11 Affordable Clean Skincare & Beauty Brands You Can Buy At The Drugstore
Effective & Affordable
Many of us go to the drugstore for everything from toilet paper to menstrual products—so why not shop there for skin care and makeup, too? Rather than only shopping online for our natural beauty needs, we can lower our carbon footprint and invest in our local communities by shopping brick and mortar.
Of course, with safer-at-home instructions, shopping online for clean beauty is the preferred option. But if you do find yourself running to the drugstore, consider snagging some of these clean skincare and beauty products. They are as effective as they are affordable, and most can be found on the shelves of well-known shops. Instant gratification, anyone?
1. W3LL PEOPLE
Natural & Organic | Natural & organic certified ingredients
Standout Ethics | Made in small batches
Who Carries It | Target, Credo, Whole Foods
Price Range | $9.99–$57.99
Founded by a makeup artist, cosmetic dermatologist, and sustainability-focused entrepreneur, W3LL PEOPLE showcases the power of plant-based makeup. Known for its Allure-winning mascara, best-selling multi-stick, and natural beauty sets, the team promises flawless coverage and effective protection using the simplest of formulas made in small batches. You can find just about all of the products in the W3LL PEOPLE collection at your local Target or Whole Foods.
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2. Meow Meow Tweet
Natural & Organic | All natural & organic ingredients
Standout Ethics | Gives back
Who Carries It | Target, Hudson’s Bay
Price Range | $10–$25
Vegan, plastic-free, and giving back: Those three values embody the ethos behind Meow Meow Tweet. Using organic, unrefined plant oils and botanicals, the brand carries everything from clean deodorant to vegan lip balm. Everything is sourced ethically and responsibly, and the team is a leader in the sustainability space (don’t miss the bulk refill program). Not sure where to start? Try one of the minis. (The company also donates—with one-time or monthly contributions—to organizations that align with its values, like ACLU, One Tree Planted, and the Navajo Water Project.)
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3. Ethique
Natural & Organic | Natural ingredients
Standout Ethics | Plastic-free
Who Carries It | Walmart, Target
Price Range | $4–$30
For our Kiwi readers (and beyond), Ethique is a plastic-free conscious beauty brand encouraging us to #giveupthebottle. With deliciously fragrant options for hair, body, face, and even for pets, the team offers plastic-free packaging products, preventing more than six million plastic bottles from ending up in landfills. In addition to its sustainability mindset, the brand is also palm oil-free, vegan, and cruelty-free. You can’t go wrong with this affordable and accessible beauty bar option.
Shop Ethique
4. cocokind
Natural & Organic | Certified organic ingredients
Standout Ethics | Cruelty-free, gluten-free, recyclable packaging, gives back
Who Carries It | Target, Whole Foods
Price Range | $3–$30
cocokind’s mission is to make “clean, conscious, and accessible beauty for all.” And it’s fulfilling that promise by offering products (like masks, makeup, serums, and salves) that are cruelty-free and gluten-free—all at an affordable price. Most of its formulas feature certified organic ingredients too, like blue-green algae extract, watermelon seed oil, and turmeric root powder. So expect only the best from Mother Nature, while still being budget-friendly.
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5. Kosas
Natural & Organic | Natural ingredients
Standout Ethics | Cruelty-free, vegan, & gluten-free
Who Carries It | Credo, Neiman Marcus
Price Range | $18–$68
Makeup and skincare powerhouse Kosas can be found in many higher-end drugstores and makeup shops, like Credo. Hyaluronic lip balms, vibrant eyeshadow palettes, and inclusive foundation shades are just a handful of reasons this brand is loved by many. Crafted with natural ingredients, there’s a product for everyone, in every range, and for every skincare need.
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6. Burt’s Bees
Natural & Organic | Products on average use 99% natural ingredients
Standout Ethics | Gives back to support honeybee health & biodiversity
Who Carries It | Target, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart
Price Range | $2–$26
You can find Burt’s Bees lip balm in most checkout lanes at your local grocery and retail stores—but did you know it also offers a full line of cosmetics and skincare products? This long-standing brand is dedicated to only using thoughtfully sourced natural ingredients and never tests on animals. What’s more to love than the brand’s nourishing shimmer balms? This: Burt’s Bees is landfill-free with operations waste and has been certified carbon neutral since 2015. Read more about its sustainability initiatives here.
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7. Ilia
Natural & Organic | Natural ingredients
Standout Ethics | Recycling program
Who Carries It | Credo, Bluemercury
Price Range | $26–$54
For nearly a decade, Ilia has been pushing the clean beauty movement forward. Skincare-powered with conscious and carefully selected ingredients, this brand offers indulgent lip, eye, and facial products—including multi-use sticks and pigments—for a radiant finish. And the team goes the extra mile to be sustainable: Packaging is made from recycled aluminum, grass, and responsibly sourced paper—all of which can be returned via the recycling program. So you can look good while doing good.
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8. Versed
Natural & Organic | Nontoxic
Standout Ethics | Vegan, cruelty-free, recyclable packaging
Who Carries It | Target
Price Range | $7.99–$21.99
Versed knows that skin can be complicated; that’s why it strives to make caring for it a lot easier. Not only does the company put prescriptive icons on every box—so you can easily determine if the product is for dull, dry, or aging skin—but it also provides a Skin Decoder quiz and Skin Hotline so you can send questions via text. Versed offers 100 percent vegan toners, peels, eye gels, exfoliators, and more, all of which are held to the European Union standards, making them free of parabens, sulfates, and over 1,300 other toxins.
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9. RMS Beauty
Natural & Organic | Natural ingredients
Standout Ethics | Only uses natural preservatives
Who Carries It | Bluemercury, Credo
Price Range | $12–$120
For an ethereally light look, we love RMS Beauty. This all natural brand is a one-stop-shop for makeup, skin care, and even supplements, along with everything else you may need for your personal routine. And by using only raw, food grade, and organic ingredients, the formula’s enzymes and antioxidant properties can work their magic. For a soft, dewy finish that heals as well as glows, RMS is a step above the rest.
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10. Ella + Mila
Natural & Organic | Natural ingredients (7-free)
Standout Ethics | PETA-certified
Who Carries It | Target
Price Range | $5–$39
You may be familiar with Ella + Mila as a nontoxic nail care brand, but did you know the company has expanded its range to include clean beauty and body products? Today, the team has launched bold liquid lipsticks, luxurious scrubs, and versatile eye palettes, which are made in the USA, PETA-certified, and affordable.
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11. Shea Moisture
Natural & Organic | Natural ingredients
Standout Ethics | Made with fair trade shea butter
Who Carries It | Walgreens, Target, CVS
Price Range | $3.39–$18.49
For melanin-rich skin, we turn to the natural and sustainable Shea Moisture. Tested on the founding family for four generations since 1912—and never on animals, of course—the Shea Moisture team prides themselves on “community commerce” by investing in local communities and fair trade practices. The brand carries the ever-effective shea butter, African Black Soap, and formulated hair and skin products for all types. The best part is it, you can buy this clean collection at your local pharmacy or drugstore, no matter where you are.
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What are some of your favorite drugstore beauty finds? Share in the comments below!
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