The Top Clean Beauty Swaps to Make in 2026, According to an MD Who Formulates Her Own Products

If you’ve ever stood in the beauty aisle squinting at an ingredient list, trying to decode what counts as “clean” and what doesn’t, you’re not alone. The language around clean beauty has gotten blurrier, not clearer—and despite a decade of progress—we’re still having the same conversations about what’s actually safe to put on your skin.

To help goop readers navigate this informational quagmire, I reached out to my old friend Macrene Alexiades, MD, PhD, a board-certified dermatologist and skin-care founder/formulator with three Harvard degrees: an undergraduate degree in biology, an MD, and a PhD in genetics. I’ve known Alexiades for over two decades, and she is one of the most no-nonsense, whip-smart derms I’ve ever encountered. Talking to her is a bit like watching someone access a different operating system: Ask her about virtually any skin-care ingredient or topic—no matter how obscure—and she can instantly spout out all the latest data, stats, and research.

According to Alexiades, there are a few categories that matter more than others—body cream, deodorant, face cream, lip color—and a few that are still flying under the radar (candles, for example, which can affect the skin and immune system in ways you might not expect).

At goop, we believe that every product you use should be clean. But we also know it’s not always realistic to overhaul your entire routine all at once. So, we created this guide to the swaps that matter most. These are the categories where frequency, dose, and surface area add up. Under each, you’ll find some clean alternatives we personally love, alongside Alexiades’s tips on what to avoid, what to look for, and why it all matters.

1CLEAN BODY LOTION

“Body cream is often overlooked, but dermatologically it’s one of the most important categories,” says Alexiades. The dose is higher simply because of surface area, and (for many people at least) the frequency is daily. When you apply something head-to-toe, cumulative exposure matters. “I think in terms of total ingredient load over time, not just per application. This is why I’m cautious with synthetic preservatives, fragrance, and unnecessary fillers in body care—what seems negligible on the face is not negligible over the entire body," she says, adding that studies have shown systemic absorption of parabens through body creams and lotions.

2CLEAN DEODORANT

The underarm is one of the most vulnerable areas on the body, according to Alexiades. “With deodorant and antiperspirant, the concern is proximity and frequency. The underarm is a unique area: thin skin, frequent shaving, lymphatic density, proximity to breast tissue, and daily application. Traditional antiperspirants rely on aluminum salts to block sweat glands, which alters a normal physiological process. Deodorants often rely on fragrance or antimicrobial agents that disrupt the skin microbiome. “My approach is to support odor control without interfering with natural detoxification or microbial balance,” says Alexiades.

3CLEAN LIPSTICK

While it may be an urban legend that the average woman consumes somewhere between four to nine pounds of lipstick over a lifetime, it underscores a real concern: What we put on our lips doesn’t just sit there—it can end up in our bodies. “Since we ingest this product, even small daily amounts add up over decades,” says Alexiades. And while harmful heavy metals like lead carbonate—once a common pigment in cosmetics—have long since been replaced by safer alternatives like titanium dioxide, trace lead contamination (mostly from color additives) remains a concern, especially in heavily pigmented products that are not formulated with strict clean standards top of mind. Interestingly, a recent study in the Journal of Public Health found that lipstick contains more lead than lip glosses, and that lower-priced lip products had higher levels of lead than more expensive ones (when it comes to toxin load, you get what you pay for). And because lips lack the same barrier function as other skin, absorption is higher.

While there's no need to give up heavily pigmented lipsticks entirely, choosing a clean formulation matters. Thira Burns, who heads up goop's product development, offers this commonsense approach: "Wear heavily pigmented lipstick with intention—and rely on lip balms and glosses for everyday skin health."

4CLEAN FACE CREAMS AND SERUMS

We want our facial treatments to do everything—brighten, firm, smooth, plump—but many of the most aggressive ingredients come at the expense of long-term barrier health. “Face cream is where performance and responsibility have to coexist,” says Alexiades. “As a formulator, my priority is efficacy through skin-identical and biologically intelligent ingredients, not brute force. Preservatives are necessary, but they should be chosen for tolerability and used sparingly.” The same approach applies to fragrance: goop beauty, for example, is formulated with only natural fragrances and labeled with each ingredient, says Burns. "There's nothing hidden behind the term 'fragrance' on product labels."

5CLEAN CANDLES

While candles aren’t technically beauty products, they are increasingly part of many women’s daily self-care routine and can affect our skin and systemic health, according to Alexiades. “Burning conventional candles indoors releases particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and synthetic fragrance components that can aggravate skin conditions and respiratory pathways, triggering systemic inflammation. Dermatologically, this can show up as eczema flares, barrier disruption, or sensitivity."

While even the cleanest candles can emit trace amounts of VOCs, the difference lies in how many—and how harmful—they are. Clean-burning candles typically use soy, beeswax, or coconut wax instead of paraffin, a petroleum-derived wax known to release more pollutants. Wicks should be 100 percent cotton or wood—never metal, which can leach toxic metals like lead into the air when burned. For fragrance, essential oils are your best bet; steer clear of anything that lists only “fragrance” without disclosing what’s actually in it, especially if it contains phthalates. And no matter how clean your candle is, always burn it in a well-ventilated room. A cracked window or cross-breeze goes a long way toward keeping indoor air quality in check.

6CLEAN SELF-TANNER

“Self-tanner has historically been a high-risk category,” says Alexiades. Older formulas relied on harsh solvents, high alcohol content, and unstable dyes that caused irritation and oxidative stress. Today, safer self-tanners are defined by skin-compatible actives, controlled DHA concentrations, antioxidant support, and formulas that respect the skin barrier rather than stripping it. “The goal is a cosmetic effect without inflammation or long-term compromise.”

7CLEAN FRAGRANCES

“Fragrance is one of the most opaque and problematic areas in beauty,” says Alexiades. Clinically, fragrance is a leading cause of contact dermatitis and subclinical inflammation. “From a formulation standpoint, the issue is disclosure: ‘fragrance’ can represent dozens if not hundreds of compounds, many of which are sensitizers or hormone disruptors. Repeated exposure, even without visible irritation, can compromise the skin barrier and immune tolerance over time.” While Alexiades personally avoids perfume in general, many of us beauty editors would rather choke on a smoldering stick of palo santo than eschew fragrance entirely. One work around? Choose formulations (like Fischersund) that use essential oils in lieu of synthetic fragrances. Another tip: Only buy from brands and retailers that are committed to clean standards and are transparent about ingredients. At goop, our buyers rigorously vet all of the fragrances that we sell for the purity of their composition and the absence of any hidden toxins.