11 clean, eco-friendly, and sustainable beauty brands you can find at Target — and what to buy from each

April 9, 2021

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Target’s Clean Beauty section has nearly 2,800 products at prices we love.
The Target Clean symbol makes it easy to find brands that are safer for people and the planet.
We’ve found toothpaste, non-wasteful period products, and a natural deodorant that actually works.

In recent years, Target has made a massive effort to bring on clean, natural, sustainable, or otherwise eco-friendly brands — so you can worry less about buyer’s remorse on your next shopping spree.

From the recycled packaging of Love Beauty and Planet to the botanical-based makeup from W3LL People, the store carries ethically made beauty products at prices we love. Consider it the new “triple threat” — safe ingredients, sustainable packaging, and accessible pricing.

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Target currently carries nearly 2,800 beauty products tagged with a Target Clean symbol, so you can make a more informed buying decision quickly and easily. These products meet Target’s own clean standards, so you won’t find formulas with parabens, sulfates, and other ingredients included on the retailer’s “No List.” Read more about this in our clean beauty FAQ, below.

Here are the 11 best clean beauty brands and products you can shop at Target:

Honest Beauty

Why we love it: Founded by Jessica Alba, The Honest Company hits the two main components of clean beauty: transparency and safe ingredients. Each product follows a “no list” which is an evolving list of over 2,500 chemicals the brand chooses not to use. Honest also avoids listing fragrance as an ingredient because it can be used as an umbrella term to hide harmful ingredients. We love the Hydrogel Cream and 2-in-1 Mascara that’s won several beauty awards.

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Why we love it: Function of Beauty has changed the world of beauty forever with its line of customizable haircare. (We love it so much we’ve recommended it several times over) Not only is it effective for different hair types but it contains safer ingredients. The formulas are 92% naturally-derived, sulfate-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free, and 100% vegan. Even the bottles and cartons are made with recycled materials that are 100% recyclable.

Take the Function of Beauty hair quiz here.

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Why we love it: Along with being vegan and cruelty-free, Bliss products are thoughtfully formulated to be free from over 1,300 harmful substances you don’t want on your skin. The brand follows the European Union’s standards, considered to be the highest in the world for skincare safety. And, Bliss does your skincare game justice with its products. Powered by clinical-grade vitamin C and peptides, the Bright Idea line boosts brightness and elasticity in the first use.

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Why we love it: Native creates clean bodycare products that are both paraben- and aluminum-free. And, the brand recently launched its fan-favorite deodorant in plastic-free packaging. (We’re big fans of the Coconut & Vanilla scent for its refreshing tropical smell) As a member of 1% for the Planet, Native donates 1% of Plastic Free sales to fight plastic pollution. Switching from the Classic packaging to Native Plastic Free will help reduce plastic waste by about 169 tons each year.

Read our full review of Native deodorant here.

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Why we love it: Method makes cleanliness, well, clean. Popular for its gentle yet effective cleaning products, Method lets you clean your home sans the breath-holding side effects. The same can be said for its body washes, deodorants, and haircare, all of which are made without parabens or phthalates. The formulas are packed with plant-based cleansers that can be used by both families and their pets.

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Why we love it: Versed ingredients aren’t all natural, but they are all proven safe for the skin and body. “Not all natural ingredients are good for your skin — like poison ivy — and not all synthetic ingredients are bad for your skin — like hyaluronic acid — so our ‘no list’ is informed by what the leading regulatory bodies are doing and what’s important to our community,” Melanie Bender, the president of Versed, told Insider.

Similar to Bliss, Versed formulates to EU standards, avoiding over 1,300 chemicals in their products. In addition to clean, safe formulations, Versed offers sustainable packaging. About 60% of the brand’s bottles, tubes, and boxes are recyclable.

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Why we love it: Personal-care company Love Beauty and Planet is all about the little things, making small tweaks to the sourcing, formulating, and design processes for its products (which include haircare, deodorant, and even dish soap), to cut down on waste in more ways than one.

For starters, every bottle is made from 100% recycled materials and can be recycled (by you) once they’re empty. The ingredients are ethically sourced and organic; and while that’s great for your skin and hair, it’s also great for the fair-wage workers that harvest said ingredients. Love Beauty and Planet’s haircare products feature something they call “fast-rinse technology,” which means you can take shorter showers and save water.

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Why we love it: Toothpaste may be an afterthought for some, but many traditional formulas feature less-than-natural ingredients and potentially harmful chemicals, like parabens and peroxide. That’s where oral-care brand Hello comes in. “Our products are free of artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, dyes, SLS/sulfates, parabens, microbeads, triclosan, and peroxide,” Craig Dubitsky, the founder of Hello, told Insider.

Its Activated Charcoal Whitening Toothpaste (our top choice) is a must since it leaves your mouth feeling fresh and is sourced from sustainable bamboo. “Our products are vegan and cruelty-free, and our pastes and rinses are made in the US,” Dubitsky added.

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Why we love it: All of W3LL People’s formulas — from foundation and highlighter to mascara and lipstick — are formulated with hydrating, plant-based ingredients and contain no toxic chemicals, fillers, or preservatives. Basically, the brand is all about the power of botanicals. Its favorite is aloe vera, which was known as “the plant of immortality” by the ancient Egyptians, and can be found in almost every product W3LL People makes. Plus, one of the founders is a professional makeup artist, so you know the formulas hold up.

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Why we love it: “In the US alone, 20 billion menstrual products are disposed of annually,” Cherie Hoeger and Amber Fawson, the founders of menstrual cup company Saalt, told Insider. Traditional pads and tampons are among the most polluting products on the planet, turning women toward alternatives like the Saalt Cup.

Saalt’s medical-grade silicone menstrual cups are inserted like a tampon to collect menstrual fluid. They can be reused for up to 10 years, making menstrual cups “one of the simplest ways to divert massive amounts of waste,” said the founders. It’s a safe, hassle-free period experience, too. It’s pretty comfortable (I promise), can be worn for up to 12 hours at a time, and it also translates to over thousands in savings, since you no longer have to buy tampons or pads every month.

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Why we love it: These feminine products use a natural pulp core and non-toxic adhesive, making Rael’s products as clean and eco-friendly as possible, said Yanghee Paik, a co-founder of organic, feminine-care company Rael.

“The traditional pads I’d been using contained not only chlorine, fragrance, and pesticides, but also carcinogens and irritants such as styrene (used in car tires), chloromethane (used in petroleum refining), and acetone (nail polish remover), which can often cause cramps, allergic reactions, and skin irritations,” Paik said.

The brand’s organic cotton pads are now available at Target, making them “easily accessible to all women around the country,” as Paik says. They’re also priced in line with non-organic options ($4.99-$6.99).

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What does Target Clean mean?

Target Clean is a new, easy way to identify products formulated without harmful ingredients. Look for the Target Clean symbol in store and online to find over 4,000 products that meet their clean standard.

All beauty products certified as Target Clean are formulated without the following: propyl-parabens, butyl-parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, formaldehyde-donors, nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), Oxybenzone, SLES, retinyl palmitate, hydroquinone, triclosan, triclocarban, BHA & BHT.

Deodorant: Additionally formulated without aluminum.
Oral care: Additionally formulated without artificial sweeteners.

What is considered clean beauty?

Clean beauty follows two simple standards: transparency and safe ingredients. You should know exactly what you’re getting with a glance at the label. As for safe ingredients, the Good Face Index ranks every cosmetic ingredient based on safety and toxicity. But some general ones to avoid are parabens, sulfates, oxybenzone, and formaldehyde.

Just because a product is organic, natural, or green, doesn’t mean it’s non-toxic. Manmade ingredients are clean as long as they’re safe and non-toxic. This also means that clean beauty doesn’t have to be all-natural, preservative-free, etc.

In Europe, over 1,300 potentially harmful chemicals are banned from cosmetics. In the United States, that number is just 11. Unfortunately, clean beauty products are not regulated by the FDA, so it’s up to the brand’s discretion.

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected].

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