2023 Safer Shopping Guide
A round up of safer beauty brands
You know those gift bundles you find at Bath & Body Works, Sephora or the mall? They make gift shopping so easy by bundling the perfect product duo and trios together. Often, you can even break apart those sets to curate a thoughtful gift for someone special on your list.
At the beginning of my journey to shop for safer everyday products, it was hard to even know where to look, what stores to trust, or where to browse online. It was even harder being on this journey alone! I remember that feeling of angst well and wanted to round up some of my favorite, trusted businesses to shop from this season. This round up really is something I wish I had years ago.
Many of these companies are also small businesses and I hope this round up provides you with helpful options to shop small, and gift safer this season. If a company is having a sale, I did my best to include the details I could find. Under each section, I’ve also indicated pricing by $, $$, $$$. Just like any other market, cosmetics in “clean beauty” fall on a spectrum of affordability. Each of our spending needs range based on many factors, and I hope this round up makes shopping easier for you this year.
***I am an affiliate with Beautycounter, so shopping through the link provided in this section will provide commission to me, at no additional expense to you.***
Beautycounter
Beautycounter is a safer cosmetic company that’s educating about, advocating for, and formulating high performing safer make up, skin and body care. What sets them apart? Their true commitment to creating safer cosmetics and going beyond clean - not only for us as the customer but also for those working in the supply chain.
A stat shared often about this company is the Never List - 2,800+ ingredients the company promises to never use in their products, due to their potential for harmful effects on our bodies and the environment. Now, saying what you’re not going to use is easy - finding a way to still formulate products that work is another ball game - and Beautycounter is doing it well. While their three core skin care regimens span care for those with dry, mature, combination, balanced, and acne prone skin, the company’s Counter+ products make creating a custom skin care routine easy. Not to mention, some of my personal favorite products come from the make up line - creamy blush and lipstick that feels like moisturizer?! Yes, please!
The company is also taking big steps towards responsible packaging - by 2025 Beautycounter is committed to having 100% of packaging be recycled, recyclable, refillable, reusable or compostable!
Holiday Shopping:
Beautycounter is offering 20% off site wide, free shipping on orders over $50 and a free gift of purchase with orders totaling $150+ through November 25th. From body care (think body butters, polishes and body oil) to make up and skin care (think mini best sellers), their holiday sets make gifting easy. You can purchase a set and have a complete gift ready to go, or break up the products from a bundle to create a thoughtful gift for someone on your list. Here are my to picks!
Where to shop: Online, in store, or at these Ulta locations.
Price: $$$
Osmia
Osmia is an artisanal skin and body care company on a mission to bring us healthier, happier skin. The business is lead by a former ER doctor who is passionate about bringing joyful moments to our days and indulging in their products does that just that. With a focus on better ingredients that yield better results, Osmia is a company that cares not only for the safety of products we bring in our home, but also for the health of our planet.
What sets Osmia apart? Their “less is more” approach to handcrafted bar soaps, body oils, and skin care. Osmia uses simple ingredients that yield big results for soft, healthy, calm, moisturized skin. I also love how educative Osmia’s website and branding are. The company offers great support in understanding their products, various skin challenges, and lifestyle factors to invest in a healthful life.
Holiday Shopping:
Osmia’s holiday sets are beautiful - with limited edition candles, lotion, soap and oil, these sets would make a divine gift for a special someone on your list from teens to grandmothers. Osmia is offering 20% off site wide through Monday, November 27th. You can receive 15% off your first order by signing up for their email list, though I’m not sure if the first order code will stack on top of the 20% off. Some of my personal favorites from Osmia include - the Black Clay Facial Soap and the Naked Body Oil.
At any time of the year, you can receive 20% off your order of $100 via refer a friend. Comment below or respond to this email and I will send you the referral code! All I’ll need is your email :)
Where to shop: online
Price: $$$
Josh Rosebrook
One of my absolute favorite brands! My first experience with Josh Rosebrook was through a Beauty Heroes subscription and I have been in love ever since. Josh’s Hydrating Accelerator Mist is 💯 and has become a staple in my routine I don’t think I will ever get rid of.
Josh Rosebrook is making luxurious research based, botanical products that support the health of our skin, scalp, hair, and body. The company also cares deeply about ethical and integrous business practices from traceable ingredients to fair trade suppliers to supporting neglected communities. I deeply appreciate the moment at checkout each time I shop, that invites me to slow down, asking what organization I’d like to donate a portion of my purchase to. It’s something I haven’t seen any other cosmetic company do. And I just love the quote on Josh’s about page, that “true beauty is a way of living, a way of loving yourself.” Now, isn’t that the truth?! This sentiment carries all throughout Josh Rosebrook’s website, products, and branding.
Holiday Shopping
Josh Rosebrook is offering 20% off site wide through Monday, November 27th with the code “holiday.” Some of my favorites include - the Hydrating Accelerator Mist, Cacao Antioxidant Mask, and the Hair Serum Spray. Browsing over the website, I’m reminded how much more I want to dive into and try from this brand! 🤩
Where to shop: online
Price: $-$$$
Lanshin
I first came across Sandra of Lanshin via Instagram. She is the gua sha (pronounced like this: gwah shaw) QUEEN 👑 and Sandra’s goal is to return us all to our original face - “to feeling beautiful in a way that’s completely unchained from weight, youth, or trends. To the way you were always meant to feel—healthy, balanced, and alive from the inside out.”
I remember hearing Sandra talk about our “original face” for the first time just a few weeks ago and I hit the replay button so fast, I couldn't get enough of it. We all know the how pretty manufactured beauty can be, and hearing someone talk about how beautiful our original faces already are, was like water to my soul.
What sets Lanshin apart? Sandra leads us with 20+ years of Traditional Chinese Medicine Dermatology experience, and leads us in a way that brings us back to ourselves through self-care and original face beauty routines. Her products includes crafted gua sha stones for our scalp, face and body. Sandra is also a master educator which is evident in her branding and business - no product comes without video tutorials and resources for how to use these tools effectively.
Holiday Shopping
You can shop Lanshin’s discounted Holiday Sets, up to 40% off, now through Monday November 27th. They’re also running a gift with purchase promo - 2 free oils with an order of $125+. My favorites include the Lanshin Massager (you fill it hot water for the ultimate massage experience 😮💨), the Intro Gua Sha tool, and I’ve had my eye on the scalp comb for quite a while now 👀
Where to shop: online
Price: $$-$$$
cocokind
Listen, it was 2016 and I was newly married. I remember something shifted in me and suddenly, I ready for a big girl skin care routine. Enter: cocokind. For only $60, I purchased a beginner set that came with a full four step routine, plus a mask! 😱I remember being SO excited to dig into each product and see what these whole skin routines were about.
Seven years later, you’ll still find cocokind products on my bathroom shelf. 😇cocokind is a company I absolutely love and have much respect for. Priscilla, the founder, made a commitment to bring safer skin care as accessible as possible to the market. I remember Priscilla sharing about her pricing goal years ago - how committed she was for every product to be under $20-$22. Given I was a newbie to the beauty industry and didn’t have the budget or understanding for high priced cosmetics, cocokind made it possible for me to care for my skin at an approachable price.
I don’t think the $22 max is still in place today, but the commitment to making skin care accessible and approachable absolutely is. What sets them apart? cocokind makes gentle, effective formulas while valuing ultimate transparency in their brand. From affordability to education, cocokind is making beauty a lot less scary and a lot more loving.
Holiday Shopping
cocokind is offering 20% off site wide, 30% off sets and a free Body Cleansing Bar (new product!) with orders totaling $75+. Some of my absolute favorites include - the Ceramide Barrier Serum, daily SPF, Texture Smoothing Cream, Rosewater Toner, and Chia Facial Oil.
Where to shop: online, Target, Whole Foods, Natural Grocers
Price: $
Primally Pure
A rite of passage on almost everyone’s journey with safer cosmetics is the glorious trial and error period of finding a safer deodorant 🙊 That’s precisely when I stumbled upon Primally Pure. Their deodorant were ones of the first safer options I ever tried!
What sets them apart? Primally Pure is a company on mission to get natural skin care products into the market with ingredients inspired by nature and sourced from family owned farms. From face, to hair and body, to home - you can find safer products options across their website. Some of my personal favorites include - Deodorant and Dry Shampoo for Dark Locks.
Holiday Shopping
Primally Pure is offering 20% off site wide and free shipping through Monday, November 27th with the code “pure20” at checkout.
Where to shop: online
Price: $-$$
True Botanicals
The name says it all - True Botanicals is a company creating exceptional botanical skin care products. Clean and sustainable, this brand is one of few formulating products with the MADE SAFE third party certification label. True Botanicals sources quality ingredients and formulates products free from fillers and harsh chemicals. They’re harnessing the power of plants to bring us safer skin and body care.
One area that’s been hard to find products I feel good about using is the bath. A hot bath after a long or stressful day is something my husband and I both sink in to. Aside from epsom salt, my husband has been asking for bath bubbles for years. Thanks to True Botanicals, I finally found some 😉 Their bath bubbles and bath soaks are some of my favorite products! Not to mention how absolutely devine True Botanicals products smell - without the brain fog and headache of typical fragranced products.
Holiday Shopping
True Botanicals is offering 25% off site wide and complimentary shipping for the holiday weekend. You’ll also receive a free 5 piece gift set with orders totaling $250+.
Where to shop: online
Price: $$-$$$
Alright friend, I hope you found this round up helpful for ideas and trusted references to add to your go-to safer brand list. One of my great joys is helping you find the perfect fit products just for you or anyone you may be shopping for. Feel free to leave a comment below (or if you received this in a email, reply!) and I’m happy to talk more about which brand(s) are good for you.
