When you need credible beauty recommendations, you might turn to your favorite bloggers (hai!), YouTubers or in-the-know besties for tips on what products they consider to be so legit. But when it comes to green beauty — a territory which hasn’t been that forged by the mainstream beauty crowd — it can be a little trickier to determine what eco-friendly prods are ruling the scene. Swapping out chemical-laden hair, makeup and skincare products for those that are free of nasty ingredients you can’t even pronounce, let alone want to put on your face (or anywhere else TBH!), is always good in our book, but finding those green products that will turn into tried-and-trues (and maybe even replace your cult faves)— that’s game changing. If you’re starting to dabble in the world of all things all natural or are a die-hard eco-beauty fiend, read on for the ultimate list of green beauty product recs. We chatted with 14 green beauty experts, brand founders and makeup artists to hear what products they rely on when they want their makeup, hair and skin looking their best. Here’s what they had to say.
Tata Harper, Co-CEO + Co-Founder, Tata Harper Skincare
Fave Makeup Product: “I don’t wear a lot of makeup, but if I do I usually wear W3LL PEOPLE Bio Extreme Expressionist Mascara ($30).”
Fave Hair Product: “I love Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt ($45). It’s not a typical cleanser — it feels more like a balm. When I use it I feel like I’m exfoliating with the sea salt while cleansing.”
Fave Skincare Product: “I only use my own skincare products (the Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask ($58) and Tata Harper Boosted Contouring Eye Mask ($158) are two of my favorites), but for sunscreen I love Suntegrity Moisturizing Face Sunscreen ($45), which is mineral-based, long-wear and comes tinted in multiple shades.”
Adina Grigore, CEO + Founder, S.W. BASICS
Fave Makeup Product: “Not a huge makeup girl, so this is tough, but I totally respect the integrity and quality of W3LL PEOPLE products like their Universalist Multi-Stick ($35). Also, Pacifica makes some nice lip products, and Brooke, the founder, is a real hero of mine. She’s a total trailblazer in the natural beauty space.”
Fave Hair Product: “skinnyskinny Organic Grapefruit and Cardamom Dry Shampoo ($23), for three reasons: It has 100% natural ingredients, uses essential oils beautifully (and creatively!) and it really, really works.”
Fave Skincare Product: “Shea butter is one of my all-time favorite skincare ingredients, so I am going to go with our three-ingredient S.W. Basics Cream ($32). It has 60% shea butter content, which is basically unheard of (companies will tout a 10% shea butter content). I also love the products that companies like Herbivore Botanicals, Zoe Organics and Osmia are making. I root for my fellow natural brands because they’re helping change an industry that seriously needs a wake-up call.”
Annie Jackson, Beauty Scout, Credo Beauty
Fave Makeup Product: “Suntegrity Lip C.P.R. Natural SPF 30 Lipstick ($28). It’s an SPF 30 lipstick, a chemical-free and broad spectrum sunscreen with a choice of eight gorgeous shades.”
Fave Hair Product: “Innersense Color Hair Bath ($24). It prolongs color in color-treated hair, is nourishing and, of course, it smells amazing.”
Fave Skincare Product: “Skin Owl Eye+ Stimulating Eye Concentrate ($46). It’s cooling and instantly de-puffs (and also feels and smells good).”
Sasha Plavsic, Founder, ILIA Beauty
Fave Makeup Product: “This is tough, as I am more or less almost always using just ILIA at the moment, but if I had to have a product that works really well and is something we are missing from our line, it would be Hynt Beauty DUET Perfecting Concealer ($24), which provides crazy coverage. Not something I use often, but there is the odd time hormones come into play and it’s needed.”
Fave Hair Product: “Rahua Shampoo and Conditioner ($34 — $36) because they really work, and that is something hard to find in green hair products.”
Fave Skincare Product: “The Body Deli’s Vitamin C Serum ($48). The ingredients are fresh and very active, which show amazing results after some time.”
Valérie Grandury, Founder + CEO, Odacité
Fave Makeup Product: “W3LL PEOPLE Bio Extreme Expressionist Mascara ($30). It’s the only green mascara that gives my lashes nice volume.”
Fave Hair Product: “Rare El’Ements Essential Conditioner. It makes my fine hair look so healthy and full of volume.”
Fave Skincare Product: “Odacité C for Colette Vitamin C + Superfood Serum ($149). Superfoods wheatgrass, acai and goji and 15% vitamin C work in synergy to deliver an amazing glow even without makeup.”
Jenny Patinkin, Celebrity Makeup Artist + Founder, Lazy Perfection by Jenny Patinkin
Fave Makeup Product: “The Kjaer Weis line of makeup has gorgeous, refillable packaging and creamy textures that blend easily and give the skin a radiance and glow. Their Cream Blush in Embrace ($56) is my favorite nude pink. It’s gorgeous for brides or anyone who wants a very subtle flush on the cheeks or lips.”
Fave Hair Product: “I’ve been a big fan of the Kevin Murphy line for years, especially the Kevin Murphy Born Again Treatment ($42), which is made specifically to restore and rejuvenate dry and damaged hair (which, sadly, mine is).”
Fave Skincare Product: “I’ve had a hard time finding a face oil that doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin, but the Tata Harper Beautifying Face Oil ($45) has been a savior. I like mixing a drop or two with my sunscreen or moisturizer to get an extra dose of antioxidant protection and hydration.”
Tara Pelletier, Co-Founder, Meow Meow Tweet
Fave Makeup Product: “I love my Axiology Lipstick in Worth ($28). I wear Worth every time I perform with my band. It has incredible lasting power and never looks dry or caked up.”
Fave Hair Product: “Captain Blankenship’s Mermaid Sea Salt Hair Spray ($24). The Mermaid Sea Salt Hair Spray is a must-have for my naturally wavy/curly hair. It makes it look a little more wild and tousled, which is all I ever want.”
Fave Skincare Product: “I love the R.L. Linden & Co. La Balmba Rosa Healing Rose Balm ($22). It’s one of my bedside staples because of its light scent. The balm is super creamy and nourishing; I use it on my face, cuticles and lips.”
Alana Rivera, Owner + Soap Maven, Etta + Billie
Fave Makeup Product: “I’ve been using Elizabeth Street Cosmetics Street Stick ($24) for a few years, and I love the rich, beautiful lipstick shades which happen to be named after streets in San Francisco (my current hometown). The natural formula was created to hydrate dry lips with lots of vitamin E.”
Fave Hair Product: “My favorite green hair product is just straight jojoba oil. It adds natural shine, hydration and anti-frizz qualities to my hair. One to two drops on damp, freshly washed hair works wonders! I love it because it’s easy to scent by adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil, and you can find brands that use jojoba grown in the Southwestern United States.”
Fave Skincare Product: “May Lindstrom The Honey Mud ($80). I love the Honey Mud because it feels super luxurious and leaves my skin feeling hydrated and soothed, yet gently cleansed.”
Sarah Villafranco, CEO + Founder, Osmia Organics
Fave Makeup Product: “W3LL PEOPLE’s BioExtreme Lip Gloss ($22) is always in my bag. I have a castor oil sensitivity, and it’s one of the few glosses that does not contain castor oil. And it’s gorgeous on your lips!”
Fave Hair Product: “This is hard! A green hair brand that really surprised me, since it’s not just a hair care line, was Graydon Clinical Luxury Hair Smoothie ($24). Graydon gave me a bottle at a show, and I was amazed at how soft it left my hair. Plus, it’s a lovely, herbal scent that perks up my senses in the shower.
Fave Skincare Product: “I have perioral dermatitis, so I have not experimented with many brands outside my own, as I developed many of our products to help that condition. The Osmia Organics Black Clay Facial Soap ($24) from our line is my best little friend, because it helps keep my skin soft, calm and happy.”
Annie Lawless, Creator, BLAWNDE
Fave Makeup Product: “The Ultra CC Cream Radiant Foundation by Pacifica ($18) is my go-to daily foundation pick, and it has a vegan formula. I love this more than anything for daytime! It has a beautiful, luminous finish and provides just the right amount of coverage without feeling or looking heavy. If you have any redness or sallowness in your skin, it color corrects to the perfect even tone, and contains so many amazing ingredients like coconut water and jojoba. It is so lightweight and refreshing while also smelling amazing, and I really enjoy this product so much.”
Fave Hair Product: “The one hair care item I honestly don’t think I could live without, now that it’s in my life, is Briogeo’s Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask ($26) (they’re a natural, cruelty-free hair care brand). I bleach my hair and am constantly heat styling it to shoot for my blog or YouTube, and this mask has drastically reduced my breakage. I’ve never used anything that has had such a dramatic improvement on my hair, and it makes it feel so soft and luxurious, which as a blonde is not always the easiest feel to achieve. I also love their vegan Briogeo Rosarco Oil ($24).”
Fave Skincare Product: “I have bipolar skin that is very dry in some parts and very oily in other parts, so it’s hard for me to find products that hydrate the dry areas without creating too much shine or breaking me out in my oily areas. The Hydrating Yogurt Mask ($64) by Amala is 100% organic and the most perfect mask for me, because it deeply hydrates my dry areas and gets rid of any flakiness or rough texture, but doesn’t cause my oily areas to become too greasy or break out in the slightest. After using it my face just feels silky, soft and refreshed. I especially love using this after being on plane, when my skin not only gets dry, but dull and tired looking. It is really heaven in a mask, and I recommend it for any type of skin.”
Thomas Brown, President, Mineral Fusion
Fave Makeup Product: “I think Tata Harper makes interesting products. I haven’t tried them, but their Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tint ($36) looks interesting.”
Fave Hair Product: “I like Shikai hair care. They have a long history in natural products and have done interesting products, particularly in hair care. I particularly like their Everyday Shampoo ($7).”
Fave Skincare Product: “You have to respect the richness in history of Dr. Hauschka. I like their Quince Day Cream ($40).”
Holly McWhorter, Co-Founder + Co-Creative Director, PLANT
Fave Makeup Product: “Burt’s Bees Lipstick ($9)! I had been waiting for YEARS for them to come out with one, and late last year they finally did. Before that they had tinted balms and whatnot, which were great, but a real lipstick was missing from the lineup. These new ones are not only loaded with great ingredients (and missing any toxic nasties), but they come in a great range of colors that includes shades with yellow undertones and enough pigment to look good on darker skin tones — obviously important to me, as a brown-skinned person!”
Fave Hair Product: “Naturtint Hair Color ($49) is one of my faves, because it’s one of the few hair color products out there (other than pure henna, which can be a big mess and doesn’t last very long) that is not only ammonia-free, but is also free of resorcinol, which is in some ways worse than ammonia. So many hair color brands brag about being ammonia-free, but they’re still loaded down with resorcinol or other formaldehyde products that fewer people know to be hazardous, which are actually serious endocrine disruptors.”
Fave Skincare Product: “To tell the truth, the only skin care product other than my own that I use is pure, unrefined Everyday Shea Fair Trade Shea Butter ($14) from Alaffia. It’s a great source, and their website has tons of info about how it’s made and by whom in West Africa, mainly in Togo. They also sponsor a fantastic bunch of community development initiatives there.”
Laura Huth, CEO & Founder, Rootfoot
Fave Makeup Product: “Eye pencils are pretty much the only thing I care about for makeup. I go for an Ayurveda herbal kohl, like Daliia Ayurvedic Couture Herbal Eye Liner ($28).”
Fave Hair Product: “Organic oils all the way. Jojoba and coconut oil. They’re completely natural and are super restorative for hair and scalp. These oils strengthen the hair follicles and provide an amazing vitamin boost. I’m also appreciative of companies that make efforts in green packaging, like Kevin Murphy‘s compact bottles.”
Fave Skincare Product: “Malaya Organics Rejuvenating Face Serum ($65), by far. It’s something I look forward to using every day. It smells incredible and makes my skin glow. I only use high-vibrational organic products, and this is the brand I trust. Malaya Organic’s facial serum is full of active ingredients. Plus, it supports organic agriculture and the vitality of the earth.”
Joanne Starkman, Founder, Innersense Organic Beauty
Fave Makeup Product: “Nu Evolution Lipstick in Chianti ($30) for its wine color, in addition to its long-lasting stay power.”
Fave Hair Product: “Innersense Organic Beauty Quiet Calm Curl Control ($22) is my favorite hair care product. With its nourishing shea butter, it allows my hair to air-dry for a natural look with smooth and soft waves.”
Fave Skincare Product: “I’ve recently discovered the benefits of oil cleansing. I love FATFace Skincare Cleansing Oil ($14), which is a simple and easy regimen that leaves my skin soft and healthy.”
Follow us on Pinterest for more green beauty inspo.
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
