Is the Natural Beauty Brand Worth the Buzz?

About a year ago, I took stock of all my skincare products and did a major purge. As someone with sensitive skin who’s also health-conscious, I’ve made it a point to invest in brands that prioritize natural ingredients. Agent Nateur — a buzzy beauty line that’s committed to sourcing organic or wildcrafted, non-GMO, eco-certified ingredients — fits the bill. The company only uses ingredients that have been clinically proven for safety and effectiveness, avoiding any chemicals known to be even potentially harmful to human health, like parabens, phthalates, and formaldehyde-releasers. Agent Nateur was founded just a little over a decade ago, and since then, the brand has amassed quite a loyal following — Emma Watson and Olivia Wilde are just a couple of celebs who have said they’re big fans of the line.

More recently, I’ve been on a dedicated quest for pregnancy-safe skincare products that are powerful enough to bring about noticeable improvements but gentle enough for my sensitive skin. So, I decided to test out some of the brand’s bestsellers to see if they stood up against my current routine.

About Agent Nateur

Agent Nateur may have started with just a deodorant, but now the line includes everything from hair growth spray and collagen supplements to lash and brow serum, probiotic whitening toothpaste, and scalp combs.

After Covello created her DIY deodorant, she moved to France to formally study natural cosmetics. Then she began formulating a face oil — her goal was to make one that wasn’t sticky or greasy. The only snag? She wasn’t finding the high-quality raw ingredients she needed in America. So, she began working with a French chemist and traveling all over Europe to source active ingredients from those suppliers.

“I visited one of my suppliers in Switzerland for the actives and sourced helichrysum directly from a farmer in Provence,” she says. “We work with one of the most well-regarded clean active distributors in Europe.”

According to Covello, Agent Nateur’s ingredients are developed using green and white biotechnology that is safe for the skin, hormones, and the environment.

“I also source oils from all over the world, carefully testing for consistency and absorbency,” she explains. “For instance, our rice bran is made in Japan, our rosehip in South America, and rose and lavender water comes directly from a farmer in Bulgaria.”

Here are a handful of potentially problematic ingredients you’ll never find in Agent Nateur’s products:

• Aluminum
• Parabens
• Phtalates
• Phenoxyethanol
• Petroleum jelly
• Sulfates
• L-ascorbic acid
• Endocrine-disrupting chemical sunscreens
• Collagen that isn’t third-party tested for heavy metals
• Synthetic fragrance
• BHA and BHT
• DMDM Hydantoin

holi (stick) deodorant

This is Agent Nateur’s flagship product. When Covello struggled to find an effective aluminum-free, natural deodorant, she began making her own. Holi (stick) contains no synthetic fragrances or aluminum and is formulated with nourishing plant-based ingredients like coconut oil, avocado butter, and sunflower seed butter.

The deodorant is available in five scents, and I tried two: Cap D’Antibes and Tarte Tropézienne.

Cap D’Antibes is meant to evoke the feel of the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, and it really does smell like a beach day on the French Riviera. The limited-edition Tarte Tropézienne is inspired by the founder’s favorite dessert and has a sweet and creamy scent with vanilla and coconut notes. Honestly, I adore both equally and like having multiple options I can use depending on my mood that day.

The stick itself felt a tad stiff the first time I applied it, but thankfully it softened very quickly after that — contact with the heat from my warm skin seems to give it a more glide-friendly texture.

My biggest issue with most “natural” deodorants is that they don’t actually work. This one smells better than any other alternative I tried, and it actually did keep body odor at bay all day.

acid (wash) lactic acid skin brightening cleanser

Jena Covello, founder of Agent Nateur, recommends starting with the cleaners if you’re new to the brand — so that’s what I did.

This one, in particular, contains lactic acid, one of the best exfoliating ingredients that breaks down dead skin cells and unclogs pores to reveal smoother, brighter skin underneath. Of all the alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), lactic acid is known to be one of the gentlest, which is why it’s suitable for sensitive skin like mine. This cleanser also contains:

The first thing I noticed about this cleanser is that it doesn’t foam, which is a good sign in my experience. Many cleansers that foam contain surfactants, chemicals that can be pretty harsh on the skin, disrupting its pH balance, stripping away its natural oils, and wreaking havoc on the skin’s protective barrier. Over time, this can contribute to dryness and irritation.

The cleanser has a nice herbal scent and a gel-like texture. After applying a dime-sized amount to my face and neck and then rinsing it off 30 seconds later, my skin felt a little tight — an inevitability with cleansers — but definitely not uncomfortably so. It seems the benefits of this cleanser increase over time. While I didn’t notice any immediate benefits, once I had used it consistently for a full week, my skin did appear brighter.

holi (lift) ageless lifting and firming serum

Covello suggests adding this serum to your routine if you have mature skin, but even in my mid-30s, I’m always seeking out products that can help counteract signs of aging, like fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots.

Holi (lift) is made with 12 patented actives that promise to yield taut, supple, glowy skin. Some standout ingredients include:

• Almost 10% lactic acid to dissolve dead skin cells while providing hydration and soothing sensitivity, protecting the skin barrier, and gently resurfacing the skin
• 100% French silk peptides, which may help to support collagen and elastin production for a more youthful appearance
• Calming and soothing aloe and cucumber extract
• Calcium ketogluconate, a natural molecule clinically tested to help restore the skin’s elasticity and plump the skin to make fine lines less noticeable
• Pitaya extract, which is rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C
• Leucojum aestivum bulb extract, which can have a Botox-like effect, slowing muscle contractions and thereby reducing the appearance of wrinkles
• Red seaweed, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and contains compounds that can help fight hyperpigmentation
• Rosehip oil, which studies show can reduce inflammation as well as signs of aging
• Japanese rice bran oil, which can help the skin hold onto moisture and improve skin barrier function

One thing I really appreciated about this milky serum is that it has no detectable scent, and it feels immensely hydrating from the moment I slather it onto my skin. It also absorbs super fast, with an immediately dewy finish that dries more demi-matte. The best part? It’s super makeup-friendly — in fact, it almost seems to act as a blurring primer. The wrinkle-defying benefits are more obvious over time, and I’ve only been using this one for a couple of weeks, but I will say that since it has such an obvious plumping effect, the fine lines on my forehead seem less visible immediately after I use it.

holi (sun) spf 50 dewy tinted skin drops

This is hands down my favorite product in the Agent Nateur line — in part because it’s a multitasking product that can serve as a mineral sunscreen and tinted moisturizer in one.

Holi (sun) offers SPF 50+ protection from zinc oxide that blocks over 98% of UVA and UVB rays and over 35% of blue light radiation. It comes in five shades, ranging from ivory to espresso — I used the shade “beige” for light complexions, which had really nice neutral undertones. The radiant finish is gorgeous, giving me that lit-from-within look. I love this product so much that it’s replaced foundation in my beauty routine for the warmer months. I like that the formula feels lightweight but still evens out my complexion. It’s also ultra-moisturizing, thanks to the addition of squalene and fatty acid-rich rice bran extract. Other ingredients worth mentioning include:

• Camellia Sinensis (AKA green tea) leaf extract, which research shows can reduce moisture loss in the skin and improve texture, more specifically, reducing roughness and making skin appear smoother
• Skin-soothing and healing bisabolol
• Antimicrobial rosemary extract, which studies suggest may reduce wrinkle depth
• Niacinamide, or vitamin B3, can improve skin hydration, redness, wrinkles and fine lines, and dark spots
• Allantoin, a humectant that draws water into the skin

The formula looked quite thin and liquidy when I first applied it with the dropper bottle, but it’s so easy to blend. I like a finish that’s glowy but not greasy, and this one hits the mark. I like using a foundation brush to apply it, but when I don’t have a brush on hand, I’ve also used my fingers, which works just as well (though it’s a bit messier).

body (balm) ageless body treatment crème

One major misstep I made in my skincare routine throughout my 20s and early 30s was focusing solely on my face and neglecting my body. These days, I’ve been slathering on this body balm and loving the results.

Unlike body lotions, which can feel a bit heavy and leave an unpleasant film on my skin, this product feels more serum-like. It has a very subtle floral scent that I love and glides on so smoothly without a sticky finish.

I’ve been rubbing this every morning on my belly during pregnancy to try and ward off stretch marks, as well as on my thighs where I tend to notice more crepiness and saggy skin. But when I have time, I apply it all over my body. It feels like the ultimate act of self-care, and I’ve been super impressed that my skin still feels supremely soft, supple, and hydrated at the end of the day, eight to 10 hours after I applied the balm.

The formula contains a powerhouse blend of moisturizers: jojoba oil, olive oil, and vitamin E-rich oil. It also features argan oil, which has been shown to improve skin elasticity and thereby prevent and reduce stretch marks. Another ingredient worth mentioning is glycogen, which supports the production of ceramides — moisturizing fatty acids that help strengthen the skin barrier.

holi (bright) resurface glass face mask

There’s hardly a more satisfying skincare product than an exfoliating mask, but unfortunately, many of them are a little too harsh on my sensitive skin. Holi (bright) is ideal for dry and sensitive skin types like mine because it’s made with lactic acid (as opposed to harsher AHAs like glycolic acid), soothing pure aloe vera gel and cucumber, and hydrating hyaluronic acid. Other noteworthy ingredients include brightening vitamin C and moisturizing, anti-inflammatory French silk peptides.

Holi (bright) is meant to be applied to clean skin using a soft mask brush, but since I didn’t have a brush, I just used my fingers to create a thick, even layer across my face and neck. Agent Nateur recommends leaving the mask on for at least 15-30 minutes, but it can be left on overnight for more dramatic results. I set a timer for 30 minutes and then rinsed it off with lukewarm water. The scent was slightly medicinal — not my favorite, but also not off-putting at all. I noticed a very subtle tingling sensation after applying it, but before I could get nervous about a potential reaction, the sensation quickly went away.

After this mask dried down within just a couple of minutes, my skin felt incredibly tight, almost frozen in place. (I wondered: Is this what Botox feels like?)

Once I rinsed it off, my skin felt flexible again — but still somehow more taut and definitely smoother. I also noticed the pores I typically see in between my eyebrows and on my cheeks weren’t as visible.

holi (oil) refining ageless face serum

While historically, I’ve never considered a facial oil a must in my skincare routine, my attitude has been steadily changing. Oils seem to combat my lifelong dryness in a way that traditional moisturizers just can’t. Holi (oil) is an oil-serum hybrid that’s meant to be massaged into the skin after cleansing and toning. And a little goes a long way: I only needed about four to five drops for my entire face and neck.

This oil is packed with skin-loving ingredients, like rosehip and oil, Japanese rice bran oil, and redness-fighting as well as moisturizing rosa damascena oil. The formula also features sodium ascorbyl phosphate, a gentle yet potent form of vitamin C that brightens the skin and helps to fade hyperpigmentation.

Holi (oil) smells like a bouquet of roses and doesn’t leave me with that dreaded greasy finish I get with so many other facial oils. It’s ideal on days when my skin feels especially dehydrated, and I know it will definitely come in handy during the winter. One of the most remarkable things I noticed after using this product is that it actually calmed the redness around my nose and cheeks. Plus, if I apply a few extra drops, this gives my skin just enough slip to use a face-sculpting and depuffing gua sha tool.

The bottom line

As far as beauty brands go, Agent Nateur is one of the “cleanest” you’ll find — but the good news is, extensive testing has shown me that the brand definitely doesn’t sacrifice efficacy for safety. The quality of the ingredients is undeniable, and every single product in the line strikes a perfect balance: gentle enough for sensitive skin, yet powerful enough to yield real, noticeable benefits.

I’ve been really impressed with my results from the Agent Nateur line — the acid (wash) cleanser, holi (sun) drops, holi (lift), and body balm are now go-tos in my daily routine. I also plan to continue incorporating holi (bright) and holi (oil) as needed, and I expect the perks to only amplify over time.

Finally, I don’t know what I’ll do if Agent Nateur discontinues the holi (stick) deodorant — though something tells me, given that it’s the brand’s first launch and a consistent bestseller, I thankfully don’t see that happening anytime soon.