2021 eco beauty awards

The Best Eco Bodycare Products

Keep scrolling for Byrdie's 2021 Eco Award winners.

Updated on 04/19/21

In This Article

Best Body Moisturizer Best Body Oil Best Body Scrub Best All-Over Balm Best Body Wash Best Body Bar Best Hand Soap

Best Hand Cream Best Deodorant Best Fragrance Best Body SPF Best Hand Sanitizer Best Toothpaste Best Razor

After the year we've had, beauty has only become more paramount in our lives. It's the rituals and sensorial experiences that eased our anxious minds and helped us feel cared for amidst enormous adversity. Beauty is so much more than products—in fact, for many of us, it's been a lifeline during a time when we've had very little control over anything else. Vivian Diller, Ph.D, explains, "Like rhythmic breathing during meditation, morning beauty routines induce a feeling of calmness and control." With that, we've also had more time at home to dig into formulas—and better understand what works for us (and what may work against the planet). And thus, our fifth annual Eco Beauty Award winners were tested and chosen. You can read all about our process here, as well as learn a little more about the history of "clean" beauty. Ready? Let's get to the products.

Sore muscles and the neglected skin on our limbs have never been more apparent, and treating them with healthy, skin-loving formulas has become our constant. And, take it from us: Using formulas free of unnecessary additives and waste heightens the experience tenfold. Below, find the bodycare products that brought us the most joy this year (because they're clean, sustainable, and efficacious in equal measure).

01 of 14

Best Body Moisturizer

Kate McLeod Daily Body Stone $38.00

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Highlights

Solid at room temperature; softens on contact
Made Safe-certified
Packaged in a muslin travel bag and reusable bamboo container

Learn more: The complete guide to using cocoa butter for your skin.

"Solid skincare is about as sustainable as it comes—given that there aren't any tubes or tubs to send to a landfill graveyard, consolidating the ingredients into bar form makes for an earth-friendly and sensorial experience. Kate McLeod's essential oil-infused body bars melt seamlessly into the skin for a softening, luxurious experience."
- Lindsey Metrus, editorial project director

02 of 14

Best Body Oil

Mutha Body Oil $104.00

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Highlights

Fast-absorbing and suitable for sensitive skin
100% certified-organic botanical seed oils
5% of sales from full-price products go to midwife and nurse education programs

"Body oils slathered over a moisturizer is my key to soft, glowy body skin. It’s pretty pricey, but it's my go-to during winter months when my skin is dry and flaking. Rose hip oil is the key carrier here, which is normally reserved for my face, but the addition of sweet almond oil makes it like a facial for your body. Be careful in the summer months, though—the addition of citrus oils can make your skin more sun-sensitive, but the good news is that applying an SPF on top turns it into a pseudo-body highlighter without any sticky/oily residue."
- Charlotte Palermino, esthetician and co-founder of Dieux

03 of 14

Best Body Scrub

Nécessaire The Body Exfoliator $30.00

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Highlights

Suitable for sensitive skin
Fragrance-free (also available in sandalwood, eucalyptus, and bergamot)
The brand donates 1% of their sales to help protect our air, land, water, and wildlife.

"I fell in love with this silky skin-renewing goodness after the first use. The formulation is fabulous—it's both a chemical and physical exfoliant in one. It has a subtle lather, glides on easily, and legitimately makes my skin feel brand new. When it comes to sustainability, Nécessaire sets the bar high. Not only is their packaging 100% recyclable, but as a brand, it's climate neutral-certified. Nécessaire also gives back to environmental non-profits donating 1% of their sales to help protect our air, land, water, and wildlife."
- Tennille Jenkins, sustainable living influencer

04 of 14

Best All-Over Balm

Keys Soulcare Comforting Balm $12.00

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Highlights

Made of 100% recyclable glass
Can be applied to lips, elbows, cuticles, and any other dry patches
Utilizes the skin-softening power of camellia seed oil, shea butter, and avocado oil

Learn more: An intro to Keys Soulcare.

"When Keys Soulcare launched earlier this year, the brand committed to clean formulas in sustainable packaging. So far, they've stuck to their promise. This vanilla-infused balm is one of my favorite products from the launch—I use it on my cuticles, lips, elbows, and the dry patches of my nose every night. I've already gone through two jars this year, and when I finish each little pot, I just wipe it clean and recycle it (it's made of 100% recyclable glass). When you purchase a Comforting Balm, the glass pot comes in a little carton; this packaging is recyclable, too, and is even FCS-certified (which means the materials used to make the carton were sourced from 'responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.'"
- Holly Rhue, editor

05 of 14

Best Body Wash

Juara Candlenut Hydrating Shower Gel $28.00

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Highlights

Creamy gel texture
Suitable for all skin types
Candlenut oil is rich in omega-3 and -6 essential fatty acid to repair dry skin

"If I had to pick between bar soap and body wash, the latter will win every time. Juara’s Candlenut Hydrating Shower Gel envelops your skin with intense hydration as you wash. It’s made with nourishing and smoothing ingredients like candlenut and coconut. Juara’s products are vegetarian and phthalate-free, as well as cruelty-free."
- Olivia Hancock, associate editor

06 of 14

Best Body Bar

Hanahana Exfoliating Body Bar $15.00

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Highlights

Almonds, brown sugar, and adzuki beans provide gentle physical exfoliation
Shea butter and cocoa butter help to smooth and nourish the skin's barrier
Wrapped in recyclable wax paper and formulated with consciously-sourced natural ingredients

Learn more: The complete guide to using shea butter for your skin.

"Hanahana Beauty works to increase accessibility, transparency, and sustainability in all aspects of what they create. The Exfoliating Body Bar is wrapped in recyclable wax paper and formulated with consciously-sourced natural ingredients like almonds, brown sugar, and adzuki beans to provide physical exfoliation—as well as shea and cocoa butters to moisturize, smooth, and keep your skin feeling supple. Plus, the shea butter used is directly from the Katariga Women's Shea Cooperative in Ghana (and the brand is focused on giving access to healthcare and sustainable resources for the cooperatives they source from)."
- Hallie Gould, associate editorial director

07 of 14

Best Hand Soap

Peach Moisturizing Hand and Body Bar $8.00

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Highlights

Rich lather is due to coconut-derived sulfates, not SLS or SLES
Every purchase helps support reducing plastic pollution globally
Ingredients include shea butter, coconut oil, and passionfruit oil

"This is a plastic-free, plant-based brand that's reimagining the bar of soap. This one is my favorite, as you can use it for your hands as well as your body, and it's brimming with shea butter, as well as coconut and passionfruit oils. The later is silky-soft and hugs your skin in the most luxe way—without any of the harshness of traditional washes. What's more, it'll last as long as three 22-ounce bottles of body wash and comes in 100% recycled, FSC-certified paperboard packaging."
- Hallie Gould, associate editorial director

08 of 14

Best Hand Cream

54 Thrones Hand Cream $24.00

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Highlights

Can be used on both the face and hands
Ingredients include shea butter and plant botanicals to nourish and hydrate
Ethically-sourced from cooperatives and artisans across Africa

"54 Thrones’ African Beauty Butters have been a hit amongst my entire family. These butters deliver an unmatched level of hydration and nourishment to my skin. They’re the perfect cure for my perpetually dry skin and hands. The Beauty Butters are powered by the highest quality African beauty ingredients like Ugandan and Ghanaian Shea butter. In addition to shea butter, the cream also contain plant botanicals to boost its hydrating capabilities. Lastly, 54 Thrones’ products are cruelty-free, GMO-free, and sulfate-free."
- Olivia Hancock, associate editor

09 of 14

Best Deodorant

Native Plastic-Free Citrus & Herbal Musk $13.00

Highlights

Offers plastic-free packaging
Made with shea butter and probiotics
Aluminum-free

"Natural deodorant has been a staple in my routine for four years now, and Native has always offered my favorite formulation. Made with shea butter and probiotics, the product also uses no plastic in its packaging. You just push the deodorant up (as opposed to rotating the bottom), apply, and you're good to go. Plus, the planet is better for it. According to their website, Native helps reduce 169 tons of plastic waste each year after switching from the 'classic' stick to the plastic-free option. Let that sink in."
- Star Donaldson, social media editor

10 of 14

Best Fragrance

The 7 Virtues Santal Vanille $79.00

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Highlights

Made with sustainably-sourced sandalwood and organic, fair-trade vanilla essential oil
Hypoallergenic
Warm, woody, intoxicating scent

"I am nothing if not a warm, woody scent devotee. Give me everything vanilla, sandalwood, coconut—the works. 7 Virtues offers an intoxicating (Leaping Bunny-certified) blend of all of the above, with recyclable packaging, a hypoallergenic formula, and organic, fair-trade vanilla essential oil from Madagascar."
- Hallie Gould, associate editorial director

11 of 14

Best Body SPF

Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 $16.00

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Highlights

No white cast
Free of oxybenzone and octinoxate
Doubles as a moisturizing lotion

"I call Black Girl Sunscreen a 'skincare savior.' For decades, it has been trying for people of color to find sunscreens that didn’t leave an ashy, white cast. But then Black Girl Sunscreen came along in 2016 and changed the game. It’s filled with natural ingredients (like avocado, jojoba, cacao, carrot juice, and sunflower oil) that protect your skin from the sun while hydrating at the same time. When I slather this on my face, I’m left with such dewy, radiant skin."
- Olivia Hancock, associate editor

12 of 14

Best Hand Sanitizer

Dieux Awakening Hand Sanitizer $20.00

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Highlights

Hydrating glycerin and aloe juice help keep your skin hydrated
Comes with a single sprayer (for two cans) and an air-tight cap
Refreshing eucalyptus scent

"Hand sanitizer isn't especially sexy, but Dieux's Awakening comes pretty close. It's light, refreshing (it smells like eucalyptus) and offers glycerin aloe juice to keep your skin barrier intact. Each Awakening order comes with two aluminum cans—for easy recycling—and has a single sprayer to reduce waste. The brand is committed to launching refills later this year."
- Hallie Gould, associate editorial director

13 of 14

Best Toothpaste

Hello Antiplaque + Whitening Toothpaste Tablets $9.00

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Highlights

Comes in a refillable container
Formulated with natural peppermint, tea tree oil, and coconut oil

"This product checks off all of my boxes. It's mindfully crafted with all-natural ingredients, it tastes great, and my family loves it too. It comes in a sustainable, refillable, plastic-free container that I adore and can take anywhere with me (when I start traveling again). It's genius!"
- Krupa Koestline, clean cosmetic chemist

14 of 14

Best Razor

Oui the People Sensitive Skin Razor $75.00

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Highlights

Single blade provides super-close shave
Helps prevent ingrown hairs
Built to last a lifetime

Read the full review of this razor here.

"I never understood investing in a razor. It felt so disposable, and I think that’s part of the problem with consumer packaged goods: I am privileged enough to be able to buy things built to last and should try to buy things to reduce my overall use. This product has done that for me. Built to last a lifetime, the fact that I dropped over $100 on it makes me care for it and keep track of it. Best of all is the performance—my genes trend on dark, curly body hair, so when I do want to have a smooth finish, this razor does all the work but without the ingrowns afterwards."
- Charlotte Palermino, esthetician and co-founder of Dieux

The Best Eco Haircare Products

The Best Eco Bodycare Products

Best Body Moisturizer

Best Body Oil

Best Body Scrub

Best All-Over Balm

Best Body Wash

Best Body Bar

Best Hand Soap

Best Hand Cream

Best Deodorant

Best Fragrance

Best Body SPF

Best Hand Sanitizer

Best Toothpaste

Best Razor

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