Welcome to the 2022 SELF Healthy Beauty Awards! As always, we’re so glad you’re here—and this year especially. For so many of us, beauty and skin-care rituals serve as creative outlets, means of self-expression, and ways to give our bodies the care and attention they deserve. Particularly when the world feels so out of our control, treating yourself to something like an at-home face mask, a new blow-dry brush, or a toothpaste you’ll actually be excited to use can feel like a small way to reign it all in.

For this year’s awards, we continued to name winners in all of the categories you know and love: makeup, skin care, body care, hair care, and oral care, which is making its return for the second year in a row. As we did in 2021, we also put together a roundup of all drugstore products you can buy for $20 or less. And we’re proud to share a new badge system in which we denote which items are pregnancy-safe, vegan, or from Black-owned businesses to help you shop our products at a glance.

The 2022 Healthy Beauty Award winners are a mix: some are tried-and-true brands you can find at your local store and others are up-and-comers you may have never heard of. One of our favorite parts of putting these awards together is honoring the classics while introducing you to the new companies and founders we think deserve to be household names. Similarly, supporting and promoting products from companies owned by people of color is one small way we hope to use our platform to advance the cause of racial justice and equality. For the third year in a row, we implemented a diversity audit to ensure that we actively recruited submissions from BIPOC-owned brands and that BIPOC-owned brands were proportionally represented at every step in the winner selection process. We’re looking forward to continuing to take these measures in years to come.

Now, onto the winners! This year we received a record number of submissions from brands and considered over 3,000 products. We used the criteria listed below, which we created in conjunction with a board of dermatologists and dentists, to determine which products should move onto the testing phase of our process. From there, 1,500 products were distributed to a group of 55 judges, who tried and rated every single item based on a number of factors—including packaging, price point, user experience, and, of course, whether the product really, truly worked. Finally, our Healthy Beauty Awards team meticulously combed through each review, crowning 182 winners that were ranked highly by our judges, represented a range of price points, treated a variety of concerns, included effective ingredients according to our dermatologist and dentist board, and came from a healthy mix of brands both big and small.

Below, you’ll find a general summary of the information we used to guide how we determined what makes a product effective. For example, if something claimed to treat oily or acne-prone skin, we checked to make sure it included ingredients that wouldn’t exacerbate oil production or exfoliate the skin. Though we hope the advice will be useful to most of our readers, we know that not every ingredient or suggestion will work for every person. If you’re struggling to figure out what makes your skin and hair happy, consider seeing a dermatologist who can provide individualized advice. And if you’re experiencing teeth, gum, or tongue symptoms like pain or unusual discoloration, check in with your dentist.

Skin-Care
Skin Care and Makeup for Dry Skin
Skin Care and Makeup for Combination Skin
Skin Care and Makeup for Sensitive Skin
Skin Care and Makeup for Oily or Acne-Prone Skin
Skin Care and Makeup for Mature Skin
Skin Care and Makeup for Scars and Discoloration/Hyperpigmentation
What to Know About Skin Care Tools

Hair-Care
Hair Care for Fine or Thinning Hair
Hair Care for Natural Hair
Hair Care for Oily Hair or Scalp
Hair Care for Dry Hair or Scalp

Pregnancy-Safe
Pregnancy-Safe Skin and Hair Care

Oral Care
Oral Care for Sensitive Teeth and Gums
Oral Care for Teeth Whitening

Skin may be dry because it’s not getting enough moisture or because it’s unable to keep hydration in. This could be caused by an impaired skin barrier or a dysfunction or deficiency in the necessary healthy fats in the top layer of the skin (like cholesterol, fatty acids, and ceramides). Since the protective lipid layer is responsible for keeping moisture in and bacteria and irritants out, dry skin often presents with redness, flaking, or itching.

That means that you’ll want to gravitate toward skin-care and makeup products that can both hydrate and seal that hydration in. You should also try to avoid using anything that could further dry out or aggravate your skin. Our experts say that dry skin may benefit from using a gentle, creamy cleanser rather than a foamy one and a moisturizer that’s on the thicker side.

Because dry skin can also be acne-prone, make sure those thick moisturizers aren’t also comedogenic (meaning they can clog pores). In general, our experts recommend avoiding vitamin E and some occlusive oils, including coconut oil, as well as any product that feels too occlusive on the skin.

Ingredients to look for:

1. Hydrating and moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, ceramides, dimethicone, shea butter, squalane, aloe, petrolatum, mineral oil, and argan oil.
2. If you’re interested in exfoliating, opt for gentler polyhydroxy acids (PHAs), which have both exfoliating and hydrating properties.
3. If you want to use retinoids like retinol and adapalene but find that they are too harsh, try bakuchiol (or another plant-based retinol), which provides a gentler alternative (but, caveat, it doesn’t have as much conclusive research behind it). Alternatively, sandwich your retinol between two layers of moisturizer to avoid irritation. Remember that you only need to use retinoids a few times a week to see results, and you should only be using a pea-size amount to cover your face.
4. Soothing ingredients like aloe and oatmeal may be helpful when your dry skin is irritated. Niacinamide, or vitamin B₃, is another great ingredient for those with dry skin—it’s a powerful antioxidant that can help reduce hyperpigmentation and discoloration, minimize redness, and enhance hydration.

Ingredients to avoid:

1. Dry skin is often sensitive, so it’s important to avoid ingredients that may be irritating, like salicylic acid, harsh physical exfoliants (like scrubs and brushes), and sulfates. Although these may feel okay when used once in a while, they may be irritating when used all at the same time.
2. If your dry skin is also on the sensitive side, you may want to avoid fragrances and alcohol.

Combination skin is, admittedly, a little bit tricky. Those with combination skin have patches of skin that tend toward oily (usually around the T-zone) and other areas that tend toward dry (often the cheeks). The key here is to balance your management of one area without aggravating an adjacent one, our experts say. Generally that means using a combination—get it?—of products that are good for oily skin and dry skin, perhaps alternating them based on the steps in your routine. For instance, you may want to use drying chemical exfoliants at night followed by a creamy, hydrating cleanser in the morning.

Ingredients to look for:

1. Light hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, as well as chemical exfoliants and retinoids. The key is maintaining a good balance.

Ingredients to avoid:

1. Moisturizers that are too thick or occlusive and may include comedogenic ingredients like coconut oil.

Sensitive skin isn’t really a technical term, but it’s used to refer to skin that is prone to reactions to skin-care and makeup products. People with skin conditions like rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema also usually have sensitive skin and may find that their conditions are triggered by certain ingredients like dyes and fragrances. Eyelid skin and the skin around your mouth are particularly sensitive areas. If you find that products frequently irritate your skin, it’s worth checking in with a board-certified dermatologist for guidance. They may steer you toward certain types of products or ingredients, prescribe treatments for skin conditions, or do a patch test to check for potential allergies.

If you have sensitive skin, our experts recommend sticking with simple, fragrance-free, gentle cleansers and moisturizers. If you want to use more active treatments, know that there are often gentler alternatives and certain precautions you can take to make those products less irritating. Try patch testing a small amount of product just behind your ear before applying it to your entire face.

Our dermatologist panel recommends avoiding all at-home microneedling treatments. It’s difficult to effectively clean those tools at home, and microscopic puncture wounds with less-than-sterile reusable instruments can lead to infection.

Gua sha may help with lymphatic drainage and puffiness, though it won’t have lasting effects; at the same time, it’s not harmful, so if you enjoy it, go for it.

At-home red light and electromagnetic therapy devices are not as effective as in-office procedures. However, if you can’t see a dermatologist, you’re consistent with the at-home devices, and you have a realistic expectation that you’re not going to see large-scale improvement, our derms say these are fine to use.

If you have fine or thinning hair and you’d like to add volume, look for products that contain silicones—ingredients like dimethicone, cetearyl methicone, and cetyl dimethicone may be listed on the label. Silicones hug each strand of hair to prevent moisture loss, giving your hair a plumper look. Hairstyling behaviors can play a huge role here as well, our experts say. In particular, avoid too much heat styling: Try to take breaks between heat stylings, avoid daily touch-ups to maintain a style, and always use a heat protectant. Also be wary of tight hairstyles that may pull on the scalp.

There is a difference between fine and thinning hair: Fineness refers to the circumference of an individual strand of hair, while thinness refers to the density of how many strands of hair are growing out of your scalp. Sometimes the reasons behind thinning hair can be more complex, and your genetics, hormones, and underlying health conditions can play a role. If you notice excessive hair loss in a short period of time or you suddenly notice that your hair feels much thinner, see a board-certified dermatologist, who might prescribe more effective treatments.

Ingredients to look for:

1. Silicones (such as silica), hydrolyzed keratin, and minoxidil. The label may say words like volumizing, thickening, and sulfate-free.
2. The jury is still out on rosemary oil, but a few studies have shown that it helps with hair regrowth and protection. Saw palmetto, another plant-derived ingredient, has antiandrogen properties that are helpful for hair regrowth.

Ingredients to avoid:

1. Sulfates, which you might see listed as sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, and sodium laureth sulfate, can be drying, especially if you’re trying to emphasize curls or waves.
2. Note that oils like argan oil, coconut oil, and olive oil are super popular in hair products but not the best for those with fine hair.

Natural hair refers to Afro-textured hair, which is generally curly or coiled. This type of hair tends to be prone to dryness, breakage, and damage as well as some unique types of hair loss. Those with natural hair should avoid washing it too frequently, as this can dry out the hair and cause damage. Washing just once a week is enough for many. Also avoid aggressive manipulation of your hair if you can; depending on the kinkiness of your curls, this may cause damage.

If you wear your hair in styles like braids or cornrows, make sure they’re not too tight as this can cause traction alopecia, which causes hair loss around the temples, and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), a type of hair loss that starts in the center of the scalp and causes pain, tenderness, and itching. If you start to notice small bumps along your hairline, those are likely to indicate traction folliculitis—inflammation of the follicle—and are a sign that your hairstyle is too tight. And if you experience any pain after having braids, weaves, or cornrows installed, that’s also a sign they are too tight.

Ingredients to look for:

1. Hydration is the name of the game. Make sure you’re adequately hydrating your hair with deep conditioners containing ingredients like coconut oil or jojoba oil. But remember that this is individualized—looser curls may not need as much moisture while tighter or kinkier curls will need more.
2. To keep hair healthy and give kinky, wavy, or curly hair more definition, look for products containing whey protein or other hydrolyzed proteins.
3. Some moisturizing products will also contain silicones, which give the hair some extra sheen. However, silicones can also weigh down the hair and cause scalp irritation, so you may want to use products containing these ingredients sparingly.
4. Because moisturizing ingredients can contribute to buildup and irritation, scalp care is especially important for those with natural hair. Look for scalp cleansers, conditioners, and oils that can both soothe and exfoliate. They may contain ingredients such as shea butter, argan oil, and aloe vera.
5. If your scalp is itchy as well as dry, you may want to use something containing pyrithione zinc or tea tree oil, which can help fight dandruff.

Having oily hair or a greasy scalp often goes hand in hand with dandruff, our experts say. So you’ll want to look out for products that can gently cut down on oil but also moisturize to avoid drying you out. There’s also often a temptation to wash your hair more frequently when it’s oily, but our experts caution against this as it can actually cause an increase in oil production for some people.

Ingredients to look for:

1. A product with exfoliating ingredients, like salicylic acid or glycolic acid.
2. If you have dandruff, you may want to try products containing ketoconazole, zinc pyrithione, selenium sulfide, coal tar, tea tree oil, or (for some people) coconut oil, which can help control the yeast that causes flakes.

Ingredients to avoid:

1. Excess oils, especially in leave-in products. But lighter moisturizing oils, like argan and jojoba oil, may be okay for some people—especially those with thick hair.

When your hair is dry, try to add moisture back in and avoid using products or styling methods that could dry the hair out. That includes frequent heat styling (especially flat ironing), using harsh chemical relaxers, and getting tight braids, extensions, weaves, or perms. If you have natural hair, our experts say hair oil may be especially useful.

Ingredients to look for:

1. Silicones (including dimethicone) to plump the hair, hydrolyzed keratin (especially if your hair is also thinning), and argan oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, shea butter, and (for some) olive oil.

Ingredients to avoid:

1. Sulfates like sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, and sodium laureth sulfate may dry out the hair.
2. Most alcohols in hair products are drying and should be avoided—but cetearyl and stearyl alcohol can actually be moisturizing and are okay to use.
3. Other chemicals like those in hair dyes and perms can also be drying or irritating and contain allergens, so if you find that you’re experiencing prolonged tingling or burning, or if you begin to form blisters or open sores, call a dermatologist.

First things first: If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, always consult your health care provider to determine which ingredients you should avoid. That said, Shari Marchbein, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, tells SELF that pregnant folks might be surprised by how many of their usual skin-care products are pregnancy-safe, too.

Ingredients the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says are pregnancy-safe (in addition to any ingredients not mentioned on the “avoid” list below that your health care provider signs off on):

• Benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid, salicylic acid, and glycolic acid, all of which help treat acne.

Ingredients ACOG recommends pregnant people avoid:

• Prescription acne treatments that include hormonal therapy, isotretinoin, oral tetracyclines, and topical retinoids.
• Over-the-counter products that contain phthalates, parabens, oxybenzone, retinol, and triclosan.

While ACOG still advises pregnant people to stay away from parabens and phthalates, dermatologists are divided on whether or not they’re harmful to pregnant people and fetuses, largely because studies testing these ingredients aren’t conducted on pregnant people. Parabens are a common preservative found in many skin-care products. “The reason that within a week of opening something up, your skin care is not overrun with bacteria, yeast, viruses, fungus, and isn’t completely contaminated, changing color, or spoiling is because of preservatives,” Dr. Marchbein says. “Additionally, there is good safety data to show that parabens, for the majority of us, do not incite allergic reactions. They are safe and well-tolerated for the majority of people.” So while ACOG recommends avoiding parabens while pregnant, your ob-gyn or dermatologist may not find it necessary. Dr. Marchbein holds a similar opinion on phthalates. According to the CDC, there’s not enough research at the moment to determine how prolonged phthalate exposure affects humans. For that reason Dr. Marchbein says she doesn’t advise patients to avoid them during pregnancy: “We really don’t have good studies that support the fact that it actually penetrates and permeates through the skin. There’s nothing that I see that’s well-substantiated, so that’s my personal philosophy about it.”

To be clear: We followed ACOG guidelines in determining which winning products we awarded pregnancy-safe badges to, meaning none of the products with that badge contain phthalates, parabens, oxybenzone, retinol/retinoids, or triclosan. But if you’re hoping to use products with phthalates or parabens during pregnancy, it’s ultimately best to consult your health care provider to determine what feels right for you.

And a quick note on sun protection for pregnant folks: Pregnancy may bring on skin changes like stretch marks, melasma, linea nigra, acne, dark spots, and more—which means regularly wearing SPF is all the more important. “The best sunscreen is a sunscreen that you will use,” Dr. Marchbein says. “Chemical sunscreens are completely fine and safe to use during pregnancy. When I was pregnant, did I use a chemical sunscreen? Abso-freaking-lutely. Did I do it with no hesitation or reservation? Abso-freaking-lutely.” ACOG also says chemical sunscreens are fine for pregnant people. That being said, Dr. Marchbein does prefer mineral sunscreens only because they’re more effective at preventing further hyperpigmentation and dark spots—both of which can flare up during pregnancy. So if you have particularly sensitive skin or you’re dealing with pregnancy-related skin changes, you may want to try a mineral SPF.

A baseline oral health care practice includes brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing at least once daily. Adding in mouthwash is recommended, but don’t substitute it for brushing or flossing as it doesn’t have a comparable effect on removing bacteria from your teeth and gums.

When it comes to using a manual toothbrush, a soft nylon brush tends to work best for most gum and teeth types. If you know your teeth and gums are more sensitive, you should look for a brush that is labeled as having extra soft bristles.

That being said, how you brush your teeth—and how often you brush them—has a larger impact on your oral health than the brush itself. With a manual toothbrush, you should always brush teeth in a circular motion with the bristles angled toward the gums, versus a motion where you scrub horizontally back and forth.

An electric toothbrush will almost always be more effective than a manual brush because the brushing motion and speed is quicker and more consistent. Budget-friendly electric toothbrushes can still be extremely effective—you don’t need all the bells and whistles to find an electric toothbrush that does the trick. If you have issues with dexterity, look for an electric brush with a smaller brush head, which may be easier to control. To brush with an electric toothbrush, glide the brush over all surface areas of your teeth, taking 30 seconds for each quadrant of your mouth. You don’t need to scrub along with the electric brush.

The only surefire way to remove bacteria and food from between your teeth is by scraping floss up and down between them. Traditional string floss is the most effective here. Water flossers shoot water between and around the teeth but don’t have the same mechanical action of scraping off bacteria. That said, it is better to use a water flosser than to skip flossing altogether. Water flossers can also be extremely useful for people with braces, bridges, or other orthodontia.

If the contacts, or spaces between your teeth, are tight together, you may want to opt for a wax floss as it’s slightly more lubricated than non-waxed floss.

Sensitive teeth and gums will burn or tingle after eating foods that are particularly cold or after using certain mouthwashes and toothpastes. Sensitive gums may be inflamed, swollen, or redder than usual. There are times when some moderate sensitivity is normal, like in the few seconds after rinsing out a mouthwash or flossing. But if that feeling extends for longer—like hours—or your gum tissue has a lingering soreness, you may be dealing with a more significant dental issue. If you ever experience extreme oral pain or discomfort, or if something with your teeth, tongue, or gums seems off for you, see a dentist immediately.

If your teeth are feeling sensitive, especially after being triggered by something like an at-home whitening treatment or a certain food or drink, rub a pea-size amount of sensitive toothpaste on your teeth before bed to help treat the sensitivity. You can do this nightly for 7 to 10 days. If you’re experiencing painful or uncomfortable prolonged sensitivity, see your dentist.

Ingredients to look for:

1. Fluoride will help strengthen teeth and combat sensitivity. While anyone can benefit from fluoride, it’s especially helpful for people who are prone to cavities or are looking to prevent them. You can find both toothpastes and mouthwashes that contain fluoride.
2. Potassium nitrate can help counteract sensitivity, especially when it’s included as an additive in whitening products.

Ingredients to avoid:

1. If you’re prone to canker sores (also known as stomatitis), avoid sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS, a chemical compound that acts as a foaming agent in mouthwash and toothpastes.
2. You may want to avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol. Alcohol is included in some mouthwashes in order to break down the essential oils in the solution and can be especially irritating for people who have dry mouth, as it further increases dryness.

While whitening mouthwashes and toothpastes can be somewhat helpful for surface stains on teeth (like those you might have from drinking coffee), their effectiveness pales in comparison to a true whitening treatment done either at home or in a dentist’s office. That’s because the contact time between the whitening agent and your teeth is usually too short for your teeth to respond to the active ingredients.

What makes a whitening treatment effective will depend on a few variables, like the concentration of bleach, the intensity of the LED light being used (if applicable), and the delivery system (how the light and bleach are being delivered to teeth). LED whitening treatments work by using blue light to speed up the chemical reaction between the whitening agent, usually hydrogen peroxide, and your teeth. Most LED at-home whitening treatments are not strong enough to cause damage when used as directed, though they may cause sensitivity.

If you have sensitive teeth but still want to try an at-home whitening treatment, use a toothpaste formulated for sensitive teeth during the period in which you are bleaching. You can even rub a pea-size amount onto your teeth before bed during this time to help sensitivity too. It shouldn’t affect whitening results and can help soothe irritated teeth and gums.

Ingredients to look for:

1. In mouthwash look for peroxide, hydrogen peroxide, or another peroxide derivative like carbamide peroxide.
2. Whitening tubes of toothpaste often use abrasives that gently polish the teeth as well as chemicals that help break down or dissolve stains. Look for mentions of silica, pyrophosphates, or carbamide peroxide.

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