Here at Startup Savant, we love startup culture. That’s why we identified the most exciting, innovative, and creative clean beauty startups to watch in 2024 and beyond. From sustainably sourced makeup personalized to your skin to shampoo without any dangerous chemicals — these are the hottest clean beauty companies to follow.
Top Clean Beauty Startups to Follow
Every year, new startups pull to the forefront of their industry through exciting innovation, tech, and industry-disrupting business models. We’ve rounded up the most exciting clean beauty startups of 2024 that startup-lovers, investors, and aspiring entrepreneurs should follow.
Disclaimer: With so many exciting beauty startups launching and growing worldwide, we aren’t able to cover them all. Furthermore, the startups that are listed below are not officially ranked and are listed in no particular order.
1. Saie
- Location: New York, New York
- Founder(s): Laney Crowell
- Founded In: 2019
- Funding: Seed, Amount Unknown
- Investors Include: Short List Capital, G9 Ventures, Platinum Mile Ventures
New York-based beauty startup Saie has rigorous clean beauty standards. There are over 2,000 ingredients the brand won’t use, plus they won’t touch alcohol-based preservative phenoxyethanol (still used by many other “clean” beauty lines). In addition, the innovative maker of skin tints, balms, kits, and more prioritizes affordability without sacrificing quality.
2. Kosas
- Location: Los Angeles, California
- Founder(s): Sheena Zadeh-Daly
- Founded In: 2015
- Funding: Series B, $19 Million
- Investors Include: Beechwood Capital, Short List Capital, Essential Investment Capital
Kosas is a clean cosmetics and skincare brand that combines makeup with skincare benefits. The company’s products are formulated with nourishing botanical ingredients and are free from harmful chemicals. Kosas offers a wide range of products, including foundations, lipsticks, and eyeshadows — all designed to enhance natural beauty while promoting skin health.
3. Kopari Beauty
- Location: San Diego, California
- Founder(s): Kiana Cabell, Gigi Goldman
- Founded In: 2015
- Funding: Series B, $39.6 Million
- Investors Include: Ashton Kutcher, Unilever Ventures, Mistral Equity Partners
Kopari Beauty promises “products that make you gorgeous with ingredients that are safe.” The clean skincare and beauty brand creates lotions, shower oils, body butters, and more out of 100% coconut oil. Plus, they’ve promised to provide a living wage and a safe working environment for their coconut farmers. The eco-friendly startup is making a difference for the Earth as well — they’ve partnered with TerraCycle so consumers can recycle their packaging right from home.
4. Augustinus Bader
- Location: London, England
- Founder(s): Augustinus Bader, Charles Rosier
- Founded In: 2017
- Funding: Private Equity, $70.4 Million
- Investors Include: General Atlantic, Impala Group, Antoine Arnault
Augustinus Bader is a premium skincare brand founded by a biomedical scientist and physician. The brand is known for its advanced formulas that incorporate stem cell research and proprietary TFC8® technology. Augustinus Bader offers a range of luxury skincare products, including creams, serums, and supplements — all designed to promote skin regeneration and address various skin concerns.
5. Bloomeffects
- Location: New York, New York
- Founder(s): Kim Van Haaster
- Founded In: 2019
- Funding: Seed, $2 Million
- Investors Include: Darlene Jordan
New York-based Bloomeffects has a secret weapon up their sleeves: royal tulips. Formulas for all of their products (including moisturizers, cleansers, and serums) are infused with a Dutch tulip compound from Holland. The tulip compound, and other sustainable ingredients like prickly pear enzyme and white horehound plant, are clean and safe for your body — plus, they’re easy on the environment.
6. C & The Moon
- Location: Malibu, California
- Founder(s): Carson Meyer
- Founded In: 2018
- Funding: Seed, $325,000
- Investors Include: Beauty Incubator Group
C & The Moon was founded on the belief that the way we care for ourselves directly impacts how we care for our planet. Aware that the average beauty product in the US is full of toxic chemicals (including endocrine disruptors), the Malibu-based company wanted to offer consumers a healthier alternative. So today, they make scrubs, oils, and candles free of animal by-products, heavy metals, and parabens. In addition, all products come in glass jars or recycled paper packaging.
7. Young King Haircare
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Founder(s): Cora Miller, Stefan Miller
- Founded In: 2019
- Funding: Seed, $1.6 Million
- Investors Include: Overton Venture Capital, Consumer Ventures, New Voices Fund
The only brand on our list specifically intended for men, Young King Haircare is making its mark in multicultural beauty products. Based in Atlanta, Young King wants to give brown and black men the confidence they need to be themselves while using only clean and vegan ingredients. They utilize plant-based, eco-friendly materials that are proven to stimulate hair follicles for growth naturally, and all products have a pleasing natural citrus scent to make self-care a little more enjoyable.
8. by Humankind
- Location: New York, New York
- Founder(s): Brian Bushell, Joshua Goodman
- Founded In: 2018
- Funding: Seed, $7.15 Million
- Investors Include: Miroma Ventures, Niche Capital, Great Oaks Venture Capital
Green startup by Humankind wants to eliminate single-use plastic waste from your beauty routine. Their products (including mouthwash, deodorants, hair care products, and more) are packed and shipped in recycled paper with soy-based inks that can be recycled or composted. In addition, each of their clean products is designed to work hard and last long, so you don’t need to replace it as often as you would a conventional alternative.
9. Ogee
- Location: Burlington, Vermont
- Founder(s): Mark Rice, Abbott Stark, Alexander Stark
- Founded In: 2014
- Funding: Series A, $11.2 Million
- Investors Include: Birchview Capital, Coastal Ventures, CEI Ventures
Ogee is a luxury clean beauty brand that focuses on organic, plant-based skincare products. The company is known for its innovative use of jojoba oil as a key ingredient in its formulations. Ogee’s product line includes cleansers, moisturizers, and color cosmetics — all made with natural and organic ingredients.
