Why Go Green?
Your health. Your choice.
What’s really in your beauty products?
The average person applies over 150 chemicals to their body every single day through skincare, makeup, and personal care products. Most of those chemicals have never been tested for long-term safety. Going green isn’t a trend — it’s one of the most powerful decisions you can make for your health.
The problem
The beauty industry is largely unregulated.
In the United States, the FDA does not review or approve cosmetic products before they go to market. Brands are not required to prove their products are safe — they simply need to avoid a very short list of banned substances. That list? Just 11 ingredients. Meanwhile, the European Union has banned over 1,400.
This means that products sitting on drugstore shelves — things you use every morning and night — may contain ingredients linked to hormone disruption, skin irritation, reproductive toxicity, and even cancer. And because the labeling rules are loose, many of these ingredients hide behind vague terms like “fragrance” or “parfum.”
Clean beauty isn’t about fear — it’s about information. When you know what to look for, you make better choices. That’s exactly what we’re here to help with.
The benefits
Why clean beauty is better — for you and the planet.
Clean formulas use naturally-derived, non-toxic ingredients that work with your skin, not against it — no endocrine disruptors, no carcinogens, no hidden nasties.
Many conventional products contain fillers and synthetic irritants that cause long-term damage. Clean beauty focuses on nutrient-rich, antioxidant-packed formulas that actually nourish.
Clean beauty brands prioritize eco-conscious sourcing, biodegradable formulas, and sustainable packaging — because what washes off your skin ends up in our waterways.
Every brand we carry is cruelty-free. No animal testing — ever. Because beautiful skin shouldn’t come at anyone else’s expense.
We review every ingredient using trusted sources like EWG’s Skin Deep Database, and our team personally tests each product for a minimum of 14 days before it earns a place in our store.
The brands we partner with care deeply about where their ingredients come from — supporting fair trade, regenerative farming, and communities around the world.
Our Standard
Ingredients we never use.
Every product in our marketplace — and every Brand Edit box — is formulated without the following ingredients. This is our baseline. Non-negotiable.
Ready to make the switch?
Every product in the Laurel & Reed marketplace has been vetted against our clean beauty standard. Browse thousands of products from indie brands you can actually trust.
Shop Clean Beauty →