Last Updated on October 10, 2023
I’m sharing the best natural skin care brands that I’ve found in my zero waste journey, because these brands were hard to come by when I started!
Natural skincare brands can be just as effective as other brands. In fact, oftentimes the natural ingredients mean fewer reactions and better results when you choose to use organic skincare brands. These are some of my favorite natural skin care brands that solve skin issues, are easy on the planet, and aren’t tested on animals. Shop these sustainable skincare brands the next time you run out of product!
Table of Contents
sustainable skincare brands
When I first started trying to reduce my waste in 2014, there weren’t many organic, zero waste skincare brands on the market. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know one of my favorite spots in San Francisco has been Credo Beauty.
While I’ve been impressed by their clean, organic skincare, and makeup offerings – I haven’t been blown away by a lot of the packaging options. Packaging cosmetics, makeup, and skincare is tough businesses.
It’s not that they didn’t care about their packaging, but there wasn’t a collective conscious around the dangers of single-use plastics.
Consumers weren’t asking for plastic-free and zero waste products so brands weren’t providing them. Thankfully, that has changed! A LOT.
In fact, there are so many awesome clean, low-waste, plastic free, sustainable, all-natural, organic skin care brands on the market that I had a really hard time trying to narrow it down to just 20. All of these brands offer natural paraben free skincare products!
Don’t be surprised if I add to this list as time goes on because there are so many awesome natural skincare brands out there doing amazing things.
In this post, I’m sharing a few of my favorite eco luxury skincare brands as well as some new ones I’ve recently discovered and want to try.
If you’re interested in eco-friendly and organic skin care, be sure to check out my post on zero waste make up for a sustainable glow.
But these organic skincare brands are up to the task and trying to reduce waste in a pretty wasteful industry. I’d love to know if you’ve tried any of these brands or if you have a tried any sustainable skincare brands you love?
the best natural skin care brands
THIS POST WAS SPONSORED. SOME OF THE LINKS BELOW ARE AFFILIATE LINKS.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE MY DISCLOSURE POLICY.
1. blendily:
Blendily is a women-owned, botanical wellness company based in Portland, Oregon with a staff of estheticians. The amount of skin care education each employee has makes this one of the best natural skin care lines I’ve found to date.
They handmake all of their skincare products in house which come in beautiful, thoughtful packaging which can be refilled and reused.
A few of their products contain beeswax or honey, but most of their products are vegan, and they never test on animals.
Of course, you can shop their dreamy products featuring locally grown herbs and foraged flowers online, but you should definitely visit if you’re ever in Portland.
They offer facials, massages, but my favorite is probably the glow up. You can relax or shop at your leisure with one of their rejuvenating face masks and a cup of herbal tea – sign me up!
Their most popular product is The Golden Hour Facial Oil Serum which nourishes the skin and stimulates cell reproduction.
You can snag a bottle and get $15 OFF with the code ‘GZW-GOLD‘.
/ SHOP BLENDILY /
2. facetheory:
Facetheory is a vegan skin care brand that’s leaping bunny certified. They’re hand crafted in Sheffield, UK.
One of the things I really like about Facetheory has created entire skincare lines that address different skin issues.
You can even take their quiz to make sure you’re build a routine perfect for you!
As someone who’s struggled with acne this is a huge blessing!
All of their products are packaged sustainably. They’re available in amber glass jars with aluminum caps – or 100% aluminum tubes which are easy to recycle.
You can get 25% off with the GOINGZEROWASTE25.
/ SHOP FACETHEORY /
3. dew mighty:
DEW MIGHTY is a woman owned company, and they’ve revolutionized skin care serums.
Most serums are liquid and come in glass or plastic bottles, but DEW MIGHTY, a zero waste company, has removed the bottle by creating a serum in bar form!
This multi-tasking serum leaves skin feeling healthy, nourished, dewy, smooths lines, evens and tones, banishes redness, combats irritation and can replace so many products in your beauty routine.
The bar is completely plastic-free, zero waste and vegan.
If you’d like to give this wonder bar a try, you can get 20% off your first purchase of a DYNAMIC DUO starter kit which includes one BLOOM Solid Jelly Serum Bar and a refillable container of choice. Use the code ‘20DEWSTART‘ at check out!
/ SHOP DEW MIGHTY /
4. acala:
Acala is a woman owned company that specializes in zero waste and plastic free beauty products.
They offer a wide range of products, many of which are vegan, for your bath, body, face, hair, make-up, as well as gift sets and accessories like reusable make-up wipes.
They’re also carbon positive which means they drawdown more carbon than they produce. They do this through Offset Earth where they plan at least 80 trees each month.
AND if you become a subscription customer, spending over $42.00 a month, your orders will be carbon positive too!
If you want to give Acala a try, you can get 15% off your order with the code ‘ACALA15‘.
/ SHOP ACALA /
5. B.O.B:
B.O.B (aka Bars Over Bottles) is on a mission to get rid of single-use plastic from self-care routines. They sell solid beauty bars for skin, hair, and body care.
Their bars are waterless, which helps reduce water waste, lowers carbon emissions and optimizes shipping. Traditional beauty products are made of up to 60-80% water in comparison.
I really love their facial cleansing bars. There’s two: One for oily skin, and one for balanced skin.
The bar for balanced skin is multifunctional as it cleanses and micro-exfoliates your face. The bar for oily skin removes impurities while reducing skin’s oil (which is great for acne-prone skin)
All of their products are vegan, cruelty-free and made with clean and natural ingredients. They also have shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, and more.
/ SHOP B.O.B /
6. blue heron botanicals:
Blue Heron Botanicals is a woman owne plastic free, zero waste skincare company operated in Northern California – totally off-grid.
All of their high-quality products use a wide range of local, organic, and sustainably harvested botanicals.
And, if that’s not the coolest thing you’ve ever heard… wait for it. They just launched a new line of lip therapies – a version with beeswax and one that’s vegan.
The packaging is zero waste featuring backyard compostable packaging made from 100% post-consumer paper.
And, for every product sold, they SAVE A BABY SEA TURTLE.
Yes, you read that correctly. They’re partnered with the Billion Baby Turtles initiative through SEE Turtles.
With the code ‘GOINGZERO‘ you can get 20% off your order.
7. activist:
Activist is a completely vegan skin care brand based out of California.
All of their ingredients come from sustainability-minded suppliers, and they package in beautiful glass bottles.
Best of all, they have a pouch-based refill program for almost all of their products so you can reduce a lot of waste!
All of their pouches are recyclable through a partnership with TerraCycle.
Not sure Activist will be right for your natural skin care routine? Well, you’re in luck… they have a travel kit for sale.
I love when brands do this! Not only are the small bottles perfect for traveling, it’s a great way to test the products and make sure they’re going to work for you before investing in the full-sized products.
If you want to give this awesome sustainable skin care company a try, you can get 30% off when you subscribe for auto-delivery refills with the code ‘GOINGZEROWASTE‘.
/ SHOP ACTIVIST /
8. jurlique:
In August, Jurlique will be celebrating their 35 year anniversary!
To commemorate the occasion, for every bottle of Activating Water Essence sold, they’ll be planting tree seedlings to help revive land that was ravaged by the Australian brush fires last year.
I really want to try this product and incorporate it into my natural skin care routine.
Their Activating Water Essence uses 14 natural extracts to hydrate, soften and revitalize your skin.
All of their botanicals are grown on their biodynamic farm in South Australia which I think is super cool.
Jurlique uses only certified organic ingredients, invests in clean energy, recycled rain water, and have sent zero waste to landfills since 2016.
/ SHOP JURLIQUE /
9. josie maran:
Josie Maran is a woman owned company and their hero product is 100% pure Argan Oil.
All of their oil comes from a UNESCO-protected region which prevents deforestation and over-harvesting.
A single argan tree can live for more than 600 years and produce fruit throughout its entire lifecycle!
Most of their products are sold in glass bottles and jars which are perfect for upcycling.
But they take full responsibility over all of their packaging because Josie Maran is partnered with TerraCycle to take back all of those empties.
/ SHOP JOSIE MARAN /
10. herbivore:
HERBIVORE is a vegan, organic skin care brand started by a husband and wife team in Seattle, WA.
Their products are all natural, and every ingredient is there for a specific reason meaning they don’t use fillers of any kind!
In fact, they don’t use any synthetic ingredients at all – everything is 100% all natural.
All of their packaging is glass which is easy to reuse, upcycle, or recycle.
If you want to give HERBIVORE a try, you can get 20% off your order of $75+ with the link below.
/ SHOP HERBIVORE /
11. osea:
Osea is a woman founded, vegan skin care brand. Sustainability is at the forefront of everything they do.
They thoughtfully source their ingredients to ensure the ethical treatment of those involved in the harvesting process.
Osea works with community and family operated collectives wherever possible, ensuring they support local economies and small businesses.
They package their organic and sustainable ingredients in glass bottles that are recyclable or reusable.
They’ve eliminated synthetic ingredients that harm ecosystems, and they ship their products without the use of single-use plastics.
/ SHOP OSEA /
12. blissoma:
Blissoma is a vegan and cruelty-free skincare brand with a focus on raw plant ingredients that are regenerative and organic. We heard of them through Eco Cult!
They use herbs from dozens of organic farms around the world including regenerative farms like La Colina Linda in Cobden, IL and Oshala Farm in Oregon. They use and compost over 250lbs of herbs every year.
Their formulas are biodegradable, and they use toxin-free, microbiome-friendly preservation methods that are safe for sensitive skin.
I love that their manufacturing facility boasts a solar array that produces most of the power used to create, market and ship their products. Their boxes are made from FSC Certified paperboard.
/ SHOP BLISSOMA /
more notable natural skincare brands
This post was originally 10 Zero Waste, Organic Skincare, but there are just so many amazing brands that it was too hard to choose just 10.
So, here’s 10 more sustainable, natural skin care brands worth noting! They all offer incredible natural skin and body care products.
13. BLK + GRN is a market place for all-natural skin and hair care products made by Black artisans.
14. ethique sells haircare and skincare in a solid bar form which removes the need for any water or plastic. Everything is plastic free, zero waste, and they plant a tree for every order.
15. bestowed essentials is a woman and veteran owned company based out of South Dakota where they make sustainable, vegan bath, body and home products.
16. marla rene is an eco-friendly, small batch skin care company. Most of their products are vegan and they never test on animals. All of their products are packaged in glass.
17. plaine products creates one of my favorite zero waste shampoos, and they just expanded into skincare. Their products are vegan and refillable.
18. marie veronique is another local favorite made right here in Berkeley, CA by chemist Marie Veronique. Their non-toxic skincare line is packaged in glass and ships plastic-free.
19. juice beauty is another NorCal local dedicated to supporting organic farming with their seed-to-bottle skincare brand.
20. biossance is a mostly plastic free, vegan skincare brand. Their hero product is 100% plant-derived squalane – no sharks or whales harmed here!
21. naturally london: is a sustainable, vegan skincare brand crafted in the U.S. by veterans. They offer refills for their glass packaging.
22. kari gran is an eco-luxe skincare brand made with high-quality natural, organic, wild-harvested and non-GMO ingredients which is always paraben and toxin free.
faqs
are organic skincare brands really better for your skin?
Not all inorganic skincare brands are bad for your skin. However, your chances of avoiding harmful chemicals and allergens are much higher when you choose natural skincare brands. This is especially vital if you have sensitive skin (like I do!). Plus, you’ll know your sustainable products are helping your skin as well as the planet.
what are the benefits of using natural skincare products?
The first is reducing the amount of toxins in your skin. Many organic products use powerful, natural antioxidants that support anti-aging, skin clearing, and anti-inflammatory efforts. They do all this without any of the harsh or harmful ingredients other companies use to ‘fast’ (but potentially harmful) results.
So, would you give these natural paraben skincare products a shot? Let me know in the comments below!
Conventional beauty products utilize petroleum-based ingredients and usually rely on a host of other chemicals for their production process. These compounds are typically harsh substances, like petroleum, aluminum, and lead, all of which require extensive mining. It is nice to go for skincare products that are is non-toxic even though some are a little bit pricey.