You can’t go wrong with any of the below brands

Over the past three years I have tested a wide array of skincare brands, including Indie Lee, Cannuka, Cane + Austin, Eczema Honey Co., Boscia, Bulldog Skincare, and Jack Black. None of the aforesaid made the cut for one reason or another. The six brands featured here will be of benefit to you due to their commitment to producing quality products while at the same time avoiding a plethora of skin irritants.

From formulation to price point, each line differs from the other, so there is something for everyone depending upon your specific skincare needs and budget. You can’t go wrong with any of the below brands; however, we have named Drunk Elephant™ and 100% Pure® as the grand supreme this year. These two brands allowed me to test more than half of their inventory. The results were unparalleled, with minimal to no reaction.

WINNER: 100% Pure®
The word “natural” is thrown around extremely deceptively within the skincare industry. However, 100% Pure ensures natural is synonymous with the utmost quality by defining natural to them as meaning, “An ingredient or formula composed of plant, mineral, and/or marine vegetation that undergoes chemical changes due to biological processes such as fermentation, distillation, and cold processing.” This includes ensuring all formulations adhere to strict purity standards in which both toxic and harsh ingredients are never used, making sure each ingredient is never animal-sourced, being certified cruelty-free by never testing on animals, and sourcing pigments from fruits, vegetables, tea, and cocoa to avoid FD&C colorants and heavy metal dyes.

The lengths 100% Pure goes through to produce skincare products which adhere to their name is admirable and quite frankly incomparable. There has been a dramatic rise in asthma, allergies, eczema, psoriasis, and subsequent skin issues in recent years. Fragrance is a major trigger of all the aforesaid due to the abundance of chemicals they contain, none of which should be absorbed into your skin. 100% Pure never includes synthetic chemicals, chemical preservatives, artificial fragrances, artificial colors, harsh detergents, or any other unhealthy toxin within their formulations. Moreover, 100% Pure is unique in that they work with a flavor company for food to capture and isolate scents from food. This allows the skincare products to be fragrant without causing a reaction — a near-miraculous feature which other skincare brands are not doing whatsoever. Lastly, even the packaging is conscientious as 100% Pure ships orders in recyclable shipping boxes and protects products from damage with biodegradable packing peanuts made from corn starch which also dissolve in water. Bravo!

WINNER: Drunk Elephant™
Drunk Elephant was in the hot seat for the way they handled consumer complaints recently. The company said reactions customers complain of having are most likely associated with using non-DE products within their regimen due to the fact DE products are impeccably formulated and produced. Nevertheless, one of the main problems with society today is this new ideology that a controversial opinion = abort. Are we cancelling Drunk Elephant now!? Out of more than a dozen skincare brands we tested, this line showed results and improved skin the quickest. There is no doubt this is due to several factors, including DE’s philosophy to avoid the Suspicious 6, “When the #Suspicious6 are entirely removed from one’s routine, skin can reset and return to a healthy, balanced state.”

The Suspicious 6 includes essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical sunscreens, fragrances and dyes, and SLS. None of these belong in good skincare formulations. But you will find them in most lines on shelves today. Furthermore, Drunk Elephant is essentially medical-grade skincare because it uses the highest percentages of actives in its formulations.

First Aid Beauty®
First Aid Beauty (FAB) has become a best seller at Sephora and Ulta for an array of reasons. The brand is dermatologist tested, cruelty-free, and committed to clean ingredients through their effort to avoid over 1,300 ingredients, including parabens, ethanol, phthalates, mineral oil, petrolatum, formaldehyde, oxybenzone, sulfates, various alcohols, and so forth.

The brand’s best-sellers are all products which have been praised for their ability to reduce eczema, keratosis pilaris, chronic itching, and dry skin. These items, including the Ultra Repair Cream and the KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub, live up to the hype. In fact, the Ultra Repair Cream was more effective at treating eczema than any product we tested from brands which cater to eczema — ala Eczema Honey Co.

FAB’s line of pads are like magic. The Facial Radiance pads do an excellent job at brightening and exfoliating alike. The FAB Pharma pads, which are composed of white clay and 2% salicylic acid, are the perfect go to when a zit pops up. The latest line of pads, the Ingrown Hair Pads, are composed of BHA and AHA, which combat ingrown hairs immediately as well as make the perfect “go to” for razor irritation. With this brand, it’s the secondary products which are the goldmine more than the standard skincare items.

Honest®
An amazing story in and of itself. A billion-dollar empire built by actress turned healthy lifestyle mogul Jessica Alba, Honest has been growing exponentially year after year. 2022 marks ten years of Honest. It is a brand which produces acclaimed baby diapers, household cleaning products, bath and body essentials, and of course, skincare. The motto, “clean beauty that works,” lives up to the title as the company has a NO List™ with over 2,5000 chemicals and materials they choose not to use.

While each line is specifically catered to each skin type, which in turn means you may react if your skin does not align to the line, the best line this brand has to offer is its latest collection, The Calm Collection. This line is accepted by the National Eczema Association and is made for sensitive skin. Moreover, the line does not include parabens, phthalates, pegs, dyes, and fragrances of all kinds. This is important to note as other Honest lines can include natural fragrances. This line is also made with a liquid-reinforcing calming Phyto-blemd™ and liquid crystal moisture-seal, marine-derived amino acid, and pro-vitamin B5.

NEOVA® SmartSkincare
Neova SmartSkincare is a New Jersey-based brand which produces medical-grade skincare and haircare. The brand is primarily focused on anti-aging and produces some of the most innovative items in the skincare industry. With an emphasis on science and research, Neova is focused on reversing photodamage and photoaging for each skin type. Moreover, for the first time ever, a brand demonstrated it could treat, prevent, and repair photodamaged skin.

Neova Skincare was awarded numerous patent protections for its various formulas in 2016. The brand has conducted many clinical studies coupled with being dermatologist tested, ophthalmologist tested, and without any animal testing. The Herbal Wash with Botanical Essence is one of the most quality-driven cleansers on the market. The DNA Total Repair is one of the best serums on the market. The brand also produces various sunscreens, all of which are unparalleled in comparison to the competition.

ACURE®
Acure is the answer you are looking for when it comes to quality beauty on a budget. The brand is 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and free of parabens, sulfates, petrolatum, formaldehyde, and mineral oil. Acure infuses together the perfect combination of super nutrients to aid each skin type.

There are products and lines for hair, skin, and body. The face masks, body wash, body lotions, and deodorant are all stellar quality, particularly at this price point. The Incredibly Clear line does an amazing job at combating acne, zits, and aiding in creating clear skin. However, if you are sensitive to fragrances of any kind, it is best to stick with the Seriously Soothing line, which is probably Acure’s best line currently.