Every Product In This New Natural Beauty Line Costs Only $3
“People have been trained to believe that better costs more,” Rachael Vegas, chief merchant at Brandless, tells WomensHealthMag.com. Yet Brandless managed to make everything in their beauty line certified cruelty-free and stripped of over 400 ingredients they consider to be problematic, from parabens to sulfates and microbeads. “We really wanted to create products that we would feel good about using and putting on our own bodies,” Vegas says.
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But considering that most products that are labeled “natural,” “organic,” “paraben-free,” come with quite a mark-up, how exactly do Brandless products come so cheap? Vegas says it’s all due to eliminating what Brandless calls “the brand tax,” a.k.a. the hidden costs in a national brand product. She says that brand markups, combined with inefficiencies of traditional brands’ manufacturing—from finding distribution partners to paying for store shelf space—result in products costing far more than necessary. Meanwhile, Brandless partners with suppliers and sells directly to consumers on their website, which strips out what they consider to be a lot of unnecessary expenses.
Just comparing it with some of the products I use in my own routine, I’m pretty shocked at the difference in price. My humble drugstore-brand face wash sets me back about $10 for a six-ounce bottle. The Brandless face wash is only $3 for a 5.5-ounce bottle. Same with my shampoo—while what I currently use is paraben-, sulfate-, and cruelty-free, it also costs 10 times as much as the Brandless shampoo. Ouch.
Take your natural beauty routine to the next level by making this DIY hair moisturizer:
Vegas says the products are meant to be clean and fresh-smelling, and appeal to anyone (not just women). “There’s a rationale behind every single [ingredient],” says Vegas. “The aloe in the conditioner, for example, helps make hair smooth and shiny and minimizes any irritation.” Other natural ingredients used in the line include grapefruit extract (which can help minimize large pores), oatmeal extract (which can reduce itching and irritation), and green tea. I’m curious to see if my boyfriend will notice that they’ve taken over our shower, or even try them for himself.
When I put a selection of the new products to the test, I was really pleased to find that they worked pretty well. While I had to use a bit more of both the shampoo and the body wash than I normally would to get them to actually suds up, the conditioner made my dry, bleached-blonde hair feel really soft and smooth. And the shave gel was truly awesome—it transformed from a gel into a rich cream on my wet legs and left my shaved skin feeling like it was already moisturized. (We also love this natural facial cleanser from the Women’s Health Boutique!)
Another standout from the line is the açai berry lip balm, which kept my sensitive lips soft for several hours after application without any peeling or irritation thanks to the shea butter and coconut oil. It already has a place of honor in my purse.
So if you’re looking to try going natural with your beauty routine, but you’re not super interested in shelling out a lot of money, Brandless might be up your alley. You might find yourself rethinking the natural beauty world.