Best Conscious Skin-Care Buys
Best Cleansing Wipes
Best Face Wash
Farmacy Whipped Greens
Oil-Free Foaming Cleanser
Best Face Scrub
Ranavat Imperial Glow
Facial Polish
Ever wonder what happens to the plastic you recycle? Well, it could end up as the Farmacy Whipped Greens Oil-Free Foaming Cleanser ($28). The soap- and oil-free face wash is housed in a tube made of postconsumer resin, making it both recycled and recyclable (the winning duo for more sustainable plastic use).
But that's not where the magic stops: the mint-green cream also gives you the satisfying suds you'd want without
leaving skin dry or tight.
We like the Ranavat Imperial Glow
Facial Polish ($42) for its gritty balm texture, crisp floral scent, and the gentle way its rice powder softens skin, but we love it because it's cruelty-free, vegan, non-GMO, and synthetic-fragrance-free. Oh, and did we mention it comes in an aluminum tube? Yep, this sustainable material is infinitely and easily recyclable. When you're done, just cut it open and wash it out before recycling.
Best Face Mask
Versed Doctor's Visit Instant Resurfacing Mask
Pretty packaging doesn't have to come
at a high cost to your wallet and the environment. Exhibit A: the Versed Doctor's Visit Instant Resurfacing Mask ($18), a jelly formula that's packed with alpha and beta hydroxy acids to brighten skin. Once you've used up all the goo, you can toss it in your recycling bin without a second thought thanks to the monomaterial jar, which requires zero separation (since bigger items have a better chance of actually getting recycled).
Best Serum
Common Heir Vitamin C Serum
Vitamin C is the Bravo Real Housewife of the skin-care world: it's strong and bold but incredibly sensitive. The slightest bit of confrontation (aka light or air) can cause the ingredient to completely lose it, which is why the Common Heir Vitamin C Serum ($88) is so genius. These plastic-free, biodegradable capsules keep the vitamin C at its most potent, so you can enjoy all the brightening benefits. The best part? When you're done, just dissolve the capsule in hot water or even toss it in the trash. It'll break down in no time.
Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Eco Pads
Extensive skin-care routines might have you throwing away multiple single-use cotton rounds each day, but now there's a washable and reusable alternative for the masses. Load up the Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Eco Pads ($9) with makeup remover, micellar water, toner, whatever, and swipe across your skin guilt-free. We love that the pack comes with three pads, so we always have a clean one ready to go no matter how behind we are with laundry.
Best Moisturizer
Ace of Air Illuminate Me
Halo Moisturizer
Not only does the Ace of Air Illuminate Me Halo Moisturizer ($54) lend the subtlest hit of radiance that makes it perfect to use in the a.m. under makeup, but it also puts the "reuse" in "reduce, reuse, recycle." The formula comes in a super-durable jar that's meant to be refilled hundreds of times; just use the box your new product arrives in to send it back so it can live another life. (Don't worry, all the packaging is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between refills using the brand's proprietary wet antibacterial or high-heat steam process.)
Conscious Skin Care
Hall of Fame
Tata Harper Resurfacing
AHA + BHA Serum
Meet the oldie but goodie that forever has a home in our medicine cabinets. The Tata Harper Resurfacing AHA + BHA Serum ($88) is packed with a combo of natural AHAs and BHAs that work simultaneously to slough away dead skin cells and degunk pores for a pro-facial-level glow after every single use. Bonus: its ingredients are all derived from natural origins (and 67 percent come from organic farming to boot).