Whether constant mask wearing is leaving your skin in need of some extra attention or you just want to treat yourself to some new makeup, look no further than the Bay Area's burgeoning clean beauty scene.
Ditch your drugstore products and revamp your morning routine with local products for every need and at every price point—that's good for you and for the environment.
Exa Beauty: Foundation Hues for All
(Courtesy of @exa.beauty)
Launched just last month by clean beauty retailer Credo, Exa is a safe, cruelty-free line of beauty products aimed at inclusivity. Available in 43 shades (use the shade finder for your perfect match), Exa's High Fidelity Foundation ($38) offers just the right amount of coverage while still allowing you to show off your skin. Still need convincing? Exa uses "eco-as-possible" packaging and donates a percentage of proceeds to Women's Voices for the Earth, an organization that amplifies the voices of women fighting to eliminate toxic chemicals. // exabeauty.com
BLK. by Amina: Skincare for Women and Men of All Colors
(Courtesy of @blkbyamina)
San Francisco–based BLK. by Amina, founded by Amina Galadima and actually named after her grandmother, Bobbie Louise Knuckles—promotes creativity and confidence through 100 percent vegan skincare products packed with vitamins (as well as apparel and candles to go with). Pamper your skin with the Detoxifying Charcoal Mask ($26), designed to remove impurities with activated charcoal, exfoliate with pink clay, remove dead skin cells with blue clay, and eliminate excess oil with Kaolin clay. // blkbyamina.com
Āether Beauty: Sparkly Vegan Makeup
(Courtesy of Āether Beauty)
Add some natural sparkle to your look with Āether Beauty's crystal-infused, ethically made and sourced vegan makeup. Choose from a selection of almost too pretty to use zero-waste palates including the Rose Quartz Crystal Gemstone Palette ($58) featuring 12 smooth and shimmery shades formulated with organic coconut oil, shea butter, and rose hip oil—plus Rose Quartz powder, which reduces fine lines, wrinkles, and redness while simultaneously illuminating your skin with light-reflective crystals. Need some extra justification? Rest assured that one percent of sales go toward providing clean and reliable water across sub-Saharan Africa via The Water Project. // aetherbeautyco.com
Cocokind: Luxe Superfood Skincare at Affordable Prices
(Courtesy of @cocokind)
Cult-favorite Cocokind is well known for its reasonably priced but very luxe cruelty-free products made with superfood ingredients. (Who knew you could put sea grape caviar, turmeric, sea kale, and celery on your face?) On the website, you'll find complete ingredient transparency and recycling details for every product. While we're partial to Cocokind's skincare products, including the dark spot and acne scar reducing Turmeric Tonic ($11) and complexion boosting Chlorophyll Mask ($19), Cocokind's brand new Beauty Bevs trio ($20)—featuring a good-for-you adaptogen mocha latte and dragonfruit-filled Sleep C Tonic—is also worth a try. // cocokind.com
Earth Tu Face: Small-Batch Herbal Skincare
(Courtesy of @earthtuface)
Since it was first founded 10 years ago by herbalists, Oakland-based Earth Tu Face has taken advantage of the planet's raw materials and provided effective, results-driven products made in small handmade batches and sold in minimal waste packaging. If you're in the market for a versatile moisture-boosting product, give Earth Tu Face's skin, lips, and body-friendly Skin Stick ($34) a shot. // earthtuface.com
Bathing Culture: Natural Cleansers + More for Adventurous Types
(Courtesy of @bathingculture)
Clean up with Bathing Culture's radically natural face and body products. Founded in 2015 by regular Marin Headlands explorers, Bathing Culture uses a mix of organic, hand-harvested, and vegan ingredients, and 100 percent California curbside blue bin recycling to create plastic rainbow emblazoned bottles that will instantly add some pizzaz to your sink or shower. Restore and repair your skin after a day of adventuring with Outer Being Face & Body Oil ($32), ideal for inflamed or acne-prone skin, thanks to antioxidant and Vitamin C and E filled ingredients like Sea Buckthorn, Jojoba, MCT oils. // bathingculture.com
True Botanicals: Non-Toxic Skincare That's Clinically Proven
(Courtesy of @truebotanicals)
True Botanicals' mostly female NorCal-based team is dedicated to creating better-for-you-and-the-earth skin and hair products free of more than 5,000 known toxic ingredients—with clinically proven results. Shop by concern—think aging, breakouts, hyperpigmentation, dryness, and more—or receive tailored recommendations and revamp your beauty routine after taking an online skin quiz. Alternatively, start with Pure Radiance Oil ($110), True Botanicals' best-selling fine line and wrinkle-reducing moisturizer. // truebotanicals.com
Lilah B.: Pretty Products for NorCal Beauties
(Courtesy of @lilahbeauty)
Streamline your beauty regime with Lilah B.'s luxurious Northern California–inspired products created with a "quality, not quantity mentality." Both skincare and makeup products are packed with pure ingredients—think aloe and agar—and free of gluten, paraben, phthalates, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances. Can't settle on your perfect lip shade? Opt for Lilah B.'s Luxe Lip Mini Duo ($22), featuring flattering nude and berry lip oils with plenty of shine and anti-aging benefits. Or for some expert advice, you can even book a 20-minute virtual one-on-one appointment. Before you buy, utilize Lilah B's recycling program for unwanted beauty products. // lilahbeauty.com
Kinship: Prebiotics for Skin Barrier Care
(Courtesy of @lovekinship)
Launched in November 2019, Kinship is already making waves in the beauty industry with effective, clean products and a dedication to reducing packaging waste—all of the aesthetically pleasing jars are made from Ocean Waste Plastic while tubes are made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials. Additionally, to support a strong skin barrier—or microbiome—Kinship products feature an oil balancing, glowy skin promoting plant-based prebiotic. Launched over the summer, Kinship's Mint Mud Deep Pore Detox Mask ($23) will leave your skin looking even and bright, and feeling cool and clean, thanks to Bentonite + Kaolin clays and lactic acid. // lovekinship.com
Drifter Organics: Plant-Based Skincare Homemade in Oakland
(Courtesy of @drifterorganics)
Founded by a mother-daughter duo, Drifter Organics' nontoxic, gentle products—including a selection of hair, face, and body butters with cocktail- and bouquet-inspired scents—are handmade, poured, and packed in Oakland. For a sun-kissed look and subtle scent, apply a few drops of bestselling Gold Mine Face Oil ($56), made with collagen production-stimulating prickly pear seed oil and moisturizing jojoba oil. Bonus points for aesthetically pleasing packaging and a rewards program! // drifterorganics.com
Biossance: Sustainable Squalane-Based Skincare
(Courtesy of @biossance)
After developing technology that helped create an accessible cure for malaria in Berkeley back in 2003, Biossance scientists began using biotechnology to create effective and sustainable skincare. Now, nearly two decades later, Biossance offers a range of clean beauty products ranging from anti-aging and night serums to moisturizing lip balms—all featuring moisture and glow-boosting squalane, made with 100 percent plant-derived, renewable sugarcane. Need a quick fix for sleep-deprived eyes? Reduce puffiness and dark circles with Biossance's bestselling Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel ($54). // biossance.com
Vintner's Daughter: A Serum + Essence With a Cult Following
(Courtesy of @marissanaples)
Drawing from founder April Gargiulo's fine winemaking background, Vintner's Daughter delivers just two quality products with lasting results and responsibly sourced ingredients. Splurge on their OG product, the Active Botanical Serum ($65 for 5ml), a multi-correctional face oil infused with 22 nutrient-rich botanicals and Phyto Radiance Infusion, which uses whole plants, also known as "the foods of life" sourced from conscious growers worldwide. Or try the Active Treatment Essence ($225 for 50ml) for extra hydration and protection. Plus, two percent of every bottle sold is donated to organizations including the Sierra Club. // vintnersdaughter.com
Juice Beauty: Antioxidant-Rich Skincare + Makeup for Daily Wear
(Courtesy of @juicebeauty)
Known for organic, science backed products, Juice Beauty uses an antioxidant- and vitamin-rich botanical juice base instead of PEGS/petroleum derivatives or water for added results. Opt for makeup including lip crayons, brow gel, and mascara or endless skincare options—think serums, CC creams, cleansers, peels, and much more—all shopable by solution. With more 700 reviews, Juice Beauty's 12-in-1 Stem Cellular CC Cream ($39) can easily be worked into any skincare routine and offers benefits like SPF 30 sunscreen, mineral tinted coverage, fine line and wrinkle reduction, antioxidants, all day hydration, and more. // juicebeauty.com
