Cleanliness is subjective. Just ask any kid under 10 who pronounces their room tidy after leaving their dirty socks next to the hamper or shoving a years' worth of homework into a single desk drawer. And "clean" beauty is no exception. Though the buzzword has been floating around the industry for years, there's still no universally agreed-upon criteria for what makes a product "clean," "green," "natural," or "eco-friendly." For us, it's about what's not on the ingredient list: Products that meet our definition of "clean" do not contain parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate, cyclic silicones, polyethylene or polypropylene (microbeads), aluminum salts, formaldehyde, hydroquinone, PEGs, triclosan, talc, mineral oil, petrolatum, formaldehyde, or toluene. Sure, scanning ingredient lists until your eyes bug out isn't exactly the fun part of the job, but it was worth it to yield this list of high-performing brands you, dear reader, can feel extra good about. And we think you'll be just as impressed with each and every one of these brands. Read on to find out which clean brands made to our list:

LYS Beauty

After more than a decade spent in the clean beauty industry, Tisha Thomspon decided she'd had enough of the lack of diversity in natural makeup. LYS Beauty launched in 2019 on Sephora as the first Black-owned clean beauty brand to receive Sephora's stamp of approval, instantly becoming a sold-out favourite for its formula and powerful pigment targeted towards skin of colour. Each product is made to be skin-focused first, ingredient wise, with focus on skin affected by hyperpigmentation and dark marks.

Milk Makeup

An offset of Milk Studios, Milk Makeup has been in the clean beauty space since the beginning, focusing their branding and message on galactic-feeing products that are made for effortless beauty vibes. Their dedication to improving their formulas and packaging, not to mention their refillable and natural ingredient-focused products, helps explain why most TikTokers have at least one item from the brand.

Westman Atelier

Gucci Westman, renowned makeup artist and the brand's namesake/founder, created Westman Atelier to bring a luxurious aesthetic to clean beauty. With sustainability in the foreground, natural ingredients are a major pillar in the identity of this cosmetic brand. The refillable durable packaging and creamy products with plant-powered ingredients make them a favourite for IG-worthy shelf shots and product that works well, trusted by clean beauty store Credo.

Minori Beauty

"Minimalist" and "clean" are two words that perfectly describe this essentials-only beauty brand. Anastasia Bezrukova founded Minori Beauty for those who want to declutter their beauty drawer and focus on the few key products for simple, natural wear. Creamy blushes and highlighters offer multi-use effects for flushed looks and cottagecore darling dreams, while the straightforward formulation makes it simple to figure out what exactly is in the product.

Beautycounter

Not only does Beautycounter up the game when it comes to clean beauty, but they're transparent about their progress, even going so far as to put out an annual Social Mission report listing their accomplishments. While the brand is dedicated to teaching their consumers about the benefits of clean beauty, they are also working to change laws and national guidelines for beauty ingredients. Beautycounter regularly supports nonprofits and is dedicated to constantly improving their formulas and environmental impact.

Juice Beauty

During her first pregnancy, Juice Beauty founder Karen Behnke saw how necessary effective, clean beauty brands are. Every ingredient in her skincare and makeup line is certified organic and ethical, with farm-to-beauty sourcing. From their cult favourite CC cream to their lash-boosting mascara, Juice Beauty has you covered. The brand even owns a farm in Northern California where they harvest natural products to use in their beauty line. It doesn't get more natural than that!