28 Clean Beauty Brands Powered by Women to Celebrate in 2024
Here's to welcoming Women's History Month with this year's top female-led beauty brands!Believe it or not, we don’t have enough female CEOs and executives in beauty. In a research conducted by LedBetter in 2016, it was revealed that only 29% of these roles are held by women. It’s a fact that might be difficult to accept, especially when there is the common notion that women dominate the industry.
How can we try to change this statistic in our own little way? Supporting women-owned brands would be a good first step. The 9th Clean Beauty Awards helped us discover 28 amazing businesses founded, owned, or led by the most inspiring female innovators from the clean beauty community. Read on to know about their stories and what they stand for!
1. Blissoma
Founder: Julie Longyear
The cosmetic industry often uses plants to decorate labels and make products feel familiar and friendly in marketing. Unfortunately the plant ingredients in most mass produced products are used at tiny percentages and are often nutrient deficient due to heavy refining. Many commercial botanical extracts also often carry irritating preservatives and penetration enhancers that ironically mean more skin problems for sensitive people. Blissoma founder Julie Longyear saw what whole, raw, natural, nutrient-dense plant ingredients did to heal her sensitive, acne-prone skin and wanted other people to be able to experience the same benefits. Blissoma skincare gives people an authentic, effective experience with the world's most healing botanicals. It takes extra work and care to protect the vitality of the botanical ingredients in each product but the team at Blissoma does it well. Their small batch processes, in-house extractions, and unique, research-backed recipes have delivered clear, comfortable results for their customers for 15 years.
2. EMMOTIV
Founder: Cristina Bagozzi
Cristina Bagozzi created EMMOTIV to celebrate the beautiful link between scent and emotion and invite others to experience the power of using fragrance as an indulgent tool for well-being. The brand's fragrances fuse the mood-elevating properties of aromatherapy with the art of perfumery to amplify emotions we crave – from calm to joy – through a luxurious and expressive olfactive experience. Unlike traditional aromatherapy, their perfumes are artfully layered and evolve throughout the day. Each one is thoughtfully named after the emotion it amplifies: Calm Soul, Cozy Reverie, Joy Rush and Love Euphoric. In addition to being clean, vegan, and cruelty-free, we also offer fragrance ingredient transparency (very rare in the industry). Through EMMOTIV, I invite you to enjoy the beauty and power of wearing fragrance for yourself, not others.
Co-Founders: Caroline Gélineault and Marilou Hamer
Since becoming mothers and increasingly health-conscious, the two founders of Rosy & Earnest have become more careful about their lifestyle, diet, and what they put on their skin. After realising transparency issues in the fragrance industry and reluctantly giving up most fine fragrances because of the concerns they raised, they started searching for “cleaner” fine fragrances alternatives. As options were lacking, they decided to create the fine fragrances they were looking for with transparent ingredient lists that smelled as luxurious and complex as the best perfumes on the market while being worry-free health-wise. They received EWG Verified certification, a mark that ensures that products are free from chemicals of concern and meet the strictest standards for your health. Rosy & Earnest is one of a handful of fine fragrance brands to receive the coveted EWG Verified certification, important to customers who believe in protecting their health and safety. The nose behind this complex scent is Nathalie Feisthauer, an award-winning Master perfumer.
Founder: Brionne Beck
Unfiltered Skin Care offers a full line of effective, natural products made with nutrient-dense, organic ingredients. The brand was founded with three core beliefs; sustainability, organic ingredients, and inclusion. By keeping these three principle beliefs in mind, Unfiltered Skin Care is able to deliver highly-effective, healthy products that target a variety of skin concerns such as healthy aging, acne, and even baby care. Brionne Beck started the brand after creating her own moisturizers. Once she began making her own creams from simple, natural ingredients, she found that many of her sensitive skin issues seem to melt away. It has since been her goal to utilize the highest quality ingredients along with beautiful and sustainable packaging, in order to share approachable, effective skincare for all to enjoy.
Founder: Mira Herman
Rosemira Organics is a small woman-owned business that produces the best of what skincare has to offer, making honest products with integrity. No smoke and mirrors, no additives or chemicals – only formulations with natural, clean, and effective ingredients. Before Dr. Mira Herman officially started Rosemira Organics she was experimenting with recipes for organic skincare in her kitchen in the 1980's because it was impossible to find organic skincare. Organic items were not widely available like they are in modern times. Using her knowledge of chemistry and herbal remedies she successfully created a fabulous face moisturizer that healed her dry and red skin, and smelled amazing. Her sensitive skin was healed! She shared the product with friends and due to word-of-mouth the moisturizer was in demand! She created more recipes and finally started her business (officially), always maintaining her goal: to create trust-worthy natural and organic skincare that works.
6. PUUR Ingrid
Founder: Ingrid Nederpelt
Meet PUUR Ingrid, the standout Canadian beauty brand founded in 2019 by a former European pharmacist and integrative medicine specialist. Ingrid embraces a vegan approach, investing significantly in research and development to ensure excellence. Committed to sustainability, the brand utilizes upcycled ingredients and adheres to gold standards in the industry for safe formulations. PUUR Ingrid leads with values, pioneering the use of tomorrow's ingredients for a skin and hair care routine that's both nurturing and forward-thinking.
Founder: Pauline Prescott
As a businesswoman and frequent traveller Pauline Prescott found there was a common challenge amongst other busy men and women - how to simplify a skin care routine without compromising on efficacy or quality. Each time she emptied her suitcase, she dreamt of an alternative solution that would offer what she wanted in terms of product performance but minimised the amount of packaging; no spills or waste - it was that simple. She wanted to create a skin care range in which every product combined at least three essential benefits, using natural active ingredients derived from foods, plants and botanical oils. The formulations had to be simple to use easy to understand and nutrient dense. After three years of research and development a capsule collection was launched starting with Tri-Balm, Formulae Prescott's hero product, an award-winning three in one multitasker designed to effectively cleanse exfoliate and moisturise in one simple step. Formulae Prescott’s mission is to create high-performance, multi-tasking products using the very best quality ingredients while striving to find the most sustainable solution available across every touch point. It has been an extraordinary journey for Pauline, and she is immensely proud of what the company has achieved.
Co-Founders: Nisa and Tiara
The Speak Collective had a rather unconventional lightbulb moment for a skincare brand. The need for skincare suitable for sensitive skin began out of necessity 5 years ago. Eczema terrorized Nisa, so she began reading labels, investigating ingredients and sought to reduce the number of products that could aggravate her condition. Still unsatisfied, she started making her own facial cleanser in powder form and shared it with friends and relatives, including business-minded Tiara. The tinder to the flame was, unusually, a passing of a dear relative. A grievous moment brought the founders together. It led to a conversation that sparked an idea. It then morphed into an obsession and finally the creation of The Speak Collective
9. House of TL
Founder: Tova Langhans
House of T•L was born from a passion to create an authentic Castile soap with only clean ingredients. When Tova took a close look at the ingredients in the majority of liquid soap in today's market, she found that they were all pretty much identical. The only distinguishing factors were packaging, price, and scent— which was, more often than not, a fragrance oil. She noticed that North American companies tend to misuse the term “Castile” (which specifically refers to olive oil-based soaps) for any soap that was vegetable based. In pursuit of setting herself apart from the dissatisfying industry standard, Tova took 18 months to create and fine-tune her recipe. The result was a true Castile soap containing only 5 ingredients, paired with a swoon-worthy essential oil blend that customers instantly fell in love with.
10. LASHREBEL
Founder: Shara Jane Schaerz
LASHREBEL was conceived with a passionate vision to challenge traditional beauty norms and address a notable gap in the beauty industry. Motivated by a fervor for empowering individuals to embrace their distinct beauty, the brand's founder identified a significant need for premium, customizable eyelash products that could cater to a diverse range of styles. The inspiration stemmed from a desire to break free from standardization, rebel against mediocre beauty norms, and introduce a revolutionary approach to lash care that resonates with every individual. Observing the limitations of conventional beauty standards and their impact on animal welfare and the environment, LASHREBEL sought to provide a solution that prioritizes sustainability and ethical practices. The brand is committed to delivering high-quality products made from 100% natural ingredients, completely vegan, and cruelty-free. In essence, LASHREBEL's creation was sparked by the recognition of a need for a beauty brand that not only enhances natural beauty but also aligns with a commitment to ethical and sustainable practices in the beauty industry.
Founder: Caroline Moore
Melody's Magical Scents manifested because its founder, Caroline, recognised that there was a major sector of society who were being overlooked when it came to basic therapeutic care - people with chronic health conditions. To elaborate: many companies and medicines aim to alleviate pain or adverse symptoms of a health condition, but chronic pain can make even the simplest tasks, like taking a shower, difficult and exhausting. Caroline suffers from mulitple health challenges and she wanted a way to enjoy her everyday routine, not just 'battle' flare-ups or major medical symptoms. Melody's Magical Scents is a vegan and organic holistic brand. Our aim is to encourage people with chronic pain and illness to fall in love with their every day routine of bathing, showering or washing. This simple act can be exhausting and challenging for chronic pain sufferers, and often leads to them skipping certain self-care rituals. We want them to realise that they deserve to enjoy taking the time to relax, clean themselves and most of all - feel valued. We carefully curate our ingredients to ensure that our products are free from harsh chemicals such as sulfates, parabens, and phthalates. These ingredients can cause allergic reactions in people, especially those with weakened immune systems.
12. Revive7 Science
Founder: Lauren Spencer
Lauren Spencer started her beauty business as a home-based business. In just over a decade, she’s grown Revive7 Science to a multimillion-dollar corporation with the products in over 17 countries. The keys to her success are a consistent vision, constant innovation, and committed team members. Lauren believes that the products we put on our skin is just as important as the products we put inside our bodies. Since 2011, she has maintained a clear vision that products she creates must be clean. Revive7 Science products do not contain prostaglandins, toxins, or carcinogens. All Revive7 Science products which include lash and brow serums, hair treatments, brow products, and mascaras are made with less than 10 clean ingredients. Her mantra is "Minimal Ingredients. Maximum Results".
Co-Founders: Gwen & Anthony Maxfield and Christina Sirlin
20 years ago, best friends Gwen Maxfield and Christina Sirlin were in desperate need of a more effective, toxin- and chemical-free skincare solution to accommodate their active Hawaiian lifestyle and sensitive skin, and there weren’t any certified organic skincare products to be found! They understood that what you put on your body is just as important as what you put in it and wanted their skincare to be as healthy and safe as the best organic foods available. Since they couldn’t find this, Gwen enlisted the help of her husband Anthony, who had recently discovered the joy of beekeeping, and in the process of harvesting honey developed very soft hands thanks to the beeswax and honey immersion. This led to a series of experiments that ultimately resulted in an exceptionally effective skincare solution based on locally sourced organic beeswax and honey, additional organic ingredients, like organic extra virgin olive oil and botanicals, all of which easy to pronounce and easy for your skin to use for skin repair, moisturizing and overall health. Honey Girl Organics, a brand created in Hawaii that celebrates beauty, health, and the power of nature, was founded in 2006 by Gwen & Anthony Maxfield and Christina Sirlin, DC years after their friends and they had benefited from the various formulations.
Co-Founders: Linda Zaurrini and Jennifer Geneve
LaVigne Natural Skincare is a Vancouver-made vegan beauty brand, owned and led by mother-daughter team, Linda Zaurrini and Jennifer Geneve. When living in Mexico in 2003, Linda learned about an incredible botanical, Tepezcohuite, described by the Mayans as "a miracle for the skin". Driven by a true passion to help others overcome their most challenging skin issues, Linda began working with the raw ingredient on her return to Canada. Over 20 years in business, the duo has progressively grown the line from just Mayan Magic Balm and Vitamin C Serum, to over 20 products, infused with dozens of botanicals believed to have skin-beneficial properties. Linda's vision was to create a skincare line that synergistically combines the best of science and nature, with the utmost integrity and effectiveness, free from harmful chemicals and parabens, focused on repairing damaged skin and shielding against environmental stressors.
Founder: Charlotte Cook
Charlotte Cook Cosmetics was born out of Charlotte Cook's personal health journey. At 16, she was diagnosed with Celiac disease - an autoimmune disorder that required her to adopt a gluten-free lifestyle. As she learned to monitor the ingredients in everything she put in and on her body, she was shocked to learn about all the chemicals that were in the products and makeup that she was using every day. Cosmetics are some of the least regulated products in the United States, which has allowed beauty brands to incorporate toxins, carcinogens, and endocrine disruptors into their formulas. As a result, the Charlotte Cook Cosmetics promise is simple but profound: to craft cosmetics using only good-for-you ingredients, backed by science, not fleeting trends. No fine print, no marketing catches – just a dedication to transparency and authenticity.
16. Addition Beauty
Founder: Michelle Calderon
Addition Beauty is putting women’s health and well-being at the forefront by providing nontoxic, high-performing makeup and empowering women with knowledge to select safer beauty products through their hormonal health, wellness, and healing journeys without compromising their beauty. The brand’s founder, Michelle Calderon, was inspired to create Addition Beauty out of a personal need to live a more holistic healthy lifestyle in hopes of managing her PCOS better, a hormone condition that affects roughly 10% of women in the U.S. Michelle was shocked and frustrated to learn that many mainstream and clean beauty products contain endocrine disrupting chemicals and toxins, and there weren’t any makeup brands that focused on hormone safety. Leveraging her biology background and previous experience as a color cosmetic chemist, she formulated what is now known as Addition Beauty’s first product: The Everyday Lipstick. Michelle aims to make Addition Beauty the premium, go-to makeup brand that women choose for nontoxic, hormone-safe makeup - especially those trying to conceive, pregnant, or with specific medical diagnoses - so they can have peace of mind while looking their best and feeling confident!
17. Adoratherapy
Founder: Laura McCann
Adoratherapy, inspired by a passion for holistic well-being, was founded with a vision to address a void in the beauty industry. The brand recognized the increasing demand for products that transform the emotional and spiritual realm, transcending outer beauty and traditional approaches to fragrance. Fueled by the belief in the transformative power of aromatherapy, Adoratherapy sought to offer a unique solution by formulating its products with carefully curated essential oils. expertly blended into highly vibrational healing scents. The founders identified a need for self-care rituals that went beyond perfume, which they called "scent with Intent". Through the creation of Adoratherapy, the brand aims to redefine beauty and wellness by embracing the deeper connection between the mind, body, and spirit, ultimately offering a holistic approach to personal care.
Founder: Amanda Ingram
Laila Grace Clean Beauty, a new nontoxic, cruelty-free, vegan, and silicone-free skincare company led by a passionate and accomplished wife and mother of two, Amanda Ingram . With their debut product, an amazing 100% waterless vitamin C serum enriched with eight potent actives, they have redefined the industry's standards for clean beauty. Designed to address hyperpigmentation, inflammation, and fine lines and wrinkles, this serum is a testament to the founder's personal journey. Following the birth of her daughter, Laila Grace, in 2018, she encountered disappointment with the available clean beauty options, as most vitamin C serums proved highly acidic and disrupted her skin barrier. Determined to find a solution, she developed a waterless vitamin C serum suitable for all skin types, promoting healing and fortifying the skin barrier. Laila Grace Clean Beauty, with its luxury yet clean approach, is committed to providing effective and nurturing skincare solutions, empowering individuals with a renewed sense of confidence and well-being.
Founder: JoAnn Fowler
SAPPHO was imagined to save lives. As an Emmy nominated makeup artist in 2008, JoAnn Fowler learned about toxicants in cosmetics and how consumers were constantly being lied to. The hardest thing to experience for her was watching 'clean brands' embrace and then promote the use of dimethicone, silicones, fd&c dyes as well as the widespread use of plastic packaging, plastic and acrylic displays, metal and plastic fused unrecyclable packaging. She is grateful that there are many individuals working on protocols to scientifically qualify if a product/ingredient promotes or contains any of the 14,000 PFAS (blood and environmental toxicants) and doing this testing for as many products as possible as a way of helping the process of mitigating these toxicants from our world.
20. BeeSpa
Founder: Dianne Cook
The Beespa story began more than ten years ago when the well known spa entrepreneur Diane Cook developed her first product Beespa hand and foot cream . Beespa products feature beeswax as the main ingredient. The latest "Honey Lips lip masque" is a luscious combination of beeswax and natural oils to absorb quickly into the lips keeping them soft and smooth.
21. Holistic Hair
Co-Founders: Nicky James-Baird and Jodene Fendall
Holistic Hair, a premium natural hair care brand based in New Zealand, emerged from a profound passion for natural beauty and a resolute commitment to wellness, driven by founders Nicky James-Baird and Jodene Fendall. With a vision to revolutionize the beauty industry, they recognized a significant gap, prompting a journey to formulate products prioritizing both individual health and environmental well-being. Motivated by a desire to shift away from chemical-laden alternatives, Holistic Hair meticulously crafted a range of natural hair products to nourish, strengthen, and enhance hair without compromising on purity. Rooted in a deep understanding of the interconnectedness between personal health and environmental responsibility, the brand stands as a beacon in the beauty industry, offering a harmonious blend of nature-inspired formulations and a steadfast commitment to fostering a healthier, more sustainable world.
22. My Day Screen
Founder: Susan Dudas
A skin cancer diagnosis and failure to find healthy, daily sunscreen products led to the creation of the My Day Screen brand. Susan Dudas, founder, was told by her dermatologist to wear a mineral sunscreen daily. Finding only chemical-ridden or chalky sunscreen options, Susan set out to create clean, mineral sunscreens she would want to wear daily. My Day Screen offers antioxidant rich, blue light tested suncare that looks and feels like skincare.
Founder: Olga Goldberger
IOKA Skin+Science, LLC was created by a mother (scientist) and daughter (business woman). Olga and Leah wanted to create a brand without chemical emulsifiers that can dry out the skin, and raise awareness about the use of chemicals in skincare. Also they longed to create natural products which are based on science and work best on skin for 30+ clients and also for 60+ clients. Olga is a mitochondrial biologist and she used her knowledge and experience of working in research to create her beautiful unique formulas, where all bioactive ingredients are protected inside the liposomes. Liposomes allow for deeper slow skin penetration of the actives and their clients report results in just a few days of using their products.Their products are also very much suited for oncology patients. Ageless Boost was created for mature skin in mind, bringing back the youthful radiance and firmness.
24. Jubel Naturals
The journey to embracing the skin you’re in can be difficult. That’s where Jubel Naturals come in. Jubel Naturals was founded to make beauty more inclusive and accessible. They celebrate and embrace diversity, regardless of race, gender, age, and beyond. They do this by only offering vegan formulations made with natural ingredients at lower prices. All their products are designed to be unisex and they are very transparent about all the ingredients that go in them.
25. Scentuals
Founder: Mai Mowrey
Scentuals' founder Mai has always been passionate about skin care. This passion became a purpose when her brother was diagnosed with cancer in the early 2000's. As she spent time in hospitals and cancer clinics she learned first hand from doctors about how health can be adversely affected by environmental toxins absorbed through the skin. Mai immersed herself in research and discovered that most conventional personal care products contained a multitude of toxins and synthetic ingredients. When looking for natural alternatives, she found the selection limited and overly expensive. Frustrated by this, Mai took action and founded Scentuals Natural & Organic Skin Care.
26. Mamas Medicinals
Founder: Emily Held
Fourteen years ago, a little girl suffered from painful eczema, sparking a mother's quest for relief. Emily Held, the heart behind Mamas Medicinals, emerged from this journey. What began as a desperate mom concocting herbs and oils to soothe her daughter's rash evolved into a brand dedicated to healing. Now boasting 10 botanical skincare products, Mamas Medicinals, crafted with top-notch local ingredients, embodies Emily's commitment to sharing natural solutions for skin rejuvenation. In the spirit of transparency and care, Mamas Medicinals recently birthed its medicinal toner. The inspiration? Emily's personal shock at discovering alcohol and harsh preservatives in a toner she trusted (we won't drop names for privacy vibes). Lesson learned – labels matter. This hiccup led Emily to create an alcohol-free toner, brimming with her cherished ingredients and herbs. Mamas Medicinals remains a labor of love, empowering people of all ages to embrace clear, pain-free skin, and bid farewell to rashes and blemishes.
Founder: Elizabeth Hartinger
THOYA Laboratoire was founded Dr. Elizabeth Hartinger, Ph.D., who is committed to cutting-edge skin research and has acquired over the years extensive experience in dermatological technologies. Her postdoctoral studies were conducted at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA, where she worked on novel technologies applied in the field of dermatology. Preoccupied by both the harmful environmental factors and the large amount of chemicals in everyday sun care, Elizabeth founded THOYA Laboratoire as a commitment to develop a new generation of hypoallergenic professional sun care with highly effective, carefully selected, safe, natural origin and organic ingredients. Thoya Laboratoire offers a wide range of clean sun care products that are carefully crafted to provide outstanding results for all skin phototypes (I to VI).
Founder: Monique Glover
The inspiration to create LaMonique Cosmetics stems from a desire to provide individuals with sensitive skin, like those dealing with eczema, or celiac disease a safe haven in the world of cosmetics. After becoming aware about harmful chemicals and toxins used in personal care products and cosmetics, founder Monique Glover sought out to create an all-inclusive, non-toxic cosmetics. This vitamineral curated brand helps to fulfill the demand for clean and natural beauty products. The industry has seen a shift towards products that prioritize health, sustainability, and holistic well-being. LaMonique Cosmetics aims to address concerns about harmful ingredients and promote a healthier approach to beauty
Women empowerment shouldn’t be celebrated on Women's History Month alone. It’s a 365-day affair that our community should get on board with, especially when these brands are all participating in the 9th Clean Beauty Brands. Be in the know and follow @certcleaninc on Instagram to be updated on what they have to offer for this year’s awards program!
Feeling inspired from all this girl power? You also might want to check out last year's list of Top 30+ Woman-Powered Clean Beauty Brands to Watch to discover more brands you can support in the clean beauty space!
