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THE INDIE BEAUTY MARKET PROMISE

Indie Beauty Market is the online store you can count on to find cutting-edge indie skincare and beauty products that are of the highest standard of quality. They're safe, effective, natural, sustainable and cruelty-free. Each product is made from ethically sourced ingredients that provide real benefits for your skin.

They work. They do no harm. They’re a joy to use

And we wouldn’t have it any other way! (Because we use these products ourselves!)

This is the place where, in most cases, you will find beautiful, founder-made brands BEFORE they make it into the big brand retailers. 

We bring you all the healthy skincare and beauty products you need to be the best version of yourself.

Driven By Passion

There is a lot of passion in beauty, but none more so than in indie beauty. These small, green, of-the-earth companies pour their hearts and souls into their products. Along with their desire to do some good in the world.

These companies have all the efficacy of any major brand, done in a way that’s nothing but good for you. In short, these products work. They use high quality ingredients that are responsibly sourced and they do no harm - the first tenet of any health philosophy.

Indie Beauty is still a small, but growing, part of the beauty industry. We scour the internet, trade shows, and our live social networks (meaning all our friends in the industry!) to find, evaluate, and present these brands to you.

Here you will find healthy products that make your personal care rituals that much more enjoyable, and still safe. They're the definition of eco-luxury.

Today’s Health Concerns

Today’s health concerns are much different than those of the past. There are endless concerns about auto-immune and inflammatory responses — we know, we live with them on a daily basis!

This is why OUR PASSION is finding these beautiful, healthy brands made with love, and without toxins.

We believe we each need to be our own health advocate. No one can take care of your body for you. No one knows it as well as you do.

One of the best things that you can do for yourself is to find products that remove the harm from your personal care products. A healthy body is a beautiful body!

No Banned Ingredients

At Indie Beauty Market, we bring you brands that are safe and in compliance with the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011. We don’t accept any products that have ingredients that have been banned in US, Canada, European Union or Japan.

Here’s the list of what you won’t find in our brands - ever.

GMO’s - Our brands use ingredients that are sustainably sourced and free from genetically modified ingredients.

Toxins - These ingredients are known to pose a health hazard in skin care.

Aluminum - Aluminum poses serious health risks like Alzheimer’s Disease and breast cancer. The link between aluminum and breast cancer is still controversial. But most breast cancers develop first in the upper outer quadrant of the breast, closest to the armpit and near the lymph nodes. So there is research that suggests that long term use of aluminum is a factor in the formation of certain breast cancers.

Avobenzone - a UVA blocker, and one of 2 sunscreens that are proven to block UVA rays (the other is Zinc Oxide). But it only lasts for about 30 minutes once exposed to the sun. So companies add other, more dangerous sunscreen chemicals to make it last longer. (See octocrylate, homosalate, and octisalate.) As Avobenzone degrades in the body, it releases harmful free radicals, which accelerate aging and cause cell damage linked to cancer. (Don't we wear sunscreen to prevent signs of aging and skin cancer??) It also becomes toxic when exposed to chlorine, which could result in kidney or liver dysfunction and nervous system disorders.

Butylated Hydroxyanisole - BHA is a preservative and stabilizer, shown to be an endocrine disruptor, and “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” according to the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org).

Ceteareth Glycol - This is a penetration enhancer that often contains ethlyene oxide and 1,4 dioxane. Ethylene oxide is a known human carcinogen, as well as an eye, lung, skin and kidney irritant. 1,4 dioxane is classified as a possible human carcinogen with a high human health priority, with toxic effects at low levels. It has been linked to tumors of the liver, gallbladder, nasal cavity, lung, skin and breast.

Cocamide DEA - This is a modified form of coconut oil, used as a foaming agent. It is also a possible human carcinogen, and a strong skin toxicant or allergen.

Diazolidinyl Urea - An antimicrobial preservative that works by forming formaldehyde in cosmetic products.  In the U.S. approximately 20% of cosmetics and personal care products contain a formaldehyde-releaser and the frequency of contact allergy to these ingredients is much higher among Americans compared to studies in Europe.

DMDM Hydantoin - An antimicrobial formaldehyde releaser preservative, and a known human toxicant and allergen.

Homosalate - helps chemical sunscreen actives penetrate your skin. Can disrupt estrogen, androgen and progesterone levels.

Hydroquinone - Considered a high overall hazard and banned or found unsafe for use in cosmetics, hydroquinone is used as an antioxidant and skin bleaching agent.

Imidazolidinyl Urea - Considered a moderate overall hazard, and used as another antimicrobial preservative that works by releasing formaldehyde.

Methylisothiazolinone - Banned in Europe and Germany, restricted in Canada and Japan, this is a widely used preservative that is associated with allergic reactions, and possible neurotoxicity.

Mineral Oil - A petroleum based product. It’s used as an emollient for hair and skin, and it’s occlusive so it is sometimes used as a skin protectant. It’s considered to be an immune and respiratory system toxicant and allergen. It’s not the worst ingredient on this list, but we try to avoid it.

Octocrylene - penetrates deeply into the skin, and often found with Avobenzone. Produces oxygen radicals that can cause cell death and may lead to cardiovascular disease. Breaks down into Benzophenone, an endocrine disruptor.

Oxybenzone - A sunscreen ingredient associated with photoallergic reactions. This chemical absorbs through the skin in significant amounts. It contaminates the bodies of 97% of Americans according to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Parabens - Still commonly used as an inexpensive preservative. Parabens mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors. Preservatives are important for some products, but there are safer, better-researched preservatives available.

PEG/Polyethylene Glycol - While PEG’s are a medium risk for human toxicity, they often are contaminated with other ingredients that are known human carcinogens, like Ethylene Oxide and 1,4-Dioxane.

Propylene Glycol - A petroleum-based ingredient that gives us the soft and sleek feel in our products. It’s inexpensive, versatile, and also enhances the absorption of other ingredients (including the harmful ones) it is paired with. It can lead to problems like reproductive issues, developmental abnormalities, neurotoxicity, and endocrine complications.

Phthalates - Known as a possible human carcinogen. They help dissolve other ingredients in a product. They are often hiding under the term “fragrance” and may not be listed in the ingredient list themselves. They have been linked to several health problems. Once they’re in your body, they act as an endocrine disruptor by mimicking estrogen. They then create a variety of problems, like infertility, decreased sperm count, breast, prostate and ovarian cancer, liver, kidney and lung damage, endometriosis, allergies and asthma.

Quaternium-15 - A preservative and formaldehyde releaser, banned in the EU.

Resorcinol - This common ingredient in hair color and bleaching product is a skin irritant that is toxic to the immune system and a frequent cause of hair dye allergy. In animal studies, resorcinol can disrupt thyroid hormone synthesis and can produce goitrogenic effects. The federal government regulates exposures to resorcinol in the workplace, but there are no regulations limiting amounts of resorcinol in personal care products.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate - A cleansing and emulsifying agent, and gives your soaps and bubble bath lots of bubbles. But it’s also a human irritant, and may be contaminated with potentially toxic manufacturing impurities such as 1,4-dioxane.

Synthetic Fragrance - One of the first things that will cause a reaction and the ingredient most people will react to. Technically, synthetic fragrance can have many ingredients that are not listed individually, like pthalates. And we want to know what’s in our product.

Talc - Classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” by the World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). While it is not clear yet if talc increases cancer risk, although there is some suggestion of an increase in risk for ovarian cancer. If you’re concerned about cancer,  you may want to avoid use of talc. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/talcum-powder-and-cancer.html

Toluene - A volatile petrochemical solvent and paint thinner, toluene is a potent neurotoxicant that acts as an irritant, impairs breathing, and causes nausea. Mother’s exposure to toluene vapors during pregnancy may cause developmental damage in the fetus. In human epidemiological studies and in animal studies toluene has been also associated with toxicity to the immune system and a possible link to blood cancer such as malignant lymphoma.

Triclosan - Classified as a pesticide by the FDA.  It kills bacteria in the manufacturing process, and when it comes in contact with your skin. When it’s combined with water, it forms a carcinogenic gas called chloroform. And it’s still found in a majority of deodorants today.

Triethanolamine (TEA) & Diethanolamine (DEA) - Known carcinogens and banned in Europe. They seep into your skin and affect your liver and kidneys. And not in a good way.

Now that you know a little bit more about some of the most commonly found nasty ingredients in common beauty products, take a look at the labels of products that you’re using. If you find these ingredients, it’s time to start shopping at Indie Beauty Market!

Not only are the products that we offer loaded with quality ingredients, they work! Efficacy is so important. If it doesn’t work, why use it? The products that you find at Indie Beauty Market will not only provide you with quality ingredients, they’ll provide you with results.

Aside from requiring the brands of our products to have high-quality ingredients and products that provide results, we require them to be sustainable. That means that these brands manage their resources to ensure a long-term ecological balance. They also must partake in ethical sourcing and social responsibility. This includes being cruelty-free and not testing on animals. 

Natural, in the cosmetic world, means 95% or more of the ingredients are obtained from natural sources, excluding water. This includes their packaging, which has to include biodegradable or recycled material, a complete ingredient list, and no synthetic fragrance or artificial colorants.

If you’re interested in enhancing your beauty routine with products that work and are truly good for you, start shopping the Indie Beauty Market collections today.

And if you need some help to get started, take our Skin Quiz and order a Personal Regimen Sample Kit. We'll help you find products that will fit your skin type, budget and lifestyle.