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Clean beauty is not new. You can go back decades and find someone who was already using all-natural ingredients in their skincare or makeup routine. German brand Dr. Hauschka, for example, has been doing natural skincare products since the 1960s. But credit it to Gwyneth Paltrow’s company Goop or the increasing awareness and emphasis on natural and eco-friendly skincare brands brought about by the rise of social media. In recent years, clean beauty has been a substantial movement that is only increasingly gaining traction.
The term itself encompasses many different ways of processing, formulating and packaging beauty products. It can mean products that are free from synthetic ingredients, parabens, silicones, sulphates and more. It can also go further to refer to products which use mostly all-natural or organic ingredients, or even ingredients which are sustainably farmed. In short, it’s about putting less harmful chemicals on skin, to do it more good.
The spillover effect of clean beauty is also kind to animals and the environment. Clean beauty brands avoid animal testing. They pledge to use less toxic chemicals such as fertilisers during farming, and source their raw ingredients from certified fair trade farmers. They even go as far as to minimise the use of packaging or use materials that are less harmful to the environment. And it all boils down to consumers wanting to make more informed choices. So which websites are the best ones to go to, to read about and buy clean beauty? We picked five for you here:
1. Clean Beauty Insiders
Founded in 2015 by Elsie Rutterford and Dominika Minarovic, this UK website has product reviews, recommendations, information on ingredients and even DIY skincare recipes. We like that the opinions are mostly balanced – such as stating the difference between natural skincare and clean beauty and the pros and cons of each – and how the website covers interviews with other skincare brand founders even as the duo Elsie and Dominika have their own skincare label, Bybi.
2. The Detox Market
US-based The Detox Market is another lifestyle website dedicated to clean beauty. The website curates quite a wide selection of clean beauty brands (over 160, from my count) and ships to Singapore at a flat rate of US$49 for all orders. They carry familiar brands such as Herbivore and Tata Harper but we like that you can check out lesser-known brands at the same time. They also have a blog where you can find lifestyle tips and recipes too.
3. Bud Cosmetics
Founded in 2007, Bud Cosmetics specialises in curating from emerging niche natural skin care brands such as new cult brands Yuli and Linne. We like that there’s a wide range of products, from hair care to body care, and even pet shampoos. Buy over $50 and shipping is free to all Singapore addresses.
4. Net-a-Porter Beauty
Yes, the luxury fashion retailer has a beauty section, if you weren’t already aware. Established in 2013 with just 11 brands, the e-tailer now carries over 230 beauty brands. And sales of the clean beauty brands have grown so exponentially, they have an entire section dedicated to them. You can find Kjaer Weis, a line of clean beauty luxury cosmetics founded by Danish-born, New York-based makeup artist Kirsten Kjær Weis, and Virtue, a clean haircare brand, among its offerings.
5. Follain
This e-tailer, which sells clean beauty products exclusively, actually started as a blog. Its founder, Tara Foley, wanted a platform to share information on beauty products and ingredients. The website carries over 70 brands, including its own bath and body label, Follain. We like that the blog (Clean Beauty 101) is still active, and has anything from personable posts on makeup tips and routines to op-ed pieces on topics such as why clean beauty matters. There’re even lifestyle tips on self-care and self love.
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