There’s more than one reason to choose natural beauty brands over those you’re used to seeing at Sephora and the drug store. It’s not just the amazing ingredients all-natural brands include that makes them better for you and the planet, it’s also the ingredients they leave out.
According to a recent article from Vogue Business, more than half of the products tested in a recent study of over 200 American and Canadian beauty products were found to have “significant levels” of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAs.
Scientists refer to PFAs as “forever chemicals” because of their long-term presence in the environment, where they pose a threat not only to the ecosystem, but to our health. Makeup is not the only place PFAs are found, and long term exposure to them has been linked to health issues from asthma to ones as serious as kidney cancer.
What’s worse is that of the products in which PFAs were found, only one listed the ingredient which contained these chemicals. Many brands have stated their commitment to removing PFAs from their products, but it’s unclear how many are willing to put in the work to ensure that they are successful.
By choosing all natural beauty brands, you can release the fear of not knowing what’s in your cosmetics, skin care and hair care. PFAs may improve the longevity of a product’s wear, but is waterproof mascara really worth it?
Place your trust in brands that choose earth friendly ingredients over a chemical laundry list. Start your new brand search with some of our favorite all natural brands for makeup, hair care, skin care and more. And just to boost your confidence in them, we looked into every product listed to confirm that all ingredients were plant based and skin safe.
Thrive Care Co.
Thrive skincare has a unique mission for their plant based products: their ingredients are not only natural, but grown in a regenerative model at their farm in Costa Rica.
Their website states the benefits of their model is that “regenerative business blazes our path from the current extractive, economic-rationalist, consumeristic, inequitable, unhealthy world to one where humankind nurtures and is re-coupled with the environment that sustains and inspires us.”
Each product’s ingredients are listed with the utmost transparency, identifying which are plant derived, organic and which support farmland restoration. If you want to know the purpose and benefit of each ingredient, they’ve got you covered there too with a look at their ingredients page.
Shine Skincare Co.
Based on etsy, Shine Skincare Co. has much more to offer than just the beautiful undyed jewel tones of their products. The ingredient list for their Multivitamin Serum is full of fruit extracts and natural oils like blue tansy and meadowfoam.
You may be skeptical about these products being crystal infused, but the quartz in the bottle is skin safe and can be taken out when you’re finished to add to your collection. No PFAs will be present in these products, but natural preservatives will keep it good for up to three months.
Naturistic Bath
Zero waste hair products can be hard to find, but Georgia based etsy shop Naturistic Bath has a wide range of solid shampoo and conditioner bars all packaged in paper. This Lilac and Lavender Shampoo Bar contains natural ingredients like quinoa protein and nettle leaf extract.
With so many scents to choose from, you might be interested in trying their sample set, which gets you matching scented mini bars. While you’re treating your hair all natural, you’ll also be able to find body butters, perfumes and more in this shop.
Rahua
Rahua is named after what seems to be a miracle oil which owner Fabian Lliguin was introduced to while traveling to speak with indigenous tribes in the Amazon Rainforest. The women of the Quechua-Shuar tribe shared a bottle of Rahua oil with him, and the key ingredient continues to be sourced from this tribe and surrounding ones for all products.
Their products are not only all natural, but are sourced with the intention of preserving the environment they come from. “By producing ingredients through revived traditional methods, the tribal communities have established economies and take great pride in their culture and land,” Rahua states on their sustainability page.
The ingredients list on their Classic Shampoo is detailed with the historic use of key ingredients like organic raspberry leaf and palo santo oil, as well as the specific benefits of each.
Clean Faced Cosmetics
All natural makeup can be tricky to find because like Clean Faced Cosmetics says, “Everything is made of chemicals,” but you won’t find any forever ones here. In the Organic Lengthening Mascara, you won’t find any chemicals, though, only simple ingredients like aloe vera juice and activated hardwood charcoal.
Everything from Clean Faced Cosmetics is handmade and in zero waste packaging, and the shop offers product refills in empty containers. With this company, you can have all the colorful mascaras you’re dreaming of, and none of the waterproofing PFAs you’re staying away from.
RMS Beauty
RMS has been creating natural, high-end beauty products since 2009 and fills their makeup with “living ingredients.” Their ingredients page has an index which tells you where ingredients are derived from and what they’re best for.
You know why clean beauty is important to you, and RMS does too. On their page titled “Beauty Truth” it states, “The cosmetics industry in the U.S. is woefully underregulated,” which is why transparency about ingredients is a top priority for them.
Ingredient lists may look intimidating knowing what chemicals could be hiding between the lines, but finding brands which prioritize natural ingredients over PFA assisted shelf life, you’ll find ingredients don’t have to be scary.
-Tori D’Amico