Years ago it seemed like there were only two options when it came to skincare.
Choosing “natural” skincare meant that the products were safe for your skin and the environment, but they came at a price. Effectiveness was often sacrificed for safety and gentleness.
Synthetically made skincare was more powerful but could often raise health and environmental concerns.
But now consumers don’t have to choose, thanks to brands like Carrot & Stick.
Carrot & Stick perfectly balances the gentle nurturing of plants with the powerful results of innovative science.
Best Clean Beauty Brands
Best Overall
BEST Carrot & Stick
The Full List
Drunk Elephant
Origins
Mad Hippie
Tata Harper
True Botanicals
Tula Skincare
Fresh Skincare
The Full List
BEST OVERALL
Carrot & Stick
Whether you’re already a fan of natural skincare or simply want to try it, one of the newest naturally derived skincare brands is Carrot & Stick. The collection offers the best of both worlds, meaning it combines plant-based ingredients with cutting-edge science to formulate skincare products that are effective and gentle to the environment.
Carrot & Stick takes a tough-love approach to skincare, perfectly balancing the gentle nurturing of plants with the powerful results of innovative science. The result? Straightforward, effective skincare that delivers radiant-looking skin that is good for you and good for the environment. The collection covers all the essential skincare needs with a moisturizer, serum, face wash, brightening pads, and targeted serums to address various skincare concerns.
While Carrot & Stick products all rely on naturally sourced ingredients, what is equally important is what doesn’t go inside the formulas. The brand skips harmful chemicals commonly found in skincare products. The company is also environmentally conscious, and is committed to eliminating known irritants and pollutants that can compromise skin health and contaminate the environment. The packaging is streamlined to help cut down on waste.
The brand incorporates naturally derived ingredients such as plant proteins and plant-based neuropeptides and cannabis sativa. Other key ingredients include vitamin C, which helps to brighten the skin and fade the look of dark spots; vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps nourish the skin; hydrating hemp seed oil and glycerin, a humectant. Additional ingredients include sea buckthorn oil, which is thought to have anti-inflammatory properties; horse chestnut seed extract and oat kernel extract. Rounding out the ingredients list are proven heavy hitters like this group of AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids)- mandelic and lactic acid- and BHAs (beta hydroxy acids) like salicylic acid. Another key ingredient is hyaluronic acid, which occurs naturally in the body and can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water.
It is also important to highlight what customers won’t find in Carrot & Stick products. The company calls it the “Nix List,” and these unwanted ingredients includes sulfates, parabens, formaldehydes, phthalates, mineral oil, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, triclocarban and synthetic fragrances.
FULL LIST
Drunk Elephant
Cruelty-free brand Drunk Elephant has several top-rated products. With its clean formulations and Instagram-worthy packaging, Drunk Elephant is beloved by shoppers, influencers, and beauty editors. The brand has received plenty of editorial coverage in publications such as Allure, New Beauty, Vogue, and Refinery29 and has scooped up plenty of industry awards as well.
Drunk Elephant combines tried-and-true skincare ingredients (i.e., vitamin C, retinol, and peptides) with unique extracts (i.e., marula oil, mongongo oil, and more) to create products that truly stand out from the crowd. Plus, the brand leaves out harmful ingredients — aka the “Suspicious 6” — that they believe are at the root of almost every skin issue.
Origins
One of the pioneers of natural-based cosmetics is Origins, which William Lauder launched in 1990. Origins continues to trail blaze with green ideas, such as reducing its environmental impact and committing to planting trees.
Origins’ slogan is “Powered by Nature. Proven by Science.” The brand’s philosophy is to incorporate natural ingredients into its skincare line. This means a mix of exotic ingredients sourced worldwide and more common plant and oil-based products, such as charcoal, ginseng, and caffeine – all created in an environmentally conscious way. One of the first products was the Clear Improvement Active charcoal mask, still one of the best-selling masks in the US.
Mad Hippie
Mad Hippie is a clean beauty brand built on the notion that natural skincare can be very effective as traditional. The brand uses organic natural ingredients and safe synthetic ingredients to formulate its skincare and makeup products while leaving out toxic ingredients and unnecessary additives.
The brand does an excellent job of incorporating a wide variety of beneficial ingredients into its product formulations. Mad Hippie uses many unique botanical extracts and oils, such as konjac root, cloudberry fruit extract, blackcurrant seed oil, acai extract, reishi mushroom extract, and chlorella extract just to name a few. Additionally, you’ll find many tried-and-true anti-aging ingredients in its formulas, such as vitamins A, C, and E, and peptides.
Tata Harper
Tata Harper founded her eponymous skincare brand in 2010 when the “farm to face” concept was still new. Today the Tata Harper brand is one of the best-known natural skincare brands with fans including Gwyneth Paltrow and Emma Watson. Harper herself is one of many females leading a beauty company, including Charlotte Tilbury, Glossier’s Emily Weiss, and Jamie Kern Lima of IT Cosmetics.
Tata Harper makes natural skincare products made in small batches in Vermont led by an all-female lab. Ingredients not grown in Vermont are sourced from around the world. Tata Harper products use 43 “high performance” ingredients. The company states that “We pack the most ingredients at the highest levels of concentration to deliver maximum results—without a single drop of artificial chemicals.” Each product has its batch number etched on the bottle so that customers can track how (and when) their item was made. Tata Harper products are free from GMOs, toxins, fillers, artificial fragrances, artificial colors, and synthetic chemicals.
True Botanicals
True Botanicals founder Hillary Peterson learned this hard truth after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She describes that moment as a “wake up call” and took a serious look at how she could better support her health in every way possible.
Tula Skincare
While dermatologists create many skincare brands, the story behind Tula is a little different. The brand’s founder — Dr. Roshini Raj — is actually a board-certified gastroenterologist. Through her medical career, Dr. Raj found that probiotics could benefit the skin like they benefit the digestive system. And that’s why you’ll find probiotics as the key ingredients in all Tula skincare products.
The probiotics used in Tula skincare products are clinically proven to help promote the look of skin’s natural balance, locking in moisture to leave your complexion more hydrated and reducing the appearance of inflammation. Tula also uses several superfoods in their skincare products, such as blueberries, turmeric, and white tea. All products are 100% free from phthalates, parabens, propylene glycol, petrolatum, gluten, and mineral oil.
Fresh Skincare
Fresh Skin Care is a beauty brand that creates their products by combining potent natural ingredients, ancient rituals, and modern science. In 1991, Fresh Skin Care founders Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg were Russian immigrants living in Boston, and they saw the need for beauty that was both effective and indulgent.
Best Clean Skincare Brands: The Bottom Line
Our top clean skincare picks is Carrot & Stick.
Carrot & Stick routines take the guesswork out of building a skincare routine. And, you save up to $160. Use code DERM20 for 20% off. We recommend Day and Night Routine.
