Cosmopolitan Clean Beauty Awards 2023: The Year’s Best Clean Beauty Innovations
Discover the top clean beauty products of 2023, handpicked for performance, ethics, and innovation across all categories.
Cosmopolitan Clean Beauty Awards 2023: The Year’s Best
In 2023, Cosmopolitan introduced its first ever Clean Beauty Awards, a selection of the most innovative and effective clean beauty products. Over 600 brands entered, competing across key beauty categories. A rigorous process involving cosmetic chemists, board-certified dermatologists, and licensed estheticians as well as Cosmo editors ensured every winner was tested for efficacy, ingredients, safety, and performance.
The winners represent the future of beauty—a commitment to brilliant results and planet-friendly formulas.
What is “Clean Beauty”?
Clean beauty refers to products made without ingredients or processes considered potentially harmful to people and the planet. Above all, the featured winners are transparent, responsibly formulated, focus on safety, and use high-quality, non-toxic ingredients. Cosmopolitan’s definition is rooted both in science and ethics, aiming to highlight advanced formulas that deliver, while being as gentle and eco-conscious as possible.
The Selection Process: How Winners Were Chosen
- Judging Panel: Cosmetic chemists, dermatologists, estheticians, and 29 editors personally tested hundreds of products.
- Evaluation Criteria:
- Ingredient transparency and safety
- Formula innovation and efficacy
- User experience
- Packaging sustainability
- Ethics and brand mission
- Categories: Skin, hair, makeup, body, nails, fragrance, and special awards.
Best Clean Skincare Products
The skincare category led the awards, with products that blend science, high performance, and gentle ingredients for healthy, radiant skin.
- Best Clean Face Cleanser: A gentle, non-stripping formula that removes makeup, dirt, and environmental impurities without irritation.
- Best Moisturizer: Lightweight yet deeply hydrating creams, often with peptides, hyaluronic acid, or ceramides—no mineral oil or synthetic fragrances.
- Best Face Serum: Potent blends of antioxidants, brightening agents, and skin-repairing actives—always free of parabens or questionable preservatives.
- Best Sunscreen: Broad-spectrum mineral SPF formulas that sit smoothly under makeup, avoiding oxybenzone and octinoxate.
Best Clean Makeup
Makeup products selected proved that performance and clean formulas can go hand in hand, offering vibrant color, lasting wear, and nourishing benefits.
- Best Foundation: Clean formulas with natural pigments, botanical extracts, and lightweight coverage for a skin-like finish.
- Best Mascara: Lengthening, defining, and volumizing mascaras made without carbon black, parabens, or formaldehyde releasers.
- Best Lipstick: Creamy, hydrating sticks and balms based on plant waxes and rich oils, with natural mineral coloring—no petroleum or synthetic dyes.
- Best Blush: Silky powder or cream blushes, pigmented with minerals and botanicals for a natural flush.
Best Clean Haircare
Haircare winners demonstrate that gentle, non-toxic ingredients can transform and protect all hair types—without the harsh chemicals common in conventional formulas.
- Best Shampoo: Safe for color, sulfate-free, hydrating, and designed for healthy scalp and hair.
- Best Conditioner: Rich, detangling, and smoothing formulas infused with nourishing oils and proteins.
- Best Hair Oil: Lightweight blends that deliver shine and frizz control without silicones or synthetic fragrances.
- Best Styling Product: Mousse, sprays, or creams that provide flexible hold or enhance texture—with zero aerosol propellants or PEGs.
Best Clean Body Products
The body care awards celebrate products that nurture and protect skin, supporting barrier health and sensory delight without questionable ingredients.
- Best Body Wash: Soap-free, skin-conditioning cleansers that use coconut-derived surfactants—no SLS or SLES.
- Best Body Lotion: Fast-absorbing moisturizers packed with shea butter, fruit extracts, and bioactives.
- Best Deodorant: Aluminum-free, microbiome-friendly formulas—never heavy or sticky.
What others are reading
Best Clean Nails
Non-toxic nail products took center stage, with brands reinventing polishes and removers for color, wear, and performance—sans harsh solvents or plasticizers.
- Best Nail Polish: Water-based, “10-free” formulas free of formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, and camphor. Vibrant colors, smooth application.
- Best Top Coat: Glossy, chip-resistant finishes that protect and preserve without acrylates or phthalates.
- Best Nail Polish Remover: Gentle, acetone-free blends that nourish as they cleanse.
Best Clean Fragrance
Clean fragrance is winning over beauty lovers with scents made from natural and safe synthetic ingredients, using alcohol alternatives and transparent labeling.
- Best Eau de Parfum: Unique blends, cruelty-free sourcing, and zero undisclosed “fragrance” chemicals—transparency about every note.
- Best Everyday Scent: Roll-ons and mists based on essential oils and eco-friendly bases, uplifting and wearable for sensitive skin.
Special Recognition: Game-Changers, Editor Picks & Holy Grail Awards
- Holy Grail Award: Reserved for products that editors and testers could not stop using, regarded as truly exceptional for their class.
- Best Manicure Game Changer: Innovative gel polish system that’s LED-cured, long-lasting, and instantly removable—without damage or fumes.
- Best for Sensitive Skin: Extra-gentle formulas for reactive or allergy-prone skin types.
- Best Vegan Beauty: 100% plant-based ingredients and vegan-certified formulations in every step.
Winners by Category: Quick Table Overview
| Category | Winning Features | Standout Ingredient/Technology |
|---|---|---|
| Skincare | Gentle, non-toxic, science-backed | Peptides, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants |
| Makeup | Natural pigments, long wear, nourishing | Minerals, plant waxes, botanical extracts |
| Haircare | Sulfate-free, color-safe, hydrating | Plant oils, proteins, coconut surfactants |
| Body Care | Aluminum-free, soap-free, fast absorbing | Shea butter, coconut, fruit extracts |
| Nails | “10-free,” water-based, acetone-free removers | Formaldehyde-free, botanical oils, vitamins |
| Fragrance | Essential oil blends, transparent formula | Eco alcohol, natural isolates, botanicals |
Why Clean Beauty Matters: The Shift in Consumer Values
Customers are demanding more than just results—they want honesty, sustainability, and real science behind their favorite products. The Clean Beauty Awards showcase brands that embrace ingredient transparency, eco-friendly packaging, and ethical practices. The winners reflect a movement toward respect for skin, the earth, and future generations.
Cosmopolitan’s list is now regarded as a shopping bible for anyone who wants only the best—and safest—products for themselves and their families.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the difference between “clean” and “organic” beauty?
A: Clean beauty focuses on non-toxic, safe formulation, sometimes including high-performance synthetics, while “organic” beauty usually means products are made mostly of certified organic ingredients. Clean is broader; organic is more specific.
Q: How were the Cosmopolitan Clean Beauty Awards testers selected?
A: The testing panel included cosmetic chemists, board-certified dermatologists, licensed estheticians, and 29 beauty editors who each used every product over several weeks before scoring for performance, safety, and experience.
Q: Are all clean beauty products vegan?
A: Not all are vegan, but brands are increasingly using plant-based formulas and avoiding animal-derived ingredients. Many winners do carry vegan certification; always check labels.
Q: Are clean beauty products less effective than traditional ones?
A: No. The award winners prove clean formulas can deliver outstanding results comparable—and sometimes superior—to their conventional counterparts, thanks to innovative ingredient science.
Q: Where can I buy the Cosmopolitan Clean Beauty Award winners?
A: Most winning products are available via their brand’s official websites or at major beauty retailers. Cosmopolitan has also compiled a shopping guide for easier reference.
Editor’s Picks: Highlights from the List
- Multi-purpose balms: Winning formulas suitable for lips, cheeks, and dry patches—minimal packaging, maximum utility.
- Eco refillable packaging: Several brands won for using recyclable and refillable containers, cutting down single-use plastic.
- Inclusivity: Foundation and concealer winners feature extensive shade ranges for every skin tone.
- Child-safe products: Special awards for nail formulas “free from” top allergens, so kids can enjoy safe beauty, too.
- Unisex scents: Clean fragrances designed for everyone, breaking traditional gender boundaries in scent profiles.
How to Choose Clean Beauty: Tips from the Experts
- Always read ingredient lists: Look for transparency and “free from” claims.
- Check for certifications: Vegan, cruelty-free, and eco labels add confidence.
- Consider packaging: Support brands that use recyclable, refillable, or minimal containers.
- Assess efficacy: Use independent awards and user reviews as guidance.
The Future of Clean Beauty
The 2023 Clean Beauty Awards are just the beginning. As technology progresses, watch for:
- Biotech ingredients: Lab-created actives with nature-inspired efficacy.
- Advanced recycling: Plant-based plastics, refill stations, and closed-loop systems.
- Expanded access: Clean, affordable options for all skin tones, hair types, and budgets.
Cosmopolitan’s vision for clean beauty encourages everyone to demand better—not just for beauty outcomes, but for personal and environmental wellbeing.
References
- https://www.cleanbeautyawards.com/blog/the-2023-clean-beauty-awards-winners-revealed
- https://us.manucurist.com/pages/beauty-awards
- https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/introducing-cosmopolitan-first-ever-clean-140000904.html
- https://www.glamot.com/blog/28777/the-best-of-the-best-winners-of-the-cosmopolitan-beauty-awards-2023-revealed
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a42804034/clean-beauty-awards-2023/
- https://www.lolavie.com/blogs/press/cosmopolitan-2023-clean-beauty-awards
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a44785248/readers-choice-beauty-awards-2023/
- https://hourshaircare.com/blogs/all-articles/full-time-is-a-cosmopolitan-2025-holy-grail-beauty-award-winner
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