12 Ethical Winter Skincare Brands To Keep You Glowing In The Gloom

These are our favourite, sustainable and soothing natural winter skincare products.

Your skin and the planet will get a health boost when you incorporate them into your kind care routine. All made by ethical brands, these scrubs and lotions don’t depend on chemicals, parabens or plastics to help your body experience real benefits. 

The ingredients are clean and the packaging is planet friendly. Some brands even provide refills so that you can keep your tubs and tubes topped up sustainably all season. As well as alleviating the effects of the cold, they will protect you from the elements as well. So, have a scroll and get your skin smooth, soft and supported this winter. 

12 Brands To Protect And Strengthen Your Winter Skin

1. Ren Skincare, Vegan Jelly cleanser, £25

I think you’re ready, for this jelly… Wouldn’t it be nice to have a face like a clean canvas, free from oils and pollutants and protected from them too? When your skin is feeling weathered by the winter it’s hard to keep it free from dirt without drying it out. Ren has found a formula that truly freshens and cleanses, but does so gently: their Perfect Canvas Clean Jelly Oil Cleanser.

Ren see seed oils, like Grape, Sunflower and Meadowfoam, as their superstars. These sustainable saviours wash away the waste but hydrate, restore and protect in the process. Their antioxidant properties prevent pollution and dryness as well. 

A joy to use, this milky jelly will get your face feeling ripe and ready for your makeup. Come the end of a long day, it will also dissolve the heaviest layers of mascara and foundation to give you a clean canvas again. 

There are only twelve, fully vegan and naturally derived ingredients in this cleanser. This makes it especially suitable for sensitive skin and healthy for all skin types. The planet won't suffer from waste either, since it comes in a 100% recyclable tube made from 50% post-consumer recycled plastic. 

2. Organic Apoteke, Organic Apoteke Rejuvenating Eye Cream, £42.95 

Darker chilly days can cause dark circles under your eyes. Don’t feel ready to look old and wise? The Organic Apoteke Rejuvenating Eye Cream will diminish the darkness, lessen fine lines and wrinkles and relieve puffiness. 

This brand has blended spirituality and ayurveda with cutting edge science to strengthen your skin. Your eyes will look younger and fresher thanks to the three in one formula that hydrates, smooths and firms. It’s the antioxidants and regenerative oils that provide the secret and clinically proven properties in this luxurious cream.

The key ingredients in this ethical skincare superstar include Pentapeptides to build up collagen, bilberry extract to strengthen capillaries and Eyebright extract to invigorate tired eyes. 

Vegan, certified organic and free from nasties, the planet won’t pay when you apply Apoteke. Their packaging is made from 100% recycled plastic, their products are refillable and they even use eco-friendly inks. 

3. Breathe Balm by Silvan Skincare, available from Blomma Beauty, £14.50

This is the ultimate skincare product for when the weary winter months have got you feeling stuffy. Designed around the natural decongestants that give it its name, Breathe Balm by Silvan Skincare, available from Blomma Beauty, contains organic eucalyptus and rosemary camphor to clear away the cobwebs and help you breathe better. 

Do you suffer from chapped and dry skin when there’s not so much sun? This balm will soothe those symptoms with its organic olive oil that will moisturise and help skin thrive. 

This is a multi-purpose, all ethical winter skincare solution. You can either drop some in a bowl of hot water, inhale and let the steam seep in and heal. Or, you can massage some balm into your chest or temples. 

The climate and our creature friends will breathe easy too, since this balm is vegan, organic, cruelty free and comes in a 100% recyclable glass jar with an aluminium lid. 

pebble readers can enjoy an exclusive 15% off all Blomma products. Find the discount on our new ethical discounts page.

4. Soap Co, 100% Natural Exfoliating Coffee scrub, £25

There’s some powerful stuff in this little jar of The Soap Co’s 100% Natural Exfoliating Coffee Scrub. Your skin will receive a deep scour from the depths of the planet, thanks to its fine volcanic pumice. Your face will get a wake up call as well, since this vegan skincare solution contains coffee grounds! Its other ingredients, like organic cocoa butter, will intensely hydrate. Everything is 100% natural, so it won’t be hard or harsh. 

The product is cruelty-free, hand filled and certified plastic free, so you will be scrubbing a little more sustainability into the world when you treat your winter skin with it. Exempt from all nasties and enhanced with natural extracts, it offers a really clean clean.

And it’s extra ethical (which we love). The Soap Co is a social enterprise that works to provide jobs and training to those who are visually impaired, have disabilities or are otherwise disadvantaged. Always striving to reduce their environmental impact, they use recycled and recyclable packaging for their UK made mixtures.

5. Conscious Beauty Co, Hand & Body Wash Starter Kit, £22.40

Your hands can suffer as much as your face during the windy winter seasons. This Hand & Body Duo by Conscious Beauty Co will do wonders for both. Any skin type will feel the sustainable beauty benefits of these hand-blended washes. 

The scented essential oils have plant-based superpowers that will leave your hands and face feeling soft, refreshed and, unlike the cloudy skies, beautifully clear. The Lemongrass will give your skin some tone and zing while the Green Tea will up your antioxidants and fight inflammation. They are free from synthetic perfumes and come in refillable bottles. When you run out, you can buy a refill pouch, top up your bottle and send the pouch back to be recycled free of charge. So, you will be prepared for spillages and protected all winter long. 

When you purchase this product you can make it extra planet friendly by not selecting the pump at checkout. Doing so will make your this part of your beauty routine 100% plastic free.

6. VOYA, Lazy Days Detoxifying Seaweed Bath, £19

After an ancient natural remedy for the care, repair and protection of your skin? Seaweed is one of the most powerful (and ethical) skincare ingredients, that has been used for generations for its gentle but potent properties. If you’d rather not brave the real waves to feel the benefits of this plant, then VOYA are your answer. Their Lazy Days Detoxifying Seaweed Bath will give your skin some salty support in the comfort of your home. 

Feel like the winter weather adds a few years? Try soaking in this seaweed to see your skin spring back to life. The 300 year old Irish wellness tradition has long been embraced for evading the signs of aging and soothing cellulite. 

Hand-harvested from the Atlantic, this therapeutic formula will free your skin from toxins and ease your aches and pains. Immerse yourself in this moisturising miracle and feel your circulation soar without your sustainability sinking. 

Seaweed is a fully renewable resource in Ireland, and no machinery is used to harvest this valuable vegan and cruelty free phenomenon. It is organic, of course, and packaged in recycled, recyclable or biodegradable materials.

7. Love, Beauty & Planet, Shea Velvet and Sandalwood Body Butter, £9.99

One simple solution to the dryness winter can cause is to simply butter yourself up. This Shea Velvet and Sandalwood Body Butter from vegan skincare brand Love, Beauty & Planet is the way to get your winter skin feeling smooth and supple whilst supporting sustainable farming systems in Burkina Faso and Ghana. 

Shea nuts are the secret nurturing source of this silky substance. It is produced in line with the long standing tradition of melting them over a wood fire and cooling them into their clean and green final form. This creamy concoction not only hydrates, but seals in the moisture for sustained softness. 

Harvesting Shea nuts is a key job for women in the regions where they are grown, so you will be supporting their work as well as your skin.

8. Conscious House London, Overnight Hand Cream, £14

Cold days can come with cracked and calloused hands. It’s hard to care for them consistently when you’re washing up and walking outside but, come the night you can get them nourished for a few solid hours. This Overnight Hand Cream by Conscious House London is the kind and cruelty free way to keep them hydrated and healthy. 

Its Rosehip and Avocado oils are easily absorbed whilst you’re asleep and actually help your senses relax as you drift into slumber. They are lightly scented with lavender and lemon to let your mind wind down and your hands heal. This non-greasy cream won’t linger on your fingers and will find its way deep into your pores. 

100% natural, Conscious House’s ethical skincare promotes health and comes in minimal packaging, all of which is recycled or recyclable. 10% of profits go to charities like SEED Madagascarwho are doing amazing work to boost biodiversity.

9. Dr Bronner’s, Organic Lip Balm, £3.49

Do you find yourself going to the doctor’s with winter colds and coughs at this time of year? They often come accompanied with chapped lips and these docs have just the moisturising medicine they need. Dr Bronner’s Organic Lip Balm is made with organic beeswax that forms a protective barrier to keep the elements at bay. 

Dr Bronner's does not rely on synthetic ingredients or impure products. They build up their balm with certified organic jojoba, avocado, antioxidants and hemp to help keep your lips feeling, light smooth and strong. 

This balm is fast absorbing and can be used anywhere on your body for the same softening and strengthening effect, without any greasy residue. 

These Doctors are treating the world well in a number of ways, and sustainability is no exception. They use 100% post-consumer recycled plastic packaging, they support regenerative organic agriculture and generate a sizable portion of their energy from their own solar panels. 

10. The Kind Store, Konjac Sponge by HYDROPHIL, £6.50

Are you prone to acne? In Japan, the Konjac sponge has been used as a daily facial cleanser for over 1500 years. It has the alkaline properties that will help to gently alleviate it. It’s so soft on your skin's surface that it’s suitable to use on toddlers too! This makes the Konjac Sponge by HYDROPHIL, available from The Kind Store an ideal implement for winter skin. It has the capacity to cure and clear without the unnatural ingredients that irritate and infiltrate. 

Konjac sponges are derived from the roots of the Konjac plant. This makes them really ethical, unlike sea sponges. During production, the root of the konjac plant is ground into flour, mixed with water and baked in the oven. The sponge that comes out contains zero chemicals. 

Konjac Sponges are ideal for firm but gentle massaging, moisturising and cleansing. 

11. Warrior Botanicals, Moonlight Facial Serum, £14

Bring the mystical magic of Irish tradition into your bathroom and your beauty routine. Warrior Botanicals stop your winter skin from growing weary with the revitalising power of ritual. The ancient folk method that follows moon cycles is mixed into their ethical and ethereal Moonlight Facial Serum. 

This product is botanically infused over two moon cycles, using honeysuckle, comfrey, lemon balm and marshmallow, mixed with jasmine essential oils and precious immortelle. You’ll feel immortal once this serum has smoothed your skin out of its sorry state. 

Suitable for all skin types, only a small amount of serum is needed to get you supple and protected on a weary winter’s day. 

This Irish ethical skincare brand is truly connected to the earth and the elements who help them produce their potions. They are full of the purest herbs, natural remedies and ingredients and free from everything artificial. Brewed in small batches and bursting with natural life, these botanicals come with a (literal) personal blessing. 

12. WHITFORDS, Fruits & Seeds Eye Cream, £36

With winter set in around us, the sensitive skin around your eyes can really suffer. 

Luckily, new British brand WHITFORDS has launched. This 100% plastic-free botanical brand has just the product that will help. Their Fruits & Seeds Eye Cream is a real winter skincare dream.

Don’t be deceived by the simplicity of its name. This little gem is packed with highly effective active ingredients like Ectoin. Research into this fully natural substance has proven that it protects your skin from environmental stressors, while tackling the appearance of wrinkles. Natural orange blossom peptides, hyaluronic acid, pomegranate carbohydrates and caffeine from green tea make up the rest of this miraculous mixture to help do its work. 

With a matte finish, WHITFORDS works superbly well under makeup. It absorbs rapidly, protects skin from allergens, air pollution, dryness and UV light. Use this sophisticated vegan formulation to experience and enjoy the latest advances in cosmetic ingredients and to see real results for your ethically enhanced winter skin.

Want to get all the plastic out of your beauty products?

The zero waste beauty movement is here!

Fancy being creative as well as clean?

Here's how to make your own oil cleanser

Conscious to rid cruelty from all your cleansers?

31 Best Vegan Skincare Brands For A Kind And Clean Beauty Routine