The Best Clean Beauty Products You Should Be Using
Clean beauty is every brand’s favourite new buzzword. But what is clean beauty? What do the products leaving out and what are they leaving out? Here are all the answers you’ve been searching for, plus some great product recommendations!
What is Clean Beauty?
Clean beauty is still quite a new phrase on the market.
Clean Beauty is the manufacturing (or hand-making) of products without harmful ingredients. The ingredients that are used are of the highest quality, often organic for skin’s benefit. Unfortunately, organic products and a reduction of chemicals can often mean a shorter best before date—meaning you have less time to use your clean beauty products.
Clean beauty products should be vegan or cruelty-free (both if you’re lucky!).
All in all, clean beauty products are a result of customers being conscious of what is in their products—makeup, skincare, and fragrance alike.
Clean beauty products should be mostly free from allergens and synthetic chemicals.
Be wary—big companies have caught on to the rise in popularity of ‘clean beauty products and are looking to capitalise. Make sure you continue to check the ingredients on products you purchase, it’s never a bad idea.
The Products You Need!
Now that you know what’s what in the clean beauty world, let’s talk about the products you need—or need to have on your wishlist.
Makeup Remover!
Of course, organic oils that are free from any other ingredients are the best way to go. Buy some coconut oil, slather it on your face and wash off with fresh water. Swap out the coconut oil for olive or castor, depending on your skin type.
If using natural oil is more comedogenic than you would like, look no further.
Drunk Elephant’s ‘Slaai’ Makeup Melting Butter Cleanser contains no essential oils, silicones, fragrances or parabens, plus it’s 100% vegan.
This clean beauty product is your makeup’s worst nightmare. With 5 African oils that reduce your makeup to a milky substance when met with water, the cute packaging comes with a handy spatula meaning your fingers never have to dirty the pot.
Use alone, or before your cleanser for a super clean feeling.
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Cleanser!
Although your face may feel clean, harmful makeup residue can be lurking, ready to clog your pores at a moments notice.
Remove the leftovers with Meow Meow Tweet’s Face Cleanser. This creamy cleanser ensures that dirt and oil are removed, without leaving your skin stripped of beneficial oils necessary for optimal hydration. Containing no alcohol, this cleanser is sure to leave you feeling fresh, warding off breakouts with its savvy ingredient of witch hazel.
Massage and wash off with clean water before exfoliating.
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Exfoliator!
You can spend your life cleansing and moisturising your skin, never to see the benefits. That’s because your own skin can be its own worst enemy. Dead skin cells clog your pores, not allowing ingredients to penetrate beneath.
Remove the gunk from your pores with an exfoliator that is 100% natural and vegan. Containing coffee, salt, almond oil, and vitamin E, Frank Body’s Original Coffee Scrub removes dead skin while reducing the look of scars. This product can be used all over your body!
Just like your morning drink, coffee has great benefits for your skin—waking it up and booting its appearance.
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Mask!
Fixing sudden breakouts and your skin’s bland days is easy—just mask it! Although, not with makeup as that would be redundant (the issues would remain when your makeup comes off).
Herbivore Botanical’s Blue Tansy Resurfacing Clarity Maskis lightly exfoliating, removing harmful skin cells at a deeper level than a standard physical exfoliant.
With salicylic acid and aloe this mask removes dirt from pores, gently.
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Toner!
Toning is controversial.
Some beauticians and dermatologists say that it is not beneficial, as the ingredients contained in most toners dry out your skin and remove the good oils.
Aesop’s Immediate Moisture Facial Hydrosolis different. Made from rose, bergamot, and chamomile, this mist is suitably hydrating even in aeroplane cabins. The mist is packed full of moisture and skin-calming ingredients perfect to prep your canvas for the next step.
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Serum!
The sun can wreak havoc on your skin. Not only can it introduce harmful UV rays, but these rays can also leave behind dark spots and pigmentation.
Give your skin some well-needed glowing power with Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma Day Serum. This serum is packed full of vitamin C to bring a glow to your skin, and remove pollution, which can cause serious damage.
Massage a pump of the serum during the AM—make sure to use SPF with this serum as vitamin C can cause UV sensitivity.
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Oil!
If your skin still feels super dry, massage in a natural oil that not only moisturises, but also softens your skin.
Popular choices include jojoba oil, argan oil, and rosehip oil. Whilst these oils can come as just one of the many ingredients contained within a product, using them alone works just as well.
Oily skin types shouldn’t be afraid to apply oil. It may seem odd, but once you’ve removed and cleansed skin thoroughly, introducing great organic oils can only benefit your skin.
Argan oil is particularly great for skin as it softens and is packed with naturally occurring vitamin E.
This oil doesn’t irritate (although make sure to perform a patch test on your wrist before applying to your face), and performs well.
The queen of argan oil would agree—Josie Maran’s 100% Pure Argan Oil is a cult favourite.
This product contains one ingredient, the infamous oil. Her line is also packed with argan loving products including moisturisers, foundations, and mascaras.
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Moisturiser!
People with oily skin need not venture further—using serum and oil should be enough for you. Those willing to take the risk, or subject to dry skin, will benefit from moisturiser.
Moisturiser is the product your flaky skin shouldn’t go without. Bringing well needed moisture to your skin can prevent further breakouts, prevent aging, and ensure that skin does not get dry and red in the winter months.
Tatcha’s Dewy Skin Cream is loved by celebrity makeup artists and beauty bloggers alike, and with ingredients like Japanese rice bran (helps to heal and soothe skin) and hyaluronic acid, why wouldn’t it be?
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SPF, SPF, SPF!
Chanting aside, sunscreen is super important! Even if you can’t see the sun—it’s there. Lurking behind those clouds and causing unseen damage to the skin you spent oodles of money looking after!
Prevent this damage with an SPF.
Something over SPF 30 should do the trick to prevent UVA and UVB rays. Although chemical sunscreens have always been popular, their ingredients are also suspected to be bleaching the precious coral off of our coastlines.
Help the oceans and your skin with Little Urchin’s Natural Sunscreen. Made with green tea, rosehip, and cucumber, this sunscreen looks and feels great!
Wear alone or under makeup for all-year use.
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