Shirley's Top 10 Sustainable Skincare Products

This is such a game-changer for skin and makes embarking on a low-waste journey easy! Although some skin types don't necessarily react well to oil-based moisturizers, you may be pleasantly surprised with Yay for Earth. 

This face moisturizer is a great low-waste option because you can reuse the jar, and it's female-founded, which we love to see and support! I'm also a fan of the all-natural ingredients and the love and care put into each package.

The best way to apply this face lotion is to use three fingers to warm up the moisturizer and then apply it on your face. A little goes a long way—especially because it's oil-based, you don't actually need as much as you think. The moisturizer soaks in nicely and leaves skin feeling smooth and hydrated afterward.

This is another go-to moisturizer of mine! Versed's Skin Soak is great to use when it's hot out and you're looking for something that feels thicker. If you've heard of Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream, this is pretty comparable to it, but much more affordable.

It's a nice formula, has little to no fragrance, and is really soothing on the skin. It's also non-irritating, which is a huge bonus. If you're looking for a new moisturizer to test out that is reliable and no-fuss, then this one's for you.

VERSED encourages recycling their products and provides extensive directions on how to clean their containers to prepare for this process. Plus, their beauty products actually work well. This non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free smoothing eye cream is one of my favorites.


Whenever you feel a bit dull or lacking in energy, just apply a couple of dabs of this under your eye and you'll instantly look a lot more awake! There's a pearlescent sheen to it, but it doesn't show up that much once it's applied. If anything, it helps with the brightening and illuminating effect. 

It does come in a tiny jar, but you don't need to apply a huge amount each time, so it lasts a lot longer than you'd think.

Cocokind is a lovely clean and conscious beauty brand with the dreamiest products! Their essence is very popular and it gives a great glow to your skin. I recommend applying this in the morning (and sometimes at night) by spritzing it on and then patting it on the face before applying moisturizer. 

The essence helps with hydration and absorption of the moisturizer and SPF that is applied after it, too. It's nice and lightweight but gives skin that extra push that it needs when it's feeling a little dry and dull.

The Ordinary focuses on making beauty and skincare accessible to as many people as possible—it's super affordable and their products are top-notch. The Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 is one of the first products that I tried from them, and I really love it.
  

Like many of the products on this list, a little goes a long way. If you use too much of this, it will sometimes start to pill on your skin and feel really weird, so it's best to only use a drop or two of it each time. 

When you use the right amount, it helps lock in the moisture and adds some extra hydration to your skin. I recommend applying this at night either after your moisturizer or in place of it.

This Tea Tree Charcoal Facial Bar Soap is a new product from Meow Meow Tweet (but found at Package Free Shop) that I'm currently testing out. It can be hard to find a cleanser that doesn't strip everything from your face, so this nice and gentle but effective cleanser is a godsend.

The ingredients are incredible—there are lots of good oils, butters, oats, and charcoal in it—and it comes package-free. Switching to a bar instead of a tube for cleanser is a great way to cut down on unnecessary plastic waste, so Meow Meow Tweet is great since it works so well and is plastic-free!

GOLDE's Clean Greens Face Mask is a welcome addition to any skincare routine since it's fun and refreshing to use. The ingredients are "100% pure, edible superfoods, featuring chlorella, spirulina, and mango juice," according to their website.

Sometimes skin may react negatively to ingredients that are too natural—especially if you've got particularly sensitive skin. Although this is dependent on the person, my sensitive skin has been loving this mask! 

It's great to throw it on when you want to feel more refreshed and cleansed. It makes skin brighter, healthier, and more moisturized—giving it a nice little glow.

Hanahana beauty is a female-founded sustainable company, and their body butters are to die for! Their products are crafted in small batches by the team and each item is made with care, so your body butter may not be the exact same as someone else's.

This particular shea body butter sounds like a dream. It seems like the perfect product to use after a nice shower to rehydrate and rejuvenate skin. The ingredients are all-natural and filled with all good things—butters and oils for moisturizing and essential oils for a nice fragrance. It's also got anti-inflammatory properties, so it's all-around good for you.

If there's one thing you take away from this article, I hope it's this—wear sunscreen every single day! No matter the weather, make sure to put it on. Applying sunscreen every day really makes a huge difference in your skin. Once you use it, you may find that those tiny bumps on your forehead will start to disappear.

Though REN's sunscreen is mattifying and has a slight white cast to it (which goes away when you blend it in), it's got a lot of benefits. It's sustainable, ethical, vegan, and cruelty-free; plus, the packaging is made of recycled plastic! It also has a nice smell to it—not like the typical sunscreen smell. You only have to squeeze a pea-sized amount to distribute it thoroughly on your face and neck.

LARK Skin Co. is a small brand focused on sustainable and clean beauty. Their rosehip and citrus facial oil is great to give your skin a nice natural glow while also helping to combat breakouts, fade acne scarring, and improve skin tone and texture.

It's best to use this as a moisturizer at night, either before your moisturizer or in place of it. You can also use it in the morning if you feel like your skin needs extra hydration and moisture. It's also great to give your skin a nice glow. Be sure to rub it into your neck too!