10 Beauty Experts Share Their Favorite Clean Beauty Hacks

OK Everygirls, let’s talk clean beauty, and why you need clean beauty in your routine. “Clean beauty” means non-toxic products that use sustainable materials and manufacturers that value minimizing their environmental impact. Purchasing a clean moisturizer or lipstick is a vote for more environmentally-friendly beauty, but it packs major health and beauty benefits too.

Not to get all #self-righteous on you, but the personal care industry is basically unregulated. Products sold on shelves and in your favorite beauty stores are allowed to contain toxic ingredients like carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. A “clean beauty” stamp means non-toxic, and uses natural ingredients that are actually good for your skin and hair instead of damaging (like a concealer or lipstick with a jojoba oil base instead of artificial formula).

Important to note: the labels “eco,” “natural,” or “green” don’t really mean anything. Make sure to check labels for ingredients you don’t recognize and shop for products with an official “clean beauty” stamp or at retailers that sell only non-toxic products.

However, we get that it can be overwhelming, especially when most of us have SO. MANY. PRODUCTS. So to help you (and ourselves!) out, we asked our favorite beauty bosses and wellness experts for their best clean beauty hacks, to help easily transition your routine. Remember, taking baby steps is making a difference! Read on, and get ready to glow – your beauty routine is about to get a major (clean) upgrade.

1. Hannah Bronfman, Founder of HBFIT, Lifestyle Influencer, and Author of “Do What Feels Good”

Source: HBFIT

“One of my favorite clean hacks is that I use reusable organic cotton pads! I use them to take my makeup off, wash my face, dry my face, and then I just toss them into the hamper to wash and reuse.”

2. Kasey Boone, Owner and Head Esthetician of Glow Skincare and Co-Host of Beauty Biz BFFs Podcast

“Drink water! I know we hear this all the time but truly water is KEY in our skin health. Humans are made up of 80 percent water – we need it, and most of us don’t get enough. If you are trying to slowly introduce more clean products into your regime, I recommend to start with your cleanser and SPF. My go-to cleanser is Purity Clean from Cosmedix Skincare and my fav SPF is Zinc it Over by Seriously Fab.”

3. Lauren Gores Ireland, Lifestyle Blogger and Co-Founder of Summer Fridays

Source: You & Lu

“Going 100-percent clean can feel overwhelming! Start with one small change and once you become consistent with that, make another one. For me personally, I first worked on switching my lip balm, since it was something I used several times a day. One by one, I slowly worked on switching over my skincare routine to be clean. I am admittedly still working on switching over my body and cosmetic products, but I remind myself it’s one small step at a time.”

4. Parisa Morris, Founder of Town & Anchor

“Typical, makeup removers can have harsh chemicals that are often too irritating and strip too much of your natural sebum production, causing redness, dryness, and blemishes. My favorite clean beauty hack is using a Konjac Sponge and face oil to remove makeup. Simply wet a sponge and apply 2-3 drops of face oil onto the sponge and gently massage makeup off of your face. Even better, you can clean the sponge with running water and face wash, and then wash your face with the same sponge. It’s a win-win!”

5. Karina Sulzer, Founder and CEO of Skin Camp

“A clean DIY tip – we love HONEY! Its anti-inflammatory effect can decrease redness and is also an antibacterial, helping kill bacteria in the pores which cause acne. We especially love Manuka honey and we have an amazing Manuka honey mask that we use in our treatments at Skin Camp. It can balance the skin and help slough away dead cell debris to keep your skin clean.”

(Check out our editor’s experience with using honey as a facial cleanser)

6. Allie Compton, Esthetician and Makeup Artist at Credo NYC

Source: @alexandrareina

“When you’re making the switch from conventional beauty products, start to find ‘clean’ replacements as you run out of your favorites. This method is less overwhelming, and more cost-effective and sustainable than swapping out everything in one go. Or, start with a great balm-based product (I love Doctor Rogers) because it can be used in endless ways: to moisturize dry areas of the face or cuticles, as the perfect lip balm, to create a gorgeous glossy lip when placed on top of a matte lipstick, tame eyebrows and fly-away hairs, and as a highlighter if tapped on the tops of the cheekbones with fingertips.”

7. Marianna Hewitt, Beauty Influencer and Co-Founder of Summer Fridays

Source: Life With Me

“Sephora has made it so easy to shop confidently with their ‘Clean at Sephora’ seal. I try and spot those items on their site or in-store, then see which products to try from there!”

8. Jenny Duranski, Owner and Founder of Lena Rose Beauty

“Embracing clean beauty doesn’t have to break the bank. Find beauty inspiration from your kitchen. The same ingredients you use in your morning smoothies can be superfood skincare. Matcha is a powerful antioxidant, cinnamon gets blood flowing and gently plumps the skin, and oatmeal is full of proteins that help skin heal and combat itchy winter skin.”

9. Melissa Wood-Tepperberg, Certified Health Coach and Founder of The MWH Method

Source: Melissa Wood Health

“I love clean beauty because you just feel good using products that you know are good for you and not harming your health. Right now, the biggest game-changing ingredient that I’ve incorporated into my routine is hyaluronic acid. The Kale and Spinach Green Tea moisturizer from Youth to the People is amazing, and of course, gua sha ’til you die!”

10. Julie Longyear, Herbal Chemist and Founder of Blissoma Botanical Beauty

“Clean up your cleanser! People often underestimate the importance of a proper cleanser in their skincare routine, but cleansing really is the base of healthy skin. If your cleanser is disrupting your skin ,then none of your other products will work as well and you will continue to have skin problems. Look for cleansers with botanical oils versus petrochemical emollients, as your cleanser can absolutely nourish in addition to cleansing — and you’ll want the added vitamins and nutrients from organic, natural oils. It also does not have to lather in order to cleanse! Cream and oil cleansers can do a wonderful, balancing, and effective job with no bubbles at all.”