The clean beauty skincare products I use on repeat

All the products mentioned in this article are vegan and cruelty-free. As clean beauty is not a regulated term, the products fall into what I think clean beauty should be, meaning products with a readable ingredient list, made of predominantly natural or certified organic ingredients, free of possible endocrine disruptors and crafted by independent brands that have no corporate attachment, a strong ethos and ideally give back to their communities or Earth-protection organisations.

A clean beauty skincare philosophy

Over the year 2020, we published a series in our Grooming section called "Our favourite things", a monthly curation of what clean beauty skincare, accessories and other beauty-oriented supplements we were getting and loving at the time. Yes, but voila, we stopped after a while because our aim was never to promote over-consumption, including for skincare, and we weren't buying new things every month either. Our bank account still appreciates—a side note mentioning that no brand ever endorsed or sent us free stuff. In all honesty, I would have loved to try things and give feedback, but at the same time, brands' non-interest in our work has given us priceless, total freedom. Also, reading more and more of Jessica Defino's thoughts on skincare which, in a nutshell, underline how many products are more fluff than effective, targeting people's vanity and lack of confidence to sell more, does not motivate one to purchase skincare. Yet cosmetics and skincare have been around for thousands of years, and so superficially taking care of ourselves isn't just about consumerist fad.

Based on the above, my stance on skincare is that I am looking for a moment of pleasure and a feeling that I am taking care of myself when using my products rather than a genuine quest for performance or results. I don't believe stopping the path of time, for example, should be a focal point in our lives and our spending on skincare. Through my product reviews, I often shared that I don't necessarily observe a blatant change on my skin from using products but rather a more overall stable skin state, which I am satisfied with. Perhaps that is why I am always expecting little from skincare products. I also firmly believe that a balanced nutritious diet, drinking over two litres of water a day, an eight-hour minimum sleep and regular exercising will do more for our skin or hair health than any serum, mask or cream.

So, my overall skincare philosophy is to invest in what I find works for me, and if so, I will purchase it again. I also have the occasional "let's try this one to see if it brings something else" buys or out-of-boredom purchases because I am still human and still fall for good marketing and design. Also, I am a curious person, and I like to read recommendations and try new things. However, the product's ingredients list and brand mission will always decide if I hit the 'shop now' button. Let's dive in now.

My repurchased clean beauty products for the FACE

Calcium Liniment

My constant companion. Calcium Liniment is a traditional French mixture made of olive oil and lime water, applied to soothe an irritated baby's bum. I use it as an oil face cleanser. This weird idea came about thirteen years ago after reading that Garance Doré's French dermatologist advised her to quit tap water on her face for the sake of her skin. I decided to give it a try. Later, I came across an interview of the incredible looking Norma Kamali—check on her, she is now 79 years old! Norma explained that she uses olive oil a lot, including calcium liniment, to hydrate and clean her skin, face and body. Here was my perfect cleanser.

An essential part of my routine since, I used to pick up the Babylena Calcium Liniment at the pharmacy each time I travelled to France. I haven't found it lately, so I switched to Liniderm. Calcium liniment leaves my skin plumper, healthy-looking and nourished. I never have strong redness or significant acne breakouts. I chose the brand's liniment because the ingredient list is the closest to the original recipe and is organic. I always buy a bulk-size bottle to last a long time. Bonus, I discovered this online French pharmacy, and they ship internationally so you can get some, too!

Boom Boom Milk by Violette_FR

I have already written an in-depth review of Boom Boom Milk, covering all the details of this fantastic product. In short, I use this multi-purpose milk cream spray, mainly in the morning, as a second-step facial routine. A toner, serum and light moisturiser, all at the same time, Boom Boom Milk has simplified my beauty routine a lot, saving me time and effort. The perfect companion for the lazies like me out here. You can also use it on your body and hair, and pouch refills are available. Available here and here.

Organic Rose Water by Rowse

The Organic Rose Water by Spanish brand Rowse is a relatively recent purchase, but I know it will make the cut for the long term. I have always wanted rose water to be part of my beauty shelf but never really found (or deeply looked into) a specific product. Rose water is an elixir used for centuries, from Ancient Egypt and Greek times to the Islamic Golden Age. Such a legacy says something about this kind of cosmetics, so I think rose water is a must-have. Overall properties are vast, balancing skin's pH, soothing the completion and reducing the appearance of fatigue thanks to antioxidants containing nourishing essential fatty acids.

Lately, I have been looking for a quick way to hydrate my skin after showering, and I have tried the Organic Rose Water luxurious spray. The ingredient list, relatively short, encompasses a limited amount of essential oils and naturally-derived preservatives, in addition to organically grown Rosa Damascena Flower Water as the main ingredient. I like the scent; it's subtle and reminds me of the smell of dried rose petals, and the mist delivers the fresh sensation I was after. I use it on my face, shoulder and chest. Available here.

A selection of clean beauty essentials to nourish the BODY, includes HAIR CARE

Arnica First Aid Cream by Weleda

A few years ago, while on COVID-19 lockdown, part of my routine was to go running in the nearby park. Unfortunately, soon I twisted one of my lower leg muscles. I never understood how it happened, straining that muscle, but it was painful, and I had to stick to strengthening exercise workouts for most of the quarantine period. I applied Weleda Arnica cream a few times daily to ease the pain and support the healing process.

Cruelty-free—also free from synthetic fragrances, paraben and preservatives, this cream is packed with dried Arnica flower, Arnica root extract and Arnica oil. Arnica is a powerful plant traditionally used to reduce pain, swelling, and bruising. The gel also includes Silver Fir, Lemon, Orange, Rosemary and Sage Essential Oils, incorporating botanical pain-relieving properties while giving the cream a pleasant, fresh smell. The Weleda range is renowned for being a great value brand, and this Arnica gel is no exception. After a week of consistent application, my calf was no longer swollen, and two weeks later, the overall pain was gone, and it didn't come back. I now use this Arnica gel every time I have some muscle pain.

Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm by Aesop

This beautiful hand cream from Aesop* was a gift from Trace on my birthday a few years ago. I am not the kind of person who buys hand cream for herself; I am too lazy to use them. Yet I couldn't thank Trace enough. I adore this balm; it created a whole new daily ritual in my life. The packaging is a wonder with a minimum amount of plastic, the tube is in metal, the colours are cool, and the size is perfect to carry on and last a while. Most importantly, my hands, fingers, and cuticles love it, particularly when in cold weather, making the derm dryer. The balm sinks fast into the skin, leaving a light, smoothing veil on the hands, a warm and citrusy fragrance embalming the atmosphere. The experience reminded me of Baudelaire's poem "Invitation to the Voyage"—"There all is order and beauty—Luxury, peace, and voluptuousness". At home.

[*Aesop sold to L'Oreal in 2023 for $3.7 billion, making a beloved brand part of a questionable consortium and therefore, Aesop exceptionally falls outside of my independent brand category.]

Perfect Balance Shampoo Bar by Rowse

Shower time. Until not so long ago, I was loyal to the Sphaera Volumising shampoo bar. But earlier this year, the brand took a production hiatus before we left Aotearoa, New Zealand, with no possibility for me to stock up in advance. Now they announced they are closing down. So I had to find an alternative. I've been using solid shampoo for years for care and environmental reasons, and it took me a long time to find the product that works for my hair.

Thankfully, I quickly found a new substitute in the Rowse Perfect Balance Shampoo Bar. As luxurious and modern as the Sphaera's, the Perfect Balance Shampoo is enriched with Indian gooseberry and Curcuma, in addition to shea butter, jojoba and avocado oil—soothing, regulating, repairing and deeply nourishing the scalp and mane. The only downside is that my husband and I both use it and go through it quicker than with the Sphaera's, but overall, I've been pleased with the result. I only hair-wash twice a week, and my hair stays thick, voluminous and shiny.

The forever TOOLS & COMPLEMENTS

Beechwood Facial Brush

I purchased a similar beechwood facial brush a few years ago after discussing the benefits of regular face brushing with a friend. She was adamant it was THE secret for her glowing skin and enthusiastic about how flagrant the effects were. She advised this model, and reading the review section, she wasn't the only one praising the tool. I preferred to go for a no-plastic brush made of natural materials. I think the bristles were poney hair (not vegan). I have to be careful to leave it well drying to avoid mould building up on the handle as it is raw, natural wood.

The facial cleansing brush gently exfoliates and invigorates the skin. Thanks to its soft yet firm bristles, the brush micro-massages, deeply cleans pores and polishes away dead skin, leaving the complexion smooth and radiant and improving skin absorbance. Abundantly wet the brush with warm water, then lather your favourite cleanser in slow, circular motions on your skin and rinse off. It glides effortlessly around the contour of the nose and face. A facial brush is amazing at removing makeup and accumulated grime. I love the feeling it leaves and also use it on my arms, shoulders and chest. It works for all skin ages and types, and the skin indeed looks glowing after use. Facial brush is a simple, affordable tool and definitely one of my beauty staples.

Reusable face pad

In another life, I used disposable cotton rounds, mostly to apply toner, remove makeup and, every so often, nail polish. Yet these daily consumables are highly questionable. First, they are part of a throwaway, consumerist culture that I want to avoid, as it makes no sense regarding the natural regenerative cycles. To a lesser degree, their prime material, cotton, is the most environmentally demanding crop, is water-intensive to cultivate, to process, and is heavily dependent on pesticides. From there, I logically switched to using reusable fabric pads. Mine are made of bamboo, but you can find, or make some, out of cotton off-cuts or eucalyptus, known as lyocell. Always aim for organic or used fabric though, as materials still hold the pesticides they have been grown with when new. Stay aware that no fabric is perfect. Organic cotton, lyocell or bamboo; all hold some downsides, but realistically, nothing compared to single-used cotton rounds.

I have had my bamboo pads for four years now, and they are still going strong. Helpful tip: in addition to washing them frequently, I soak the pads in hydrogen peroxide now and then to keep them bright white. I love using these reusable face pads; they are convenient for travelling or home. The bamboo pads are relatively soft on the skin, but I found the second-hand cotton rounds I also own are more coarse, so they exfoliate a little. Undoubtedly, these reusable face pads are one of the prime accessories for anyone embracing a low-waste lifestyle.

Lavette washcloths by Bianca Lorenne

I heard of Bianca Lorenne a couple of years ago, thanks to Trace, who introduced me to this lovely New Zealand brand. They design and produce beautiful, high-quality bed linen, home textiles and interior products. I love their washcloths. Made from knitted natural fibre, 100% organic cotton, the Bianca Lorenne cloths are soft and silky and exquisite tools that lift any daily experience, such as washing your face or drying your hands, into a luxurious level and a brief moment of relaxation. I bought a few of those cloths over the years and brought them with me to Europe, as unfortunately, nobody here retails this brand. I haven't found any suitable alternative, nor that I want to, to be honest.

Podiatric nail clipper

My father is a retired independent nurse who visited his patients at their house, not in the hospital. Part of his daily job was caring for vulnerable patients, washing and grooming them when they couldn't do it alone anymore. And that included some podiatric treatments such as cutting nails. So at home, we always had a podiatric nail clipper. Perfect to care for ingrown nails, this nail clipper type is the only way to cut the nail far enough without hurting yourself. It keeps the doctor away, who will probably use the same tool to resolve your ingrown nail problem. However, always learn prior and practice carefully.

Podiatry nail clippers are easy to manoeuvre, open widely, and perfect for cutting thick and irregular nails. Their slightly curved blades are excellent for contouring around nails for a clean and smooth cut. You have total control over the shape of your nails. I know these are more specific for toenails, but I also use them for my fingernails, and they do an excellent job. So, if you are anything like me and like your nails to be well-cut and clean, this is undoubtedly an essential investment.

I hope this list will be helpful to you. As I said, the clean beauty offering is extensive, and it is not easy to pick up products that we can like, there is no one-truth on the subject. Lately, I have read recurrent rants or comments from cosmetic scientists online, here and there, against clean beauty claims and what they call pseudo-science. More broadly, this article on the fear of chemicals also caught my attention. I understand that clean beauty or chemical-free are not regulated terms, and I am not a professional PhD or researcher, so these people who are pros in their field certainly raise some valid points. However, I am sceptical of their claims when I see some of their references, such as here, take strong stands in favour of GMOs or pesticides, or when those scientists explain that corporate brands' products packed with synthetic chemicals are fine to use. There were also questions about PFAs.

I think these people have a very mathematical, narrow vision of the subject. By principle, the threshold of what is considered safe varies from country to country, and what science stands for now is not what it will be in two, five or ten years. Money rules above people's safety, and the past has shown us that science-based research tends to evolve towards a worst rather than best-case scenario. Also, other professional scientists and educators have different discourses on synthetic chemicals. For example, outside of skincare, I can't stop thinking that Teflon was also acceptable to use until it wasn't, or the direction climate change science evolved. What if it is the same for cosmetics and synthetic chemicals? Where should we put our money?

So my mindset is that, as enough toxins surround us as they are, let's be cautious not to absorb even more through our pores—a simple precautionary approach. What are your favourite "clean beauty" products?