These Products Changed My Mind About Clean Beauty

As an editor, dozens of products cross my desk each day, and it's my job to assess every new trend and ingredient brands are promoting with a skeptic's eye. One movement in particular that had me raising my eyebrows is the clean beauty trend, or products that are formulated without a laundry list of potentially harmful ingredients, such as the parabens, sulfates, and phthalates that many consumers try to actively avoid. While this sounds ideal, I won't use a product unless it delivers real results. I want my makeup to be packed with pigment, my skin-care products to clear up blemishes, and everything to be as easy to use as possible.

Despite my resistance, there happen to be quite a few effective clean products on the market that fit the bill. Ahead, you'll find some picks that withstood even my impossibly high standards.