April is Earth Month, so what better time to stock up on your sustainable favorites and discover some new green beauty buys? I found some real standouts amongst the countless products with eco-friendly ingredients and packaging, that are made with earth-conscious manufacturing processes.
Here are some of my favorite beauty and wellness items that will help you look and feel your best!
FACE
Purdori Hydra Refresh Aloe Vera Lotion ($72)
This new luxury skincare line creates products using natural, efficacious ingredients housed in 100 percent recyclable and FSC-certified packaging. This lotion contains ingredients like bakuchiol, which is a gentle alternative to retinol, as well as soothing ingredients like rosa damascena flower water and aloe vera juice. The lotion feels rich and indulgent, without leaving a residue on the skin. The brand also has a lovely gentle cleanser, the Soothing Natural Face Cleanser.
Feather & Bone Face Gems ($8.99 and up)
This female-founded, minority-owned beauty brand is committed to the creation of no-waste products. The Face Gems, which contain just three ingredients; Indian sandalwood, Fuller’s Earth, and corn starch, are the first-ever face wash tablet. You add water to create a paste and massage onto the face for a deep, exfoliating cleanse at home or on the road. I also really like their Soothing Balm, which is a rich body balm for dry and itchy skin that is made with three ingredients and packaged in a portable tin. The brand wastes no water in production and there is no unsafe chemical runoff. One tree is planted for every order.
Vitamasques Ceramide Avocado Repair Sheet Mask ($2.97 at Walmart)
This soothing Korean sheet mask contains over 90 percent natural, dermatologist-tested ingredients, including multi-molecular hyaluronic complex, avocado extract, and ceramide. The sheet mask itself uses biodegradable plant-based bio-cellulose technology, allowing for effective delivery of the ingredients, and it is biodegradable after use. The outer packaging is certified plastic-negative.
Desavery Stellar Serum ($90)
This face oil helps to nourish and brighten the skin with prickly pear seed oil and Vitamins K & E while helping to calm the nervous system with clary sage and bergamot. It smells divine and should be savored when applied. The oil is recommended to be paired with their Smooth hyaluronic serum, which also contains clary sage and bergamot. The hand-poured products contain organic ingredients and the products are packaged in glass bottles, rather than plastic.
Skwad Starter Kit for Teens ($117)
This gender-neutral skincare collection for teens was founded by a mom of a teen daughter, and the products were designed with Hawaiian values of sustainable packaging and custom-made marine-safe formulations. The set contains an exfoliating face wash, face and body toning spray, hydrating moisturizer, and a nourishing face mask/shaving cream, packaged in aluminum bottles. The kit comes with a recycled grey RPET canvas pouch with a waterproof, recycled polyester lining, which is perfect for transporting products to athletic events, to school, or on trips.
BODY
KORRES Body Smoothing Milk ($27, currently $18.90)
This Greek, family-owned brand has been in the clean beauty space before it was a “thing,” creating sustainable beauty products in a full-circle fashion, from the seed to the final product. They have a broad range of beautiful products for the face and body, and I am a fan of their emollient Body Smoothing Milk, which comes in a variety of formulations for different skin concerns.
Smoosh Body Smoosh ($39 for one scrubber and 2 soaps)
You’re probably wondering what a Body Smoosh is! It’s a silicone body scrubber with over 1,110 exfoliating “fingers,” with a central hole for a Smoosh Soap. The antimicrobial scrubber can be reused indefinitely, and the long-lasting bar soaps don’t contain water – nor do they require a plastic bottle, like a body wash – so the products have a light carbon footprint. The Smoosh scrubber is available in 4 colors, and the soaps come in 4 scents and unscented. My favorite is the spicy Amber Santal.
Reveka Skincare’s Tea Tree + Peppermint Body Bar ($38.97 for 4)
This rich, refreshing, and luxurious bar soap can be used on the face, body, and hair, and is ideal for both cleansing and shaving. It contains clean ingredients like tea tree, peppermint, and shea butter, as well as magnesium chloride from the Ancient Zechstein Seabed. Topical magnesium is known to soothe the skin, promote new tissue growth, and provide relief for skin conditions, like acne, eczema, and psoriasis. The packaging is biodegradable.
Foria Everyday Body Oil with Organic Botanicals ($42)
Foria is known for its midlife-focused personal care products for the body, face, and intimate bits. This Body Oil is a blend of hydrating and soothing ingredients, like calendula, rose hip oil, and sea buckthorn, and it feels and smells heavenly. I like their unscented Everyday Body Wash ($36) as well, which is pH-balanced and a blend of olive, avocado, sweet almond, jojoba, and castor oils. The products are packaged in recyclable glass packaging or reusable plastic, and the ingredients are locally sourced and organic with transparent third-party testing.
Bubbeau Cuticle Oil Box Set ($19.00)
The first of its kind, this Japanese-made cuticle oil is housed in single-use biodegradable shells that maintain the freshness and efficacy of the natural ingredients, which include safflower seed oil, avocado oil, MCT oil, and jasmine and vanilla oils. To apply, pop the bead with your fingers and massage the oil into the cuticles for a fast-absorbing nourishing treatment. The product is vegan, free from parabens and mineral oil, and is not tested on animals.
EO Warm Embrace Bath Oil in Rose Geranium ($14.99)
EO is known for its high standards in eco-friendly personal care products. The ingredients are sustainably farmed, the packaging is recyclable, and their manufacturing runs on 100 percent renewable energy. This relaxing bath oil, a Good Housekeeping Sustainable Innovation Award Winner, contains jojoba and shea butter as well as seed oils from raspberries and elderberries. There is also a Sweet Slumber bath oil with lavender and chamomile, and a Body Boost bath oil with eucalyptus and lemon.
Canary Concentrated Foaming Hand Soap Starter Kit ($15)
This new personal and home care product collection aims to rid the planet of plastics and streamline our sinks and counters. The Foaming Hand Soap Kit comes with a reusable bottle and two plastic-free soap slices, which are available in Cedar Mint and Fir Needle + Sage scents. To create your foaming hand soap, drop small pieces of a soap slice into the bottle filled with warm water and allow the pieces to dissolve. Refill slices are also available.
Renpure Coconut Milk & Vitamin E Moisturizing Body Wash ($6.16)
This creamy body wash looks and feels like it’s significantly more expensive than it is. It contains coconut oil, hydrolyzed milk protein, and vitamin E, which leave skin feeling clean and soft. The brand excludes over 1600 chemicals and focuses on sustainability with 99% PCR (post-consumer recycled material) and the bottle is 100 recyclable.
CYKLAR Body Cream ($58)
This buttery body cream contains a host of nutrient-rich ingredients, like banana flower extract, niacinamide, prickly pear extract, and ethylhexyl olivate & squalene, derived from upcycled olives. The scent is Crescent, which is a sensual blend of bergamot, citrus, woody scents, and a touch of floral. The cream is packaged in a glass, reusable jar, and customers are encouraged to order refills, which are hand-filled in a compostable pouch.
HAIR
Babo Botanicals Shampoo and Conditioner Collection ($18 each)
Available in formulations for oily, dry, and curly hair, these sulfate and silicone-free shampoos and conditioners are brand new from Babo Botanicals. The brand uses a blend of oils, extracts, and fruits that provide work to the communities where the ingredients are sourced. The shampoos and conditioners are packaged in a unique water-resistant carton that uses 80% less plastic than classic bottles. Babo Botanicals is a certified B-Corp, Leaping Bunny, and Animal Test Free by PeTA. Their products are vegan and cruelty-free.
PURA D’OR HairClimax: Healing Virgin Hair Masque ($15.99)
This creamy mask, which is packaged in a bamboo jar, contains a signature blend of select organic ingredients to moisturize the hair and scalp and improve volume and shine. PURA D’OR prides itself on sourcing pure ingredients from around the world, which are responsibly sourced and tested for purity. The packaging is recyclable, and the brand utilizes renewable energy in its state-of-the-art, solar-powered facility. For every product sold, a tree is planted.
The Beachwaver Co. Charcoal Shampoo Bar ($17.10)
Bar shampoos are an excellent way to reduce the carbon footprint of shampoo. This vegan bar cleanses, refreshes, and exfoliates the scalp with organic shea butter and coconut. The outer packaging can be recycled or tossed in a composting bin.
SUNDRY
Leaf Shave Dermaplaner ($59)
This all-metal tool removes facial peach fuzz while also exfoliating the skin. The set is available in a variety of stylish metal colors and includes a stand, 2 blades and 2 blade guards, one precision clip, and a refill pack of 10 blades and 10 blade guards. The brand’s collection of plastic-free shaving tools is 100 percent carbon-neutral certified, refillable, recyclable, and zero-waste. Save 10 percent sitewide throughout April and 20 percent from April 19-22.
SURI Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush ($92, replacement heads are $18.71 for 3)
Did you know that each year, 4 billion toothbrushes are thrown away? SURI, which is Climate Neutral Certified and fully B Corp accredited, is committed to changing that with their reusable electric toothbrushes. To take their sustainable quest a step further, the brush heads are made from plant-based corn starch, the bristles from castor oil, and the body of the brush is made from long-lasting aluminum, reducing reliance on petroleum-based plastics. The company has also joined forces with ClimatePartner to offset 100 percent of its emissions, including in its manufacturing and transportation. The 2-mode brushes are available in several chic colors, come with a mirror mount and charging base, and the rechargeable battery lasts for more than 40 days on a full charge.
GuruNanda Concentrated Mouthwash ($8.78)
Water is heavy, so many eco-friendly products aim to eliminate it as much as possible to reduce their carbon footprint. This mouthwash was designed by a team of Western and Ayurvedic oral care experts and contains seven sustainably harvested pure essential oils. It contains no alcohol, fluoride, preservatives, or gluten, and it is not tested on animals. The contents of this tiny 2oz., recycled plastic bottle can be used as many as 300 times. To use, simply dilute a few drops in water.
Dazzle Dry Starter Mini Kit ($40)
This mini kit is the perfect way to get started with woman-owned, USA-made Dazzle Dry, which according to the brand, is the cleanest nail brand on the market. The Starter Kits come with mini sizes of everything you need for a fast-drying, long-lasting manicure, including nail prep, base coat, top coat, and more. The products are developed by a bio-organic chemist Dr. Vivian Valenty, with an innovative, nail-strengthening polymer base coat that allows the polish to expand and contract on the nails for long wear. Dazzle Dry does not animal test, and the products are hypoallergenic and free from reactive ingredients and animal by-products. The brand uses biodegradable, recyclable packaging materials and they plant one tree for every order placed through We Forest.