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Chapters
- Quick Toups and Co Recap
- My Toups and Co Skincare Routine
- My Toups and Co Makeup Bag
- Other Products I Recommend
- Toups and Co Pro and Con List
- Why Bother Avoiding Chemicals in Beauty Products?
- Toups and Co Discount Code
Finding an effective clean beauty brand is a constant struggle. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to turn into a professional chemist every time I read a body wash ingredient label. I want simple, effective skincare and makeup that I can trust to nourish my body and protect my hormones.
Toups and Co is steadily growing as a leader in the clean beauty space. On their website, they emphasize ingredient transparency, local sourcing, and ancestrally inspired formulas. By now, I’ve tried many of their products, which have been essential in my switch to a more wellness-centered life. So, let me introduce you to my favorite products with my honest review of Toups and Co.
TL;DR: A Quick Toups and Co Recap
- They have a no-compromise policy on chemicals and synthetic ingredients.
- Their formulas are inspired by ancestral skincare practices that have been in use for thousands of years.
- They use high-quality ingredients with a special emphasis on sustainable sourcing.
- They don’t use any fillers. Every ingredient has a distinct purpose to improve the quality of your skin.
- They have an amazing return policy, so I feel confident trying new products.
- All products are safe for sensitive skin and pregnant or breastfeeding moms.
My Toups and Co Skincare Routine
Seabuckthorn Cleansing Oil
After using the oil cleanser, you’ll feel like your skin has reached a new level of fresh and hydrated. I’ve tried a few oil cleansers, and although they get the job done, the Toups and Co brand is my clear favorite. It smells sweet and floral and has the best mix of quality ingredients (jojoba oil, seabuckthorn oil, and castor oil).
The oils used in this cleanser are cold-pressed, too, or processed without hexane. In my opinion, this is always something you should ask about when buying an oil cleanser because it makes such a difference in the quality of the product.
How to Use It:
I tend to have pretty clear skin, so I only use this oil a few times a week. When I do, I spend about five minutes massaging it into my face until I start to feel oil plugs release (gross but effective). If you have acne-prone skin or dry skin, you might use it daily.
Seabuckthorn Cleansing Oil ($38)
The Reparative Serum
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has some helpful research about the risks of topical retinols. I personally choose to avoid them simply for the “retinol burn,” but I still want something to improve my skin. The Reparative Serum uses a retinol alternative called bakuchiol to boost collagen production and cell turnover. In studies, this ingredient has shown to produce the same results as retinol but without the risks.
The Reparative Serum is hands down my favorite product from Toups and Co. It’s singlehandedly the reason my hormonal acne has cleared, and my skin feels firmer and brighter when I use it, too. I have some lymphatic issues, so my skin tends to be puffy and inflamed. As I’ve taken measures to resolve this internally, I’ve found this serum has helped my skin return to more of a baseline.
How to Use It:
I put about 3–5 drops of serum on clean hands and pat it into my face and neck. This is a dry serum, so it needs a moisturizer as a follow-up. I find that it’s best to use both these products at night. The Reparative Serum is on the more expensive end, but it lasts about 3–4 months for me.
The Reparative Serum ($98)
The Hydrating Tallow Stick
If you’ve tried tallow balm before and didn’t get the best results, you have to trust me on the Hydrating Tallow Stick. My skin tends to be oily, and finding the right product with minimal ingredients is a balancing act. Especially with tallow, using too much product on my face can clog my pores (my recommended dose is less than a pea size).
I love this tallow stick because it gets the proper amount of product on my face every time. It also doesn’t have any essential oils or olive oil in it, just pure tallow, emu oil, and beeswax (which is great for acne, too). If you haven’t had good luck with tallow before, trust me, this is the good stuff.
How to Use It:
I apply the Hydrating Tallow Stick after my serum and throughout the day if my skin feels dry or just needs a little attention. When I pack for trips, I’m pretty minimalist, but this is the one product I’ll take anywhere.
Hydrating Tallow Stick ($38)
Tallow Lip Love
There’s something about the combination of tallow and beeswax that’s just a powerhouse for my skin. This product is a typical lip balm, but it works better for me than any other brand I’ve tried. Every time I purchase this product, I use the entire tube (which is impressive for a lip balm), and I take it with me everywhere. I also live in Colorado, and the dry air is no joke, so I have to be really picky with the moisturizers I buy. I keep extras in my house for out-of-town guests who are new to the dry air, too.
How to Use It: Like any other lip balm, but less is more.
Tallow Lip Love ($6)
My Toups and Co Makeup Bag
Concealer (In Pure)
The thing about Toups and Co makeup is, it feels like skincare. It’s creamy, hydrating, and applying it is just a pleasant experience. The main ingredients are castor oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter, so it makes sense. I don’t always feel like concealer is necessary for my skin, but sometimes I put it on anyway simply because I love using the product.
Concealer ($32)
Liquid Foundation (In Gulf Sand)
Since I work from home, I don’t wear makeup every day. But every time I feel a breakout coming on, I think to myself, “I should put on some foundation.” Genuinely, this stuff reverses my acne. It’s also super lightweight, smells amazing, and it’s a delight to wear (probably because the first ingredient is aloe vera). I’ve worn the Liquid Foundation for photo shoots and formal gatherings, and I often get compliments on it. It has amazing coverage and a slightly dewy finish. People are always shocked when I tell them it’s made with 100% natural ingredients.
Pro Tip: Get the sample set to find your shade before you order a full size.
Liquid Foundation ($50)
Cream Cheek Tint (In Blush)
Give me all the creamy and glowy makeup products; I’m a sucker for the sheen. I love that the Cream Cheek Tint uses castor oil to achieve the dewy look, rather than toxic ingredients. The color is versatile and flattering for my skin, and it lasts all day. The real benefit of this product, though, is the scent. There are rosemary, vanilla, and lavender extracts in it — and this is my formal request for Toups and Co to bottle this as a perfume.
Cream Cheek Tint ($36)
Luminizer Pot (In Champagne)
I’m not a makeup pro, so I had to watch a few YouTube tutorials (I recommend the iconic Nina Ubhi) before I mastered the art of luminizer. But now that I know how to use it, this is my favorite part of my makeup routine. It’s the perfect final touch.
Most glitter products (like luminizer) are made with microplastics, so they’re a huge environmental pollutant. The natural alternative to glitter is mica, which is often sourced overseas with questionable labor practices. So, even though glitter products are popular, I generally don’t buy them unless I’ve done research on the brand. Toups and Co uses mica for their shimmer, and they source from reputable mines in the United States and Canada.
Cream Luminizer ($32)
Long Lash Mascara (In Black)
I’ll be honest, this mascara doesn’t perform the same as a drugstore brand, but it’s pretty darn close. The thing you have to know about drugstore mascara is, it’s made from forever chemicals and tar. There’s really no way to replace that effect naturally (at least, not right now). And for me, I don’t need mascara that lasts more than fourteen hours, but I do need a brand that isn’t going to irritate my sensitive eyes.
As far as natural mascaras go, this is one of the better brands I’ve tried. It doesn’t smudge or flake, and it gets pretty good length and volume on its own. I’ve had great results from these tips for mascara application, too.
Long Lash Mascara ($26)
Other Toups and Co Products I Recommend
Natural Deodorant (Lavender)
I’m happy to report that I’ve worn the Toups brand for two years with no BO. I’ve tested this stuff through multi-day National Park trips, Washington, D.C. metros, stressful work meetings, 100-degree beach days, and foreign countries. It doesn’t budge. And (oversharing) I’m definitely the kind of person who sweats a lot.
I’ve also tried other brands, both online and local, and I’ve never found a natural deodorant that works this well. Even after two years, I still ask my friends frequently to double-check that I don’t smell bad, and they always confirm that the deodorant is still working.
The main ingredients are grass-fed tallow, magnesium, and arrowroot powder, and I find that they seep well into the skin and keep my underarms moisturized. Toups has two deodorant options: regular and extra-strength.
The Natural Deodorant ($20)
Grass-Fed Tallow Balm (Vanilla and Almond)
You’ve probably heard of tallow skincare by now, but if you haven’t, tallow balm is made from rendered beef fat. I know, it sounds questionable at first. But it’s full of the vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids that actually build your skin cells (and no, it doesn’t smell like beef).
Sunburns, cuts, scrapes, dry skin, chafing, acne, cracked heels, or windburn — this is always the first thing I reach for. I also use tallow balm for my skincare routine (see: the Hydrating Tallow Stick), and my complexion has never felt softer or more balanced.
Tallow isn’t something you should buy from just anyone, and I’ve tested a few brands and even made the balm myself. Always make sure your tallow is 100% grass-fed and grass-finished and preferably dry rendered (so its delicate compounds and nutrients remain intact).
Tallow Balm ($32)
Organic Body Oil (Vanilla and Almond)
It took me a while to order this product, because oil just didn’t feel like the right thing to apply after a shower. I’ve always gone the more natural route, using 100% argan oil for a Turkish Bath or coconut oil for moisture, and it’s not the most luxurious experience. But this body oil is totally different. It’s not greasy or sticky whatsoever, and it just feels like a lighter lotion product. It also smells divine and leaves your skin glowing and hydrated. I reserve it for special occasions and guests.
The Body Oil ($52)
Body Polish
You simply have to try this product. You know that afterglow makeup artists achieve with body glitter? The Body Polish does the exact same thing with skincare and completely natural ingredients. There’s a bit of a waxy finish once you rinse it off, and you’ll notice that your skin glows when it hits the light. The gentle, earthy scent is super long-lasting, too.
This scrub isn’t like traditional sugar scrubs. Since it’s a polish, the goal is to hydrate more than you exfoliate. There’s a gentle scrubbing feel, but you’ll notice more that the product melts into your skin and immediately softens it. They also use a special formula to prevent microtears, so it’s safe for sensitive skin.
The Body Polish ($52)
My Toups and Co Pros and Cons List
Pro: Their Products Last a While
Natural formulas tend to last a lot longer than chemical ones, since ingredients are undiluted. Toups products come in small bottles, but I’m able to make them last multiple months.
Pro: Their Commitment to Clean Beauty
Emilie Toups, the owner of Toups and Co, has a strong commitment to clean ingredients. She owns a homestead and creates skincare formulas based on her own family’s needs.
Pro: They Are Environmentally Friendly
Most of their bottles are glass, and they have a recycling program where you can return your empty containers for store credit.
Pro: The Products Are Super Effective
Historically, I haven’t been that into skincare. Part of it is due to chemical exposure, and part of it is that I tend to have naturally clear skin and don’t need a lot of support. But these products are different, and I find them super effective, nourishing, and just a lovely experience.
Pro: Their Makeup Lasts All Day
There’s not much difference in the performance of drugstore makeup vs. this makeup, which is crazy since it’s all nontoxic. The foundation, concealer, and blush last all day and feel good on my face.
Pro: They Have an Awesome Return Policy
They have a satisfaction guarantee, so if you don’t like the product, you get your money back.
Con: Many of Their Products Are Animal-Based
This isn’t a problem for me, but it’s worth mentioning for the vegans in the crowd. A number of their products use beef tallow and emu oil, which are incredibly beneficial for the skin, but, you know, animal-based.
Con: They Don’t Have a Gifting Option
This is a shame because I love sending these products to friends and family. I still send them; I just can’t include a note.
Con: The Products Are Expensive
Natural beauty is pricey, and many of these products are an investment. It’s taken me a few years and a strict monthly budget to try out their different products.
Why Bother Avoiding Chemicals in Beauty Products?
Many Personal Care Products Contain Hormone Disruptors
Since estrogen is metabolized and processed through the liver, too much of it can overload your system and make it difficult to process environmental toxins. Estrogen dominance can set your other hormones out of whack and cause blood sugar problems, too.
Products Applied to Your Skin Really Do Get Absorbed
People like to say that chemicals can’t be absorbed through the skin, but this is just outdated information. A recent study showed that topical magnesium was absorbed through hair follicles on the skin. Wild, right? We use things like transdermal patches and Epsom salt baths because they work. So why are we so quick to put chemicals on our skin?
Tons of Personal Care Products Contain Known Carcinogens
It’s time to stop trusting big corporations to care about our health. A lot of makeup and skincare products contain known carcinogens, like formaldehyde, benzene, phthalates, and parabens. What’s worse is that these ingredients are often hidden under complicated labels, so it’s hard to discern healthy products based on the ingredients.
You Will Genuinely Feel Better
Honestly, I was skeptical. I’m a minimalist with personal care products, so I didn’t think that switching to the nontoxic side would make much of a difference. But I genuinely feel better, both physically and emotionally, since transitioning to natural products.
It’s Better for the Environment
It’s not just the plastic packaging we need to be aware of in beauty products; it’s the plastic ingredients as well. According to one study, 79% of products tested had microplastics in the formula. These are single-use plastics that disrupt our skin microbiome and then get washed down the drain to pollute the environment.
Toups and Co Converted Me to Makeup and Skincare
I don’t know if I had an intuitive aversion to chemically-filled products or if I just grew up in a family that didn’t use makeup, but I’ve never been the kind of girl to have bathroom drawers full of products. (The first blush I ever used came from a yard sale.)
But using Toups and Co has really opened up my creativity and love for luxurious balms, serums, and makeup products. I find myself eagerly awaiting next month’s budget so I can try more items.
My bathroom cabinets have a lot more life these days, and I’m able to share skincare products, face masks, and balms with friends — introducing them to their first (and new favorite) crunchy brand.
My Toups and Co Discount Code for 10% Off
If you found this Toups and Co review helpful, I’d love for you to use my discount code. You’ll get 10% off any order by using this link.
*This article contains affiliate links, so I may receive a commission if you make a purchase. I only partner with brands and businesses that I love and use personally.
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