I Was Dubious About Natural Skincare, But These 16 Products Actually Work

I'm pretty embarrassed to admit that it's only very recently—as in over the last year or so—that I've really started to sit up and take notice of issues like sustainability within the beauty industry. When it comes to my weekly food shop, I've been on the right page for a while—swapping my plastic-wrapped peppers for loose ones and making sure my peanut butter is palm-oil free before heading to the checkout. But when it comes to the beauty products that I enjoy using, I've very much had my head in the sand.

When it comes to natural beauty products? Honestly, I'm even worse. I've long-held the view that a lot of natural formulations simply don't work and rarely spare a moment's thought for the amount of preservatives, silicones and other things that work their way onto my skin each day. But much like with my food shop—where I'll opt for grass-fed meats and organic veggies when I can afford to—I've really started to think a bit more carefully about what I'm actually using on my skin and hair

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(Image credit: @heartzeena)

To push myself well and truly out of my beauty comfort zone, I made a pledge with myself to actually test all of the natural beauty products that I've had sitting in my stash for a while; after all, there's no better time to experiment with your beauty routine than when you're working from home. I also chatted with as many brands as possible to find out their natural beauty recommendations. Turns out, some of the products that are already a part of my regular skincare rotation are natural and I hadn't even realised it.

Disclaimer: I'm still learning about natural beauty so, while some of these products might not be 100% natural, they all harness plant-based and natural ingredients as a major part of their formulas. I'm aware that there is still much to be done in terms of sustainable packaging and production, and that ingredients are just one part of this journey. We all have to start somewhere, right?

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(Image credit: @heartzeena)

Keep scrolling to shop the 15 natural beauty products that I tried and loved—and that, most importantly, actually work.

Cleansers

Toners

Moisturisers & Oils

Masks

Treatments

Eyes

Body

This post was originally published at an earlier time and has since been updated.

Next up, these are the clean beauty brands that celebs swear by for glowing skin.

Mica Ricketts