April is a great month: We’ve officially entered spring season, the days are longer, the flowers are at peak bloom, and it’s Earth month. (Oh, and there’s all of the Easter candy that goes on sale.)
It’s also a great time for beauty launches, and we’re especially excited about our eight picks ahead, as many of them are sustainably sourced or packaged, have a self-care component to them and offer up solutions to make your daily routines better.
We love vitamin C. It’s one of two ingredients (the other is retinol) that nearly every dermatologist we’ve ever spoken to agrees is effective at addressing all sorts of skin woes, from dullness to dark spots. That said, how it’s formulated is very important, since vitamin C tends to oxidize quickly, which affects its potency.
This is one of the key reasons behind Common Heir’s decision to ditch the pumps and bottles that usually house the ingredient and opt for single-use capsules instead. Each capsule is packed with 10 percent vitamin C that you access by twisting off the top and squeezing to release a day's worth of fresh serum onto your face and neck.
Also of note: The plant-based capsules are completely biodegradable and can either be tossed in your trash or melted down in hot water; plus, all of the shipping materials—including the cute container the capsules come in—are fully and readily recyclable.
If you’re looking for a non-irritating cleanser that won’t leave your skin feeling stripped or dry, this is it. The hydrating formula has a plush texture that spreads nicely and lathers up generously to remove any dirt or residue from your face. Loaded with ingredients like laminaria japonica extract (a type of brown seaweed known for its anti-inflammatory properties), as well as hyaluronic acid and glycerin to seal in moisture, it’s the rare cleanser that works in any season for any reason, no matter your skin type.
Not so fun fact: Many lipsticks on the market have carmine in them, which is a red pigment that’s made from crushed insects. So, for our vegan friends out there (and any bug adverse people who we’ve now ruined lipstick for—sorry!), here’s a carmine-free option.
This sleek, special-edition lipstick uses Red 0, an alternative to carmine, that’s 100 percent vegan and insect free. Better yet, the color itself is a true red that instantly brightens up your face and the texture is rich, creamy and non-drying. We also appreciate the slim applicator that makes it easy to get crisp definition without needing a separate liner.
Let’s start with the scrub itself. It’s made with 100 percent natural and sustainably sourced bamboo powder and fruit enzymes to gently slough off dead skin cells, so you get that satisfyingly clean feeling you want from a scrub without any aggressive scratchiness. The other thing you’ll notice is the delightful Palo Santo inspired scent that made us involuntary close our eyes and sigh with pleasure in the shower.
But here’s the thing we love most about this scrub and the mission-driven brand behind it: Each product is developed alongside a diverse group of beauty and mental health experts to ensure that everything is made with ingredients that are proven to bolster your emotional well-being, while also giving every customer access to an app that offers introspective prompts and questions to help you on your self-care journey at home.
If your nail beds resemble Ruffles chips, first of all, don’t fret. Ridges are more common than you think and are often a side effect of an aging nail or improper gel removal. Rather than cause for alarm, they’re mostly just a nuisance when painting your nails, which is precisely where this treatment comes in.
Loaded with vitamin E to condition and silica to fill in any grooves and gaps on your nail plate, one thin coat will help smooth things over and create an even canvas for any polish you decide to put on top. (We’d suggest pairing it with one of the brand’s new spring shades.)
New to the retinol game and nervous about its potential side effects? You can ease into using the stuff with this gentle formula that was formulated specifically with newbies (and those with sensitive skin) in mind.
Featuring a time-released retinol at 0.25 percent (aka the sweet spot, where you still get the skin smoothing and firming benefits of retinol without the typical signs of irritation), this lightweight serum also includes a blend of calming and hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and aloe to boost and further buffer the drying effects of retinol.
To quickly fluff up our brows before a Zoom meeting, we reach for this tinted gel. Each swipe loads them with plant-based microfibers that beef up sparse hairs, while laying down a hint of color. The result? Natural-looking, not-in-the-slightest stiff brows that define our face just so. (Bonus: The formula also has castor oil, panthenol pro vitamin B5 and biotinyl tripeptide to nourish and encourage growth.)
Think of everything you dislike about clay masks: they’re too thick and gloopy, they harden to a crackled crisp and feel like they’re sucking the life out of your skin whenever you use them, right? This mask is the exact opposite.
The creamy clay spreads easily (like room temperature butter over a warm muffin top) and stays comfortably put on your skin until you rinse it off. And just because it feels gentle doesn’t mean it doesn’t go after the oil and pore-clogging residue on your skin. Thanks to a trio of volcanic, white and French-green clays, salicylic acid and niacinamide, you still get deeply clarifying benefits without any accompanying dryness.
