Earth Day, April 22, is a time to consider the impact we have on the environment — and do something about it. Show Mother Nature some love and plant trees, cut down energy usage (unplug electronics when not using them) and consider making beauty routines more eco-friendly with natural and organic products.
Our beauty routines may not be the first thing that comes to mind for Earth Day but they’re an important consideration. After all, every little bit helps. What’s more, there are a number of easy changes we can do to cut down our beauty environmental footprints, from reducing the amount of long, hot showers we take to actually recycling our product empties to choosing green beauty products.
Green beauty has come a long way in recent years. The best natural makeup and skin care products have formulas that are as good as — if not better than — traditional products. Because the formulas are made with plant-based ingredients, they’re kinder to skin, meaning less chance of negative reactions. Green beauty isn’t a trend, it’s a lifestyle choice that can help the environment and our skin.
Ahead, shop the best organic makeup and natural beauty products that have earned gold (or should we say green) stars for 2018.
[ Next: Earth Day Awards: The Best Organic Makeup and Natural Beauty Products of 2017 ]
Earth Day Awards: The Best Organic Makeup and Natural Beauty Products of 2018
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Best Face Wash
Youth To The People Kale + Green Tea, Spinach, Vitamins Superfood Cleanser, $36 at Youth To The People
This cleanser is like washing skin with green juice. It's packed with superfood ingredients, including kale, spinach, green tea, alfalfa and a range of vitamins. What's more, the ingredients are 100 percent vegan and cold-pressed. The gel formula lathers up without sulfates. It's powerful enough to remove makeup, but gentle enough that it's suitable for all skin types. It's also pH-balanced so it won't dry skin out.
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Best Moisturizer
Herbivore Botanicals Pink Cloud Rosewater Moisture Creme, $48 at Herbivore Botanicals
Gorgeous millennial pink color? Check. Insta-worthy minimalist packaging? Check. Good-for-skin ingredients? Check. After countless requests, Herbivore Botanicals created this 100 percent natural moisturizer. It's free of synthetics and has a lightweight, creamy texture that skin will drink up. Rosewater, aloe water and white tea extract reduce redness while increasing skin's bounce, leaving behind a dewy glow.
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Best Night Treatment
Goop by Juice Beauty Replenishing Night Cream, $140 at Goop
This treatment is a splurge, but it's worth it. The effective formula contains USDA certified organic ingredients with a total of 79 percent organic content. Apply the cream before getting some shut-eye and the multitasking formula will work to brighten, plump, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve the texture of skin. A small blob will cover the entire face, so the pot will last a good while.
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Best Sheet Mask
Whamisa Organic Sea Kelp Facial Sheet Mask, $14 at Glow Recipe
Dubbed the next generation in sheet masks, this K-beauty pick is made out of 100 percent real sea kelp and drenched with a full bottle of fermented sea kelp and bamboo serum. The formula contains Ecocert and certified organically grown ingredients. They help combat the signs of aging and keep skin hydrated for up to 72 hours. The mask only needs to be worn for 15 minutes to see results.
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Best Face Mask
Tata Harper Clarifying Mask, $68 at Tata Harper
Got zits? They'll soon be a thing of the past after using this clarifying mask. It has been certified a natural cosmetic by Ecocert Greenlife with 100 percent of the total ingredients from natural origin. The effective formula targets spots, redness and excess oil, but won't irritate or overdry skin. The bright green hue is begging for a #masking selfie.
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Best Facial Oil
Kora Organics Noni Glow Face Oil, $68 at Kora Organics
We're familiar with moisturizers like coconut oil and argan oil. Now, it's time to get acquainted with noni. It's one of the hero ingredients in Miranda Kerr's Kora Organics skin care line. If it's good enough for her, it's good enough for us. The product contains certified organic noni extract and a blend of antioxidant-rich oils to nourish skin and give it a healthy glow. The vegan formula doesn't contain synthetic fragrances or colors, silicone, sulfates, parabens, TEA or DEA. It absorbs into skin so complexions look supple as opposed to greasy.
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Best Face Wipes
Promise Organic Ultra Moisturizing Argan Creme Facial Cleansing Wipes, $4.79 at CVS
Can't do a full cleanse? Face wipes will come to the rescue. These soft towelettes are infused with an aloe vera solution containing natural and organic ingredients. Those with sensitive skin don't need to worry about the wipes being irritating. They're gentle and pH balanced.
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Best Eye Cream
Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream, $64 at Drunk Elephant
The eye area is one of the most sensitive parts on the body, so choosing the correct product is essential. This cruelty-free eye cream contains eight peptides and five(!) forms of vitamin C to firm and moisturize. The formula is suitable for all skin types and features clean ingredients. What it doesn't have is silicones, drying alcohols, essential oils, fragrance, dyes, chemical screens or SLS.
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Best Sunscreen
Juice Beauty SPF 30 Sport Sunscreen, $16 at Ulta Beauty
Keep this chemical-free, non-nano sunscreen handy for beach trips because it's specially formulated for active, outdoor lifestyles. The natural sunscreen provides SPF 30 broad spectrum protection and is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes. It's suitable for all skin types. It uses mineral zinc oxide and organic coconut, aloe and jojoba to keep skin protected and moisturized.
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Best Serum
Korres Black Pine 3D Sculpting, Firming & Lifting Serum, $75 at Korres
This potent serum contains all of the good stuff and no nasties. The dermatologist-tested product is suitable for vegans and vegetarians and features 93.4 percent natural ingredients. The black pine formula helps tighten skin and turn back the clock by increasing firmness and elasticity.
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Best Body Wash
JĀSÖN Pure Natural Body Wash, $10.99 at Amazon
Start an eco-friendly beauty regimen off in the shower with this natural body wash. The biodegradable formula contains certified organic ingredients that are suitable for all skin types. It's made without parabens, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates, petrolatum, artificial colors and phthalates. What's more, the product isn't tested on animals. There are countless scents to choose from and they all leave skin feeling silky soft from the first use. FYI: There's also a gluten-free version.
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Best Deodorant
Native Deodorant Paraben Free Aluminum Free Deodorant, $12 at Native Deodorant
What we put on our pits is as important as what we put on our faces. Native Deodorant prides itself on using safe, nontoxic ingredients that people can understand. They include coconut oil, jojoba butter, beeswax and arrowroot powder. The formula is free of aluminum, talc, parabens and phthalates. And it really does keep armpits fresh all day. Choose an unscented formula or try some of the brand's unique scents. Seasonal offerings include Lychee & Goji Berry and Fig & Honey.
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Best Body Moisturizer
Lush Ultrabalm, $16.95 at Lush
The all-natural beauty product calms and smooths skin using just three ingredients. It contains organic jojoba oil to provide intense nourishment and candelilla wax to create a barrier to keep all the hydration locked in. Rose wax soothes and provides an uplifting scent. Dab a bit of the balm on scaly bits, like elbows and heels.
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Best Self-Tanner
COOLA Organic Gradual Sunless Tan Firming Lotion, $46 at COOLA
Self-tanners are notorious for their artificial scents and therefore, formulas. This one is a brilliant exception. The organic, vegan sunless tan is Ecocert Cosmos Organic certified and contains over 99 percent natural ingredients. The formula gradually builds color over several days for a natural, streak-free finish. The natural piña colada scent is miles better than the typical artificial coconut smell we expect from self-tan products.
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Best Body Scrub
Frank Body Original Coffee Scrub, $16.95 at Frank Body
This is a natural body scrub that's worth the mess in the shower. It smells like an orange mocha thanks to the delicious natural ingredients. Roasted and ground Robusta coffee beans are mixed with sea salt, cold-pressed sweet almond oil and vitamin E to slough away dead skin cells and boost circulation. The scrub is cruelty-free and has absolutely no microbeads. Use it a few times a week.
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Best Mascara
W3LL People Expressionist Mascara, $21.99 at W3LL People
It is possible to get a natural mascara that delivers incredible volume and length. This lash-boosting mascara is cruelty-free and doesn't contain fibers, GMOs, petroleum, parabens, gluten or coal tar. It is also clump-free. The mascara is crafted using pure mineral pigments and a botanical blend so it nourishes lashes while extending them out and up. The molded rubber brush coats even the tiniest of lashes and makes it easy to get in hard-to-reach spots. Those looking to try colored mascara will be pleased to know the EWG Verified product comes in four colors plus a mini size.
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Best Eyeshadow
Kjaer Weis Eye Shadow, $45 at Kjaer Weis
The refillable eyeshadow packaging is super chic and so are the colors inside. Choose from 13 easy-to-wear shades. The soft, pigmented formulas use honeysuckle extract and gardenia florida fruit extract as natural preservatives plus bamboo for a silky finish. The formulas are certified organic, gluten-free and have no artificial ingredients, including parabens, petroleum, coloring and fragrance.
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Best Lipstick
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick, $26 at Sephora
Bite Beauty's Amuse Bouche lipsticks have earned legions of fans thanks to their rich, creamy formulas and extensive shade offering. And the lippies are natural. They're handcrafted in house in small batches at a low heat to preserve the ingredients' nutrients. Part of the secret behind the formulas are the 12 edible oils. The pigment-packed lipsticks are made without sulfates, parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, gluten and silicone.
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Best Blush
ILIA Multi-Stick, $34 at ILIA Beauty
So much more than the average blush, the Multi-Stick can be swept across cheeks and lips for a kiss of color. Nourishing organic ingredients create a sheer, buttery stick that melts into skin. The product will make it look like you're actually blushing.
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Best Highlighter
RMS Beauty Champagne Rosé Luminizer, $38 at RMS Beauty
Champagne, rosé and a luminizer? Yes, yes, yes. Fans of RMS Beauty's Living Luminizer will want to add this blush pink champagne shade to their collections. It creates a lit-from-within glow that's dewy, but not greasy. The soft rose opalescent finish is flattering to all skin tones. Simply dab a finger in the pot and tap the product on skin. The shimmering highlighter is crafted with certified organic ingredients and packaged in a recyclable container.
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Best Foundation
Burt's Bees Goodness Glows Liquid Foundation, $16.99 at Ulta Beauty
There's so much more to Burt's Bees than lip balm. The dermatologist-tested, 98.9 percent natural foundation is made with responsibly sourced meadowfoam seed oil for a radiant, hydrated complexion. This makes the full-coverage formula look natural and not at all cakey. Unlike other kinds of mineral makeup, this one comes in a mess-free liquid formula with 12 color options. Apply the foundation in the morning and it will hold up until night.
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Best Shampoo
Christophe Robin Delicate Volumizing Shampoo With Rose Extracts, $38 at Christophe Robin
Christophe Robin uses ancestral recipes and natural ingredients as inspiration to produce effective formulas. This volumizing shampoo is gentle enough for everyday use and is OK to use on colored, fine and sensitive hair. It has a pleasing milky gel texture that doesn't leave behind any residue — just a delicate rose scent. It's also free of parabens, silicones, oxidants, phthalates and sodium laureth sulfate.
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Best Conditioner
Not Your Mother's Naturals Coconut Milk & African Marula Tree Oil High Moisture Conditioner, $8.99 at Ulta Beauty
If your mama doesn't have a natural conditioner like this one, she should. And so should you. Free of silicones, gluten, sulfates, phthalates, parabens and synthetic dyes, the plant-derived, environmentally-friendly formula uses a blend of coconut milk and African marula tree oil to keep strands looking their best. The conditioner can be used every day.
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Best Hair Treatment
Captain Blankenship Mermaid Sea Salt Hair Spray, $24 at Captain Blankenship
Embrace your inner mermaid with this sea salt spray. It's made with just six ingredients, including organic extracts and oils. Spritz the product on strands, scrunch and voilà, wavy tresses that Ariel would be jealous of. Strands are tousled but not crispy thanks to the hydrating formula. The product also leaves behind a soft flowery scent.
