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This Alternatives to Beautycounter post has been a long time in the making and probably one of the most highly requested posts by you guys. I certainly have not been quiet about my distaste for all things Beautycounter so I find myself fielding your questions and concerns about the brand more often than I anticipated. You can read my review of them here but in a nutshell here’s why I don’t use Beautycounter products:

1. The quality does not match the price – to be fair, no clean beauty products are as cheap as conventional, but the quality of Beautycounter products is not outstanding and certainly not worth the price tag. Such is the reality of an MLM where you have to pay your downline…

2. They’re not THAT clean– now I’m not here to tell you that your skincare products should have no synthetics. I do think there’s value in some synthetic products and especially as you’re transitioning to natural beauty BUT some synthetics are just unnecessary and there are other alternatives out there that are cleaner.

3. I don’t buy from MLMs– This is a heated topic with many sides of the argument but plain and simple I don’t like multi-level marketing. I understand that it is not a pyramid scheme (anyone who sells any MLM products will drill this message home) but the way the structure is built requires someone – or more accurately, many people, to lose. I’ve heard from so many of you who lost money trying to sell Beautycounter and it is not fair that a company should be profiting off their consultants failures and blaming it on them. You’re welcome to disagree but this is my opinion.

SO let’s chat alternatives. I decided to pick some of the more popular products out there and offer equivalent options that cost less and/or are cleaner options. I asked you guys on Instagram to share some of the Beautycounter products you’d like to see alternatives for and picked these 5. Of course there are many others and I’m happy to add more if you want to see them, but for now let’s look at these.

Natural Skincare Alternatives to Beautycounter

Beautycounter: The Cleansing Balm ($80)
Alternative: Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm ($34)

The Cleansing Balm is actually my favorite product from Beautycounter but HOLY HELL why does it cost $80? That’s absurd. I actually left it in a hotel bathroom and almost cried because it was still halfway full. Luckily I found this Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm for less than half the price. The ingredients are pretty on par too.

Looking for cheaper + cleaner alternatives to beautycounter? Here's a cheaper option for the cleansing balm #beautycounter

Beautycounter: No 1, 2, 3 Facial Oils ($69)
Alternatives: Acure Argan Oil ($13), Trilogy Organic Rose Hip Seed Oil ($29), Ann Marie Gianni Herbal Facial Oil ($43)

I also really like the facial oils from beautycounter because the ingredients are great, but once again you do NOT need to be spending $70 on a bottle. If you are new to clean beauty, opt for something simple like the Acure Argan Oil or Trilogy Organic Rose Hip Seed Oil. If you’re looking for something with a bit more oomph I swear by the Ann Marie Gianni Herbal Facial Oil, which I use every single day.

Looking for cheaper + cleaner alternatives to beautycounter? Here's a cheaper option for their facial oils #beautycounter

Beautycounter: Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion ($49)
Alternatives: Andalou Naturals Daily Defense Lotion ($15), Acure Brightening Day Cream ($17),  January Labs Moisture Balancing Lotion ($28),

Honestly, I hated this product. Like truly loathed it, but I also understand why it exists. Many people looking to switch over their skincare to cleaner options oftentimes want the look and feel of conventional skincare. As someone who lives for the oil life, I have a really hard time using any kind of lotion which essentially is just a blend of water, oils and alcohol to get them all to mix together. And here’s the truth, there are SO many alternatives of the exact same product without the $50 price tag. Pretty much any of the cheaper brands from Whole Foods or your health food store carry the exact same product for way less.

A safer alternative to the beautycounter overnight peel

Beautycounter: Charcoal Cleansing Bar ($26)
Alternative: Herbivore Botanicals Bamboo Charcoal Soap ($12)

I’m not gonna lie, it seems like theft charging $26 for a bar of soap, no matter how amazing it may be. I still think $12 is pricey for a bar of soap (+ added charcoal I guess?!) but at least Herbivore Botanicals Bamboo Soap is less than half the price and a cleaner product. Beautycounter’s cleansing bar contains alcohol which is probably why I found it so drying on my skin but the Herbivore Botanicals version doesn’t so may fare better for those with dry and sensitive skin.

Looking for cheaper + cleaner alternatives to beautycounter? Here is a cheaper and cleaner option for the charcoal bar #beautycounter

Beautycounter: Overnight Resurfacing Peel ($63)
Alternative: Marie Veronique Intensive Repair Serum ($90)

I’ll be honest, there aren’t a ton of alternatives out there for this product as it’s not very, well natural. Anything with the word peel in it is going to be synthetic. Which I can be cool with because there’s a time and place for everything. That being said, the overnight resurfacing peel is pretty darn synthetic and between the 12 different acids, 3 different alcohols and gums included in the product, I’d probably never use this. The alternative I’m offering is my HOLY GRAIL product. Yes, I’m aware it is more expensive (and hella expensive at that!) but if you’re really into the idea of peels I want to offer you a safer alternative that I can say with 100% certainty it works. I tell people this all the time but my acne did not heal until I started using the Marie Veronique Intensive Repair Serum. Now I only use it about 2 times a week so the $90 goes a long way. I know it’s a splurge but I promise you it’s incredible and the ingredients are way more legit (no alcohol, no gums etc…).

Note: I also think the Mad Hippie Exfoliating Serum ($34) is a great option, however I’ve only used it once so I can’t speak to its effectiveness. Stay tuned!

A safer alternative to the beautycounter overnight peel

So there you have it! 5 Natural Skincare Alternatives to Beautycounter. I tried to offer a nice variety where I could and affordable options when possible (damn you Marie Veronique!). Of course, at the end of the day #youdoyou and reach for whatever products you love and want to support. I’m a personal believer in voting with my wallet and choose to spend my money on companies that don’t profit off of other people’s failures. There’s also just cleaner and cheaper options available.

With that, if I didn’t include any products you love (either beautycounter or alternatives) definitely let me know in the comments and I’ll try to offer them as suggestions or find better alternatives. Enjoy!

Note: I am not an esthetician or a licensed dermatologist. Please see someone certified (ideally holistically!) to evaluate your skin and help you determine what is best for you.

Meet the Maven

Hi! I'm Davida and welcome to my corner of the internet. I'm a wellness blogger, yoga teacher, certified herbalist, and green beauty lover.

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80 Comments

  1. I can’t find the Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm and the links from your post do not work. Is there another alternative to Beauty Counter Cleansing Balm that you would recommend (or another way to locate the Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm-its not on the company website either)? I typically don’t wear make up but haven’t found anything I like as much as BC.

  2. I’m looking for an alternative to their dew skin tinted moisturizer with SPF 15. I love it but $50!!?? Also one for their lipstick.

  3. I never used BC but I was researching the brand and came across this article. I’ve tried to sell Arbonne and sadly it did not work out. None of my friends were interested because of the high cost. Plus their makeup didn’t perform well for me. Anyway, your comments about MLM resonated with me and I agree! The cost doesn’t fit the product at all.

  4. Do you have any recommendations for their makeup? Specifically the Skin Twin. as a former BC consultant who just did it for the discount I can’t justify it anymore but I really enjoyed their foundation.

  5. OMG, I was a BC consultant and so insulted when they hoisted me out because I wasn’t meeting the mark! Anyhow, I simply can’t afford the product otherwise. I am 60 years old and use the entire Countertime Line and it has done great work for my skin. Any suggestions for such a line for aging skin? I will definitely use your suggestions above for oils and such. Thanks for doing the footwork. I have been trying to do this but so much information out there!

  6. I have been back and forth with beautycounter for so long it jump started my two year journey of trying ALL the skincare and makeup the detox market and credo beauty had. I have finally found that I love primally pure, my holistic aestheticians line grace holistic skin, and Marie Veronique to be my favorites. Oil cleanse, hydrosol mist, and a oil based serum or moisturizer. Simple easy affordable done. My acne has cleared up amazingly with a change in diet. Makeup I’m between well people, ilia (hate that they use silicones like dimethicone and FD&C dyes), vapour, RMS (hate coconut oil and FD&C dyes), and Gressa. It’s been crazy and stressful but fun and I love learning about ingredients and comparing brands and prices. As for hair I LOVE innersense and o way! glad there are others here who have seen through beautycounters list of “clean” ingredients like why? They use synthetics, phenoexyethanol, dimethicones etc..: it’s not that clean and SO expensive I went into debt trying to be a consultant and it is one thing I regret. It’s hard to not want it with people flaunting the beautiful bottle sun your face all the time. But it’s also not organic so ur rubbing pesticides on your skin too like really that’s gross haha. Thank you for making this site I’m obsessed! Also totally miss you on your podcast!