The Good Trade editors endorse products we’ve personally researched, tested, and genuinely love. Learn more about our methodology and business model here.
We’ve personally used and researched clean skincare brands for years — these are our top picks with natural, organic, and nontoxic ingredients at a range of price points.
A daily skincare regimen is one of the easiest ways to ensure both long-term skin health and a glowing complexion. Natural and organic skincare products, in particular, combine essential vitamins, botanicals, and minerals that heal and restore our skin — without harming our bodies or the earth. They are our favorite accessible types of products we turn to when we’re looking to improve and care for our skin.
Why choose clean skincare products?
Natural skincare products are great if you’re looking to boost your skin’s health with fewer artificial ingredients, chemicals, and fragrances. Unfortunately many skincare products include harmful chemicals which can compromise our skin and our health (like parabens, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances, which can mess with your skin’s natural balance or cause irritation). Rather, natural skincare harnesses the power of ingredients like plant extracts and oils that are typically gentler on the skin, with fewer chances of adverse effects. These ingredients also tend to be richer in absorbable vitamins and nutrients that help support your skin barrier.
Natural skincare brands also lean towards sourcing their ingredients sustainability, and minimizing their impact on the environment through organic farming and eco-friendly packaging. If you’re looking to lessen your exposure to synthetics, opting for clean skincare can expose you to less potential harmful ingredients, while helping better our planet!
What ingredients should you look out for?
When choosing skincare, it’s just as important to know what to avoid as it is to know what to look for. Steer clear of harsh ingredients like parabens, which are preservatives that can disrupt hormones, and phthalates, often used in fragrances, as they may harm your health. Synthetic fragrances and artificial dyes can irritate sensitive skin and trigger allergies, so opt for products with natural scents or no added fragrance. Avoid sulfates (like SLS and SLES), which are harsh cleansing agents that can strip your skin of its natural oils, leaving it dry and irritated. Ingredients like formaldehyde and its releasers (such as DMDM hydantoin) are a no-go, as they are potential carcinogens. Lastly, avoid triclosan, an antibacterial agent linked to hormone disruption and environmental harm. By skipping these ingredients, your skin and health will thank you in the long run!
It’s important to look for ingredients that are gentle, effective, and naturally derived. Below we’ve listed a couple of ingredients that we love seeing in our clean skincare products!
- Hyaluronic acid: A must-have for hydration, as it helps your skin retain moisture and keeps it looking plump and healthy.
- Vitamin C: A beneficial ingredient, known for brightening the skin, reducing dark spots, and protecting against environmental damage caused by free radicals.
- Collagen & vegan collagen: For a boost in skin elasticity, look for collagen, which helps maintain a firm complexion. Vegan collagen is also a great way to boost your skins own natural collagen without relying on animal-derived sources.
- Plant-based oils: Jojoba, argan, and, rosehip oils are fantastic for deeply moisturizing the skin without clogging pores or causing breakouts.
- Gentle exfoliants: Natural options like fruit enzymes from papaya or pineapple can smooth your skin while being kinder than harsh scrubs.
- Soothing ingredients: To calm irritation or redness, ingredients like aloe vera, chamomile, and green tea extract work wonders.
- Niacinamide (vitamin B3): A powerhouse ingredient for balancing oil production, reducing the appearance of pores, and improving overall skin texture.
- Squalane: A lightweight yet highly effective hydrator that mimics your skin’s natural oils. Plant-based squalane is a great cruelty-free alternative, too!
One of our favourite one-stop shops that offers all things natural skincare is our go-to clean beauty marketplace Credo. All skincare products on the website must meet the ‘The Credo Clean Standard’ which ensures only the safest and most sustainable products that support our communities and the planet can be sold. (Meaning your dollar supports only the best of the best).
Unsure if an ingredient in a skincare brand is clean? Use EWG’s Skin Deep search engine to find out if an ingredient, brand, or product is safe for you.
Our criteria:
Our editors have tested, researched, and read through thousands of customer reviews to determine the very best clean skincare brands that are safe, use thoughtful ingredients, and are accessible for different types of skin and budgets. We update this list regularly with emerging favorites that meet the below criteria.
- ORGANIC & NONTOXIC | Each of these skincare products is made with natural, organic, and nontoxic ingredients that are safe and nourishing for your skin.
- EFFICACY | We’ve tested and researched these skincare brands to ensure their formulas are effective and will support your skin’s needs with consistent use.
- AFFORDABILITY | Natural beauty can be expensive! We’ve included brands that are easy on the wallet so we can all benefit from incorporating a little more clean skincare into our routines.
If you love natural skincare products, check out our favorite natural and organic makeup brands and our guide to all-natural moisturizers. And, if you’re looking for clean and organic cleansers that’ll purify your hair and skin without the added toxins, our toxin-free hair products guide and natural face wash guide cover all the bases.
Best Overall | Most Affordable | Best Luxury | Most Hydrating
1. cocokind
Best For | Budget-friendly skincare
Natural & Organic | Certified organic & natural ingredients, cruelty-free, gluten-free
Price Range | Cleanser ($15), Moisturizer ($23)
When you want your skin to feel catered to, check out the ultra-affordable cocokind. Whether you’re looking for cleansers and creams or exfoliators and essences, you can shop the brand’s offerings based on your skin type. All of cocokind’s products are cruelty-free, sustainably made, and thoughtfully packaged in recyclable materials. (And most of its formulas feature certified organic ingredients!) Look at the label on each product to learn more about its sustainability and ethics. This is our go-to option for affordable organic SPF that you can snag while at Target!
Our Editor’s Review | “Since beginning to use cocokind’s serums, I feel younger. My skin feels well-hydrated and happy, and so does my spirit. I don’t know how much better my skin might look if I had been using serum (I choose not to dwell on the past), but I can say the first night I used cocokind, my skin honestly tightened and plumped and I woke up the next morning looking TAUT…which is different than HOT…but still awesome.” – Trinity Wilbourn, Contributing Editor (Read the full review.)
ALSO AVAILABLE AT:
TARGET
THRIVE MARKET
2. Ursa Major
Best For | Gender & skin inclusive skincare
Natural & Organic | Natural, plant-based ingredients, vegan, cruelty-free
Price Range | Cleanser ($32), Moisturizer ($54)
The team behind Ursa Major understands the power of nature, which is why these products are plant-powered and formulated only with clean ingredients — you won’t find petrochemicals or synthetic fragrances in this collection. Instead, enjoy products made with sea fennel, shea butter, and sustainably certified palm oil, just to name a few. The brand is also certified plastic negative, has a carbon-neutral office, and uses recyclable packaging. If you were once a fan of the Clean & Clear Morning Burst cleanser (ahhh we were), Ursa Major’s face wash gives us all the energizing fragrance and exfoliation we love, without the microbeads or sulfates. (It’s a mood booster every morning!) Whether you’re after serums, tonics, balms, or washes, this certified B Corp has your skin covered.
Customer Review | “I love Golden Hour Recovery Cream! After 1 day of using it I noticed improvements in the way my skin feels. After a few days, I noticed my irritated skin was calmed. I am now on my second jar of Golden Hour, and I am sticking with it!! It feels light and fresh but is so nourishing.” – Devon S. (Read more reviews.)
ALSO AVAILABLE AT:
CREDO
THRIVE MARKET
THE DETOX MARKET
3. True Botanicals
Best For | Anti-aging oils & serums
Natural & Organic | Organic & wildcrafted ingredients, MADE SAFE certified, sustainably sourced, Leaping Bunny certified, vegan
Price Range | Cleanser ($48), Moisturizer ($110)
Using nature’s most restorative and nourishing ingredients (like chebula, an ayurvedic fruit, and algae extract), this award-winning skincare brand has something for everyone. From the acne-prone skincare sets to the pregnancy-safe products, True Botanicals uses only organic and wildcrafted ingredients. Everything we’ve tried, we love, but the Pure Radiance Oil is a favorite with our team and the beauty community for a reason — it’s divine and shows real results in skin texture and radiance. We also love that this company offers a skincare quiz so that you can find the best products for you, and that you can subscribe for discounts.
Our Editor’s Review | “…I’m impressed with the quality of True Botanicals and their formulas. Everything is so highly concentrated and effective that it’s hard to be mad about the price point — these are definitely worth the investment if you can swing ‘em.” – Henah Velez, Contributing Editor (Read the full review.)
ALSO AVAILABLE AT:
CREDO
THE DETOX MARKET
4. OSEA
Best For | Seaweed-infused skincare
Natural & Organic | PEG & gluten-free, hand-harvested natural ingredients, Leaping Bunny certified, vegan
Price Range | Cleanser ($48), Moisturizer ($54)
Founded 25 years ago, OSEA boasts a safe skincare collection that is healthy for our bodies and the earth. The brand’s products contain natural, plant-derived ingredients (hello, vegan-friendly), with one of the most notable inclusions being the sustainably harvested seaweed. This powerful ingredient, combined with pure, cold-pressed essential oils, makes OSEA products nourishing and one-of-a-kind. The brand is also Climate Neutral Certified, powered by renewable energy, and uses glass & recyclable packaging.
Our Editor’s Review | “This is my go-to gel cleanser every morning! The light citrus notes help wake me up and offer a boost of energy. Two to three small pumps are plenty to cover my neck and face and gently exfoliate my skin. My face always feels refreshed and soft after just a few minutes of this.” – Kayti Christian, Senior Content Strategist (Read the full review.)
ALSO AVAILABLE AT:
CREDO
THE DETOX MARKET
5. Herbivore Botanicals
Best For | Skincare with raw, natural ingredients
Natural & Organic | Certified organic & natural ingredients, Leaping Bunny certified, vegan
Price Range | Cleanser ($42), Moisturizer ($46)
Herbivore Botanicals is all about “skinimalism.” The team believes skincare should be an easy and enjoyable part of our daily routines, and so it crafts natural and certified organic formulas that we love to stock on our bathroom shelves. (And not only do they look good, but they smell amazing, too!) Every ingredient is cruelty-free, vegan, and responsibly sourced — like olive-derived squalane, aromatic jasmine oil, and blue tansy in its best-selling Lapis Face Oil. Our team loves the foaming cleansing bar soap: It lathers well, travels well, and comes in at a reasonable price. Bonus — the packaging is recyclable and is formulated to work well for sensitive skin.
Customer Review | “This stuff is liquid gold. In the past 10 years since I first tried it, I’ve never found any other product that does as much for my skin as this oil does. This oil obliterates my acne almost overnight — I also have extremely sensitive skin that overproduces oil/sebum to the point that it results in face dandruff (that to the untrained eye looks like flaky dry skin), but this balances it out making my skin look so dewy and healthy when NOTHING else works, not even prescription medicine. I hope to use this stuff until I die.” – Abigail (Read more reviews.)
ALSO AVAILABLE AT:
CREDO
THE DETOX MARKET
6. Attitude
Best For | Solid & plastic-free skincare
Natural & Organic | EWG-verified, plastic-free packaging, vegan, cruelty-free, 92.9% natural origin ingredients
Price Range | Cleanser ($20), Moisturizer ($20)
Attitude’s Oceanly skincare line is worth all the rave–and here’s why: It’s made from 92.9% natural ingredients, is EWG-verified (meaning it is free of any concerning ingredients) and best of all, the whole line comes in plastic-free packaging and solid formulas that are super sustainable and easy to travel with. Both their bestselling anti-aging and mattifying solid skin creams last 204 uses (that’s six months!) and are made with phytoglycogen, which is known for reducing age spots and wrinkles. The brand also prioritizes its environmental initiatives by planting one tree for each purchase of its skincare line. Did we mention the line is also vegan and cruelty-free? We’ll take one of everything!
Customer Review | “Love the application method, no more messy creams to slather on my face. My sensitive, acne-prone skin glows with this product. Little to no breakouts since using this and my face doesn’t get oily anymore. I used the quiz to find recommendations and I’m very glad I went with the suggestion.” – Auna B. (Read more reviews.)
ALSO AVAILABLE AT:
THRIVE MARKET
7. One Love Organics
Best For | Re-balancing skin
Natural & Organic | Certified organic & natural ingredients, cruelty-free, ECOCERT certified, dermatologist tested formulas
Price Range | Cleanser ($45), Moisturizer ($59)
Founder Suzanne LeRoux started One Love Organics to put her passion for holistic, natural health, and beauty to action through her collection of innovative, plant-forward skincare. Small-batch crafted and free from fillers and shortcuts, One Love Beauty’s skincare line is simplistic, refreshing, and yields impressive results! One of the brand’s bestsellers, the Skin Dew Coconut Water Cream is a lightweight yet moisture-packed cream that includes pro-ceramide conditioners, fatty-acid-rich sea botanicals and is of 99% natural origins! Bundle it with their Enzyme Cleansing Oil and Facial Serum for silky and nourished skin all day long.
Customer Review | “One of my top favorite cleansers that I will continue to buy every time it empties. Gentle and hydrating but also takes off all my makeup. I love the scent and feel of my skin after washing.” – Ashley G. (Read more reviews.)
ALSO AVAILABLE AT:
CREDO
THE DETOX MARKET
8. Junk Theory
Best For | Recyclable skincare
Natural & Organic | Nearly zero plastic bottles, certified natural & organic ingredients, non-GMO
Price Range | Cleanser ($28), Moisturizer ($58)
Junk Theory is all about taking care of our earth by creating a junk-free world. This includes skincare products that contain ‘no junk ingredients and no junk packaging’. With more plastic packaging created yearly than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy (we’re just as shocked too), zero-waste alternatives are needed now more than ever. Junk Theory is working hard to combat this with clean skincare offered in recyclable aluminum containers that don’t break like glass and are easy to reuse and recycle. These minimalistic bottles and jars are filled to the brim with premium cleansing, moisturizing, and treatment formulas that are made with organic ingredients and are inspired by nature. Get your glow on while treating our earth kinder.
Customer Review | “Brilliant product with smooth application and all day lasting hydration. The only cream I have used which has cleared up dry patches on my skin and smoothed out my complexion. I have tried many creams over many years without the success of Camo. A mighty miracle in a tin!” – Alison (Read more reviews.)
9. Matrescence
Best For | Pregnancy-safe skincare
Natural & Organic | Certified organic & plant-based ingredients, nontoxic, vegan, cruelty-free
Price Range | Cleanser ($62), Moisturizer ($68)
Matrescence skincare is targeted towards typical maternity- and pregnancy-related issues such as hormonal acne, melasma, and stretch marks. Using only certified organic and sustainably sourced, plant-based ingredients, the brand creates powerful botanical formulas that are both pregnancy-safe and gentle on your skin, Matrescence also offers body butters, oils, and scrubs so you can take care of yourself head-to-toe! We also love that they use ethical sourcing with EWG-verified options, and recyclable & eco-friendly packaging.
Customer Review | “A little of this product goes a long way! I’m usually challenged with finding the right moisturizer for my face – some are too greasy, some don’t have a lasting hydration. But this luxurious soufflé is awesome. It leaves my skin feeling super hydrated without any greasy residue feeling afterward. It’s my last step in the Rose Glow Trio skincare routine!” -Sarah B. (Read more reviews.)
10. 100% PURE
Best For | Fruit-infused skincare
Natural & Organic | Certified organic & natural ingredients, vegan, cruelty-free
Price Range | Cleanser ($30), Moisturizer ($24)
100% PURE‘s certified organic products contain the very best ingredients and nutrients. The brand’s natural cleansers and masks detox and refresh skin, and the natural facial scrubs exfoliate and buff away bumps, flakes, and dullness. Plus, 100% PURE offers a full line of cosmetics and personal care products, and comes in recyclable packaging. We love their calendula cleansing milk and waterless cleansers (the lavender oat milk one smells good enough to drink). But for something truly luxurious, we recommend any of their sea culture products — SO good. Don’t be surprised when this company becomes your one-stop shop for all-natural products.
Customer Review | “Really like this moisturizer! I am very picky with the products I use and choose with my 49 y/o skin. This is a slightly thick, not greasy and not too heavy but deep moisturizer! And it’s a great price! A keeper in my books!” – Tina M. (Read more reviews.)
ALSO AVAILABLE AT:
THRIVE MARKET
THE DETOX MARKET
