BEST BEAUTY FIX
When I started covering wellness for Gulfshore Life, I didn’t expect to spend quite so much time comparing soaps, decoding labels or fixating on sunscreen texture. But, the more I learned, the more I saw how, even despite all the clean-and-green marketing, beauty products are often laden with irritating preservatives, synthetic fragrance blends and hormone-disrupting chemicals.
Fortunately, across Southwest Florida, industry experts are setting a new standard for clean care, crafting and sourcing products that are as effective as mainstream options without the harsh additives. After testing countless local products and services, I’ve narrowed in on my nontoxic essentials for skin, hair and body.
It all starts with the face—the most exposed and often most sensitive part of the body, where national brands tend to tackle issues with hormone-disrupting synthetics and harsh, drying alcohols. Instead, Naples-based Envio Skin’s B.P.O. 5% Cleanser’s pharmaceutical-grade benzoyl peroxide targets blemishes while soothing the skin with a gentle blend of root extracts, hydration heroes (like glycerin and hyaluronic acid) and skin-essential nutrients. For sun protection, I reach for Time 4 U Med Spa’s reef-and-skin-safe mineral sunscreen, developed by a former oncology nurse. I love the SPF 50-plus Shield [Primely], with skin-mimicking lipids and plant oils to help control oil and blur fine lines, while delivering a silky finish—no heavy silicones or synthetic filters needed.
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Courtesy Happie Human Wellness
swfl clean beauty guide nontoxic products happie human facial
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Courtesy Envio Skin
swfl clean beauty guide nontoxic products envio skin
For extra nourishment, Kris Organics’ face tallow taps into the national trend of using rendered beef fat for rich hydration—but with ingredients we can trust. Founder Kristen DeMattia sources her Naples-made tallow from American-raised grass-fed and finished cows and loads the whipped concoction with soothing aloe and manuka honey (my go-to natural blemish remedy). The result is calming, brightening and surprisingly breathable.
In the shower, I’m a big fan of Vitasana’s gel-serum body wash—a silky, aromatherapeutic formula that leaves skin soft, not stripped. I follow with the Naples brand’s fragrance-free lotion, made with nourishing oils and botanicals that reinforce my skin barrier without any heaviness. Both are tested to meet Environmental Working Group (EWG) Verified standards.
Though often overlooked, I’ve started giving my hair the same ingredient scrutiny I used to reserve for my face. With its rich blood supply and high absorption potential, the scalp is a direct line into our systems—especially with products left on or massaged in. I now build my haircare routine around local clean-beauty pioneer Naples Soap Company. Former nurse Deanna Wallin launched the brand 15 years ago and soon after introduced shampoo and conditioner bars that forgo the foaming agents and preservatives found in conventional, bottled formulas. Cocoa butter smooths frizz, coconut oil helps reinforce strands and red raspberry seed oil offers a layer of UV protection. Switching to solid bars might seem like a departure at first, but they lather generously, rinse clean and travel easily in a normal soap case.
Courtesy Hollis Head Spa/KarunaPhoto
swfl clean beauty guide nontoxic products local ingredients
Local purveyors deliver on clean living for at-home and in-the-spa care—from Happie Human Wellness’ botanical-and-massage-powered facials (above) to Envio’s blemish-calming cleanser (above). At Cape Coral’s Hollis Head Spa, Toni DePaola uses botanicals grown on her family farm (pictured here) for handcrafted scalp oils and mists.
Farther north, Hollis Head Spa in Cape Coral builds on the idea of scalp-first care. Part of the growing Japanese head spa trend, their treatments focus on restoring balance at the root. Founder Toni DePaola uses oils and mists handcrafted from botanicals grown on her family farm for treatments, blending scalp cleanses (to get rid of unseen product build-up) with pressure-point massage and aromatherapeutic steam to reset body and mind.
If you’re looking to book a full cut and color, Bare Roots Salon & Apothecary in Fort Myers delivers on the clean ethos. Assistant managing editor Addison Pezoldt swears by the team’s use of products with certified-organic ingredients and ozonated water, which helps remove impurities without drying out the hair. Their plant-based color line skips synthetic dyes and sulfates, too.
There’s no need to compromise on traditional spa services, either. At Happie Human Wellness in Fort Myers, integrative esthetician Shelby Harvey delivers a high-integrity facial using chemical-free ingredients like butterfly pea legumes and bamboo extract to hydrate and boost collagen. Gentle massage subtly sculpts the face and boosts circulation for a brighter complexion. At North Naples’ Blue Zones-certified Purely You Spa, Jennifer Alvarez Linguidi—a massage therapist and functional health coach—uses biodynamic Eminence Organic Skincare oils for services, ranging from Thai to sports to prenatal massage. There are also integrative options, with red-light, infrared or cold-plunge therapies, designed to boost circulation, reduce inflammation and support recovery.
While we may not be able to avoid every questionable ingredient, these clean-beauty pioneers make it easier to control what we can, starting with what goes on our skin and scalp. And if that means a little extra self-care? All the better.
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Courtesy Vitasana
swfl clean beauty guide nontoxic products vitasana
Vitasana founders Scott and Donna Pecci created their plant-based line for their daughter’s sensitive skin. Their body washes and lotions are EWG Verified, meeting high standards for transparency and ingredient integrity.
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Courtesy Hollis Head Spa/KarunaPhoto
swfl clean beauty guide nontoxic products local ingredients