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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: True Botanicals Calm Ginger Turmeric Cleansing Balm ($52), Evolve Gentle Cleansing Melt ($36)
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 True Botanicals Calm Singer Turmeric Cleansing Balm which is still a splurge but equally as wonderful. The ingredients are pretty on par too. I also really like the Evolve Cleansing Melt which is very similar and wayyyy cheaper at $36!
True Botanicals Calm Ginger Turmeric Cleansing Balm
A viral cleansing balm that effectively removes makeup, sunscreen, and dirt.
Evolve Gentle Cleansing Melt
A luxurious cream cleanser that rinses away impurities for skin that’s clean, calm, and hydrated.
Beautycounter: No 1, 2, 3 Facial Oils ($69)
Alternatives: Ann Marie Gianni Herbal Facial Oil ($45), Kora Organics Noni Glow Oil ($29), Biossance 100% Sugarcane Squalane Oil ($34)
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 Biossance 100% Sugarcane Squalane 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 but the Kora Organics Noni Glow Oil is also great!
Ann Marie Gianni Herbal Facial Oil
Nourish skin with normal oil regulation or combination skin with this gentle and calming herbal blend. Our unique grapeseed oil base helps balance natural oils. Skin-enriching oils—tamanu, passion fruit seed, and buriti fruit—enhance the skin’s natural radiance. This lightweight, quickly absorbed moisturizer feels soothing while delivering essential nutrients for healthy skin.
Biossance 100% Sugarcane Squalane Oil
A weightless, multitasking pure squalane oil—harvested from renewable sugarcane—that rapidly hydrates from head to toe.
Kora Organics Noni Glow Oil
This moisturizing oil is made with certified organic noni extract, rosehip oil, pomegranate oil and sea buckthorn oil, which combine to create a rich source of antioxidants and essential fatty acids.
Beautycounter: Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion ($49)
Alternatives: Andalou Naturals Daily Defense Lotion ($17), Acure Brightening Day Cream ($20), Evolve Multi Peptide 360 Anti-Aging Cream ($52),
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. That being said if you want something a bit more “luxury” the Evolve anti-aging cream is pretty great!
Andalou Naturals Daily Defense Lotion
Andalou Naturals Age Defying Ultra Sheer Daily Defense Facial Lotion SPF 18 is a lightweight daily moisturizer and sunscreen with antioxidants like resveratrol and coenzyme Q10 that provides broad spectrum protection against sun damage and signs of aging while supporting collagen in the skin.
Acure Brightening Day Cream
Brighten up with antioxidant-rich ACURE Brightening Day Cream. Cica and argan oil moisturize and protect, fight dullness and even out skin tone for skin that’s bright and beautiful.
Multi Peptide 360 Anti-Aging Cream
A comprehensive anti-aging cream that leaves skin firmer, brighter, and more hydrated.
Beautycounter: Charcoal Cleansing Bar ($26)
Alternative: Herbivore Botanicals Bamboo Charcoal Soap ($14)
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.
Herbivore Botanicals Bamboo Charcoal Soap
A gentle yet effective soap cleanses and exfoliates oily, combination, and blemish-prone skin types.
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 a couple of times so I can’t speak to its effectiveness.
Marie Veronique Intensive Repair Serum
An AHA/BHA serum that works to exfoliate and help decongest skin.
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.
I am also anti MLM. A long time ago before I was informed I did try the tint skin from beauty counter and kind of ashamed that I did like it. Are you able to do a comparison for that product ? Thanks !
Not a fan of Beauty Counter either. They treat the reps horribly! If you shop a rep with the rep’s link, it will sometimes ask if you want to bypass the rep and buy directly from them!!!! This is while you are on the rep’s replicated website! So, the rep does all the work to get the customer, gets them to their website to order, and then Beauty Counter tries to steal the rep’s customer so they won’t have to pay them a commission! How slimy is this? How greedy can you be? This is just one of the horrible, greedy things they do. I love a lot of their products, but I’m not comfortable supporting a company who does things like this, so I am looking for alternative products as well. Keep the suggestions coming please. Thank you!
Do you know of any alternatives for the following beauty counter items that are very expensive? I was sent home with samples of all of these items that lasted a good couple weeks and I absolutely love them for my aging skin But the expense is crazy! Thank you so much
Lipid defense cleansing oil
Mineral boost hydrating essence
Tripeptide radiance serum
Tetrapeptide supreme cream
Allbright C serum
And last but not least a light a medium coverage foundation that’s clean as well. I did not really care for the coverage on the skin twin.
Trying to find a clean skin care regimen and struggling. I have several friends that sell BC and so I keep coming back to that but it’s so expensive 😣 I would like to just buy from one brand that works together in a set like BC but feel like I don’t even know what brands to look at. What would suggest for a brand that sells a full set that you would stand beside?
Thanks!!
Hi Ashley! I wish I had a better answer for you but to be honest I don’t stick to a single brand for all products. For me, it’s kind of like food. I generally buy a different type of food from different brands because they specialize in a certain type of food. Same applies to skincare. Some brands specialize or invest a lot of time in certain products over others. It doesn’t bother me too much to buy from different brands for this reason. One thing you may want to look into is this kit from Evan Healy. I believe they sell it at Whole Foods. It’s a good starting point and you can try out a few different products and decide which ones you like.
If you want to buy from just one clean affordable brand, I would pick Andalou Naturals. They have skincare lines formulated for each skincare need. The CC cream is my everyday makeup go to. You can find it at Whole Foods and every once in a while I see it even further discounted at Marshall’s/TJ Max… and I clear the shelf : )
I will say that I really wanted to like Andalou as a go to skin care line, that i could easily pick up and buy at Whole Foods, but it never gave me all the feels and results.
What about a dupe for the Counter+ Brightening Facial Mist?
I’m so confused. I was first on your post with the Beautycounter review (and link to your consultant shop) and then this post says you hate all things Beautycounter? Which is it? It’s fine to change your mind, just curious and if you did may be a good idea to update this post…
Hello! Thank you for all the great information! I’ve just started using BC because of the safeness of their products. By any chance, do you have a post that is a cumulative list of all other clean/green companies? I’m so new to this clean world 😀
Do you have a recommendation for dark under eye circles? Thanks!
Hi Davida!
Glad I found your post. I had been using Rodan and Fields, was going to switch to Beauty Counter for safety, but then found your article. Thank you! I am in my early 40’s and looking for alternatives to the BC Countertime line. Any suggestions for daily face care, fine lines and wrinkles?
Thanks so much!!
Hi Jodie! This should answer all your questions: https://www.thehealthymaven.com/cleaner-alternatives-to-beautycounters-countertime-line/
Hi, I really like the BC body butter. But of course I don’t feel that they offer a generous amount for what they charge. Would appreciate your suggestions. Thankyou
I absolutely adore the Primally Pure Body Butter! It’s $13 cheaper for the same amount or you can order a larger size which BC doesn’t offer. The ingredients are also wayyyyy better in the Primally Pure Body Butter. Here’s my favorite one: https://bit.ly/3ddxdSZ