self Care Ideas You Need to Add to Your Wellness Toolkit

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