Top 5 Affordable Clean Beauty and Skincare Brands That Won't Break The Bank
Change can be a hard thing, especially when it comes to our ritual beauty routines. While we’ve been loyal to old-school beauty brands for decades, we were blissfully unaware of the detrimental and toxic ingredients hidden inside our favorite makeup and skincare. But fret not, there’s a new era of beauty beginning and I’m here for it!
When you begin doing research on the latest and greatest clean beauty products on the market, you’re sure to have a moment of sticker shock when you see the prices. Not only are the averages prices doubled, but in many cases tripled from what you are used to spending. It really is a mental exercise to wrap your mind around spending the extra dollars for quality ingredients that both benefit your own body and the planet.
The good news is that with a bit of strategy and resourcefulness, you can actually find bargain deals on clean beauty products that perform beyond your expectations and even still feel luxurious and pampering. I myself have been down several rabbit holes searching the internet for my new favorite and go-to clean beauty and skincare products to always carry in my cosmetic bag. Read on to see my discoveries!
Beautycounter
Okay, I fully acknowledge that Beautycounter is not a budget-friendly brand - but hear me out! Beautycounter is the industry leader in clean skincare products and if you’re paying full-price then you can expect to spend over $50 per bottle of lotion or serum.
I mentioned above the word resourcefulness and here’s the deal: if you sign up for the Beautycounter email alerts then you’ll be notified of their 40% off sales. They don’t come around often but when they do it’s the best time to either stock up or give their products a try. I truly love their Countersun Daily Sheer Defense For Face with SPF 25 and the Counterstart Cococream Cleanser.
Honest Company
I first became familiar with the Honest Company when I signed up for their clean diaper subscription service with my first baby. It’s been a few years since she was born and now they offer a full line of both skincare and makeup beauty products for adults (and clean skincare for babies and toddlers too). My die-hard skincare product with them is the Organic All-Purpose Balm.
This balm squeezes out of a tube and I use it for both my hands and chapped lips. My nightly routine includes a thick layer of this balm on my lips and even on the skin around my lips. After having my kids I developed eczematous cheilitis which is a fancy name for eczema on my lips and surrounding area. This organic balm has calendula officinalis flower extract which is commonly used to soothe eczema prone skin and even to prevent flare ups.
Dossier Perfumes
For those of us who love to give a little morning spritz of a signature perfume scent, beware of the harmful chemicals found in many big name perfume brands. Hidden ingredients such as parabens and phthalates are sprayed directly onto our skin which is absorbed into our bodies. In my book paying tipple digit price points for harmful ingredients is a double no no.
As consumers we have been trained to believe that quality perfume scents should cost around $100. The overuse of frilly packaging, celebrity endorsements and retailer markups all contribute to the high price points. But believe it or not, there are better and cleaner options available.
Dossier has taken the outdated standards of the perfume industry and introduced a new way to feed your fancy for sophisticated scents. Not only are their perfumes free of colorants, UV filters, parabens and phthalates - they also come at a reasonable price point. I would classify them as aromatic scent-alikes to your favorite luxury designer perfumes (but honestly probably smelling a bit better!). Try their Gucci bloom dupe, it smells like floral honeysuckle.
The Dossier price points range from $20 - $60 which is still significantly discounted from what you would pay inside a department store beauty counter. Join the Dossier Club for additional savings and free gifts.
Burt’s Bees Makeup
If you’re a regular reader of my blog you’ve probably seen many mentions of Burt’s Bees over the years. They are the OG of clean makeup and skincare and still lead the pack in the clean beauty industry. One of the best parts of Burt’s Bees is that they are very budget-friendly and widely available at your favorite drugstore. Here in Sacramento I save up my CVS coupons to buy their Tinted Moisturizers, Mattifying Powder Foundation and Nourishing Mascara. I can easily refresh my makeup bag with less than $50!
