My Latest Clean Beauty Loves
When Beautycounter closed up shop, I was forced to find replacements for lots of my clean beauty faves. Fortunately a few items made the transition far better than I had envisioned.
Everyone knows the feeling of a favorite product getting discontinued. Whether it's a lipstick that makes your smile pop like nothing else, a scent that takes you back to your happy place in one spritz, or a food that you could never stop craving, being told that item is done for can definitely leave you feeling defeated.
When Beautycounter, a super beloved beauty brand of mine since circa 2017, closed up shop in April, I kind of panicked.
That sounds extreme, but when your skin is happy, you don't want to rock the boat. It can be trickier than trying to transfer a sleeping baby from their carseat to their crib without waking them. It's best to take small steps, one at a time, or, in this instance, try new skincare slowly and strategically. Yet when you have to overhaul your whole skincare regimen practically all at once ... yikes.
During this process, I decided to stick to clean beauty brands that I already love for several of their other products. I turned first to Ilia, Kosas and RMS (mentioned in this post).
I love Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint, Skin Rewind Complexion Stick, Bright Start Retinol Corrective Eye Cream, Fullest Volumizing Mascara, Color Haze and True Skin Radiant Priming Serum. So, when I ran out of Beautycounter Countertime Mineral Boost Hydrating Essence, I turned to Ilia's The Base Face Milk. It's clinically proven to reduce redness, smoothen skin texture and strengthen the skin barrier. My skin drinks it up; I love using it right after the Nira laser.
Beautycounter's concealer was definitely one of my favorite makeup items from the brand. I love a creamy concealer now that I've hit the mid-40s. Kosas Revealer Concealer is now my favorite for the under-eye, along with Rodial Banana Lowlighter (holy grail) for my inner corners or anywhere I need brightening.
As for foundation, I love Kosas Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation SPF 25 when I want a little less dewy look than Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint. I find it similar to Beautycounter's Skin Twin but with sun protection — bonus!
When it comes to daytime moisturizer, I ADORED Beautycounter's Mighty Plump so, so much! I've been trying to find a dupe. And I finally found something that is crazy close in terms of plumping performance and overall feel: Shaklee YOUTH Moisture Lock Day Cream. I actually really, really love it. Like Mighty Plump, a little Moisture Lock goes a long way, so it should last a while. And very importantly, it's super clean. It's EWG verified! A lot of my fellow Beautycounter Brand Advocates now sell Shaklee, and I may join them. I'll be trying their YOUTH Radiance C+E next to see if it lives up to All Bright C Serum.
And, finally, I needed a replacement for my Beautycounter Counter+ Lotus Glow Cleansing Balm, one of my all-time favorite products. I have been loving Versed Day Dissolve Cleansing Balm. It's very affordable, a 2 on EWG's Skin Deep Database, and I love the scent from the eucalyptus oil. It wakes this sleepy head up in the AM. It reminds me a lot of the scent of Noxzema. That may be a good or bad thing for you; I love it!
I hope this helps if you're similarly looking to replace your Beautycounter faves or just looking for clean beauty that makes the cut.
Happy shopping!
Natalie Kaar
