These days, we’re all striving to be healthy and wellness-focused in every aspect of our lives. You know the drill: It usually starts with exercising more and trying to eat better. But now, most of us are also starting to look more closely at what we’re putting on our skin.

Here at Otto, we believe in empowering you with education about skin function, ingredients and tips to achieve healthy skin. We want to give you the tools to cultivate the best skincare routine for your lifestyle, so you can achieve your best skin yet!

But hey, we get it, life is busy and it’s so not easy to find healthy skincare products you can trust by just scouring the internet. What you really want is a place where you can browse healthy skincare products and take comfort in knowing that the products have been vetted for safety and effectiveness (because no one wants to waste money on products that don’t work!).

Well, good news—we’ve got your back! We’ve searched all over the country for the very best curated skincare retailers that put health and wellness at the heart of every product they offer. All of these retailers fit our strict criteria for offering products you can trust, supporting skincare education and prioritizing a healthy skincare routine for your individual needs.

We believe these beauty retailers are places where you’ll feel safe shopping for healthy skincare that gets results, but also helps you find brands that align with your values. Many of the brands these retailers carry are small businesses, independently and women-owned, vegan, cruelty free, formulated for sensitive skin, utilize sustainable packaging and so much more.

So, if you’re looking to be inspired and amazed by your skincare products, look no further than these seven retailers.

But before we dive in, take a look at our criteria for choosing these superstar, carefully curated beauty retailers:

1. High standards for ingredient safety and efficacy

This goes beyond having a no-no list of ingredients. These retailers have scrutinized ingredients, set standards and personally tested every product to make sure it works. While not all of these retailers have the same criteria for products, they all have transparency for how and why they choose their brands, so you can align your goals and values with what’s best for your skin and lifestyle.

2. Support educational growth

These retailers are passionate about skin health, wellness and helping you become more knowledgeable about choosing skincare that’s best for your needs. Even better? They have extremely informed staff, offer workshops and are dedicated to helping you make informed decisions about your skin health and the products you choose to use every single day.

3. Focus on personalization

Skincare is 100% personal, so building a routine that’s right for your needs can be a difficult process. These retailers help to take the guesswork out of finding products that are right for you in an approachable, friendly atmosphere. Utilizing aestheticians and educating staff to become experts is just the first step, these retailers cultivate teams that are informed and passionate about their brands, so they always have your best interest at heart.

Okay, so now that you have a better sense of our criteria, let’s dive in! Without further ado, here are seven of the very best retailers to help you customize the healthiest skincare routine possible!

Our Top Picks for the Best Skincare Retailers in the Country

1. Whole Foods Market

Aka, the gold standard for living a healthier and wellness-focused lifestyle. You probably already shop here for groceries and take comfort in knowing that whatever you throw into your cart is going to help you create healthier meals for yourself and your family. But have you ever considered browsing their skincare? As one of the most strictly cultivated skincare assortments, Whole Foods Market was instrumental in creating the clean beauty movement, proving over and over that healthy can also be effective. I can’t walk into the Whole Body section at my local Whole Foods Market without one of their friendly and informed Whole Body team members offering to help and giving the best advice.

2. The Indie Shelf

The most adorable natural beauty shop in Philadelphia, The Indie Shelf was founded by Sabeen Zia. After creating her own lipstick brand, Muskaan, she realized the difficulty and struggle that small, independently owned beauty brands have getting into retailers. She wanted to create a shop that supported small business owners, while allowing her customers to discover brands that are relatively undiscovered. She focuses on creating intimate relationships with both brand owners and customers so that she can recommend the very best products for your skin and lifestyle. In the Philly area? Make sure you check out The Indie Shelf!

3. FIELD Botanicals

Located in Augusta, Georgia, this thoughtfully curated shop was started by brand owner Jennifer Tinsley of FIELD Botanicals, an affordable body care line made from plant-based adaptogens. She also has her own shop where you can not only find FIELD Botanicals products, but also indie brands that align with her vegan and cruelty-free standards. Focusing on all the good plant vibes, she’s also created a list of ingredients that you will never find in any of the products in her shop. Obsessed with indie skincare and makeup? Come check out her shop in downtown Augusta! We recommend talking to one of her super knowledgeable staff members or pop into a workshop (you won’t be disappointed!).

4. Credo Beauty

Optimistically waiting for this gem to expand to the Columbus, Ohio area, I’ve visited their stores in Plano, Chicago and New York! This beautiful skincare shop is one of the largest clean beauty retailers in the United States. Obsessed with clean beauty, Credo lives for discovering the best, cleanest indie and luxury brands around and carries the largest collection of safe, non-toxic beauty products. They have incredibly knowledgeable staff that are more interested in aligning you with products that fit your personal skin needs versus simply making a sale. You can tell they’re slowly building a culture that’s trustworthy and personal for everyone who walks into their stores. To check out their clean standards, shop them online or find them in Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Los Angeles, NYC, Plano, San Diego or San Francisco.

5. Shen Beauty

A Brooklyn-based beauty shop dubbed “curator of cool” is now considered the place for the very best assortment of undiscovered beauty products. Originally started by Jessica Richards after a nasty reaction to a face cream (which turned into frustration that she couldn’t find quality, safe products) is now one of the most coveted assortments of beauty products in the industry. If you have difficulty finding quality, unique products, check out her hand-picked assortment. Each and every product meets her strict and innovative criteria for greatness. Also, check her out on Instagram where you’ll often see her personally using products and sharing routines and recommendations. Not in the New York area? No worries! You can shop her innovative assortment of products online.

6. Roven

Clean beauty that empowers! A retailer after our own heart. Roven believes that if you remove all the fillers and formulate with only the most effective ingredients, the final product works harder and feels better. Plus, they clearly define their standards of “clean beauty.” We just love their transparency, because this helps you find products that work best for your skin’s needs. Already a veteran in the health and wellness arena with Grove Collaborative bringing us healthier home essentials, we predict that Roven will be just as successful in the beauty arena. You can rest assured when shopping at Roven that their products have been vetted for safety and sustainability. They also offer a quick skin test that recommends products for your specific needs on their website.

7. Knockout Beauty

We’re all about education, and this retailer tops all others when it comes to personalization and education of its customers. This conscious beauty for the modern-minded retailer was founded by Cayli Cavaco Reck. Utilizing vast knowledge of both skin concerns and cutting-edge products to develop a personal protocol for everyone that comes into her shops, she’s determined to help her customers find truly efficacious products that are individualized to their specific needs. Not interested in carrying every trendy product on the market, her product assortment is limited to only products that actually transform the skin. Her shops focus on being “a great girlfriend to give you guidance” which is perfect for someone who doesn’t even know where to start with creating a healthy and effective skincare routine! You can find her beauty shops in LA and NYC, and can now shop her assortment online.

These seven retailers offer a health-focused, curated assortment of products, which should definitely align with your needs and values. See any you like on our list? Let us know your favorite place to shop for all things beauty in the comments below!

P.S. You can now shop Otto Skin Goods at The Indie Shelf, FIELD Botanicals, and Whole Foods Market Mid-Atlantic Region!