Beauty

Sephora Collection Just Released New Clean Skincare Products, All For Under $20 — EXCLUSIVE

Courtesy of Sephora Collection

When Sephora Collection debuted their clean skincare line a few months back, it's safe to say the beauty community breathed a collective sigh of relief. Finally, a trusted brand was serving up products with clean formulas, effective ingredients, and clear labeling — and the under-$20 price tag didn't hurt, either. After the huge success of the first launch, I'd say pretty much everyone is curious about what's in the new Sephora Collection clean skincare drop. As someone who got a little sneak peek at the goods, I'll say this: You won't be disappointed. In fact, you'll be thrilled.

When I spoke to Helen Phillips, Sephora Collection National Makeup Artist, about all the clean skincare newness happening within the brand, she felt confident that the new products and the clean line itself were steps in the right direction for Sephora Collection and Sephora as a whole. "I think it's been doing really well in store because it's filling a hole we had, where people are really shopping for green products but then also wanting things that are still affordable," Phillips tells Elite Daily exclusively. "It's shopping more consciously."

Much like the original launch, the five new products feature powerful hero ingredients, largely natural formulas, and clean (but still very Insta-friendly) packaging:

Courtesy of Sephora Collection

And of course, they're all priced at or under $20. Icing on the clean beauty cake, am I right? As the brand's National MUA, Phillips plays a large part in product development, from helping create the formulations to trying them out IRL on her clients and offering helpful feedback to make them even better.

One thing the brand intends to do with every drop? Create better, cleaner formulas for some fan-favorite products that already existed. Such is the case for the new Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover ($11, Sephora):

"So we've already had our Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover before, but we just made it clean," says Phillips, who also notes that revising the formula to make it more natural wasn't a difficult task. "It wasn't that hard, we just put cornflower in it now, so it removes all makeup, including waterproof." Now, the product's formula boasts 92% natural ingredients, and it's maintained its magic makeup-removing capabilities.

Another popular product reworked to be more clean? The Organic Cotton Pads ($4, Sephora), which are now eco-certified and made with organic cotton:

Moving right along, the product in the new lineup that caught my eye immediately was the Bright Skin Exfoliating Scrub ($12, Sephora). What can I say, I love to exfoliate!

With 97% natural ingredients in its formula, this scrub utilizes volcanic sand for a gentle yet effective exfoliating experience. "It also has marula oil in it, so it really helps with not only buffing off dead skin cells, but it's also super hydrating," says Phillips. "Marula oil also has vitamin E in it, so it helps to brighten a bit, too," she adds, praising the product for doing "a little bit of everything."

Phillips' fave from the new drop, though, is definitely the Super Matte Moisturizer ($16, Sephora):

"The number one thing people shop for is matte skin," says Phillips, and given that dewy, no-makeup makeup skin has taken over my Instagram feed, I'm partly surprised. "They always shop for matte foundation — that tends to be our number one," she insists, and given that summer heat can lead to overly-oily pores, I can understand why.

"This moisturizer is super hydrating, but it also has the powder in it that makes your skin look really matte," Phillips explains of the unique formula, which has 90% natural ingredients. "I'm obsessed with this one because I feel like it's perfect for summer, when you're getting a little hot and sweaty. It really does work."

Last but not least, Phillips believes that the Firming Sleeping Cream ($16, Sephora), will be the sleeper product of the line — no pun intended:

"[The Firming Sleeping Cream] has fruit peptides in it, and also the fruit acids that help to exfoliate, so it's exfoliating and firming at the same time," says Phillips. As a lover of alpha hydroxy acids and all the magic they work on my skin, I already know I'll be a fan of this formula based on ingredients alone. But for Phillips, the best part is how the product feels on the skin. "I like the texture of it; I like the bounce," she says, "The texture itself feels like a night cream, but if you needed something, this would be a great one to wear during the day if you're super dry."

If you're looking to snag these products for yourself, you can snag them online and in stores at Sephora now. At under $20 a pop, you best believe I'll be buying all the newbies and putting them to the test.