2017 Best of Natural Beauty Award Winners

An indispensable guide for buying and using natural personal care products

Too many beauty and personal care products are described as natural on the label when they are anything but. In fact, “natural” may mean nothing more than the addition of botanical extracts such as aloe vera or chamomile. Lurking behind this all-natural facade are chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate (a harsh detergent and skin irritant) and propylene glycol (used in antifreeze). That doesn’t sound pretty, right? Fortunately, there are many wonderful-and incredibly effective-alternatives to both pseudo-natural and definitely-not-natural beauty products.

Here are our 50 favorites. They’re all free of chemicals and irritants commonly used in conventional beauty products. That means you won’t see something like aluminum chlorohydrate in deodorant or parabens in shampoo. Instead, you’ll find advanced formulations that marry the best of nature and science. And because we believe that nutrients play a big role in hair, skin, and nail health, we’ve included our favorite beauty-boosting supplements as well.

ANTI-AGING

BluebonnetAge-Less Skin Formula

A trio of clinically researched nutrients-vitamin C, alpha lipoic acid, and DMAE-provide powerful skin-enhancing benefits.

Dr. King’s Natural Medicine Anti-Aging & Wrinkles for Women

This carefully crafted blend of homeopathic remedies is designed to lessen wrinkles and age spots, as well as help treat other age-related concerns.

Health Direct AminoSculpt Sugar-Free Type 1 Collagen Peptides

Mango-flavored and sugar-free, this liquid supplement is made with CollaPure, a proprietary form of hydrolyzed type 1 collagen shown to make skin smoother and hair fuller.

Terry Naturally Ageless Radiance Skin Nutrition

Ideal for boosting skin’s firmness and radiance, this combination formula features French grape seed extract and French melon fruit concentrate, along with curcumin and the herb boswellia.

DEODORANT

AlaffiaCoconut Reishi Activated Bergamot Deodorant

With a light musky scent that’s perfect for men and women, this chemical-free deodorant boasts a smart combo of odor-neutralizing charcoal, purifying neem, protective shea, and nourishing reishi.

Schmidt’s Naturals Lavender + Sage Natural Deodorant

A little of this non-sticky deodorant goes a long way. Its plant-based powders absorb wetness without the use of aluminum. The clean lavender-sage scent works for both men and women.

BATH & BODY

Home HealthNatural Vitamin E Skin Beauty Oil

We call this liquid gold. Why is this skin-nourishing oil so special? The vitamin E is sourced from botanical oils and has no synthetic ingredients. And it contains a whopping 45,000 IU of vitamin E!

EO Products Everyone 3-in-1 Citrus + Mint Soap

Made with plant-derived cleansers, essential oils, and herbs, this invigorating cleanser is a shampoo, body wash, and bubble bath in one.

Kiss My Face Tropical Coconut Body Lotion

Indulgent natural ingredients like coconut and grape seed oils rehydrate and soften dry skin. Plus, it comes with a convenient pump for easy application.

Nourish Organic Argan Oil Balm

Sweet orange, palmarosa, and Moroccan argan oil deeply nourish and replenish face and body. This balm glides easily over skin and absorbs without a greasy residue. It’s great for dry cuticles and split ends, too.

Nubian Heritage Coconut & Papaya Body Wash

This tropical-scented gem will turn any shower into a luxurious spa resort. We love its rich lather and the fact that it leaves your skin feeling super-clean and soft.

Shea Terra Organics Shea Nilotik’ Oil Rooibos Almond

The intoxicating scents of almond oil, shea butter oil, and rooibos tea make this silky body oil a standout. Smooth over skin after a bath or shower. You’re in for a treat!

FACE

Cleansers

DERMA EVitamin C Micellar Cleansing Water

Tiny oil molecules in micellar water (micelles) remove dirt, oil, and makeup without drying out skin. DERMA E adds vitamin C, probiotics, and rooibos for an extra complexion boost.

Desert Essence Creamy Oil Cleanser

There is a lot to love about this satiny foaming cleanser. It’s made with skin-nurturing oils- coconut, argan, evening primrose, and jojoba-that offer a deep clean without drying out skin. Plus, it can be used on all skin types.

Himalaya botanique Invigorating Face Wash

The name says it all: It’s a skin-revitalizing cleanser featuring energizing lemon peel and rose. The wash, which also contains soothing Soliga Forest honey, is ideal for normal to combination skin.

Eyes

ANNEMARIE BÖRLIND ZZ Sensitive Regenerative Eye Cream

This eye cream is a find for sensitive skin. The active ingredients are a pre- and probiotic complex and golden orchid, added to help strengthen the skin’s natural protection mechanisms.

Reviva Labs Eye Gelee Concentrate

If you have puffy, tired-looking eyes, this is the product to try. We love the cooling gel formula, featuring hyaluronic acid, aloe, and a blend of botanicals such as arnica and cucumber known to “depuff” eyes.

Masks & Scrubs

Alba BotanicaHawaiian Detox Scrub

No beauty award list is complete without a great face scrub, right? This is our favorite-an island-inspired treasure that exfoliates, unclogs pores, and brightens skin using volcanic clay, lotus flower, and yerba mate.

MyChelle Dermaceuticals Perfect C PRO Speed Peel

This falls under the “wow” category. It’s a professional, one-step peel that’s made with 10% L-ascorbic acid, a highly stable form of vitamin C. Renew, brighten, and rejuvenate without stepping into a medispa.

NOW Solutions European Clay Powder

Hands down, this is our favorite mask. Attending a special event or just want a fresh glow? Use this before going out. It’s suited to most skin types, but especially ideal for combination and oily skin.

Moisturizers

Acure The Magical Wonderfluff

You had us at magical. And after applying this overnight hydrating booster mask, we were completely sold. It boosts skin’s radiance, thanks to a few “magical” ingredients: argan, gardenia, and chlorella stem cells.

Dr. Hauschka Quince Day Cream

With a fresh, botanical scent, this hydrating cream strikes the perfect balance for normal to slightly dry skin, leaving
it soft and dewy. Top ingredients include quince seed, marsh mallow, and witch hazel.

Weleda Sensitive Skin Facial Cream

This light and soothing cream feels amazing going on. It’s fragrance-free and made with almond and plum kernel oils, which help to moisturize and protect sensitive skin. It’s ideal for normal to dry skin.

Serums

Hyalogic Collagen HA Triple Boost Serum

This fast-absorbing serum is packed with serious antiaging ingredients: hyaluronic acid and two forms of collagen, all of which help boost skin’s collagen and restore elasticity and firmness.

Mad Hippie Vitamin A Serum

This age-defying serum gets an A+ in our book. It’s made with two key “actives”-retinyl retinoate, a new, bioavailable form of vitamin A, and coffee berry, an antioxidant-rich superfruit. It targets wrinkles and discoloration.

Soaps

Essential Formulas Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotic Kampuku Beauty Bar

Probiotics reestablish harmony throughout your body, including your skin. This gentle soap features a fermented probiotic extract replete with other skin-nourishing nutrients. Perfect for everyone in the family.

Pacific Resources Manuka Honey & Sea Salt Soap

Handcrafted with New Zealand sea salt and moisturizing oils, this soap excels at healing skin, thanks to the addition of raw Manuka honey. It’s great for anyone with eczema or psoriasis.

Sibu sea berry therapy Cleansing Face & Body Bar

This clarifying complexion bar is a standout in that it inhibits bacterial growth for fewer breakouts, and it conditions the skin and promotes healing. It has sea buckthorn, rich in nourishing omega-7 oils.

HAIR

Aura Cacia Hair Care Essential Oil Blends

These essential oils are a hair-care game changer. There are four blends: Restore, Elevate, Enrich, and Glisten. Each bottle details how to add the oils to your favorite hair-care products. You’ll also find suggestions on pairing the blends with specific hair therapies.

Earth Science Naturals Ceramide Care Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner

Many volumizing products dry out hair. Not this plant-based, color-safe duo. Ceramides, golden barley protein, and panthenol replenish moisture, combat split ends, increase shine, and infuse fine hair with volume and texture.

Giovanni 2Chic Repairing Shampoo & Conditioner with Blackberry & Coconut Milk

Blackberries and coconut milk make the perfect couple when it comes to hair repair. These antioxidant- and omega-rich ingredients are deeply nurturing and help hair look healthier, more vibrant, and less frizzy.

NeoCell Keratin Matrix Advanced Hair Repair

If you are looking for that one supplement to fix your hair woes, this is it. This is a truly innovative formula, thanks to its blend of hair-revitalizing ingredients-soluble keratin, biotin, silica, zinc, copper, and amla fruit extract, rich in vitamin C.

MEN

BadgerBeard Grooming Kit

Beards are back big time. This manly duo keeps any beard looking its best with the help of natural oils and antioxidant extracts such as pomegranate and baobab. The kit includes Badger’s Beard Oil to soften facial hair and moisturize skin and Beard Balm, a natural styling aid and leave-in conditioner.

NEW

Andalou Naturals Turmeric + C Enlighten Serum

Turmeric has achieved superstar status as a supplement for its ability to heal a variety of ills. Now it’s making its way into topical products to help brighten, lighten, and firm skin. Here, the herb is combined with vitamin C and fruit stem cells, creating a trifecta for luminous skin.

Garden of Life mykind Organics Organic Plant Collagen Builder

This non-GMO, vegan formula replenishes your collagen stores through collagen-boosting nutrients such as biotin and silica. Pomegranate, turmeric, and other superfoods add to the blend’s beauty benefits. Everything comes from real fruits, veggies, and herbs.

Mellisa B Naturally Pack Your Bags with Caffeine

We love this new “anti-bags” eye cream, which takes the prize for best product name. It’s made with caffeine, a secret weapon for under-eye circles and puffiness. Horse chestnut extract, rose hip extract, and CoQ10 also work wonders for reducing dark circles and fine lines.

New Chapter Perfect Hair, Skin & Nails

This supplement stands out from the crowd, thanks to its combination of biotin, fermented herbs and superfruits, and whole-food astaxanthin, a plant nutrient shown to lessen fine lines and wrinkles. Use one capsule daily to get beautiful hair, skin, and nails.

Tom’s of Maine Luminous White Toothpaste

Practically every toothpaste on the market promises to give you a whiter smile. It’s hard to know which of these actually work. Here’s a natural version that really delivers. It boasts a research-backed whitening technology that includes silica. We noticed a difference after one use. It comes in a pleasing Clean Mint flavor and includes fluoride.

ORAL CARE

My Magic Mud Whitening Tooth Powder

A black powder that whitens teeth? Yes, you read that right. And yes, it works! The star ingredients are activated charcoal and bentonite clay, which help clean, whiten, and detoxify teeth. This is worth the bathroom sink mess.

Nature’s Answer PerioBrite Coolmint Toothpaste

This personal care classic offers powerful gum protection, plus it naturally brightens teeth. It features a blend of gum-friendly nutrients: CoQ10, folic acid, and Phytoplenolin, an herbal complex shown to promote cell vitality.

Xlear Spry Dental Defense Oral Rinse Cool Mint

This refreshing (but not overpowering) mouthwash boasts xylitol, a sugar alcohol that’s found naturally in fruits and vegetables. It works by helping prevent bacteria from sticking to your teeth and gums.

SUN CARE

Babo BotanicalsSheer Zinc Sunscreen Continuous Spray SPF 30

There are so many good things to say about this spray: Zinc oxide is the active ingredient, and it provides 80 minutes of water- and sweat-resistant sun protection. You can use this on the whole family.

SUPPLEMENTS

Country LifeMaxi-Skin

This certified gluten-free supplement features a potent trio for radiant skin: Verisol collagen (a proprietary and clinically studied type), vitamin C, and vitamin A. It helps improve elasticity, increase collagen, and reduce wrinkles.

Diamond Herpanacine of PA Herpanacine Skin Support

This formula was developed by a doctor to help heal all types of skin conditions, from acne to eczema. L-lysine, echinacea, astragalus, and other nutrients enhance both skin and immune health.

Flora CircuVein

This is the supplement you want if you have varicose veins or swelling in your legs and ankles. It’s made with two citrus-derived antioxidants that have been shown to improve vein and capillary health.

Health Logics BioCell Collagen 

What we love most about it is that BioCell Collagen, a proprietary complex, has been heavily researched and shown to be effective at promoting younger-looking skin (less dryness, fine lines, and wrinkles) and healthier joints.

Natrol Biotin Maximum Strength

As everyone discovers the beauty wonders of biotin, there are more and more products popping up on shelves. We like this one because it provides a higher dose, which helps boost results.

Natural Factors BioSil Beauty, Bones, Joints

One staffer found herself going to the beauty salon more often after using this-her hair became healthier and started to grow again. So did her nails. It’s made with a proprietary silica complex that’s described as an “advanced collagen generator.”

Nordic Naturals Omega Woman

You may not realize it, but essential fats are, well, essential to overall beauty. When your body is properly nourished, your skin glows. We love this third-party-tested blend of fish oils and evening primrose oil for hormonal balance.

Reserveage Nutrition Collagen Replenish Skin-Revitalizing Fruit Chews

Here’s one supplement you’ll never forget to take. Beautiful hair, skin, and nails are just a bite away with these yummy fruit-flavored chews, made with Verisol collagen, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid.