Your body is a temple, so get your beauty glow on from the inside out with natural nourishment derived from the earth’s ingredients. Here are some of our favourite green beauty brands.

Your skin is your largest organ, and what you put on it is significant. The skin is so porous that up to 60% of the products you use are absorbed into the body. But, determining the good-for-you beauty products can be tricky. The relationship between “all-natural” and “makeup” has always been a bit of a paradox. Conjure your idea of an organic beauty product. Does it smell like patchouli? Is it hidden at the back of the health food store; next to powdered chlorella tablets and jojoba oil? You’re not alone.

Lucky for your health and the environment, the green beauty game has been truly revolutionized over the past few years. There is an abundance of brands with chic and eco packaging, long-lasting formulas and rich pigments formulated without any nasty chemicals. But beware—a common practice for many companies is to engage in “green washing.” Due to little regulation governing the use of labels like “organic,” “green” or “all-natural,” the only reliable method to ensure your products are safe is a close inspection of the ingredient list.

Over the past two decades, the European Union has banned more than 1,300 chemicals in product formulas, while Health Canada only prohibits 500 and the United States has only banned 30. Consumers have begun to take matters into their own hand and are demanding more from their beauty products. Keep in mind that although the price of organic products can be a deterrent, you speak with your wallet. Budget-friendly options will only become more ubiquitous because the market will always follow the consumer. Invest in your health and let your natural beauty shine through with these green beauty brands.

RMS Beauty

Former makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift realized the toxicity of makeup products after she became severely sick from the build-up of chemicals she was constantly exposed to. Offering an alternative to women who don’t want to compromise on their health, Swift developed her own beauty brand in 2009 that Miranda Kerr and Gisele Bündchen swear by. Formulated with minerals in their raw, uncorrupted form and pure, emollient oils, all of the ingredients are “life-force” containing to create a truly alive product. Her first initial hit was her Living Luminizer—it provides a lit-from-within glow. Take the radiance up a notch with RMS’ new champagne luminizer with a slight rose iridescence.  

The good: USDA certified organic, free of GMOs, soy, nano, silicon, paraben preservatives, animal testing and packaged in recyclable glass with an aluminum recyclable lid (no plastic packaging where chemicals can seep into the product.) 

Beautycounter

Founder and CEO Gregg Renfrew grew concerned when she learned of the harmful chemicals linked to asthma, cancer and infertility that she was exposing her children to through personal care products. Beautycounter boasts The Never List on their website; a comprehensive collection of more than 1,500 chemicals the brand refuses to incorporate into their makeup, skincare and bath and body products. Beautycounter also offers an ingredients glossary that lists every single ingredient used in their products for full-transparency—so you can make informed decisions. The best-selling Tint-Skin Foundation offers lightweight coverage and hyaluronic acid to drench skin with moisture, and the luxe packaging that looks straight out of a French pharmacy doesn’t hurt, either.  

The good: Free of over 1,500 questionable or harmful chemicals, including retinol, sulfates, parabens, formaldehyde, synthetic fragrance and antioxidants and is not tested on animals. 

Herbivore Botanicals 

Here’s a story to make you melt: husband and wife team Julia and Alex co-founded Herbivore Botanicals out of their Seattle kitchen. Ranging from French pink clay to Brazilian gemstones, each ingredient is “active”, meaning it’s pure, highly concentrated, has specific therapeutic purpose and is organic whenever possible. Practicing what it preaches from beginning to end, Herbivore Botanicals employs recyclable and reusable packaging that’s practically screaming to be carefully positioned into an Instagram-worthy picture. Seriously; we cannot get enough of the insanely chic and other-worldy product names and packaging. A worthy splurge is their Moon Fruit nighttime moisturizer that’s offered in two scents: Lavender + Ylang Ylang or Sweet Orange. Yum. 

The good: Free of GMOs, soy wax, synthetic ingredients, parabens, sodium laurel sulfate, phthalates, chemicals, fillers, animal testing, mineral oils and petroleum.

Ilia Beauty

One of the pioneers in trendy, modern and organic makeup, Ilia was founded in Vancouver by Sasha Plasvic with an initial launch of 6 Tinted Lip Conditioners (which are incredibly pigmented and nourishing, by the way.) In two years, the line grew from six to forty pieces and has expanded to include foundation, eye products, illuminators and brushes. Each product is filled with up to 85% bioactive organic ingredients, housed in a sleek recycled aluminum case and manufactured ethically and sustainability. A slight variation of the ever-popular lip products, Ilia’s Multi-Sticks can be applied to cheeks, lips, eyes, or all of the above! All of Me is the perfect hue that works on every skin tone to achieve the sought after warm flush.

The good: USDA certified organic, gluten and dairy-free and cruelty-free (not tested on animals.)

Zorah Biocosmétiques

A home-grown hero, Zorah is a Canadian eco-brand that is designed, manufactured and distributed in Quebec—though available for purchase globally. When co-founder Melissa Harvey travelled to Tamanar, Morocco for an international cooperation internship, she met, lived and worked with incredibly inspiring women. Stemming from their encounters, Harvey joined forces with Richard Morin on her return to Montréal and an environmentally responsible, organic and fair-trade company was born. Using pure argan oil that facilitates skin cell regeneration and slows down the signs of aging, Zorah’s Cleansing Foam flushes out impurities and removes makeup to restore your skin’s natural glow. 

The good: Certified organic by Ecocert, free of parabens, GMOs, propylene glycol, synthetic perfumes, PEG, PPG, sodium laureth sulfate, EDTA, phthalates, mineral oils (petroleum), animal fats and PETA-certified cruelty free (not tested on animals.)