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Organic September: 10 best organic skincare products for a natural glow

For brighter, clearer and smoother skin, these are the beauty heroes to know

Pippa Bailey
Tuesday 01 September 2020 12:15 BST
Concerned about the ingredients in your cosmetics? These products are free from nasties
Concerned about the ingredients in your cosmetics? These products are free from nasties

Consumers are increasingly wising up about the ingredients and transparency about where their skincare products come from. This has led to many people seeking out the brands labelled natural, organic, GMO and pesticide-free, and even vegan.

However, actually finding organic products is difficult. “Organic” is not a legal term in skincare, so brands are free to use it as they like, even if they only contain a small amount of one organic ingredient.

For full assurance, look for products bearing a certification label, such as the Soil Association in the UK. Brands will have had to meet strict criteria including a certain percentage of organic ingredients (typically at least 95 per cent) in order to carry the label. However, there is even variation in standards between certifiers.

In skincare, it is almost impossible to make 100 per cent organic formulas; ingredients such as clay or water, for example, are both natural and harmless, but cannot be farmed and therefore cannot be called organic.

Some of the brands we’ve listed aren’t certified but claim to use organic ingredients wherever possible.

All our choices contain high proportions of natural, organic and high-quality ingredients, even if they are not fully certified, and all give results that compete with more mainstream, less “clean” brands.

We’ve applied the same standards as we always do to testing skincare, looking at experience of use, long-term results and price.

You can trust our independent roundups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.

The verdict: Organic skincare products

Our favourite product is Pai’s hydrating cleanser, which is nourishing, leaves skin soft and feels truly luxurious to use. For its low price point and high levels of effectiveness, the Conscious Skincare make-up melt deserves a mention, as does A’kin’s gorgeous rosehip oil.

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