Unfortunately, many big-name beauty brands aren’t always up to standard on animal testing or allergies (like gluten, for example.) Whether you’re looking for products suited for special skin sensitivities or just want to grow your professional makeup kit – you’re bound to find an indie product that fits.
If you’re an eco-makeup artist, indie products are the way to go! Many indie brands value natural ingredients and sustainability above all else! Even if your focus isn’t so much on eco-products, indie brands put a huge focus on what is (naturally) nourishing for the skin.
There’s a big world of indie brands out there! With so many brands to choose from, where do you even start? We’ve compiled our top indie skincare brands for you!
Read on to explore the world of indie beauty brands…
Le Prunier ($$)
Le Prunier provides skincare products made with plums. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Well, it really isn’t! Three sisters in California founded Le Prunier after discovering the power of plums while travelling Asia! Their Plum Beauty Oil serves as an anti-aging and refreshing skincare product perfect for your professional makeup kit!
The oil works on all skin types, making it a versatile product for your kit. Although the oil should be applied regularly, it’s still a great way to bring some hydration to your client’s skin at the beginning of an appointment!
Indie Lee ($$$)
Indie Lee founded her self-titled brand after facing a life-threatening tumor caused by toxins. She felt inspired to bring clean, toxin-free products to the beauty market. The brand provides various oils, bath soaks, cleansers, and creams.
All of Indie Lee’s oils have rejuvenating effects, which will help you liven up your client’s skin! Although they’re on the pricey side, most of the oils are multipurpose. Use it on the scalp, hair, nails, and skin! Get your money’s worth!
Drunk Elephant ($$$)
Drunk Elephant is another indie beauty brand that values clean ingredients to nourish the skin. One thing to note, though: They do not take into account an ingredient’s synthetic or natural status when creating their products. This means that while they aren’t an all-natural brand, they still focus on creating products they consider “clean.”
Most of their products are eye creams, cleansers, and facial oils. Drunk Elephant functions under the philosophy that “skin is skin”, and their products can work on any type. This makes it another super versatile product to have in your makeup kit.
Skin Laundry ($)
Skin Laundry operates as a laser and light skin therapy clinic with locations all over the United States. They also produce cleansers, toners, moisturizers, and face masks – which you can order online! Their products come at a slightly cheaper price, ranging from $10 USD to $60 USD.
Many products that have anti-aging properties can refresh dull skin as well. Most of their products work on all skin types and brighten skin before makeup application.
Red Earth ($)
Australian brand Red Earth focuses on both makeup and skincare! If you’re looking to invest in some indie makeup brands, this could be a great place to check out. Their products are multi-use, as they want to make accessible products for people who are always on-the-go.
Their products are also an affordable option for novice MUAs. From $4USD facemasks to $45USD creams, Red Earth has a wide selection of skincare products to choose from.
Meant ($$)
Meant focuses on being multipurpose and minimalistic, resulting in simple products with limited ingredients. This brand is gender-inclusive and versatile, making it a great find for your professional makeup kit! Their hydrating face serum works on all skin types!
Once again, these products full on the pricey side, at around $40USD to $50USD. But totally worth it for their versatility!
Soul Sunday ($)
Rooted in art, yoga, and wellness, Soul Sunday focuses on natural ingredients and aromatherapy. From toners to facial washes, Soul Sunday offers a wide range of (reasonably priced) products.
The gentle, natural ingredients are perfect for those with sensitive skin. Plus, you’ll still get fantastic results on any client!
Sahajan ($$)
The founder of Sahajan has been on a mission to return beauty products to natural ingredients… looking no further than those that have been used globally for thousands of years! Sahajan only uses pure plant oils and non-GMO sources. This means they can trace where their ingredients are coming from!
Many of their face serums are fast absorbing. You can easily use them on a client as a base before starting a look without having to wait long for them to soak into the skin. From face cleansers and creams to hair oils, Sahajan’s products are perfect additions to your professional makeup kit!
Girl Undiscovered ($$)
Girl Undiscovered is female-run and owned – yay for female empowerment! The founders value natural ingredients, imperfection, and simplicity in the name of freedom. Girl Undiscovered also has close relations with all their suppliers. They even source many ingredients locally from New Zealand, where they manufacture their products.
Their product line includes cleansing water, exfoliating masks, and face oil. Once again, they value simplicity; meaning their products are versatile and work on all skin types.
Osmia ($$)
Compared to the other products on this list, Osmia has a line of products formulated to meet specific skin type needs. If you’re helping a client out with a specific skin issue, Osmia is the way to go!
They have a much broader product line than many of their indie competitors, while maintaining the same versatility! Despite focusing their products on specific skin types or conditions, you can still use them for a variety of skin types!
Many indie skincare brands value natural ingredients above all. It’s important to know where the ingredients are coming from, too! And with smaller-scale production, it’s easier to keep track of where everything is from. Indie brands offer versatile products, making them a worthy investment for your professional makeup kit!
Do you use any indie or natural skincare brands that we didn’t mention? Let us know in a comment!
Thank you so much for sharing these eco-friendly companies that do skincare. I will be looking into these to add to my makeup kit.
Yay! We’re sure you’ll love them, Tonya!
This was so interesting to read. Definitely helpful!
Indie brand makeup and skincare is always fun to try! A few of these brands can be found at Sephora, which is where I like to shop! I will definitely be checking all of these of as options for my makeup kit 🙂
We totally agree, Maria! Definitely worth adding to your MUA kit!