My First Clean Beauty Post! | 3 Clean Beauty Products I’m Loving

Why haven’t I explored “clean” beauty products in the past? I’m not really sure!

I love it if I can find a “clean” or plant-based product that works just as well as a chemical-based product. (Ever tried plant-based line of cleaning products at Target? #love) I mean, I always by organic produce when I can, but I’m not the girl who’s into things having to be all-natural all the time. (Bob: “Um, well poisonous mushrooms and poison dart frogs are all-natural, but you don’t see anyone all excited about those!” 😂)

If you read my post on Sun Safety, you know that I mostly just like a product that works, and I was so disappointed to hear how much less effective Consumer Reports found natural sunscreens were compared to chemical-based. (You can read that post HERE.)

That said, many of you have asked me to look into clean beauty products, and even recommended some brands. Also, I’m lucky enough to have access to some great beauty bloggers who happen to be super in the know. Back in early March, I decided that investigating some clean beauty brands would make a great COVID project! So I ordered a bunch of products from several well-known clean beauty brands.

After much experimenting, I found a brand that I loved enough to share it with you: TULA. The company was founded by a practicing Harvard- and NYU-educated gastroenterologist (!), who had been studying the power of probiotics for more than 15 years. She’d seen them work wonders in her practice, and it occurred to her that they might be effective ingredients in skincare as well! (Pretty innovative, right? ) As someone with plenty of gastrointestinal issues myself, I’ve seen probiotics do great things for me, so I’m a big believer in their power.

TULA means ‘balance’ in Sanskrit, and, being physician-founded, the company looks to research and clinical studies to determine which ingredients to include (and not include) in their formulations. They don’t utilize ingredients that have been clinically shown to be toxic, carcinogenic, or irritating. That means no parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, sulfates, triclosan, formaldehyde (or formaldehyde-releasing preservatives), or even retinols.

TULA’s products are not only clean, but they’re made with probiotics, which balance your skin’s microbiome. (That’s the community of microorganisms that live on your skin.) TULA’s products are also made with superfoods, like blueberries, turmeric, and watermelon, which boost the skin’s appearance. Most importantly, I’ve found them effective.

This is not a sponsored post, by the way! (Although, as with most of the items I recommend to you here on Empty Nest Blessed, I’ll earn a small commission if you make a purchase.) I haven’t tried every product in the TULA line (#goals👍), but of the ones I have tried, the three unique TULA products I’m going to share with you today quickly rose to the top of my list.

Secret Solution Pro-Glycolic 10% Resurfacing Toner

Glycolic acid, a type of alpha-hydroxy acid, is an exfoliator that battles wrinkles. It’s also effective at reducing acne, lightening dark spots, and evening out skin tone. It basically works by dissolving the bonds between skin cells, allowing them to shed more easily. This reveals clearer, smoother skin underneath.

I use this toner on a cotton pad right after cleansing, morning and night. I’ve seen a big improvement in my skin tone and evenness! See for yourself in the unedited photos above, where all I’m wearing is mascara. (And my robe, of course!) Here’s what’s in Get Toned Pro-Glycolic 10% Resurfacing Toner:

• Lactobacillus Probiotics & 10% Glycolic Acid – To remove excess oil and debris, tone and exfoliate skin and hydrate and lock in moisture.
• Natural Mushroom + Beet Extract – To provide hydration.
• Turmeric Extract – To reduce inflammation.
• Blueberry Extract – To help fight free radicals. (It’s a natural antioxidant.)

Protect + Glow Daily Sunscreen Gel

This broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen not only protects you from the damaging rays of the sun, but also from pollution and damaging blue light.

Although the main source of blue light is the sun, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, we also get a significant dose from our screens and indoor lighting. Research on how blue light affects your skin is ongoing, but based on a study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology in 2010, exposing skin to blue light causes contributes to brown spots on the skin and hyperpigmentation, photoaging, and the breakdown of collagen, leading to wrinkles and skin laxity. (Ten years later, that study is still the one most dermatologists reference.)

TULA’s Protect + Glow has become my go-to everyday face and neck sunscreen! I wear it under my makeup (and apply it right before my primer). It’s not greasy and doesn’t leave a white cast on your skin. ????What does leave is a beautiful glow (from Mica & Silica)! Here’s what’s in it:

• Lactococcus Ferment Lysate Probiotic – To help maintain balance, lock in moisture, and strengthen the skin barrier.
• Pineapple & Papaya: To promote even skin tone.
• Wild Butterfly Ginger Root: To help protect against blue light.

Click HERE for more information about the ingredients in Protect + Glow Daily Sunscreen Gel, and HERE to go directly to the product page on the TULA website.

Rose Glow & Get It Cooling & Brightening Eye Balm

This is the “glowy,” updated version of TULA’s best-selling eye balm. (Which I have not tried. I went straight for the “glowy” version, of course!)

As you probably already know, the skin around our eyes has very few active oil glands and is thinner than the skin on other parts of our body. That means it doesn’t retain moisture and is more susceptible to drying. That’s why, by the middle of the afternoon, we start looking tired and old ????. (Or is that just me?)

Every day, about 3:30 p.m. I do two things for an instant pick-me-up: (1) I eat a bunch of frozen grapes! ???? (My new go-to snack!); (2) I apply this brightening eye balm! It hydrates and plumps up all of those fine lines & wrinkles around my eyes. Here’s what’s in it:

• Lactococcus Ferment Lysate Probiotic – To help maintain balance, lock in moisture, and strengthen the skin barrier.
• Aloe, Apple & Watermelon – To deeply hydrate.
• Blueberry – To hydrate and protect.
• Caffeine – To tighten and firm the look of lines & wrinkles and help reduce the appearance of dark circles.
• Rosewater – To provide antioxidant protection while hydrating, softening, and toning skin.
• Rosehip Oil – To help protect against free radicals. (This plant-based retinol alternative is rich in vitamin C.)

Click HERE to go directly to the Rose Glow & Get It Cooling & Brightening Eye Balm product page on the TULA website.

Do you have a favorite clean beauty product? I’d love to know about it! Please leave me a comment below and let me in on your faves.