My Clean Beauty Must-Haves
I follow this girl Gracie Norton on TikTok and she is the ultimate holistic practices and clean beauty guru! She posts about amazing recipes, hacks, and all the clean beauty essentials. She has me super inspired to swap out some of my favorite (but possibly toxic filled) products to try out some clean beauty products. I took to IG, as my favorite resource for research… I could just google it like a normal person but I trust you guys WAY more than a typical google search. So after taking advice from many of you I went ahead and bought some of the products that looked the most promising and that filled gaps in my routine!
Here are favorites and my true experience with the following…
First Up Body Oil
This was the number one thing I wanted to find. I have a Neutrogena Body Oil that I LOVE but it is not exactly considered clean beauty. So I asked my followers what their favorite clean beauty body oil is because that is my number one priority on my clean beauty list. Let me be clear, when I say people flooded my inbox with the brand OSEA… I am not kidding. I went to the OSEA website to check it out and I was a little stressed to see the Algae Body Oil for $48 . They had a 1 oz size for $12, so I added that to my cart and checked out immediately before I spent any more money on anything else. I was skeptical that a natural body oil could really be worth $48 but after trying the small version of it I can confirm it is entirely lovely. I still haven’t made the investment on the $48 bottle but I am thoroughly enjoying the 1 oz bottle oil. I have a feeling I will be tempted to purchase the large bottle when this one is through. It is expensive but it does feel like a luxury item and there aren’t tons of body oils that compare quality.
As a more affordable option I found the Burt’s Bees Mama Body Oil, this is straight up a body oil for moms to be! But it has clean ingredients, vitamin E, and a citrus scent! Plus this one you can get for under $9 at 4 ounces! I actually loved this body oil. It does not feel as luxurious as the Osea oil. I don’t know if that comes down to the packaging and marketing on the products. Either way, I would say I preferred to Osea but I will be more likely to add this oil to my cart again before I’ll splurge on the expensive one. I say this because I LATHER myself in body oil. I feel like I don’t have to be as sparing with the Burt’s Bees oil..
Next Up Vitamin C Serums
Glo C-Shield Anti-Polution Drops
Between my two vitamin C serums, this is by far more expensive but also I believe it is a better product. If you have the financial freedom to spend extra on skin care, I think this is worth it. The description on their site says,it protects against environmental stressors and pollutants, the potent vitamin C complex feeds and fortifies skin’s protective barrier. Antioxidant blend neutralizes damaging blue light and free radicals, reducing redness, calming irritation, and protecting against signs of premature aging. Vitamin C and tripeptide blend supports skin’s clarity, giving a brightening, radiant boost. This is really far more than a vitamin C serum.
Vitamin C Serum from Cleen Beauty
This Vitamin C Serum had amazing reviews and I feel like it mostly lived up to the hype. Especially at the price point it’s at, I was not disappointed. I put this vitamin C oil on before my daily moisturizer and sunscreen. It gives the skin a nice glow and hydration. The water-like serum is formulated with Vitamin C, known to brighten and reduce the appearance of dark spots, and papaya for its natural exfoliating properties, to help buff away dead skin cells. In addition, licorice root and ferulic acid are used to improve the skin's natural glow. The serum is also infused with turmeric providing the deep orange hue. After use, the skin will be left with a recharged glow.
Skin Care
Okay next up is a product I want to highlight because I actually met the founder and creator of this product and I absolutely love it. It is called Strategy. Amanda the mind behind it all spent almost 5 years formulating this product. She was so passionate about making this a quality skin care product that wasn’t just another serum to add to your collection, this is a retinal serum that I use at the end of every day. It is a multi-corrective, next-generation vitamin A serum that reduces the appearance of uneven texture, expression lines and wrinkles faster than traditional retinol.
Amanda personally set up a discount code for my readers to use. Use code Susie15 at check out for 15% off!
Good Molecule
Caffeine Energizing Hydrogel Eye Patches - These are a hell yes! If you’re putting something this close to your eyes, you probably want to make sure it’s clean ingredients and boy do they make a difference. They are perfect for skin care either before or after you have a late night out. They are genuinely soothing and worth the money in my opinion.
Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel - The perfect pairing with the eye patches above. You can sometimes find them paired together on Amazon for a deal too! If I’m being honest, I haven’t used this product as much as the eye patches but if you really struggle with puffy eyes in the AM it may be worth doing both. Between the two, I’m ditching the gel and going for the eye patches.
Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum 1 Oz. and Niacinamide Serum 1 Oz. SET. Brighten, Hydrate and Smooth Skin - I’ve got these paired together because I purchased them as a duo. I got mine off Amazon. I had several of you rave about the Hyaluronic Acid on IG but I figured I’d try out the Niacinamide as well. In case you don’t know, Hyaluronic acid binds to moisture and draws it into the skin to maintain a healthy moisture balance and protect from dehydration. Niacinamide is clinically proven to improve the look of enlarged pores, uneven skin tone and texture, and dullness. Both are lightweight, water-based formulas perfect for under makeup and everyday use. I like the Hyaluronic acid and I will purchase it again. I didn’t notice any differences with the Niacinamide serum and that could be because I don’t personally struggle with pores or uneven skin tone. I won’t add this one to my cart again because it’s not practical for my needs.
L’Occitane Favorites
Full disclosure, I did just partner with this brand on IG but I absolutely fell in love with their products and this is entirely unsponsored, just my genuine favorites. When I was traveling around England I met my girl friends for lunch and pulled out hand cream before heading out from the restaurant. My girlfriend Gemma said in her beautiful British accent, “Is that L’Occitane, babes?!” I was like omg yes! Well Gemma worked in France a couple years ago and recognized the brand. She said growing up her “mum” always carried their hand cream in her purse and it was such a treat to get to use some as well. I thought it was the cutest story and made me feel so cool to find out I was doing what all the beautiful British mums do! 😂
This was the hand cream and lip balm I used while in London. And below is their new body balm that I got to test out before it was released. Try it and tell me you don’t feel like it’s hot girl vibes. I swear this brand is who I am aligning myself with in 2023 because it gives clean girl aesthetic and makes me feel so posh for real!
Make Up
CC Cream with SPF:
I have three contenders in this category. All have SPF 30 - 35 and I honestly like all three. Below are the breakdowns.
Elf Camo CC Cream - Of all three products, this was the thickest and most coverage. A little bit will go a long way and I feel like this is certainly something I could use with other products or let it stand on its own. I would invest in this product again. It is certainly the most affordable option of all three and I imagine this paired with the Elf Glow Liquid Filter would be STUNNING. (That is the Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter dupe that Tik Tok is freaking out about.)
Glo C-Shield Moisturize Tint - SPF 30 - I personally love this stuff. For my girlies that don’t want a ton of coverage but just enough to look glowy and awake - this is for us. This is my anti-troll cream. (What I wear when I feel like a little troll after waking up but need just little something to make me look human) Most days I don’t wear makeup at all, so this feels like the appropriate amount of coverage for days when I put in some effort but still want to look like my natural self. A step up from cute gremlin. For me this was smoother/less thick than the Elf CC cream. I also love the anti-pollution ingredients to protect your skin from harmful pollutants.
I also got the Saie Slip Tint, this is the middle ground between Elf and Glo on price. I will say it was my least favorite of the three products but I can’t tell you exactly why. I hate to even type it out, because I can’t tell you guys why but I just preferred the other two. I would go for the Elf Camo CC cream on days I want more coverage and the Glo Moisture tint when I’m going for a more natural look.
That being said, where Saie shines for me is in the rest of the make up category. I absolutely love Saie Glowy Super Gel!! I don’t even need the flawless filters by any other make up company because this stuff is STUNNING. At first I was confused and didn’t know how to use it. I tried it on my chest/collar bones as a high light and it didn’t really do what I wanted. I saw someone on tik tok just literally put it on their entire face before doing a full face and was like, okay I need to try this. WOW! I was shocked. I feel like it gives you dewy, glowy, goddess vibes. I am so here for this.
The number one question I get asked is what color is on my lips.. Nine times out of ten it is actually the Saie Dew Blush in shade Chilly! It is meant for blush but I put it on my lips because it is BEAUTIFUL. A dupe I could recommend is the Elf Blush Stick. It is a beautiful product. I don’t think it’s as good as the Saie Dew Blush but it is still stunning and clean!
The Saie translucent powder is my go-to for days I do a more full coverage. It is beautiful and light weight. It doesn’t take away from the glow or dewy vibes of my make up.
The REL No Duh Lip Balm - This is a sneaky one I have kept on me all winter! It’s super simple, almost a tinted chapstick. Keeps the lippies moisturized and leaves a pop of color! I love the ingredients and the product for every day looks.
Milk Kush Volumizing Mascara - Needless to say this has endless testimonials all over that this is some of the best mascara out there. We love to see it. I linked the mini one because it is expensive, so try out the small one before you dive in on the big one. But I promise you won’t regret it!
Finally, Hygiene
Salt and Stone Deodorant - Natural deodorant is so tricky. If you’re willing to give it a try, I recommend this one specifically! I have tried several over the years and the scent on this one is so nice. I genuinely use this product and it is my deodorant of choice on the daily. I don’t always do natural deodorants - like if I know I am going to be in a situation where I can’t reapply or address underarm odor for HOURS, I opt for the non natural stuff. But on the daily, I use Salt and Stone because I trust their ingredients! It’s no secret that regular deodorants have been linked to all kinds of issues down the road. My thought is, be safe and choose something we know is clean.
Before Toothpaste - This is one we don’t always think about but we brush our teeth at least twice a day and making sure ingredients are safe is sometimes the last thing on our mind. I reached out to Before directly because I absolutely LOVED their whitening toothpaste. They also come in minis for travel.
They are offering you guys 20% off by using the code Susie20.
Tongue Scrapper - This may not seem totally mainstream but tongue scraping is so good for our oral health but it has been linked to positive gut health!
Okay, these are my current absolute favorites and I hope you guys enjoy the lists. I know clean beauty can have different standards and meanings to everyone so I’m continuing the convo in our Facebook community. Let me know what you think or if you have products I should be adding to my daily clean beauty rituals!!
Lets inspire each other.
My goal is to create a space where we can connect, share stories, make new friends, find advice and grow together.
