Cosmopolitan Clean Beauty Awards 2024: The Best in Skincare, Haircare, and Makeup
Celebrating innovators raising the bar for safe, effective, and eco-conscious beauty in 2024.
The clean beauty movement is thriving, but with so many brands vying for attention and no universal industry standard to define what makes a product truly ‘clean’, it can be more confusing than ever to make the right choices. Cosmopolitan‘s 2024 Clean Beauty Awards cuts through the noise, spotlighting only those products rigorously vetted for safety, sustainability, and standout results.
After 8 months of swatching, dabbing, and testing hundreds of entries, a panel of editors and independent experts selected the top 60 products in skincare, haircare, makeup, and body care. The result: a definitive guide for anyone who wants to look and feel amazing without compromising their values or health.
What Makes a Product ‘Clean’ for Cosmopolitan?
For Cosmo, ‘clean’ beauty isn’t just about what’s left out, but also about ingredient transparency, efficacy, ethical practices, and environmental responsibility. Their process involves:
- Ingredient checks: Only products with no known or strongly suspected toxins, irritants, or widely flagged allergens make the cut.
- Ethics & sustainability: Packaging, sourcing, and company values all count. Vegan, cruelty-free, responsible supply chains, and recyclable/low-waste designs score extra points.
- Performance: Every product must rival or outperform mainstream options, not just qualify as ‘clean.’
Because definitions of ‘clean’ can still be subjective, the panel reviews claims critically, scrutinizing both formulas and brand transparency. Products that pass combine safe, mindful ingredients with visible results.
How the Winners Were Chosen
Cosmopolitan’s expert vetting team—consisting of beauty editors, dermatologists, cosmetic chemists, ingredient safety experts, makeup artists, and eco-consultants—put each finalist through a rigorous, months-long testing phase.
- Over 600 products were considered this year.
- Products were tested both in the lab and in real-world everyday use.
- Every winner was assessed multiple times for consistency, comfort, results, and packaging sustainability.
The result is a list that balances performance with values—delivering beauty without compromise.
The Best Clean Skincare of 2024
Best Clean Cleanser
A great cleanser does more than just wash away dirt—it respects your skin barrier and avoids harsh surfactants or unnecessary fragrances. This year’s winner earned raves for removing makeup, sunscreen, and grime while leaving skin balanced, not tight.
Best Clean Moisturizer
The moisturizer breakthrough of 2024 featured a blend of plant-based hydrators and barrier-supporting ceramides, offering bouncy, plumped-up skin minus silicone or mineral oil.
Best Clean Face Serum
Targeted serums dominated this year, with top picks for vitamin C, retinol alternatives, and barrier boosters—each proof that clean can also mean clinical-strength results.
What others are reading
More Standout Skincare Achievers:
- Best Face Mask: Herbal actives and gentle clays for glow and decongestion.
- Best Eye Cream: Caffeine, peptides, and berry antioxidants for bright, hydrated eyes.
- Best Lip Treatment: Nourishing botanical oils offer shine and barrier support for dry, chapped lips.
The Best Clean Haircare of 2024
Best Clean Shampoo
This award went to a sulfate-free formula powered by wild botanicals, invigorating essential oils, and pure water sources. Testers praised the tingly, clarified-yet-nourished feeling it gave their scalp.
Best Hair Treatment or Mask
The top mask fused Arctic berries, fermented botanicals, or protein complexes from plant sources to restore shine and bounce. It detangled, repaired, and was even suitable for color-treated hair.
Best Hair Styling/Finishing Product
- Dry shampoo winner: Lightweight plant starches and neroli scent kept hair fresher for longer between washes.
- Multi-benefit spray: Provided heat protection, frizz defense, and flawless shine with zero silicones.
Best Bath/Soak Product
This year’s bath hero was an oat-and-lavender coconut milk soak—rich in vitamins C, magnesium, and botanicals—calming for both skin and spirit.
The Best Clean Makeup of 2024
Best Foundation
The foundation winner nailed coverage, glow, and ingredient-consciousness. Using mineral pigments and squalane or coconut extracts, it provided a long-wearing, skin-like finish without talc, synthetic fragrance, or parabens.
Best Blush and Bronzer
- Blush: Beetroot and berry-based tints that build from sheer to bold.
- Bronzer: Silky mineral-based formulas for a sun-kissed, believable warmth.
Best Lipstick
Winner formulas packed an unexpected punch—smooth, vibrant color, but also hydration from mango butter, coconut oil, and berry antioxidants.
Best Eye Makeup
- Mascara: Vegan waxes and plant extracts for fluttery, maximum-intensity volume—easy to remove, gentle on the eyes.
- Eyeshadow: Quartet palettes leaning on mineral and natural pigments for soft, blendable, high-impact looks.
- Eyebrow Pencil/Gel: Botanical oils and waxes sculpted brows while promoting growth with every stroke.
Beyond the Basics: Standout Categories
- Best Nail Product: Botanical nail pens that hydrate cuticles and strengthen tips naturally.
- Best Perfume: Clean, phthalate-free fragrances blending sustainably sourced cedar, vetiver, or white florals.
- Best Natural Deodorant: Aluminum- and baking soda-free, these formulas used magnesium and botanical actives for lasting freshness.
Expert Panel: Who Did the Judging?
The 2024 clean beauty awards panel brought together:
- Cosmopolitan’s lead beauty editors
- Top dermatologists specializing in ingredient safety
- Professional makeup artists and stylists
- Chemists and eco-certification consultants
Their collective mission: Test every product on every skin (and hair) type, in every scenario, to curate the definitive list for all beauty lovers.
Why Clean Beauty Still Matters in 2024
Despite the growing number of ‘clean’ claims on packaging, real clean beauty is about more than just avoiding a few controversial chemicals. It’s about:
- Health: Preventing exposure to potential toxins, irritants, and hormone disruptors in products you use daily.
- Sustainability: Supporting brands that avoid harmful environmental practices and over-packaging.
- Transparency: Demanding honest, full disclosure of every ingredient and ethical business practices.
- Inclusivity: Ensuring formulas work safely and effectively for every skin tone, type, and concern.
Not Just Buzzwords: Clean Beauty Criteria in Action
Cosmopolitan’s criteria dig deeper than labeling, checking for:
- No parabens, phthalates, or synthetic fragrances
- Pure minerals, plant extracts, and lab-tested safe synthetics only
- Packaging that is recyclable, recycled, refillable, or lower impact
- Brands that support fair wages, cruelty-free certifications, and giveback programs
See the Full Winner’s Table for 2024
| Category | Top Winner | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Skincare Cleanser | Best Clean Daily Cleanser | Sensitive-skin-friendly, makeup-melting, zero SLS |
| Face Serum | Supercharged Antioxidant Serum | Vitamin C/plant peptides, clinically tested |
| Moisturizer | Deep Barrier Moisturizer | Ceramide, squalane, pollution-shielding |
| Face Mask | Manjishtha Mud Mask | Ayurvedic botanicals, gentle astringents |
| Eye Cream | Berry Lumine Eye Cream | Caffeine, peptides, antioxidant berries |
| Lip Care | Sweet Orange Lip Shine | Jojoba, vitamin E, non-sticky |
| Shampoo | Mint + Rosemary Gel Shampoo | Wild botanicals, iceberg water, scalp balancing |
| Hair Mask | Nourishing Hair Masque | Plant proteins and oils, softens & repairs |
| Body Scrub | Lavender + Dead Sea Salt Scrub | Mineral-rich, gentle exfoliation, calming |
| Bath Soak | Coconut Milk Bath | Vitamin boosted, soothing botanicals |
| Perfume | Cedar Light | Phthalate-free, natural oils |
| Nail Care | Honeysuckle Botanical Nail Pen | Cuticle hydration, toxin-free |
| Natural Deodorant | Aluminium-Free Formula | Plant actives, no baking soda |
| Foundation | Clean Skin Match Foundation | Natural pigments, hydration, seamless blend |
| Mascara | Refillable Vegan Mascara | Beeswax-free, high-impact volume |
| Eyeshadow | Quad Eyeshadow Palette | Mineral color, blendable, long-wear |
| Lipstick | Luxe Lipstick | Intense color, shea & mango butter |
FAQs: Your Clean Beauty Questions Answered
Q: How does Cosmopolitan define ‘clean beauty’ for its awards?
A: Cosmopolitan’s clean beauty definition means safe-for-most-people formulas free from known or likely harmful ingredients, with an emphasis on sustainability, packaging responsibility, and full transparency. The panel cross-checks both the source and performance of every winner.
Q: Do these products work as well as non-clean options?
A: Yes—the judging process requires every product to rival, if not beat, mainstream alternatives for efficacy, feel, and real-life performance. ‘Clean’ didn’t mean compromising results in any category.
Q: Are all winners vegan and cruelty-free?
A: Most are, and all are cruelty-free. Cosmopolitan awards extra points to vegan formulations and brands with strong animal welfare stances but prioritizes ingredient safety, transparency, and environmental ethics overall.
Q: Why does ‘clean beauty’ still matter?
A: Clean beauty ensures you’re not exposed to controversial additives, supports ethical and eco-friendly practices, and encourages overall industry transparency—benefits for you and the planet.
Q: How do I know if a beauty brand is being honest about being ‘clean’?
A: Look for third-party certifications, read ingredient lists closely, and be wary of vague ‘natural’ or ‘eco’ claims. The Cosmo Awards spotlight brands that prove their claims, not just those using trending buzzwords.
What’s Next for Clean Beauty?
As ingredient innovation and eco-awareness expand, expect even more options that combine high-tech performance with truly clean credentials next year. Until then, Cosmopolitan’s Clean Beauty Awards 2024 stands as the ultimate resource for conscientious consumers and beauty obsessives alike.
References
- https://www.cleanbeautyawards.com/blog/the-official-winners-of-the-2024-clean-beauty-awards
- https://www.aromase.com/blogs/2024-cosmo-clean-beauty-awards/
- https://www.lolavie.com/blogs/press/now-presenting-cosmopolitan-s-2024-clean-beauty-awards
- https://www.glamot.com/blog/48601/winners-of-the-cosmopolitan-beauty-awards-2024
- https://us.manucurist.com/pages/beauty-awards
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a46279334/clean-beauty-awards-2024/
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a61817767/readers-choice-beauty-awards-2024/
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