At this point, “you are what you eat” is basically considered a fact. And just like all the nutrients in food get absorbed into our bodies, all the ingredients in the creams, serums, and makeup we use every day get absorbed by our skin. So as more people are starting to care about what they put in their bodies, they’re also thinking about what they put on them.

This consciousness is fueling the rise of natural beauty products and brands that focus on clean ingredients—no harmful chemicals or animal testing—and sustainably sourced packaging and materials. Below, we highlight some of our favorite options for hair, skin, and nails, giving you some tips on the natural beauty products available for your home or for your next visit to the hair or nail salon.

Hair

Shampoo and conditioner

Avalon Organics

The company’s guiding principle is that “all beauty comes from the earth,” which means every item from the vegan brand has a botanical base—lemon to clarify or lavender to soothe and nourish. The best part? It’s affordable and is widely available at stores like Walgreens, Whole Foods, and Walmart.

Mask

Yarok Feed Your Moisture Conditioning Mask

A blend of organic and all-natural botanicals like organic coco crème and aloe vera gel and wild-harvested seaweed extract drench your hair in moisture and maximize bounce and shine in curly and color-treated hair. As a bonus, Yarok donates a portion of its profits to a nonprofit protecting the Amazon rainforest.

Tonic

Aveda Thickening Tonic

All of Aveda’s hair, skin, and nail products are based on naturally derived ingredients, and this serum is no exception, calling upon certified organic amla fruit to help fatten up individual strands. As a leader in the beauty industry, Aveda is on a mission “to set an example for environmental leadership and responsibility” and claims to be one of the first beauty companies to use 100% post-consumer recycled packaging, as well as 100% certified wind power in its main manufacturing facility.

Skin

For your face

Cleanser

Yes to Carrots Daily Cream Facial Cleanser

Yes to, which has eight different product lines highlighting the beautifying power of a different plant, creates every product with 95% natural ingredients. Its cruelty-free practices earned them a certified spot in the Leaping Bunny Program, and all products are free of parabens, phthalates, SLS, silicones, and chemical sunscreens.

Moisturizer

Silk Therapeutics Nurture+

Pure silk is blended with antioxidants and vitamin E to quench skin’s thirst for moisture. And with only eight ingredients in it, it’s easy to verify that each one will be good for you and your skin.

Makeup

Faerie Organics

This full cosmetics line uses 100% pure mineral ingredients in its foundations, shadows, mascaras, and lip colors. That means irritants or chemicals, including talc, parabens, and bismuth oxychloride—a common ingredient in other mineral makeup brands.

For your body

Cleanser

Madina African Black Soap

Safe for your face, hands, and body, this 100% vegetable-based bar soap is really three cleansers in one. Natural black-seed oil gives it its inky hue, cocoa butter hydrates and seals in moisture, and vitamin E has antioxidant superpowers that help fade blemishes.

Lotion

H2O Plus Sea Salt Hydrating Lotion

H2O Plus uses specially filtered ocean water as its formula foundation, then isolates a bevy of marine ingredients that target particular issues. This body lotion employs Japanese brown kelp called wakame to tone skin, as well as sea lettuce from Brittany, France, to promote collagen production. English fennel helps stave off environmental damage, as does a nourishing, powerhouse combo of Japanese green tea, Paraguayan tea, and the Chinese medicinal herb gotu kola.

Nails

Widely Available:

Zoya

Zoya helps ensure that carbon footprints are not just small, but glossy and colorful, too. It’s one of the most popular “5-free” brands—a huge marker for eco-conscious buyers—meaning there’s no toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, or camphor in any of its formulas.

Chip-Resistant Nail Polish:

RGB Cosmetics

These long-lasting polishes help you wear color as enduring as your principles. They’re not only 5-free and vegan, but also cruelty-free, gluten-free, and made in the United States with fair-trade policies.

Check out related reads on the The Guide:

The Best Nail Polishes, Ranked Across 7 Categories

Our beauty editors’ comprehensive guide to the best nail polishes, including the top brands for base coat, affordability, nontoxic formula, and more. 

4 Lip Balms, 16 Days, 10 Sets of Lips: The Panic to Find the Best Lip Balm Before Winter Hits

We sought lip-balm advice from a dermatologist, then had our beauty team test four different types. The balm at the top of the list? It’s a tie.