Green beauty don't come cheap these days - the likes of blogger faves Antipodes (still haven't tried this!) and Jurlique (I used it pre-blogger hype when I was ~15 and loved it but man it was $$$$) have more or less dominated the 'must-haves' lists for beauty bloggers and nothing less will do. Except at a very high cost, and probably rob you of any joy in life in your quest to look beautiful naturally.
While I usually blog about fashion and style because it comes more naturally to me, what everyone knows less about me is that I've always been interested in green beauty as a result of my teenage angsty skin: the sensitive, extremely acne prone skin which has now morphed into a blend of hormonal and stress acne.... not pretty.
I'm not one for drugstore brands due to ingredients used - chemicals on sensitive skin for me personally is a no-go but just thought I would share some of my favourite green beauty brands in the market at a much more wallet-friendly price, which works just as well!
THEY ARE ALSO VEGAN. (Not that I'm vegan but... lots of peeps are)
WELEDA
Weleda Skin Food 10ml c/o Weleda (£9.95 for 75ml) and Aknedoron Purifying Lotion (£9.95 for 50ml)
Now Weleda has been around for 90 years now, so they're a big name already - but their products are surprisingly affordable! These 10ml tubes of Skin Food have been my saviour for my dehydrated skin in the office A/C, and you just need the tiniest amount for your skin to absorb it. It has great ingredients like calendula and chamomile for soothing red skin, and rosemary to get it all goin'. It's also a celeb brand fave, so I think I'm pretty hip both ways. And it's the perfect traveling size, especially going through airport security!
My firm favourite this year has got to be the Aknedoron Purifying Lotion - jam packed with healing ingredients like lavender and chamomile (again), preventative goodness like echinacea, I use it to combat my acne breakouts and calm the redness. And it works like a charm. In fact, it's part of my 3-step miracle products routine which I'll be sharing soon so watch out ;-)
Compare these to much more coveted brands out there, these are fantastic and are much more forgiving on your savings.
Oh it's 100% natural too.
MADARA
Madara Brightening AHA Peel Mask (£18 for 60ml) / Madara Clarifying Toner (£10.80 for 200ml)
Madara is a new discovery this year: I nabbed some goodies from a FeelUnique 30% sale earlier and they haven't disappointed so far! It's a Latvian natural skincare brand and it uses traditional herb blends in their products, with the aim of delivering the same effects of clinically formulated ingredients.
AHA is everyone's bestie these days, and the Peel Mask uses active fruit acids to simultaneously exfoliate the skin to stimulate cell turnover for brighter complexion. Who doesn't want that?! I'd say it's very similar to the REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal mask (at a whooping £32 for 50ml?!?!!) but much cheaper... and while it's a thinner consistency, it works just as effectively and is very easy to use. It smells like herbs but I like herbs so all is good.
As for the Clarifying Toner, I was on the hunt after finishing up my COSRX AHA/BHA Toner (wonderful stuff) so I decided to jump ship to try this one out. It smells so so good, with roses and and cucumber and good ol' salicylic acid. Generally a good all-rounder for redness and blemish-prone skin.
HANDMADE NATURALS
Rose, Rosehip, Borage ad Raspberry Face & Neck Serum (£16.75 for 30ml) / Japanese Rice Bran Oil (£7.50 for 125ml)
Hands down, the most underrated brand in the UK green beauty scene ever. I've used Handmade Naturals since my uni days for about 5 years now and they consistently impress. One my favourites is the face and neck serum because it smells divine, and the blend of rose and rosehip is amazing for blemish healing and general soothing of the skin. You can even use it as a primer pre-foundation to smooth everything out.
The Japanese Rice Bran oil is a stunner too, as it's an all-purpose oil: cleansing, massaging, moisturising. It's supposed to increase elasticity, and firms the skin and used in anti-aging products. Great for all types of skin too!
Other products from them that I love: Face Cleansing Oil with Japanese Camellia & Rice Bran (£6.95 for 50ml - lasts for ages too), Lavender & Geranium Face Toner (£6.95 for 100ml) and Virgin Shea Butter with Jojoba, Organic Calendula & Chamomile (only £3.95 for 15ml and took me 1.5 years to finish).
The love is real.
FACE THEORY
Relaxing Night Cream M10 (£10.99 for 50ml, but I bought mine for £7+ with 20% off)
Face theory was a brand I've never heard of until my friend Weng (aka 9outoften l o l) introduced me to it... it's a relatively unknown brand, an independent online retailer based in UK selling fuss-free skincare according to your skin type. I know lots of people are sensitive to oils so they offer oil-free/unscented versions of their products too.
They often do promotions and discounts which is why I bought my Night Cream for less than £10! Boasting ingredients like argan oil, aloe vera and shea butter, it's supposed to rehydrate thirsty skin like a charm. It's on the thicker consistency, which is my go-to during colder seasons. And it contains everyone's favourite miracle ingredient: hyaluronic acid, the skin loves drinking what it can get so you'll have a smooth and more 'juicy' face upon waking up. Like I said, they do unscented versions as well which I've gifted my friend who has sensitive skin and she loves it!
DAMES AND DIMES
Organic Shea Whipped Body Butter (£11.95 for 140g)
I've raved about Dames and Dimes previously already, and how the founder started her company by sourcing some of the best ingredients to come up with these amazing products... and my love for it is still going strong. I'm still using this Whipped Body Butter every other day to moisturise but it's definitely a great one for winter, because the thick chunky and mousse-y (love!) consistency makes it so luxurious to use when you have really dry skin. It's also got rosehip and jojoba goodness so you've yourself covered on the cell regeneration front for dem smooth and silky legs.... #legsfordays?
They do some other great products too like the Nail & Cuticle Balm (maybe my next buy after my Melvita one runs out) and Sea Salt and Peppermint body scrub (how dreamy, would love to try it!). Totally not sponsored, and I just really like their stuff.
Let me know what green beauty brands you love which aren't going to bankrupt me???? Have a great weekend all, and my next post should (hopefully) be about food from Asia :')
