15 Drugstore Clean Beauty Must-Haves – Updated for 2024!

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I get it – beauty products are expensive. Clean beauty products can be particularly expensive. But, when you’re trying to clean up yo’ life, you don’t need to throw your budget to the wind.

You really can have it all.

Here are some of my absolute favorite affordable clean beauty products – that will GET YOU RESULTS – while also not sucking your bank account dry.

Save that money, honey.

Oh, and you should know that I bought all of these products with my own money and none of these brands are paying me to say nice things about them, but if you do make a purchase from these links, I’ll receive a very, very small commission at no cost to you for taking the time to share it with you.

The Best Drugstore Clean Beauty Products:

1. Acure Blue Tansy Night Oil

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Alright, listen up – THIS STUFF IS UH-MAAAAAAZING! I cannot believe I have just recently discovered it and I CANNOT BELIEVE IT IS UNDER $13!!!

When I first rubbed this all over my face, I was not expecting much. I mean, it’s blue. Mmkay?

But, I woke in the morning and my skin looked airbrushed. Pores were smaller, skin was plumper, my cheeks had a bit of a rosy glow.

What the eff is IN this stuff??

Who cares. It’s MAGIC. 

Major desert island pick here, folks. I absolutely cannot believe the price. It’s like they’re giving it away.

2. Thayers Witch Hazel Toner w Rose Petals

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Under $10 and I use it almost every day. I’ve tried very high-end toners over the years and I’ve gone many years just not toning at all because – let’s get real – I mean, does it really even matter?

Yes, yes it does.

When it’s this one.

Plus, anything with rose in it I love. It’s not just the smell, there is something very effective about rose oil in any form.

I googled it to find out why and learned that there really is some science behind it – rose oil helps to hydrate skin, clear acne, reduce signs of aging, minimize the appearance of scars, and help with conditions such as eczema and rosacea (source here).

This isn’t the only Thayers product I love. Check out my post with 6 of my favorite Thayers products. 

3. Burt’s Bees BB Cream

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Huge fan of this BB Cream. I use it almost every day. It looks particularly dewy and natural when applied with one of these super affordable dupes for beauty blender sponges. 

This BB cream has Noni Extract in it, which is used in high-end skin care because of the incredible benefits for your skin. So, you’ll get good medium coverage and skincare benefits with this.

Plus, it’s 98.9% natural – which is almost 100%. I’ll compromise on less than 2% in exchange for how great this is.

For a person that never lived without my trusty Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer before, that’s saying a lot. Is it as good as the LM? No, but it also has less chemicals, more good stuff and is 1/4 of the price.

I call that a win. If you’re looking for more great bb cream pics, check out my post with my top 3 – and these are great for more mature skin (I’m in my 40s).

4. Burt’s Bees Rose Tinted Lip Balm 

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Over 500 perfect reviews says you’re gonna love this. I love this, too. You get a little tint with your balm. What’s not to love?

6 shades makes it easy for you to find the color for you. Plus, it won’t make your lips tight or chalky. The rose (ahem, there she is again!) will hydrate and plump, leaving your lips better for it.

At under $5, your wallet will be better for it, too.

5. Maui Moisture Shampoo 

There are several in this line – but I like the dry and damaged because I color and heat style my hair. Plus, it runs on the drier side anyway, which is why I like to air dry when possible – and my post on products for air drying has been going strong for awhile, so I’m guessing I’m not the only one.

The price on these products for the long list of great ingredients that are in it and the long list of crap that isn’t – is amazing.

This one is $6.99, folks. 

YUP. You heard me.

6. Maui Moisture Conditioner

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You knew this was coming, didn’t you?

Obviously, you need to condition your hair. This vanilla bean conditioner smells DIVINE.

And for less than $20 you can get the Maui Moisture shampoo AND conditioner.

I mean, my god, what are you waiting for?

GO GET IT.

7. Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask

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I’m a huge fan of masks and I have used some very expensive and some very affordable masks over the years and there are great face masks in all price points. This affordable face mask is part of the Yes To Tomatoes charcoal line for fighting acne with natural ingredients.

Because no matter who you are – the zits can get you.

They are an equal opportunity annoyer.

Priced super affordably, you’ll get a great deal on an effective blemish fighting mask.

8. SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Hair Masque

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Hair masks can get really pricey. This bad boy will only set you back $10 bucks. Not even kidding.

Made with all kind of good stuff, like: certified organic Shea Butter, Honey, Mafura, Baobab Oils and antioxidant-rich African Rock Fig that will restore moisture and deeply condition. Leaving you with smoother, stronger, healthier frizz-free hair.

Plus, if you have a dry, itchy scalp, the manuka honey is a powerful anti-inflammatory ingredient that will soothe your scalp. African Rock Fig has Vitamin C – which will brighten hair color.

Talk about a steal.

9. Weleda Skin Food Lotion

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This is one of those cult favorite products that people really go nuts for – and you’ll understand why once you’ve tried it.

First, it comes in a couple of formulations, from the original rich, light and then hand and body lotion. 

So, basically, you can skin food it all.

And, you might want to, since this baby is a whipped formulation of sunflower seed oil and shea butter. Plus, with essential oils like orange and lavender for scent and aromatic impact, it’s basically like a vacation in a tube.

You can start small with the uber-affordable 2.5 oz or go bigtime and load up. Either way, you’re well under $20 and it’ll feel a whole lot more luxurious.

10. Honest Beauty Gentle Gel Cleanser

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One of my all-time favorite facial cleansers. It doesn’t dry out your skin, but it takes off all your makeup. It fights oil, but doesn’t make it worse. Chamomile and calendula hydrate, soothe and soften skin.

For $12.99, this is an all-star affordable clean beauty buy.

I shared more of my favorite face washes in this post, but I still think this Honest Beauty one is my face.

11. Pacifica Dreamy Youth Day & Night Cream

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It’s not everyday that you find a day and night cream for under $20 with tons of amazing reviews.

With review titles like, “AMAZING!” and “LOVE IT!” – you’d think it was $80, but nope, this cream is well under $20!

This antioxidant-rich face cream is designed for all skin types and chock full of peptides, floral stem cells and advanced natural extracts said to minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

Plus, Pacifica has really high standards for what goes in their products and what doesn’t.

12. Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara 

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I’ve written about this one before, so I’m tucking it at the bottom of the list in case you’ve been around these parts awhile.

At under $10, I prefer it to most higher end mascaras – and I’ve tried a lot of them.

My eyes are ultra-sensitive and I have Sjogren’s which causes very dry, irritated eyes, so anything that doesn’t make my eyes feel worse is a win. If it makes my eyelashes look long and luscious – I am thrilled.

If you have room to splurge – this clean beauty mascara by Wander Beauty is incredible.

But, until then, the Burt’s Bees will more than suffice. For more mascaras that are great for sensitive eyes, check out this post here.

13. Pacifica Neutralizing Mattifier Translucent Powder:

 

Looking for a 100% vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic translucent powder that doesn’t get splotchy and lasts all day?

Your wish is my command!

Pacifica has done such a great job of delivering great products that don’t have the gunk.

This matte finishing universal powder uses lotus powder extract, coconut water, and vitamin E to help control oil and set makeup. But, it’s formulated without parabens, phthalates and other ingredients you don’t want on your skin.

14. Burt’s Bees Nourishing Eyeliner:

eyeliners for sjogren's

Not sure how many times I’ll talk about this one in a blog post, lol. It might be verging on an obsession.

This is the main eyeliner that I use every day. This eyeliner is made with responsibly sourced cedar wood and 99.9% natural ingredients, such as jojoba oil, meadowfoam seed and mango oil.

I have the most sensitive eyes ever – especially since I have Sjogren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that attacks the glands that produce moisture, such as tears, etc. This pencil doesn’t irritate and that could be because it is formulated without parabens, phthatates, SLS, petrolatum, talc, synthetic fragrances, silicones and is cruelty-free.

The color of these eyeliners is highly pigmented, they last all day, don’t easily smudge or run and come off easily with most face washes.

For more great eyeliners for sensitive eyes, check out this post. 

15. 100% PURE COFFEE BEAN EYE CREAM:

 

Oh baby, if you’re a coffee lover – this one is for you. The smell of fresh coffee is out of this world. And, the caffeine in it is a known way to decrease puffiness and reduce dark circles.

I’ve always loved 100% Pure, but found their products a bit expensive. But, now that I don’t wear makeup every day and I really need it to be as clean and gentle as possible, I am feeling like it’s worth it to splurge a bit on higher quality products.

THIS ONE IS ABSOLUTE GOLD.

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There are a lot of compelling reasons to reach for clean beauty – especially if you are one of the 1 in 5 people diagnosed with an autoimmune disease like me. Reducing the toxic burden on your body becomes an important part of supporting your body in reducing inflammation.

So, don’t feel like you have to sacrifice quality or break your budget to go cleaner. Use this as a jumping off point for affordable clean beauty brands to explore and have fun.

Then, come back here and tell us your favorite pick in the comments below.

If you love drugstore beauty, you might also love these posts:

Have a fabulous day,

E

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4 Comments

  1. Carla
    April 1, 2019 / 9:37 am

    Love! If I can’t get it at target chances are I won’t justify the splurge, this is super helpful info for those on a budget.

    • Erica
      Author
      April 1, 2019 / 1:11 pm

      I agree! I love getting high quality products for a bargain. Thanks for reading!

  2. July 8, 2019 / 12:49 am

    PrActical yet these products look to be very effective. Thank you for taking the time to compile this list of affordable yet useful beauty products.

    • Erica
      Author
      July 8, 2019 / 9:54 am

      Glad you liked them! These are all clean beauty products I love and personally use. Hope you try some! Thanks for reading and commenting.

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