At Botnia, we pride ourselves on making great skincare that’s safe and effective for the skin, and also sustainable for the planet … but we can’t do it all! Over the years, we’ve loved supporting other businesses that make awesome products and have connected with like-minded business owners who share our values. We’re excited to be sharing our tips and recommendations for non-Botnia products!

What to look for when shopping for personal care products

Between tried and true products that work year after year, and trendy new brands that you might see on the latest TikTok video, it can be hard to know which products truly work and are also good for you too! While there’s a lot to know and it can feel overwhelming, there are a few key things to note when you’re in the market for new personal care products.

- Understand how to read ingredients on a label. Quick tip: less is more! You also want to be able to know most of the ingredients (just like fresh food). The more scientific the ingredients sound, you may want to check them in the EWG database to make sure they’re safe. 

- Learn about marketing buzzwords in the skincare industry so you know what to look for beyond advertising and marketing.

- Shop and support your local businesses. Sometimes the best brands are in your own backyard! Avoid big box stores and find smaller local shops that might carry the same brands you love, or shop directly from brand websites.

What to watch out for in personal care products

We’ve talked a lot about clean beauty products and offer our guide to understanding if brands are greenwashing here. TLDR? Here are our quick tips for finding out if a company is greenwashing or not.

- Check your sourcing: we have a list of questions here that you can ask brands, or use to research on their websites.

- Ignore influencers and celebrity sponsorships.

- Look at packaging and sustainability values.

- Check for ingredients that are high on EWG’s “high hazard” list. Parabens, phthalates, artificial dyes, silicones, and fragrances are a few. 

- Find the “why” behind a company and the products they make and see if they align with your values.

Non-Botnia products we recommend

When it comes to the products we love at Botnia, it can vary from person to person based on personal values, budget, and availability of the product in our area. We’ve come up with a list of some of our tried and true products we love using over and over again.

Sunscreen/SPF

While we’re still finalizing our very own SPF (hopefully launching soon!), there are a few sunscreens we love using right now. 
Josh Rosebrook’s Nutrient Day Cream
AKT Therapy’s Elemental Sun Balm
Shop Good’s selection of SPFs

Body Care

Of course we have our Body Cream, Gentle Hand Lotion (which can be used all over the body), Luminous Body Scrub, and Relaxing Bath Salts. Sometimes you need a body wash you just love.
Fat and the Moon’s Bod Cleanse
Shop Good’s selection of bath and body care

Deodorant

It’s totally safe to go au natural, but if you’re looking for some pit care, we love:
Shop Good’s selection of deodorants

Lip Care

The skin on our lips is delicate and different from the skin on our faces. Here are some of our favorite lip care items. 
Sonoma County Bee Company’s Herb Salve
Evan Healy’s Whipped Shea Butter for lips 
Shop Good’s selection of lip care

Hair Care

Your locks need love too! 
Innersense’s line of hair care
Under Luna’s line of hair care
Shop Good’s selection of hair care

Nail Care

If you like to keep your nails in tip top shape, we recommend using products that are free of these three irritants: Formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate.
Shop Good’s selection of nail care

Shop Good x Botnia Skincare

When we decided to partner with a clean beauty shop, we wanted to find one who aligned with all of our values and standards of clean beauty and without question, we knew Shop Good was the right fit for us! Their “Commitment to Clean” is everything we believe to be true at Botnia as well.

To Shop Good, defining what is “clean,” “natural,” and “safe” involves multiple pillars and important product filters. Here are some of the ways they vet and assort their offerings:

- Careful vetting of each and every ingredient from its good-for-you benefits, the brand’s ability to back up their ingredient claims, the quality of their sourcing, manufacturing practices, and more.

- First-hand team testing to ensure quality, efficacy, performance, and results.

- Requesting transparency in each brand’s mission, sustainability practices, and their social action + philanthropic initiatives, ensure these align with Shop Good’s values.

On top of offering the best and cleanest products on the market, they also offer Botnia Facials at both of their San Diego locations. 

Shop Good ships nationwide so you can purchase all your clean beauty goodies in one place. If you’re interested in learning more about Shop Good and founder, Leah Kirpalani and her journey to discovering the power of clean living, you can read her story here.

We hope this guide helps you find your favorite products and if you ever have any questions regarding ingredients or our recommendations, please reach out to us anytime botniaskincare@gmail.com. Happy shopping!