Committing to a cleaner skincare routine has changed the way I care for my skin—and how I think about beauty altogether. As I seek out gentle formulas from brands with transparent ingredient lists, it's got me examining the products I've used for years—especially the ones marketed to people with darker skin and textured hair.
What I've seen has been hard to ignore: Many of the products I grew up using contain ingredients that, I now know, are not kind to my face, body, or hair. It's made one thing clear—the beauty industry hasn't always prioritized our health. And that's exactly why clean beauty matters.
Now, I'll be honest: "Clean beauty" is a slippery term. There's no industry-wide definition or official regulations, and so different brands and retailers approach and use the term in their own ways. I appreciate that Sephora, for example, has set its own thoughtful guidelines, designed to align with regulatory standards worldwide. To join its Clean at Sephora curation, a product must be free of a checklist of ingredients that includes parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and mineral oils. Each product that meets the criteria is marked with a green "Clean at Sephora" seal, making it easy to shop and discover formulas that check my own personal boxes.
But for me, it's less about rigid perfection, and more about choosing products that are mindfully formulated and align with the kind of care I want to give my skin—and the kind of future I want to support in the beauty space. And no, I didn't overhaul my entire cabinet in one dramatic sweep. It's a journey: I'm learning what works for me while keeping an eye on ingredients, ethics, and efficacy. Here's how it's coming together so far with my favorite Clean at Sephora products:
Cleanser
I started by looking for a cleansing formula without sulfates or artificial fragrance—two things I realized were irritating my skin. The two below make my face feel clean but not stripped of moisture.
Sephora Collection Micellar Cleansing Water
Simple and no-nonsense, but gets it done, quickly removing makeup and grime while supporting the skin barrier.
Youth to the People Superfood Gentle Antioxidant Refillable Cleanser
Your face deserves veggies too, okay? This green dream contains antioxidant-rich ingredients like kale, spinach, and green tea to leave skin hydrated and glowing. Bonus points: You can buy a refill at Sephora and reuse the glass jar.
Treatment Products
For me, gentle acids, antioxidants, and hydrating actives that target concerns like texture, dullness, irritation, and uneven tone are key.
Tower 28 Beauty SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray
This mist is calm-in-a-bottle. Powered by hypochlorous acid, it soothes irritation, tames flare-ups, and keeps stressed skin in check.
Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Dark Spot Serum
Acne scars, sun drama, and melasma don't stand a chance against this serum. It's one of those OG products that's co-signed by skincare lovers everywhere.
Moisturizer
The top qualities I look for in moisturizer and eye cream: They support my skin barrier, do not contain silicones or dyes, and make my skin feel soft—not greasy—all day.
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer
Juicy skin: activated. This oil-free gel moisturizer contains watermelon extract and hyaluronic acid for lightweight hydration. It layers beautifully, smells like summer, and gives skin that dewy, glazed finish.
iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Extreme Cream Eye Firming & Contouring Refillable Eye Cream
This cream delivers serious bounce and barrier support with peptides, ceramides, and bakuchiol. It sinks in like a dream and helps improve the look of puffiness, wrinkles, and sagging eyelids.
Sunscreen
As someone with melanin-rich skin, I find a lot of sunscreens leave me looking ashy. But I've finally found some clean formulas that blend seamlessly and feel like skincare.
Innisfree Daily UV Defense Invisible Broad-Spectrum SPF 36 Sunscreen
Lightweight, no white cast, and hydrating—this SPF is the definition of an everyday essential. It makes skin feel fresh and look dewy as it protects.
Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Mineral Milk Sunscreen SPF 30
This silky mineral SPF glides on like a serum and sinks in without a trace. It's suncare that's leveled all the way up.
The Takeaway
As I built out this routine, something shifted. Skincare didn't just feel like self-care—it started to feel like a small act of defiance. Like a quiet way of choosing better, not just for myself, but in support of a system that needs to improve.
Because here's the bigger picture: For too long, the beauty industry has made safety and transparency a privilege, not a baseline. Products targeting communities of color have historically been more likely to include potentially harmful ingredients. That's not okay.
So yes, I care about how my skin looks. I care about glow and bounce and hydration. But I also care about the deeper layers—about what it means to create a routine that honors both my skin and the values I hold. Clean beauty isn't a trend for me; it's a choice rooted in wanting better access, better standards, and better outcomes for all of us.
And honestly? My skin has never felt more like mine.
Julee Wilson is Beauty Editor at Large at Cosmopolitan. Previously, Julee was Beauty Director at Cosmo and Global Beauty Director at Essence and has held various editorial positions at Huffington Post and Real Simple. She counts herself lucky AF that she gets to play with beauty products for a living and tell dope stories. And if you’re as obsessed with beauty as she is, make sure to follow her on Instagram for plenty of product recs, natural hair inspo, skincare testing, and Black girl magic shenanigans.
