Beauty on a Budget: Explore The Best Affordable Natural Beauty Brands
January 18, 2024
Anyone who has followed along here for a while knows that as much as I love a good splurge, finding an affordable natural beauty product is also satisfying. Who doesn’t love finding a great product at a steal? Hence my Save vs Splurge series on the blog and Instagram! If you’re looking for a couple of budget-friendly items to round out your makeup bag, I’ve got you covered. Even if you’re creating an entire skincare routine on a budget, I’ve got that covered too!
Top photo of me by emmaloo.co
Things to Consider With Affordable Natural Beauty Products
Ingredients
Since you’re here, looking for natural beauty products, let’s chat ingredients! Keep in mind that it’s much harder to formulate natural products cheaply. Using real ingredients instead of cheap synthetic ingredients adds up quickly.
Ingredients are the difference between a truly natural beauty product and a greenwashed one. In fact, most of what you see in the “Clean Beauty” (heavy emphasis on the quotations there) aisle in the bigger stores really isn’t clean at all. While I see a lot of things sneaking in, the biggest culprit is usually ethoxylated ingredients.
Here’s a little cheat sheet:
Additionally, it’s harder to formulate without the harsh preservatives and synthetics. I’ve had brand owners tell me tales of having to go through dozens of reformulations just to find the right natural preservative that played well with the other ingredients. That means brands shell out a lot more upfront to make the products.
All that to say, even affordable natural beauty isn’t drugstore cheap but it can be budget-friendly.
Affordable Natural Beauty Brands
Below are some of my top picks across a few different categories. Most have fully clean ingredients. I will note otherwise if a brand is a bit hit or miss.
Very affordable and they have a full range of makeup. Everything has great ingredients, too! Some of my favorites are the Bronzing Powder and the Power Palette Eyeshadow.
One of the OGs in green beauty. They’ve kept it real since the start with only natural ingredients. One of my forever top picks from them is the vegan mascara. Super long-lasting!
Here’s where I give the disclaimer about this one being a mixed bag. They’ve slowly been adding in a few things that I generally avoid like chemical sunscreen ingredients and Phenoxyethanol (see ethoxylated cheat sheet above). This is SO unfortunate since they have such a stellar product offering. But they still offer quite a few products without those ingredients so just be sure to check your labels.
A truly affordable skincare line with a full offering of products. While the formulations are less robust than their pricier counterparts, they can complement some of your splurge items to keep you on budget. The Avocado Eye Masks are a fan favorite.
Solid basics for skincare and body care. While this is more moderately priced than some other options on this list, it’s still cheaper than many green beauty lines.
With a really robust skincare offering, this line has something for everyone! While it’s more moderately priced than other options on this list, it’s a great value for the high-caliber products.
With skincare for a few different skin types and body care that’s gentle enough for kids, this has been a favorite in my house for a while. My top picks are the foaming hand soap and lotion bars.
A fun skincare line that has the basics and a few extras to round out your routine. This would be a great line for teens too! The Day Glow AHA Tonic is a fan favorite.
One of the pioneers in natural beauty, this brand has stood the test of time. It offers quite a few skincare and body care items. Some of my favorites are the classic Skin Food and Hand Cream. *Note: the label may list fragrance, but it’s natural. They must label it like this is due to European label laws.
This brand as a whole is not on the budget-friendly side, however, this little gem happens to be a steal for such a good eye cream. (between $16-$29 depending on size)
Heritage Store makes a variety of wellness products and skincare. While I can’t speak of much of the line as I haven’t tried them, I love this rosewater and it’s got a great price!
While you may not find dollar bin prices, there are still many budget-friendly and affordable natural beauty options. Hopefully, this post can help guide you to some of the better options! Spot any of your favorite affordable brands?
*This post contains affiliate links. All thoughts and opinions are always my own
