In Honor of Earth Day: My Favorite Natural Beauty Brands

Natural beauty sometimes feels like one of the best kept secrets in the beauty industry. Most of the time when you think of natural skincare, you picture an aisle in Whole Foods or your local health food store, laden with hippie-approved products and the scent of patchouli. But times are changing. There are more natural, non-toxic, and organic beauty brands popping up than ever before, and not only are they good for you, but they're also incredibly effective. In honor of Earth Day, I'm excited to share some of my favorite natural beauty brands and the products that have changed my skin for the better.

Quick disclaimer: Not all beauty brands that claim to be "natural" are really, well, natural. Anyone can slap a label on a product and call it natural, as long as you have at least one natural seeming ingredient. I've always thought that I'm good at spotting green-washing and faux-natural labels from a mile away, but even I sometimes get caught up in a brand and forget to do my research. Case in point: Sunday Riley. You'll notice I have Sunday Riley's UFO Ultra Clarifying Oil pictured above–I recently noticed that their ingredients were not what the claimed to be, and instead of being "natural," their products are filled with Parabens and toxic, endocrine disrupting ingredients, including Formaldehyde, a terrifyingly common ingredient in a lot of anti-aging products. So, I guess the moral of the story is that I am not an expert, so always do your research before trying out a new "natural" skincare line. (Check out EWG for more info!)

Herbivore Botanicals was one of the first non-toxic skincare brands to break into the world of chic and effective natural beauty. If you're new to the brand, or to natural beauty in general, I always suggest trying out their products to get a taste of what natural skincare can really do. Their masks are absolutely wonderful–I use the Pink Clay Gently Exfoliating Mask every Sunday with a few drops of Heritage Store Rosewater (my holy grail for daily hydration!) and a drop or two of Herbivore's Orchid Facial Oil. The combination is a major game changer, and it leaves my skin feeling unbelievably soft and renewed. The Blue Tansy Mask is another one of my favorites, especially when my skin is acting up. I will say that the smell is a bit overwhelming (kind of medicinal), but if you can get past that, the product works wonders.

Another brand that revolutionized the standards in the natural beauty industry is Tata Harper Skincare. I've tried every single product they carry (not kidding) and there isn't one that I wouldn't recommend. Besides being completely transparent about their non-toxic, ECO-Cert range of products, the products themselves are incredibly potent and effective. Their Super Natural collection is up there with some of the best, most luxurious skincare brands (think: La Mer, but not filled with chemicals). My can't live without products from that range are the Elixir Vitae Serum, and Elixir Vitae Eye Serum. But, if you're not quite ready to make that kind of commitment to a product, their Rejuvenating Serum and Restorative Eye Créme are also life-changing.

Speaking of life-changing, Kypris has become one of my absolute favorite brands recently. I purchased the Moonlight Catalyst serum after a friend and natural beauty guru of mine told me that I had to give it a shot, and I am so happy that I did. It's a non-chemical retinol that works to revitalize and balance your skin while you sleep, without any of the harmful peeling and irritation that traditional retinols cause. 

Designed to heal, nourish and balance all skin types, F. Miller Skincare is a like a breath of fresh air in my beauty cabinet. Although a relatively new beauty brand, Fran Miller's namesake brand has already been featured in Vogue and other national publications, and I cannot recommend her products enough. They're incredibly gentle and hydrating, and the faint scent of flowers is enough to transport you to a peaceful, blooming garden, even if you're in the middle of Manhattan.

Another newer brand that I've recently fallen for is NOTO Botanics. Founded by makeup artist Gloria Noto, the brand strives to provide all natural, multi-use skincare to women and men, made to heal and nourish all skin types. After only a week of trying out the products for the first time, I was head over heels. The Hydra Highlighter is one of the best highlighters I've used–it was a glossy, less sparkly finish than most products I've tried, which lends itself to a more natural glow (and you all know how much I love my glow!). The Multi-Benne Stain is equally as gorgeous, and provides a soft flush of orange-red to the lips and cheeks. But the real hero for me is the Deep Serum for face and neck. I was a bit nervous to try it because of the grapefruit, citrusy smell (I had a bad reaction to some other citrus-filled skincare products in the past) but I am so glad I gave it a shot. The serum itself is so hydrating that I've actually been able to forgo using moisturizer during the day. I also can't stress enough how healing this stuff is–even when my skin is feeling particularly irritated, the serum is able to calm it down in just a matter of minutes. 

There are a lot of benefits to using natural skincare, not just for your skin, but also for the environment. Although I'm not perfect and don't exclusively use natural brands, or eat only organic, local food, I do try to make an effort to stay educated and aware of what I am putting on, and in my body. Leave me your recommendations below for other natural beauty brands you think I should try out!