How to Buy Clean Beauty on a Budget and Still Have Money for Groceries

Find out how to get non-toxic beauty products for every kind of budget!

If you’ve done any kind of research on clean beauty products, you might have had a “WTF?!” moment when it came to price. It can be a major hurdle when switching to clean beauty!

Green, organic, non-toxic, it’s all the same. And it doesn’t have to be expensive! I’m going to show you my favorite ways to buy clean beauty on a budget and make it work for your lifestyle.

I first started my clean beauty journey when I was in college and broke as a joke, which means that there’s no excuses! With some time and a bit of research, you’ll be on your way to living your best non-toxic life!

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Is Clean Beauty a Hoax?

It most certainly is not! Clean beauty can come across as a hoax because the idea that we’re putting toxic chemicals into our body can be a hard pill to swallow.

But once you start doing to research, you’ll find that there’s only so much lipstick you can put on a pig. The cosmetics industry is very under regulated!

The FDA regulates cosmetics, including their ingredients and labeling, to help ensure that they are not mislabeled or falsely advertised, do not contain harmful drugs, and are properly labeled and packaged.

The problem here is that the FDA has no authority to tell a company what they can and cannot put in their products. Companies are also not required to have their products tested before they hit shelves.

This means that it’s mostly up to the company to decide what’s safe and what’s not. And when a company only cares about sales instead of your health, this turns into a recipe for disaster.

So when a product has better, more responsibly-sourced ingredients, the price can go up. That much is true. But companies can sometimes make a product look more “natural” and use that as an excuse to drive up the price.

Greenwashing—The Bane of Your Existence

Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, but still! Greenwashing is a term to describe how companies use health-related buzzwords and conscious-looking packaging to get you to buy their products.

People are catching on to the dangers of the harsh ingredients that companies use in their products. So of course big name companies want to show that they’re making changes with the consumer’s health in mind, right? Wrong.

Most big-name companies don’t care about your health at all. They only care about your money.

And if a company’s products look more natural, who’s to stop them from charging more money? The term “greenwashing” can apply towards the ingredients and the price.

Since there are very little regulations out there on what companies can and cannot put into their products, they’re going to do whatever they want to make you buy their stuff. And that includes sneaky marketing!

We’re Playing the Long Game for Health!

Women especially are falling victim to the harsh chemicals in their daily beauty and hygiene products without knowing it until it’s too late. Girls are starting their periods too soon (like me, I was 10!) and women are suffering from hormonal issues like PCOS, PMS, and horrible acne.

I swear I’m not trying to scare you! But you deserve to know these things.

The good news is, you’re here. And that shows that you’re ready to take control of what goes into your body.

These clean beauty tips will help you with your transition without going into credit card debt! And it all starts with your mindset.

Is Clean Beauty Actually More Expensive?

Yes and no, however, there’s more to it than that. There are a lot of misconceptions about clean beauty, but it is completely possible to afford it on a budget!

The first thing you need to do is change your mindset about a few things. The biggest one being that green beauty doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg!

Yes, green beauty can definitely get pricey, but so can conventional beauty products, too. There are plenty of gems out there that can fit just about any budget.

Another way of thinking is that you may be paying a little bit more on your products, but you’ll be paying less with doctor’s visits. And the money you’ll be saving with less prescriptions and doctor visits can add up much faster than the money you’ll be spending on higher quality beauty products!

Vote with Your Wallet!

One saying I’ve been hearing in the clean beauty space is that you vote with your wallet. Where you put your money matters!

You can send as many complaints and suggestions to a company as you want, but the only way to make them pay attention is when they start losing money to smaller brands.

Big name companies want to give you cheap products so you’re more likely to buy them in the first place. But the trade-off is that you’ll buy products that don’t work well and slowly ruin your health. The saying “you get what you pay for” truly does have some weight to it!

In order for a company to give you high-quality, nourishing products, they have to charge more. Think about it.

If you find a great brand that’s sustainable, made with nontoxic ingredients, and even treats their employees fairly, the price will show that. It takes a lot of love, energy, and resources to make a high-quality product!

Luckily, the best budget organic skin care companies don’t always charge much more than they should. Some even keep a certain charities in mind that they regularly donate to.

Cheap beauty products usually consist of ingredients that are inexpensive and easy to make in large quantities. But, these ingredients either have little to no information about what it does to our health, or glaring evidence otherwise.

In other words, cheap beauty products that work will add up to health concerns later in life. Meanwhile, getting a hold of those ingredients will wreak havoc on the environment in a factory full of people that are not getting paid a livable wage.

Again, I’m not trying to scare you with this information, I promise! But if you think about it, you’re paying a little more to support sustainable, fair-trade brands that won’t cause irreversible damage to you and the environment. And voting against the practices of these big-name brands with your wallet!

It’s Time to Take the Reins! (Tips Below)

Since there are no regulations and most companies don’t care about the effects of their products, you’ve got to take things into your own hands. This means educating yourself on toxic ingredients.

Luckily, you don’t have to sit at your computer and dig through Google Scholar for the information behind each ingredient! There are plenty of resources out there that have already done the research for you.

There’s even a resource right here on this blog! Essential Moves to Clean Beauty is the crash course I wish I had when I learned how to read ingredient lists.

You can learn how to become the ultimate clean beauty guru with bite-sized pieces of information on everything from ingredients to avoid to easy switches you can make today. Click the button below to learn more!

I Want an Easy Clean Beauty Transition!

Two of my other favorite resources are Think Dirty and the Environmental Working Group (EWG). They are handy little apps for your phone to help you make quick decisions when needed.

It’s a great starting point if you want to know more about a product by scanning the barcode in the app to see it in a database. But that’s exactly what it is, a starting point.

Think Dirty’s database is big, but it doesn’t cover everything. This means that it’s possible that not every ingredient is analyzed when it comes up in the database.

The same can go for the EWG Healthy Living App. While it’s a bit more comprehensive, there is limited data on certain ingredients.

This is mostly due to us not knowing the long-term effects of some ingredients. This means that you’ll have to do your own research to fill in any gaps left behind by these resources.

Or you can let an expert like me do the work for you! *wink wink*

Rethink Your Routine | Less is More

While there is some weight to those 13-step beauty routines, I personally think that they’re a bit extravagant. Your skin only needs so much to be its best self.

As you do your research on your quest for affordable green beauty options, you’ll find products that are several steps in one. Some examples include a foundation with SPF, or maybe a serum that is hydrating enough to act as your daily moisturizer.

As you find things you like within your budget, try to rethink your daily routine. Assess what your skin actually needs, keep researching, and work from there.

I even have a post on how to start your own skin care routine to help with that!

This goes for more than just skin care! You can really simplify your makeup routine with lots of great clean makeup options.

Some of the best clean beauty products don’t have to be super expensive. There are so many affordable yet effective clean makeup brands that you can usually find right in your grocery store.

Replace Things as They Run Out

It’s much easier to pay for things as you go rather than paying for everything up front. Plus, you don’t want to make a massive amount of waste when you change everything out in your house!

The secret to having a successful clean beauty transition is to replace things as needed. When a certain product is about to run out, start researching clean alternatives or ask me for suggestions.

This is also a good time to think of more frugal alternatives if you need them! One example is I stopped buying body wash when I ran out. I bought bar soap instead, and that stuff lasted me over a year!

You won’t be doing yourself any favors if you throw everything out at once! It’ll be expensive, you’ll get stressed and/or confused on what to buy next, and you just created a surge of waste you normally wouldn’t create.

So take it slow, do your research, and be ready when something does run out!

Switch to Reusable Beauty Products

Did you know that there is a huge market for reusable or refillable clean beauty products? They can save you a load of money over time!

One of my favorite sustainable options is refillable makeup palettes. You only end up paying for what you need!

Honeybee Gardens has a great option for creating your own palette that you fill and refill whenever you want.

This is a fantastic option for your wallet because you only refill the colors you need when you need them, instead of buying a whole new palette. Plus, the eye shadow tins are recyclable!

Think of it as a kind of investment where you make a bigger first payment then only pay for what you need after that. You’ll buy less, and create much less waste as a result.

You can get just about anything reusable if that’s the route you want to go. There’s way more to the equation than affordable clean beauty makeup options.

You can get more ideas for reusable green beauty products on my sustainable beauty swap post. It has suggestions ranging from reusable makeup pads to biodegradable floss!

Look for Deals and Shop Sales

I will very rarely buy a new product full price, even if I know I’ll love it. Usually, I’ll wait until a big sale where I know a company will slash their prices a decent amount.

It also helps to find a few companies that have ongoing sales! Jump on some companies’ email lists and see what offers they can give you for the best beauty products on a budget.

Just Nutritive is an amazing hair and skin care brand that gives you products that will last forever. No kidding, I got their shampoo to last me a year! Read how I did it in my Just Nutritive review.

They almost always have a coupon or some kind of sale every month. I even got an email from them for 20% off their entire site earlier this morning.

I know sales emails can get annoying, but it’s worth it if you can actually save some money. But you don’t have to keep track of great sales if you subscribe to my newsletter!

I send out daily tips as well as any sales that are going on. I’ll even hop into your inbox to let you know about any super urgent findings!

Try Subscription Boxes

If you have the room for it in your budget, there are plenty of clean beauty subscription boxes full of the things you’re looking for!

My personal favorite green beauty subscription box is The Detox Box from The Detox Market, an amazing clean beauty marketplace. Every month has a different theme with clean beauty brands, so you’ll likely have everything you need in a few months.

The Detox Box features both large and small clean beauty brands, which is a great way to introduce yourself to things you wouldn’t find on your own! And you get them for a fraction of the price.

The best part is that you get three to four full-size products instead of samples for much less than what you would normally pay for those products. Each box’s value is a minimum of $90, but I’ve seen it go over that amount many times!

And if you choose the six month subscription, you’ll get the cheapest box for half the box’s minimum value! You’re basically getting luxury clean beauty products for half off. Check out your options and past boxes below!

Subscribe to The Detox Box

Before You Go!

The switch to clean beauty can be a long and slow process. And that’s okay! It’s a journey that involves research, time, and probably a few mistakes due to the learning curve.

That’s why I wrote my innovative ebook! It has everything you actually need to know to switch once and do it right. Click the button below to learn more!

I Need this!!