Most people assume that they have to search high and low to find the best natural beauty products on the market.
While it’s exciting to see that many niche natural beauty brands are popping up in online boutiques and quaint apothecaries, for those who want quick access at a reasonable price, look no further than your area Target, Walgreens or Wal-Mart.
Though it’s smart to do your homework to protect yourself from buying a greenwashed mainstream product (read the back label of ingredients, not the front label of marketing!), these five brands are a few of my favorites that can be found at big box retailers.
Eco Tools
Eco Tools offers incredibly affordable makeup brushes made with bamboo handles, recycled aluminum and cruelty-free, synthetic bristles. Eco Tools has a variety of sets — looking for new mineral makeup brushes? There’s a set for that. Need new eye shadow brushes? Got it? You can also buy individual brushes, though the sets tend to be better deals.
Burt’s Bees
Burt’s Bees is probably one of the most iconic natural beauty brands. For someone just getting into the green movement, it’s a great foray into how to clean up your beauty routine when it comes to makeup, skincare and haircare. My standbys? Burt’s Bees lip balm, lip color and baby products (they are so gentle!).
Shea Moisture
For exotic soaps and body oils, Shea Moisture has your back — literally. Organic African black soap keeps you clean without stripping your skin dry of its natural oils. Argan body oil replenishes moisture and can be used on your hair, skin and nails. The packaging is colorful yet understated, and the formulas inside are truly effective. Organic African black soap is a staple for me!
Yes to Carrots
The “Yes to” line of products is one of the most playful on the market. Beginning with “Yes to Carrots” and expanding to “Yes to Blueberries,” “Yes to Cucumbers” and more, the entire premise of this brand is to get you to “say yes to” natural ingredients — and they make it pretty easy to do so! Each fruit/veggie line (carrots, blueberries, etc.) is tailored to a certain skin type of concern, making it simple for you to navigate the shelves to the products you need.
Weleda
When I first spotted Weleda at my local Target, I gasped a bit. This is one of the best, affordable green brands on the market. Its popular “Skin Food” hand cream is constantly raved about by magazine editors and beauty bloggers alike. In addition to the wide array of skin and haircare products, the men in your life will appreciate the well-edited clean grooming products packaged in a strong blue color.
Have you tried any of these lines or seen them in your area retailers? What inspires you to go a little greener in your beauty routine? Tell me in the comments section!
Kim Wallace is the founder and editor in chief of lifestyle and natural beauty blog kimberlyloc.com. She works full time as a social media and web editor for a nonprofit in Kansas City and spends her free time testing and reviewing green beauty products for kimberlyloc.com.
