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On the one hand, the industry’s boom in “clean beauty products” can feel like a wish fulfillment, particularly for those in search of increased ingredient transparency and good-for-you formulas. On the other hand, it can feel incredibly confusing. What makes a product clean (or not), and how necessary is it that everything we put on our faces be clean? With no formal definition of clean (retailers and brands self-define the term), we’ve tapped six beauty industry experts to detail what clean beauty looks like in 2024.
Vogue's Favorite Clean Beauty Products
- Best Clean Fragrance: By Rosie Jane Dulce Eau de Parfum, $75
- Best Clean Body Oil: Osea Undaria Algae Body Oil, $52
- Best Clean Mascara: Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara, $28
- Best Clean Foundation: Youthforia Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation, $48
- Best Clean Blush: Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick, $48
- Best Clean Face Cream: Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream, $60
- Best Clean Face Serum: True Botanicals Chebula Active Serum, $90
What is the meaning of clean beauty?
“Since there’s no single definition of clean, how far a company wants to take that commitment is really up to its founders,” says Gucci Westman. With a similar sentiment, Autumne West explains that brands might define clean by the ingredients used or what is being excluded; plus, production elements like where and how ingredients are sourced also come into play. (Think: the European Union has banned or limited more than 1,600 ingredients in cosmetics, whereas the United States restricts only 11.) This sort of flexibility gives founders the authority to craft clean standards to their liking, and market it to their consumers accordingly.
“We believe that ‘clean beauty’ means setting a rigorous standard when it comes to the safety of our ingredients and formulations,” says Westman of her label’s take. “For us, clean is about a mindset. What we focus on is creating skin care that happens to do your makeup. It’s about the highest level of performance, craftsmanship, and the luxury of knowing that you can feel good about what you’re putting on your body.”
When we asked Sasha Plavsic how Ilia defines clean beauty, she emphasized that a better word for the category would be “thoughtful” to encompass tactful choices around formulas, packaging, marketing, and the planet. “For Ilia, clean beauty as a definition is where the best of natural and safe synthetics collides to create an efficacious product that performs beyond conventional expectations,” she says. Then, there are brands like evolvetogether who are offering fresh takes on sustainability. “We pay extra attention to the total sustainability of our packaging, opting for biodegradable, dissolvable, compostable, reusable, or forever-recyclable mono materials wherever we safely can to minimize single-use plastic waste,” explains founder Cynthia Sakai. Transparency and proper disposal education are just two ways the brand brings this ethos to life.
Read on to discover Vogue's edit of natural ingredient powered, sustainably-focused clean beauty products across skin, hair, body, nails, makeup, and fragrance.
Clean Makeup
Clean makeup is a category we’ve long been excited about, especially after Ilia’s Super Serum Skin Tint burst on the scene, capturing the attention of Vogue editors and celebrities alike. These days, we’ve been eyeing Youthforia’s Date Night foundation for its weightless texture and composition featuring 68% skin care ingredients (founder Fiona Co Chan says you can even sleep in it). Then, take a vibrant flush of color to the eyes, lips, and cheeks with Westman Atelier's blush stick, or warm up your complexion with Merit's butter bronzer. As for a naturally-derived mascara, co-founder Annie Jackson recommends Exa’s amplifying formula for “dramatic and bold definition.” For final touches, swipe on a vibrant crimson or taupe with newly-debuted lipsticks by Merit and Westman.
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Clean Skin Care
Every routine starts with a good cleanse. A favorite of Westman’s, the Pai cleansing oil is enriched with rosehip fruit extract, omegas, and carotenoids to slough away impurities and protect skin. Think of it as the ultimate step one in a double-cleansing regimen, perhaps followed by Youth To The People's gel that’s packed with kale, spinach, and green tea. Moving onto treatments, give skin TLC with Eminence’s resurfacing mask to soothe inflamed skin and reduce the look of wrinkles, or take your pick of face serums by Tata Harper and Vintner’s Daughter, that offer luxury takes on natural-based skincare. Follow these up with Biossance’s ceramdide-rich reparative face cream.
Clean Hair Care
Wave goodbye to harsh chemicals in your hair-care arsenal when you give these a try. There is Innersense’s ultra-rich conditioner known to quench thirsty strands or Briogeo’s acclaimed reparative shampoo . Otherwise, Jackson reveals her penchant for Maya Chia’s no-rinse elixir: “It has a patent-pending formula that provides a lightweight bonding treatment that helps reduce breakage significantly and deeply repair, nurture and protect the hair's bonds.”
Those with sensitive scalps might consider SEEN’s hair-care lineup as dermatologist and founder Dr. Iris Rubin ensures “all formulas are safe for sensitive skin and available fragrance-free for those with fragrance sensitivities,” and also earn the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance. For everyday styling, look no further than Ceremonia’s heat protectant spray or Bread Beauty Supply’s nourishing hair gloss to lock in moisture with just a few drops of product.
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Clean Body Care
The latest innovations in body care allow anyone to treat their body like their face, giving it all the TLC to stay smooth, moisturized, and flake-free. For example, ingrown hairs don’t stand a chance against Fur’s hair-softening oil. The hands and armpits receive VIP treatment with Nécessaire’s luxe cream and Kosas’s AHA-powered serum deodorant.
As for the rest of the body, buff away dry patches with Costa Brazil’s nutrient-rich scrub, known to reveal bright, radiant skin. Once you’re out of the bath, lock in hydration with Tata Harper’s firming body balm or Osea’s acclaimed oil that counts two of our retailer experts as fans. “[This] is hands down the most gorgeous, incredible smelling, cushiony body oil,” shares Jackson. “It’s like being in a sweet-smelling ocean and leaves behind silky smooth skin.”
Clean Fragrance
Even the fragrance industry offers up a great selection of characteristic scents free of toxic ingredients. According to West, La Perla’s perfume “is a perfect blend of soft with a little sass, and easy to wear in any season,” and Malin+Goetz’s vetiver fragrance smells of freshly-cut grass and peak summertime vibes. Henry Rose perfumes are namechecked by Jackson, where each scent is EWG Verified and Cradle to Cradle Certified. Otherwise, Phlur perfumes—inspired by feelings, moods, and memories—and The Nue Co.’s scents, free from toxic preservatives, additives, flavorings, and sweeteners, are worth adding to cart.
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Clean Nail Care
Any at-home manicure could benefit from non-toxic nail-care solutions. Brands like Hermès, Sundays, Nails Inc., and Olive & June offer polishes in an array of bold and nude shades to achieve any look you’re going for. While you’re at it, pick up Tenoverten’s strengthening base coat or JINsoon’s quick-dry top coat to keep your nails in tip-top shape.
How to Shop Clean Beauty Products
“Consumers still need to do their homework to make sure the brands’ definitions of “clean” align with their own when selecting products,” says Dr. Iris Rubin, illuminating that a ‘clean’ or ‘natural’ label on a product does not mean it’s inherently better for you. To help shoppers cut through the vast beauty marketplace, retailers have also evolved to demystify clean beauty standards. Inside Nordstrom’s natural beauty category, one can find cosmetics “free of sulfates, phthalates, parabens, petrochemicals, mineral oil, silicone, and talc; also free of formaldehyde, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, triclocarban, gluten, artificial preservatives, fragrances, nanoparticles, EDTA and DEA” as listed by West.
Then there are dedicated marketplaces like Credo, which only carry products that have earned its sought-after clean stamp of approval. “Clean is the intersection of safety, sustainability, ethics, and transparency—and it applies to the ingredients, manufacturing processes, the beauty product itself, and to packaging,” shares Annie Jackson of the retailer’s approach in an effort to uncloak the veil of secrecy that has long shrouded the beauty industry. “We created the Credo Clean Standard in 2018—it’s a document that defines Clean Beauty at Credo—and every one of the 120+ brands we partner with needs to sign and comply with our Standard.”
Meet The Experts
- Annie Jackson, co-founder of Credo
- Autumne West, national beauty director at Nordstrom
- Cynthia Sakai, founder of evolvetogether
- Dr. Iris Rubin, dermatologist and founder of SEEN Hair Care
- Gucci Westman, Co-Founder & Creative Director at Westman Atelier
- Sasha Plavsic, founder of Ilia Beauty