Best Natural Beauty Products of 2023

These days, it’s not just about achieving beauty results — it’s just as much about the ingredients and the process. As consumers become more conscious, they’re on the hunt for brands and products that nix the harsh additives and production processes for clean and natural ingredients and methods.

While this may mean spending a bit more on your favorite beauty products, you’ll win when it comes to peace of mind. You’ll avoid using questionable or toxic ingredients and contribute to a more eco-friendly and positive economy. These are our top picks for the best natural beauty products to incorporate into your daily routine. 

Best natural beauty products overview:

• Best overall: Shea Yeleen Rich Shea Body Cream
• Best budget: The Body Shop British Rose Fresh Plumping Mask
• Best foundation: 100% Pure BB Cream
• Best for sensitive skin: Mahalo Skin Care The Rare Indigo Beauty Balm to Calm & Renew
• Best shower oil: Sabon Shower Oil
• Best makeup remover: Valoie Rense Gel Balm Honey-Infused Cleanser
• Best serum: Luxe Botanics Marula Hydrating Serum
• Best for the body: Mūn Ayour Body Toning Serum
• Best setting powder: RMS Beauty UnPowder
• Best for pimples: Georgette Klinger Charcoal Drying Lotion
• Best mattifying mist: La Roche-Posay Serozinc Face Mist
• Best overnight: Love Indus Amrutini Luminosity Dewdrops Overnight Oasis Serum
• Best exfoliator: Terre Mère Oat and Rosehip Hydration Bomb Masque
• Best deodorant: Tierra & Lava Mayan Black Salt & Ylang Ylang Deodorant

How we chose the best natural beauty products

To compile this list, we researched manufacturer specifications, including ingredients, ethics, shade range where applicable, skin type, and more, to create a short list of the top natural beauty products. Then, we combed through detailed product descriptions, ratings, and reviews to find the best natural beauty products for each category.

Defining ‘natural’

Within the beauty industry, the term “natural” isn’t perfectly defined. This is because no consistent standard currently exists. But even to consumers, “natural” can mean different things. However, for the purpose of this article, we’re focusing on products that prioritize natural ingredients over synthetic additives. Likewise, we prioritized brands that focus on social impact, not just in terms of how ingredients are harvested, but the effects such actions have on local communities. 

Our picks for the best natural beauty products

Our best overall nomination goes to Shea Yeleen, a social impact-focused beauty brand that not only sources the shea butter for its products from West Africa but also ensures that the staff needed to source and produce the butters, balms, soaps, and creams is paid five times the local wage in their region. The focus is on financial empowerment because the entire community benefits when women are gainfully employed. 

Along with making your heart feel happy when using this product, you’ll get the infusion of unrefined shea butter and a blend of vitamins like A, E, and F that improve the skin’s elasticity and serve as an anti-aging defense. Finally, oils like glycerin, sunflower oil, and olive oil protect and hydrate the skin.

Type: Body cream | Key ingredients: Shea butter, glycerin, sunflower oil, olive oil | Ethics: Fairtrade, supports local communities | Purpose: Hydration, anti-aging

Opting for natural-based products over questionable fillers doesn’t always mean overspending. Thankfully, The Body Shop has long been a source of naturally derived products that don’t break the bank. The British Rose Fresh Plumping Mask is affordably priced but also incredibly moisturizing. 

It incorporates rose extract, rosehip oil, and community Fairtrade organic aloe vera that’s sourced in Mexico. The deliciously scented rosehip oil is rich in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for added hydration, and the aloe vera is perfect for soothing sensitive skin. Use this as an all-over mask for complete hydration, or combine it with other masks from The Body Shop’s collection to tackle other skin concerns.

Type: Face mask | Key ingredients: Rose extract, rosehip oil, aloe vera | Ethics: Fairtrade, supports local communities, vegan | Purpose: Hydration, soothing

Foundations are often known for having questionable ingredients. But 100% Pure is a beauty brand committed to creating effective and long-lasting color cosmetics without the typical nasty inclusions. We have to admit the shade range here is limited as this BB cream only has three colors. 

But you’ll like that it’s a hydrating formula that gives you buildable sheer to medium coverage and a luminescent finish. You’ll also like that the vegan, gluten-free, and cruelty-free formula is infused with shea, vitamin E, and aloe to keep your skin hydrated throughout the day. 

Type: BB cream foundation | Key ingredients: Shea butter, vitamin E, aloe | Ethics: Vegan, cruelty free | Purpose: Hydration

If you’re tired of itchy and inflamed skin, this violet beauty balm from Mahalo Skin Care is a must-have. The Rare Indigo Beauty Balm to Calm & Renew features botanical ingredients that target skin woes such as inflammation, irritation, acne, eczema, and rosacea. 

The hero ingredient here is the indigo plant extract, known for its anti-inflammatory properties. But the rest of the ingredients are natural and nourishing, like hemp, marula, murumuru, kukui, acai, yarrow, carrot seed, rose, and grape seed oils. They’ll improve elasticity, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and treat hyperpigmentation and puffiness. 

Mahalo also employs local Hawaiians, which helps benefit Polynesian communities.

Type: Balm/face oil | Key ingredients: Indigo plant extract, hemp, rose, carrot seed, vitamin C ester, açaí | Ethics: Hand-crafted in Hawaii | Purpose: Hydration, anti-aging, brightening

Sometimes you want your shower to be a luxurious experience. The Sabon Shower Oil is meant to transport you to a more tranquil moment in time, thanks to the heavenly scents that the brand offers. While we’re highlighting the Blush Gourmand smell, note that four other scents are available. 

The oil uses four botanicals — jojoba, wheat germ, avocado, and olive — to nourish your skin. Meanwhile, the vegan, paraben-free formula is safe for all skin types and intended to be a 2-in-1 cleanser that soothes as it cleans your skin.

Type: Shower oil | Key ingredients: Jojoba oil, wheat germ, avocado oil, olive oil | Ethics: Vegan, paraben free | Purpose: Hydrating, cleansing

When the day is over, it’s time to take off  your makeup. But depending on the type of makeup you wear, you might need something more formidable than a wipe. The Valoie Rense Gel Balm Honey-Infused Cleanser is exactly the kind of heavy-duty, oil-based remover you need if you wear longwear makeup. 

In a single step, it works as a double cleanse and makeup remover. It starts as a gel but then becomes a gentle lather once water is added, effectively breaking down makeup without stripping the skin. Key ingredients include natural honey, vitamin C, and calendula. But heavy-duty doesn’t mean abrasive, as this product also optimizes your skin’s pH level while boosting its natural microbiota. 

Type: Cleanser, makeup remover | Key ingredients: Natural honey, calendula, vitamin C, greens | Ethics: Clean, cruelty free | Purpose: Hydrating, cleansing

Moisturizers are nice, but serums are often the heavy lifters when it comes to an effective skincare routine. The Luxe Botanics Marula Hydrating Serum is a great option to incorporate into your daily process as it works to balance your skin and is especially ideal for those with dry, mature, and combination skin types. 

The marula used for this serum is wild-harvested and cold-pressed by hand in Kenya’s Maasai community in Kenya to ensure optimal nutrients. Marula oil is rich in fatty acids and antioxidants that not only hydrate your skin but also create a glowy appearance. This formula also incorporates jojoba oil for added elasticity. Note that every purchase of this serum provides essential supplies for a school child in Kenya through the Buy1Give1 charity.

Type: Face serum | Key ingredients: Marula oil, jojoba, cranberry, blackcurrant, rosehip oil | Ethics: Fairtrade, supporting local communities, vegan | Purpose: Hydrating, anti-aging

The skin on the rest of your body needs just as much TLC as the part on your face. So, if you’re focused on tightening, don’t overlook the Mūn Ayour Body Toning Serum. This all-over serum brightens, tightens, and smooths your skin with its botanical blend. You’ll like that it’s a fast-absorbing formula, so you don’t have to wait to get dressed. 

Key ingredients include Tunisian olive oil to even out your skin tone and cucumber seed oil to fight free radicals. Meanwhile, rosehip seed oil and prickly pear seed oil minimize the appearance of wrinkles and stretch marks. Finally, the gentle scent that blends lavender, neroli, and frankincense is light and relaxing.

Type: Body serum | Key ingredients: Tunisian olive oil, cucumber seed oil, rosehip seed oil, prickly pear seed oil | Ethics: Vegan, cruelty free, certified organic | Purpose: Hydration, tightening, brightening

Those that need a setting powder still don’t want something full of talc, which could harm your health. RMS Beauty’s UnPowder is a talc-free alternative that gives your skin a smooth finish while absorbing excess oil and minimizing the look of pores. 

Choose from three colors as well as an untinted option. You’ll like that this setting powder gives you an airbrushed effect by blurring. And the outer carton that this powder comes in is made from 80% post-consumer recycled paper and vegetal ink.

Type: Setting powder | Key ingredients: Silica, mica iron oxide, titanium dioxide (0-1 hue only) | Ethics: Vegan, talc-free, recycled packaging | Purpose: Set makeup, absorb excess oil, improve appearance of skin

If you’re looking for a quick way to put an end to that unwanted pimple on your face, Georgette Klinger’s Charcoal Drying Lotion is the hero product you need. This overnight treatment is perfect for banishing blemishes and works to purify your pores, draw out oil, and control irritation that often accompanies a breakout. 

As with other drying lotions, you’ll want to avoid shaking the bottle so as not to dilute the solution, which counts on natural minerals, exfoliating BHAs, and charcoal to improve your complexion. Camphor and calamine soothe your skin, while white willow bark clarifies to reduce redness and tighten pores. However, some reviewers noted that it was tough to rinse off the lotion in the morning.

Type: Blemish drying lotion | Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, charcoal, camphor, white willow bark, calamine | Ethics: Fragrance-free, no dyes or parabens, cruelty free | Purpose: Blemish corrector, spot treatment

If you have oily skin or simply need a pick-me-up during the day, you might be surprised to find that a mist can be the trick you need. The La Roche-Posay Serozinc Face Mist is a mattifying face mist specifically designed for people with oily skin. 

It’s safe for sensitive skin, but its powerful active ingredient, zinc sulfate, helps absorb excess oil and eliminate shine. Note that this can pull double-duty as a shine-control toner or a mattifying makeup setting spray. 

Type: Face mist | Key ingredients: Zinc sulfate | Ethics: No parabens, fragrance-free | Purpose: Oil-control, makeup setting

If you’re the type who’s not into extended multi-step skincare routines, you’ll love this all-in-one overnight serum from Love Indus. The serum features hallmark ingredients like muga silk, hyaluronic acid, and copper to help hydrate and rejuvenate your skin. 

With consistent use, the brand promises that your skin will look restored, brighter, and plumper over time. Note that this pick also comes with copper-crusted silk cocoons that you use to further work the dew drops into your skin.

Type: Overnight face treatment | Key ingredients: Muga silk, makaibari silver, hyaluronic acid, ashwagandha | Ethics: Clean ingredients | Purpose: Hydration, anti-aging, brightening

When your skin is dry and thirsty, you might notice dullness, flaking, and even severe hyperpigmentation if you’re battling blemishes. Thankfully, Terre Mère’s Oat and Rosehip Hydration Bomb Masque is designed to give your skin intensive support and moisture.

Along with the two titular ingredients, the product also features hyaluronic acid to plump your skin and panthenol (vitamin B5) to smooth your skin and calm inflammation. Plus, oat has long been an essential ingredient to soothe and calm dry skin, and the rosehip oil naturally exfoliates to reveal fresh, healthy skin. However, some people did mention experiencing stinging when they used this product.

Type: Face mask | Key ingredients: Oat, rosehip, hyaluronic acid, panthenol | Ethics: Clean | Purpose: Hydration, anti-aging, exfoliation

These days, there’s a bigger push to focus on natural ingredients for everything we put on our body — including deodorant. But people who want to avoid talc and aluminum still want and need an effective deodorant.

Tierra & Lava is Fairtrade brand that derives many of its ingredients from a women-owned farmer network based in Antigua, Guatemala. Although we’re featuring the Mayan Black Salt and Ylang Ylang variant, the deodorant comes in other delightful scents. The brand promises that its deodorants will break down bacteria — the source of smelly armpits. 

Meanwhile, the Mayan black salt draws out impurities and improves the health of your skin and underarms. Note that this brand also offers an armpit detox to help speed up the transitional experience when shifting from chemical-based deodorants to natural deodorants.

Type: Deodorant | Key ingredients: Mayan black salt, ylang ylang, cacao, lavender | Ethics: Fairtrade, supports local communities | Purpose: Promote skin health, prevents/treats body odor

Take care of yourself (and the planet)

Natural beauty products continue to dominate as the preferred option for consumers seeking items that not only improve the look and health of their skin but avoid harming the environment and support the communities where they’re made. But it’s essential to remember that the label “natural” can have different connotations and isn’t regulated to the same degree as other claims, which is why we’ve pulled together this list to help you narrow down some favorites.

Our best overall recommendation, the Shea Yeleen Rich Shea Lavender Honeysuckle Body Cream is ideal for those looking for an effective natural product. It’s packed with skin-friendly ingredients, and the brand focuses on improving communities in West Africa through a network of local shea farmers. 

Why natural products may be right for you

Making the switch from synthetic-heavy product formulas to streamlined alternatives that use the power of natural ingredients can be overwhelming — there are several factors to consider. Do you want a product that contains organic ingredients, or do you also care about the backstory behind the product and brand? Think about the following when making the switch to natural products.

Ingredients

Ingredients can vary widely across brands and even product categories. So, it’s unrealistic to look for the same ingredients when shopping for natural beauty products for different areas for your face and body. However, a few tips can help you narrow your search:

• Look for products for easy-to-understand ingredient lists
• Opt for formulas with smaller ingredient lists
• Choose brands that are transparent about what’s in their products
• Avoid products with toxic chemicals or things like parabens, talc, sulfates, etc.
• Consider organic and cruelty-free products

Certification

Because natural isn’t well-regulated (or even well-defined), you’ll want to look for other third-party solutions to determine if a brand is living up to its claims. As long as a beauty brand isn’t making performance claims for a product that could be construed as medical (regulated by the FDA), all other claims regarding sustainability and equitability don’t have to be legally substantiated. 

When a brand makes claims, look for the seals to confirm that a third-party organization has verified those statements. This transparency gives you peace of mind but requires the brand to live up to its claims. 

In particular, brands that promise to use organic or non-GMO ingredients can be easily verified by simply looking for seals such as the USDA Organic or the Non-GMO Project. In addition, for brands that claim to be green or clean, you can search for the brand name in the Cosmos Organic database. 

With claims regarding sustainability or Fairtrade, other options exist. For example, Fair for Life focuses on Fairtrade business practices for people in developing communities, while the Rainforest Alliance targets both environmental compliance and equitable treatment of farm communities in developing countries. 

Cost

When a brand switches to an all-natural or primarily natural formula, you may find that expiration dates get shorter. This is because natural alternatives to synthetic preservatives usually don’t offer the same shelf life. So, don’t be surprised if you spend more on a product made from all or primarily all-natural ingredients or need to replace it more frequently. In most cases, quality costs more. 

FAQ

What’s the most natural beauty brand? 

This depends on your definition of natural. Ideally, you’ll want a brand where all formula ingredients are naturally-derived, not just the key ingredients promoted on the product page. 

Are natural beauty products effective?

Natural beauty products can be very effective. But, just as when shopping for other products that might rely on synthetic ingredients, finding a product compatible with your skin type and concern is going to be a key factor for efficacy. 

How can I improve my skin naturally?

If you want to improve your skin naturally, drink more water. While water isn’t a complete cure-all for everything that can ail your skin, it can boost hydration and help your body flush toxins. Meanwhile, don’t forget to maintain a healthy skincare routine — regularly cleanse, moisturize, and use SPF when heading outside.