The 6 Best Non-Toxic Moisturizers for All Skin Types

The US has a disclosure problem, at least regarding cosmetics. There are minimal regulations about transparent labeling that apply to manufacturers of personal care products. Unfortunately, that means consumers can’t always be sure of what’s in a product.

And, because you’re likely to use moisturizer daily, that could mean you’re unwittingly exposing your skin to a bunch of undesirable chemicals every day. Worse yet, many moisturizers deliberately contain ingredients that help enhance absorption!

How to choose a clean moisturizer

So, what can you do to ensure you’re using a ‘clean’ moisturizer?

A good approach is to choose products that only contain ingredients you can recognize without needing a biochemistry degree. Also, be on alert for companies that heavily rely on a single natural ingredient to market their product but then list it at the bottom of the ingredients list. Focus on the first five ingredients in any given product, as these are the ones present in the greatest quantities. If any of these are bad news, shop elsewhere.

If you’re curious about the safety of other chemicals listed in moisturizers, check the European Commission’s Cosmetics Database. If it’s listed under the banned or restricted categories (Annex II and Annex III), it’s best to avoid the product even if the chemical isn’t banned or restricted in the US.

Our top picks

Despite all the confusion surrounding labeling and ingredients with moisturizers, they remain a product that most of us need. We put in over 50 hours of research to compile this list of the best natural, non-toxic, and eco-friendly moisturizers.

Curious about how we rate products? Click here to view our methodology, which at its core, is about voting with our dollars to fight climate change.

1

Yay for Earth x Olive Odyssey

Leaf Score

Highlights: Made with just four all-natural ingredients, this face lotion is eco-friendly, cruelty-free, and gentle enough for sensitive skin. Handcrafted in small batches using regenerative olive oil and local beeswax, it supports both skin health and sustainable sourcing.

View on LeafScore Essentials

Yay for Earth x Olive Odyssey is a thoughtful collaboration rooted in transparency, sustainability, and skin health. The lotion is made in small batches using regenerative extra virgin olive oil, organic shea butter, beeswax, and pomegranate seed oil. Each ingredient is chosen for purity and skin compatibility.

This waterless and synthetic free moisturizer delivers deep hydration and is ideal for sensitive skin. It comes in a recyclable glass jar and is hand labeled with the name of the contributing farmer, offering a clean and planet friendly option with a personal touch.

Yay for Earth x Olive Odyssey focuses on creating skincare that’s as mindful as it is effective. With a strong emphasis on ingredient purity and environmental responsibility, this collaboration offers products that align with a slower, more intentional approach to self-care.

Ingredients: Organic Olive Oil, Local Beeswax, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Pomegranate Seed Oil.

2

Just the Goods Vegan Hand + Body Lotion

Leaf Score

Highlights: EWG Verified™ and handcrafted using vegan, plant, and mineral-based ingredients. Made without petrochemicals, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, or artificial fragrances.

View on Just the Goods

Just the Goods is an extremely dedicated eco-friendly company that has been in the business of making non-toxic, sustainable personal care products since 2009. I’m impressed with their commitment to sourcing sustainable packaging and using ingredients that balance eco-friendliness and affordability. Founder Milena Placentile has clearly done her research to figure out appropriate packaging solutions that work even deep in a Winnipeg winter.

Just the Goods vegan hand + body lotion is an unscented, long-lasting, preservative-free moisturizer. It’s made with a grapeseed oil base and 100% natural ingredients and is shipped in recyclable plastic bottles or BPA-free aluminum bottles (with or without a pump), depending on the size you purchase. The lotion is preservative-free and should be stored in a cool, dark place and kept tightly sealed between uses.

Just the Goods vegan body butter is an all-day moisturizer with a shea butter and grapeseed oil base and packed with tapioca starch and apricot kernel oil rich in vitamins A, C, and E. Together, these ingredients create a rich moisturizer to help skin heal and relieve irritation without blocking pores or feeling greasy.

Just the Goods body butter is available in six EWG VERIFIED™ varieties:

• Lavender, bergamot, ylang-ylang
• Lemon & coriander
• Pink grapefruit & black pepper
• Playful (clove essential oil + vanilla absolute)
• Spicy nights (cinnamon, ylang-ylang, sweet orange)
• Unscented (which is also available nut-free).

I purchased the unscented variety. Despite the description, it has a pleasant, nutty scent that dissipates soon after use. The butter itself is firm and takes some effort to scoop out. I was amazed at how quickly it melted into my skin. Hours later, my hands still felt moisturized, even after a dog walk in unseasonably cold Michigan fall weather.

Just the Goods also offers sample sizes of this product. Samples are packed in resealable HDPE plastic pods, while full-sized products are offered in 65 g/2.29 oz (filled by weight, not volume) in a 125 ml glass jar. The ingredients are whipped to add air but may melt or settle depending on the time of year you buy the product and where it’s stored.

Note: these all-natural products are made without artificial emulsifying agents. This means the shea butter may melt during shipping. This has no effect on its functionality once the lotion resolidifies. If it arrives melted, let it rest in your fridge for one hour before use.

Just the Goods is a proud partner of several non-profit organizations committed to holistic consumer health, environmental protection, and kindness to animals. Just the goods is EWG VERIFIED™ and a member of:

• The Safe Cosmetics Business Network and is a Champion status member of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
• The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (the Leaping Bunny program)
• Environmental Defence (Just the Goods has taken the Just Beautiful pledge)
• Humane Society International (Just the Goods is a #BeCrueltyFree)

All Just the Goods products are made without petrochemicals, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, or artificial fragrances, dyes, and flavors. Everything is handcrafted using vegan plant and mineral-based ingredients. Even the branding uses simple packaging so as not to alienate anyone based on gender or other personal characteristics (which is why they don’t make ‘antiaging’ products).

None of the products are tested on animals and all products are vegan-friendly. Their packaging is also eco-friendly, as they make a point of reusing packaging materials like shipping boxes and packing peanuts whenever possible. When they do have to use new packing materials, these are exceptionally eco-friendly. In more than a decade of being in business, Just the Goods has never purchased new foam peanuts or bubble wrap and instead use plastic-free mailers stuffed with post-consumer paper and industrial-grade tissue that is made from unbleached recycled content.

Just the Goods also operates an eco-friendly office that prioritizes reusing everything multiple times before recycling. The brand also sells optional reusable pumps, spray tops, and flip tops to help you reuse bottles you already have.

Ingredients (hand + body lotion): Ingredients: aqua (water/eau), vitis vinifera (grape/pépin de raisin) seed oil, ethoxylated sorbitan ester (vegetable based emulsifying wax/cire émulsifiante végétale), vegetable glycerin/glycérine végétale, tocopherol (vitamin e – non GMO soy/vitamine e – soja sans OGM).

Ingredients (vegan body butter – lavender, bergamot + ylang ylang / beurre corporelle végétalienne – lavande, bergamote + ylang-ylang): butyrospermum parkii (shea butter/beurre de karité), vitis vinifera (grape/pépin de raisin) seed oil, prunus armeniaca (apricot/abricot) kernel oil, manihot esculenta (tapioca) root starch, lavandula angustifolia (lavender/lavande) oil, citrus bergamia (bergamot/ bergamote) fruit oil, canaga odorata (ylang ylang)flower oil, citral*, isoeugenol/isoeugénol*, benzyl salicylate/le salicylate de benzyle*, geraniol/géraniol*, farnesol*, linalool*, benzyl benzoate/benzoate de benzyle*, d-limonene/d-limonène* – *component of essential oil/composant d’huile essentielle

Ingredients (vegan body butter – unscented / beurre corporelle végétalienne – nature): butyrospermum parkii (shea butter/beurre de karité), vitis vinifera (grape/pépin de raisin) seed oil, prunus armeniaca (apricot/abricot) kernel oil, manihot esculenta (tapioca) root starch

3

Qēt Botanicals Ultra Garden Serum for Body

Leaf Score

Highlights: Eco-friendly, cruelty-free, and vegan, Qēt Botanicals is a family-owned brand using organic and sustainably wild-harvested ingredients certified by OTCO and recognized by the USDA. With minimal packaging and no animal testing, their products support both personal wellness and environmental care.

View on Qēt Botanicals

Qēt Botanicals was founded by Lisa Brill and remains a family-owned and operated business focused on personal health and environmental sustainability. The brand uses minimal packaging and recyclable containers, never tests on animals, uses no animal parts or by-products, and creates formulas using organic and sustainably wild harvested ingredients certified by Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO) and recognized by the National Organic Program for the USDA.

All ingredients are 100% natural, non-toxic, and fully disclosed, and all products are ranked in the safest category of Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep® database. The company has received numerous awards for their products and for their sustainable packaging.

Qēt Botanicals Ultra Garden Serum for Body is a concentrated blend of moisturizing botanical oils that includes almond, avocado, lavender, and jasmine. As an emollient, this body serum can penetrate dry areas and nourish skin for all-day hydration. There’s no water, synthetics, or fillers, and the serum leaves skin feeling soft and fresh.

The serum arrives in a small glass jar with a spray bottle top included separately. The idea is that you can remove the spray top to better seal the spray between use. However, I found that the internal straw gets greasy enough that I would rather leave it within the container. It has a sharp, floral scent that dissipates quickly after use. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it spread and soaked into my skin without a hint of greasy residue. As noted by the company, you’ll get better results by applying it with wet hands so you can spread it more easily.

This product won the Earth Day Beauty Award for Best Body Serum and is perfect for hands, feet, and anywhere else you’d like to use it (topically). There’s no heavy scent, and because the product doesn’t contain water, a little goes a very long way. You only need a partial pump added to damp skin or mixed with a little water on your hands to cover a lot of skin. You can also use this serum as a bath oil.

The serum is available in sample sizes as part of a Body Softening Suite kit which includes three body serums and a Blooming Tea Bath. These are great for travel and for gifts!

Because the serum doesn’t contain water, it is eco-friendly in that it reduces shipping weight and associated carbon emissions. And the lack of water also means there’s no need for chemical preservatives. Qēt Botanicals is a member of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and strictly adheres to the Red List Chemicals of Concern, as well as avoiding hundreds of other harmful ingredients. The company is also Green American Business Certified

Ingredients: Prunus Dulcis (Almond) Nut Oil*, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Oil*, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Brassica Oleracea (Broccoli) Seed Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Oil*, Tocopherol (Non-GMO Vitamin E), Jasminum Sambac (Jasmine) Flower Oil, Vanilla Planifolia (Madagascar Vanilla) Bean Oil*, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Flower Oil*, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Flower Oil*, Daucus Carota (Carrot) Seed Oil*. *Organic Ingredient

4

ATTITUDE Calendula Natural Body Cream baby leaves™ Almond Milk

Leaf Score

Highlights: EWG Verified™, eco-friendly, vegan, cruelty-free, and certified by PETA and ECOLOGO as sustainable and biodegradable, this baby-friendly moisturizer is soothing and regenerative and great for sensitive skin.

View on Attitude

ATTITUDE® is a Canadian company making natural personal care and household products that are EWG Verified™, eco-friendly, vegan, cruelty-free, and certified by PETA and ECOLOGO as sustainable and biodegradable. Attitude’s Natural Body Cream Baby Leaves™ with Almond Milk is calming and regenerative, has antioxidant activity, and can help soothe irritated and sensitive skin. This makes it ideal for babies and adults alike.

This body cream is dermatologically tested (but not on animals), non-irritating, and hypoallergenic, and is specifically formulated for dry and sensitive skin. It is free of parabens, phthalates, triclosan, and other endocrine disruptors, contains no harmful preservatives, artificial perfume, or fragrance, and is infused with a soothing almond milk aroma. The formula also features moringa seed extracts purported to limit the adhesion of pollutant particles.

Attitude is a relative newcomer to the industry, as it was founded in 2019. The owners set out with a firm stance on single-use plastics (as in, they don’t like them!), and while they do still package some products in recycled and recyclable HDPE #2, they aim to use biodegradable materials where possible and are keen proponents of bulk sizes and refills. I just stocked up on their two-liter shampoo, which I also love! These bulk packs cut down on about 80% plastic compared to smaller bottles. The bulk packaging is also BPA-free and is made with recyclable #7 plastic and FSC-certified cardboard.

The company makes a wide range of products, including cleansers, conditioners, lotions, and even sunscreen, which are free from ecotoxic chemicals that can damage coral reefs and other ecosystems and are also free from nanoparticles. ATTITUDE also makes a Regenerating Super Leaves Natural Body Cream that’s worth checking out.

Attitude plants a tree for every product sold, with partnerships with two major non-profit organizations specializing in reforestation: Eden Reforestation Projects and One Tree Planted.

Ingredients: Aqua / water / eau, dicaprylyl ether, caprylic / capric triglyceride, coco-caprylate/caprate, cetearyl olivate, glycerin, tapioca starch, sorbitan olivate, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, isoamyl laurate, stearyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate, levulinic acid, p-anisic acid, sodium levulinate, citric acid, xanthan gum, calendula officinalis flower extract, vaccinium angustifolium (blueberry / bleuet) leaf extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, moringa oleifera seed extract, maltodextrin, linalyl acetate (herbal), vanillin.

5

Soap for Goodness Sake Shea Butter Crème

Leaf Score

Highlights: Simple and natural, this super skin-friendly cream consists of certified organic shea butter and sunflower oil and is packaged in eco-friendly recycled and recyclable materials.

View on Soap for Goodness Sake

Soap for Goodness Sake is a low-key but highly successful company that keeps things simple with products made of just a few natural, skin-friendly ingredients. Their Shea Butter Crème consists of only certified organic shea butter and sunflower oil, with no added scents or preservatives (so store it in a dark, cool place and use it within six months).

The Shea Butter Crème comes in an 8 oz container. It is best used by scooping a small amount out with a bamboo scoop and then warming the cream in your hands before applying it to the skin.

Soap for Goodness Sake is a Green America Gold Certified Business and strives to use organic ingredients wherever possible. They only use sustainable organic plantation palm oil in those products that call for it, and they also favor 100% PCW chlorine-free paper that is FSC certified.

Most products are made almost entirely by hand, which reduces energy use and their carbon footprint. The company also sells shampoo bars and other products that allow for much less packaging than water-based toiletries. The company reuses packing material wherever possible and also favors USPS packaging with cradle-to-cradle certification as eco-friendly. Some products come wrapped in cellulose bags made with natural wood fibers from sustainable forestry; these bags are biodegradable, home-compostable, and carbon-neutral.

These natural soaps and skincare products do not contain synthetic fragrances, dyes, artificial preservatives, parabens, phthalates, Cocamide MEA, Cocamide DEA, TEA, propylene glycol, aminomethyl propanol, petrochemicals, or other undesirable ingredients and are also free from animal fat, Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS) and detergents.

Ingredients: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil*.
*Certified Organic

6

Everyone Nourishing Face Moisturizer

Leaf Score

Highlights: EWG Verified, lightweight, and great for sensitive skin, from a B Corporation and made in a zero-waste factory.

View on Everyone

EWG Verified, lightweight, and great for sensitive skin, the Everyone Nourishing Face Moisturizer is another excellent choice. The formula includes quinoa protein, kombucha, organic argan oil, and replenishing hyaluronic acid, as well as an organic herbal blend of aloe vera, calendula, chamomile, and white tea extracts.

Everyone is a certified B Corporation that has been making great skincare products for more than 25 years. The company favors the use of organic and sustainably farmed ingredients, and they research, develop, test, blend, bottle, market, and ship all their products from their family-owned, zero-waste factory. They never use synthetic colors, dyes, or fragrances, are committed to the non-GMO movement, and all Everyone products are vegan and certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny.

Acknowledging that the natural beauty industry is water intensive, Everyone installed new equipment on their reverse osmosis filter that allows them to reduce wastewater and increase usable water for manufacturing by 37%. They also installed drought-tolerant landscaping and drip irrigation around their facility and low-flow toilets in their restrooms. They have a closed-loop water system for heating and cooling their manufacturing tanks and have set a water reduction target of 12.5% for one full year after the installation of the water-saving process.

Everyone also donates to local charitable organizations and gives employees paid time off to volunteer.

Ingredients: Purified Water, Orbignya Oleifera (Babassu) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vegetable Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Organic Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Cetyl Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Quinoa Protein, Cetyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Oat Beta Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, EO® Organic Herbal Blend [Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Organic Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Organic Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, and Organic Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract], Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Organic Theobrama Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Allantoin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Essential Oil Blend [Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Oil], Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil , Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Beta-Carotene, Organic Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Tocopherol, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Phytate, Dimethicone, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Final Thoughts

When choosing an organic moisturizer, consider asking the following questions:

1. Does the product contain synthetic and toxic chemicals that may adversely affect your health and the environment?
2. Does the product actively damage skin? Does it support skin health?
3. Are there any toxic chemicals or undesirable manufacturing practices that can harm workers and the local environment?
4. Is the company transparent about its ingredients and practices?
5. How is the product packaged? Is this refillable, reusable, recycled, and/or recyclable and, ideally, not plastic?