The Cult-Favorite Nontoxic Beauty Brand You Should Know About

While some beauty companies excel in a single area—whether it's efficacy, planetary healing, or unwavering dedication to nontoxic ingredients—True Botanicals is a rare bird that pursues the best of all three equally. "We make decisions that haven’t been easy, but they have been right," said founder Hillary Peterson about the brand's loyal cult following. "We genuinely are seeking to deliver meaningful results—without exposing our customers or planet to toxins. I think people can feel that."

After getting diagnosed with thyroid cancer at a young age, she couldn't go back to products that, in her words, "interfered with well-being." Her realization ultimately led to the life-changing decision to start True Botanicals in 2015. A couple of years later, Peterson experienced another profound shift after a six-day silent women's meditation retreat at Spirit Rock. "We meditated most of the time, and it was excruciating at times. But there was a permanent shift in my perspective. The sky was bluer, and I was able to notice every little sound. It was extraordinary. It introduced me to my desire to be more present more often," she recalled. For Peterson, a mom of three who is still intricately involved in the day-to-day operations of a three-year-old company, a balance of being present and being productive are the key to her success. She said she notices increased creativity, deeper connections—which she said are a huge priority in her life—and is able to take in more of the day.

She and her team swear by misting all day, every day. "The value of misting became clear," she said, after she realized how much transepidermal water we lose during the day. Her morning routine is super simple, as she's focused on making a good breakfast for herself and her family and getting out the door to work.

First, she washes her face with a warm face cloth and no product. Then she spritzes her first mist of the day, following it with the Clear Oil—"Even though I'm 56, I'm still blemish-prone," she quipped—and tops it off with the Everyday Sheer Coverage SPF 20.

Her evening routine is slightly more involved. Starting with the Pre-cleanse Oil, followed by a cleanser (taking a page from the double-cleansing method widely adopted in K-beauty routines). Then she rinses, mists again, uses the Clear Oil again, and follows that with the Renew Serum pumped up with the Antioxidant Booster.