Are you looking for a skincare routine free from toxic chemicals? Here are some of the best-rated non toxic skincare brands on the market that can fit every budget!

First and foremost, what is non toxic skincare? Non toxic skincare is free from ingredients that can harm our bodies, like phthalates, sulfates, parabens, and synthetic fragrances. These ingredients are linked to health issues like breast cancer, endocrine (hormonal) disorders, allergic reactions, etc., which is why it’s so important to look at ingredient labels when purchasing skincare products.

Replacing your skincare products for non toxic versions is one of the many steps you should take when trying to live a cleaner lifestyle. Rather than take an all or nothing approach, slowly replace the products you use when you are finished with the cleaner product, that way it isn't overwhelming and you can feel good about not wasting your current products. Here are some of my recommendations for non toxic skincare!

Here's the 5 Best Non Toxic Skincare Brands:

Good Molecules

One of the most affordable skincare brands on the market, AND it’s free from harmful ingredients. They take a science-backed approach and are transparent with exactly what ingredients they use and the percentage of each on their labels, so you will never doubt what you are putting on your body. Safe for you and the environment, and easy on your wallet!

Some of their most popular products include their Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel, Hyaluronic Acid serum, Niacinamide serum, and Discoloration serum. 

The Yerba Mate Eye Wake Up Gel contains caffeine, yerba mate, and hyaluronic acid to help depuff, brighten and hydrate the under eye areas. The gel formula is also nice and soothing, and the tube packaging keeps the gel cool, which is a nice addition to the application experience.

Niacinamide is great for helping minimize the look of pores and brightening and evening your skin tone. This niacinamide serum helps keep the skin looking refreshed, absorbs easily into the skin, and can be used in the morning and evening in your skincare routine. Good molecules also has a niacinamide toner that you can use in addition to the serum for double the benefits!

The Discoloration serum works wonders for post-acne scarring, sun damage, and hyperpigmentation. Tranexamic acid is a key ingredient in helping fade those dark spots and post-blemish scars. If you suffer from hyperpigmentation or scarring on your body, the Discoloration Correcting Body Treatment is a good investment as well. The lightweight formula also absorbs nicely, and as always with skincare, consistency is key with seeing results. 

With all of the above ranging from $6-15, these products are a steal!

Mad Hippie

Another great addition to your skincare routine is Mad Hippie! This brand prides themselves in being free from parabens, phthalates, fragrances, SLS, petroleum, dyes, and more! In addition, they donate a portion of their proceeds to conservation, ensure their packaging can be reused/recycled, and work to reduce their carbon footprint and environmental impact. This is a win-win in my book!

One of the products they are more well-known for is their vitamin C serum, which aims to brighten and smooth skin, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles, so it is especially great for anti-aging, acne-prone, or sun-damaged skin. This formulation also includes vitamin E and ferulic acid, which are antioxidants that pair greatly with vitamin C for hyperpigmentation, skin firmness, and inflammation.

Vitamin C is best applied in the AM and paired with a sunscreen, since it can make your skin more prone to photosensitivity. Luckily, Mad Hippie has a non toxic mineral sunscreen you can add to your routine, both a tinted and non-tinted version, and are reef safe and fragrance free! 

Peach Slices

An extension of the Korean skincare brand, Peach and Lily, Peach Slices is a great affordable option for acne-prone skin. Their toners are exceptional when it comes to treating acne and soothing redness and inflammation, and are dupes to more expensive toners from Paula’s choice and Cosrx. One of the most popular from Peach Slices (and a dupe to the Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin) is the Snail Rescue Blemish Busting Toner, which contains 95% snail mucin, cica, and hyaluronic acid. Snail mucin binds moisture to the skin, and in combination with the cica and hyaluronic acid, helps limit breakouts, fade dark spots, reduce scarring, and stimulate collagen production.

The other toner option is their Acne Exfoliating Toner, which contains 2% salicylic acid to gently exfoliate the skin to de-clog pores and smooth textural irregularities. This is considered a dupe to the Paula’s Choice 2% BHA liquid exfoliant. Both contain the same percentage of salicylic acid, but the Peach slices formulation additionally contains cica and allantoin to reduce redness and inflammation in the skin, which is common in breakouts. With Peach Slices, you get the benefits of Korean skincare paired with affordability. It can’t get better than that!

Biossance

Biossance unleashes the power of squalane, an amazing moisturizing ingredient that closely matches our skin’s own natural moisturizing oils. Biossance engineered their squalane from fermented sugarcane, a more environmentally friendly product; the previous competitor to squalane used to be made from shark livers (glad we don't do that anymore). This brand puts sustainability at the forefront, as they minimize their carbon emissions and reuse the sugarcane pulp to make their packaging. As well, they are EWG certified, so are one of the cleanest, most non toxic brands on the market!

If you're a fan of double-cleansing, their Squalane and Antioxidant Cleansing Oil is the perfect addition to your skincare routine. The cleansing oil attracts the oily substances on your face, like makeup and excess sebum, and helps you get a deeper clean in your pores; follow up with your favorite non-oil cleanser to fully remove any dirt and debris from your face.

Their Squalane and Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping serum is one of their best sellers and has become popular recently for a reason; the squalane helps hydrate and plump the skin and the copper helps with collagen and elastin production, which together help the skin have a smoother and firmer look. 

Simply adding their Squalane Oil to your routine can have amazing benefits as well (different than the cleansing oil mentioned above). It helps penetrate deeper into the layers of the skin, which means more of your skin will be hydrated; it also makes other skincare actives, like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, retinol, etc., more effective. 

Though this brand is more expensive than the previously mentioned, the investment is well worth it and the reviews speak for themselves. It’s never a bad thing to invest in yourself and your skin!

Osea

Osea has been in the non toxic skincare game since 1996. Founded by a mother-daughter team in Malibu, CA, this brand specializes in clean, plant-based ingredients. They are also climate neutral certified and ocean positive verified, so their commitment to environmental sustainability is a huge win both within their products and their community. 

Some of their bestsellers include their Undaria Algae Body Oil, which is a lightweight, hydrating oil that’s great for your post-shower routine, and especially great for dry skin in the winter months. Their Ocean Cleanser is also a great addition to your skincare routine, formulated with lactic acid, a mild exfoliant that helps unclog pores without stripping away all the moisture from your skin. Lastly, their Salts of the Earth Body Scrub is perfect for physical exfoliator for pre- or post-shaving, as it will scrub away those dead skin cells and leave behind ultra smooth skin with the addition of shea butter and wild Gigartina seaweed. 

This brand is a little on the pricier side, but you can buy a mini set of their best sellers to try out before diving into the full-size versions here: https://amzn.to/3HD2MGz. 

*Disclosure: The links in the article above are affiliate links, so if you are inclined to make a purchase based on the recommendations, the author will make a small commission. Thank you for your support if you so choose.*