For a long time it felt like you had to choose between beauty products being effective or legitimately being good for your body. Whether it’s an anti-aging product or the makeup you wear, preferably they would be both. These days there are so many more great options to choose from!
The following and some beauty and skincare brands you can feel doubly good about.
Skin Authority
I used to get this thing where my cheeks would flush for no reason. Like extreme, hot, slightly painful, baby doll-looking cheek flush. I don’t know what causes it, and the main thing I’ve found in my (fairly extensive) internet research is other people chatting on forums about their own mysterious cheek flushes. And ear flushes. Which I also used to get.
It could be a myriad of different skin conditions…or nothing at all.
The last time I got this cheek flush I went to the kitchen and put an ice pack on my face, thinking “gee, I wish I had something anti-inflammatory to put on my skin.” With that key phrasing in mind of “anti-inflammatory,” I remembered that I had just in fact, gotten some brand new Skin Authority products – one of which was Skin Authority’s Probiotic Beauty Infusion.
Now up until this point, I had never used a probiotic treatment of any sort on my skin. But I did know that taking probiotic supplements can help calm inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema since those get exacerbated when the gut microbiome is out of whack. (I ran the social media for a functional wellness doctor at one point. I heard a lot about the gut.)
Naturally, upon remembering that I was the new owner of a skin probiotic, I ran from the kitchen to my medicine cabinet and applied some of this glorious stuff. It even says right on the bottle:
“Concentrates the power of friendly bacteria to help increase skin clarity, normalize pH balance, and combat the appearance of inflammation, dry patches, rosacea, breakouts, and large pores.”
Yes!!
And indeed, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, topically applying probiotics creates “bacterial interference” on the skin. That basically means that they stop your skin cells from even noticing that there are any bad bacteria hanging out at all. Ie: lowered inflammatory responses, including that of acne.
And why had I never tried using any topical probiotic products in my past? No one can say for sure. But you can now consider me a devotee. I loved it. And continue to love it. I’ve been using it as a serum under my moisturizer and honestly, my easy to piss-off skin is looking great.
Other Skin Authority products I’m now trying include the Moisturizing Lift Cream with SGF-4 technology, and the Instant Perfection Peel Pads.
To be honest, in the past I’ve shied away from anything with the word “peel” in it only because of the, you know, peeling. However many peel products create such a subtle peel that you wouldn’t even notice it – other than the fact that your skin is glowing. Such as the case with the Skin Authority Peel Pads.
You can actually use the pads to perfect the skin right before makeup application. The pads provide just enough of that spicy feeling on the skin that you can tell they’re doing something, with a gentle enough smoothing that you don’t need to wait between using the peel pad and whatever your next step in the skincare process might be.
After using the peel pads I applied a bit of the Moisturizing Lift Cream, which contains natural body proteins to assist in the youthful vibe department. I don’t think I’ve ever used a skin cream that contained protein, and again, I love it. I’m having a lot of great firsts here with Skin Authority.
In addition to making super high quality and healthy skincare products, the California based brand also focuses on sustainability. They take a sustainable approach to the package progress, (including skipping boxes when they don’t really need to use a box), and using renewable energy partners.
When it comes to the products themselves, Skin Authority is about as straightforward as can be: No Parabens, no Added Dyes, no Added Perfumes, no Microbeads, no Animal Testing.
Bite Beauty
If you’ve ever tried out some natural makeup and been disappointed with the pigment levels (or rather lack thereof), you’re not alone. It can be a huge downside to what’s otherwise a great thing. But luckily there are makeup brands out there like Bite Beauty, who are focused both on making their makeup as clean as can be…but also as high pigment as can be.
The Canadian-based brand is best known for its organic lipstick, which is creamy and long-lasting. Such as the Power Move Creamy Matte Lip Crayon in Candy Apple. (Pictured.) And that fruit-inspired name isn’t too far off from what the product is made from. The lipstick actually contains superfoods like pomegranate oil and wild African mango, as well as works with orange peel wax instead of beeswax to create that creamy seal.
Another nice thing about Bite Beauty lip crayons is that tip size. Thin enough to line, thick enough to fill. There is also a sharpener hidden in the bottom.
In general, and across all products, Bite Beauty is totally up front with their ingredients. They have a commitment to clean, vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free products that provide vivid color, instant impact, and sensorial textures.
Good Earth Beauty
Good Earth Beauty is a family-owned business that doles out all-natural beauty and bath products. I’m a big fan of natural and organic anything, plus it’s always nice to support small businesses that are truly passionate about what they’re doing. I’ve had the chance to try out a variety of their products by way of their beauty boxes.
I recently received a box that was full of lavender-scented stuff, such as a candle, bubble bath, and a facial toner. The box also contained an eyeshadow and a lipstick. I didn’t know that I was missing a Lavender Mint soy candle in my life until I got it, but my goodness.
If there’s one candle to light while you decompress in a bath, it’s that one. That plus the Lavender Chamomile Bubble Bath and relaxation really hits a whole new level.
I was really excited about the facial toner because that’s one of those things that I always think I should be using but somehow never remember to try. In this case, it’s made with soothing aloe with a lavender scent, as well as ingredients such as carrot oil, grapefruit seed extract, and glycolic acid. Basically, it’s going to nourish the skin, fight bacteria, and also encourage a gentle healthy cell turnover to keep the face glowing. I’m in.
When it comes to the makeup it’s crucial to note that this stuff is all natural, which really makes a difference. You’ve probably heard these statistics thrown around about how much lipstick you swallow in a lifetime, and it’s a little frightening. Those types of products are notorious for being filled with junk, and the more we can do to cut down on junk, the better. (In all areas of life really, but lipstick should be one that’s a no-brainer.)
Another favorite product I have of theirs is their Warm Vanilla Candy body wash. I really appreciate a deliciously scented body wash but I often avoid them because a lot of them are made with strange things. Not this one.
The ingredients are right on the bottle and they include things like organic aloe vera (always soothing), rosemary, vitamin E, papaya enzymes, and radish root. (Which apparently is a natural preservative, good to know.)
