My Birch Babe Review (Natural Skincare from Canada!)

If you’d prefer to use skincare that’s not only all-natural and plastic-free, but also owned by a small family (a mom and her two daughters!), then you’ll want to check out Birch Babe.

I’ve tried a lot of their products over the past several years, and I’m finally giving you the full run down on my thoughts below—including what I would re-buy and what I wouldn’t.

This guide contains product recommendations and we may receive compensation if you purchase through certain links. As always, we only make recommendations that are genuine!

---

My Review of Birch Babe’s Natural Skincare Products

Btw, if you decide to try anything from Birch Babe, you can use the discount code THEFILTERYBB10 for 10% off your order.

Here are my thoughts on each product I’ve tried, and whether or not I’d buy it again.

Gentle Face Scrub

I definitely recommend Birch Babe’s Gentle Face Scrub. I like an exfoliating cleanser since I tend to have clogged pores, but it fits its name—it really is gentle. Exfoliating, but not too rough on the skin.

(Fellow Millennials, do you remember the St. Ives Apricot Scrub? That’s what this reminds me of—kind of nostalgic! The ingredients in this one are better though, lol.)

I love the smell of it too. It has a nice, light citrus scent. I personally use it for both a morning and an evening face wash.

It comes in an aluminum tube, which can be recycled (just make sure to clean it out first).

It also won CertClean’s 2023 Clean Beauty Award for the Best Face Scrub.

Would I re-buy it? Yes, definitely.

---

Hydrating Face Cream

This face cream is made out of all natural ingredients (93% of them are certified organic!). Among those ingredients is hyaluronic acid, which is great for hydration but also anti-aging and plumping.

It’s CertClean certified, which is a Canadian-based certification for ingredient safety. (This product won 2nd place for Best Face Cream in the 2023 CertClean Awards.)

I’m a big fan of this one. It’s super moisturizing, making it a good nighttime cream, BUT it’s also still light enough and soaks in fast enough that I use it for the daytime as well. I think it would be suitable for a variety of skin types.

I love the smell, too—it has kind of a fresh flower/rosey scent to it. I also like that it comes in a reusable glass jar instead of plastic.

Would I re-buy it? Yes—I already have.

---

Birch Babe Charcoal Clay Mask

This charcoal clay mask comes in a powder and then you add water to activate it. It’s a great product for oily & acne-prone skin.

My skin is noticeably softer immediately after I use this mask. I notice a difference in my pores and blackhead minimization as well. (I’ve had trouble getting rid of blackheads since I was a teenager!)

I will warn you though: this mask can be a little bit messy! The powder is just very fine and very black, so making the powder and rinsing it off can make a mess around your sink. I’d recommend doing it pre-shower and then just washing it off in the shower.

My other tip for you with the mask is that you can honestly use half of the amount the directions say to. It says to use 1 tablespoon of the mask powder and 1/2 tablespoon of water, but I found that I had quite a bit leftover after I covered my face and neck. If you use less than the directions call for, the small jar can last you quite a while.

But also, the fact that a little goes a long way means that you get your money’s worth with this.

Would I re-buy it? Yep!

---

Botanical Body Bar

Plastic-free, gender-neutral bar soap!

I love this natural body soap from Birch Birch. I got the “Woodsy Jay” and it smells SO good. It is a more masculine scent, so my husband and I are both using it. (He likes it, too, for the record.)

They have several scents available: Charcoal & Lemongrass, Citrus Swirl, Key Lime, Woodsy Jay, Aloe Vera & Seaweed.

They have a good lather (without sulfates).

They can double as a shampoo bar too if you want (although I haven’t tried it for that yet).

In addition to their Botanical Body Bars, they also have Exfoliating Body Bars, Botanical Shave Bars, and Facial Cleansing Bars, which are suitable for sensitive skin.

The biggest downside to this is probably the price tag. $15 for a bar of soap is pretty steep for most people.

Would I re-buy it? The price is a bit of a detractor, but if it wasn’t for that, I would definitely re-buy this one. Overall, it’s a great bar of soap—it smells really good, lathers well, and is all-natural & handmade.

---

Golden Hour Brightening Vitamin C Serum

‘Golden Hour’ definitely fits the name! This serum is literally gold (the color, not the metal), which I think brings a luxurious, royal vibe to my skincare regimen.

It’s got ingredients like kale extract, ferulic acid, niacinamide, vitamin C, and the peptide Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, which some people are calling “Nature’s Botox”. Together, all of these ingredients help to smooth skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines.

It does have a bit of a scent to it, which I honestly wouldn’t say is good or bad. It’s definitely not terrible at all, but it’s also not “oh my god, this smells so good.”

I would say that overall, my skin does feel a bit smoother and plumper after using this. It’s lightweight too, so I can put it on in the morning or evening.

However, there’s one thing about this serum that I don’t like. I’ve noticed that when I put it on with other products (like other serums or moisturizers), the products tend to pill—forming little clumps or balls on my skin.

Would I re-buy it? Probably not. I like to layer my products these days, and the clumping/pilling is annoying.

---

Natural Glow Face Serum

This is more of your traditional serum. Unlike the Golden Hour one, this one is clear and it has a lighter scent to it. (It’s faint and floral-y.)

I would say it’s mid-weight. It’s not as lightweight as some of the other serums I’ve tried, but it’s not super oily either. For this reason, I’ve been using it in place of a daytime moisturizer.

It’s got things like rosehip extract and oils of jojoba, carrot seed, grape seed, and castor. These things give it a lot of vitamins and antioxidants that are good for all kinds of skin types—aging, acne-prone, dry, and more.

Would I re-buy it? Yes. I really like that it’s lightweight enough to be used as a daytime moisturizer, but can also be used as a serum underneath a more intense night cream if you want.

---

Organic Micellar Water

Is micellar water still trendy? I don’t know because I never got on that train. 😬 That said, it can be used for a lot of different things: a makeup remover, a hydrating oil cleanser, or a restoring toner.

I’ve been using it as a toner more often than anything else. The rose water is good for anti-inflammation and reducing redness, and the witch hazel is a good natural astringent. But then the aloe vera leaf juice, grape seed oil, and glycerin prevent the skin from getting too dried out. I do like this Micellar Water as a toner! I like that it’s gentle on the skin and good for lots of different skin types.

P.S. If micellar water is your thing, you can get a jug to refill it.

Would I re-buy it? Probably not, to be honest. Nothing against this specific product; micellar water is just not my thing.

I actually ended up giving the rest of this bottle to my friend Jess, because she said she was looking for a new micellar water brand. She uses it as a makeup remover. Here’s what she said after using it for a couple of weeks:

“I liked it a lot! I used to use the Garnier micellar water and it worked just as well without leaving a greasy film!”

So, this gets approval from someone who actually uses micellar water!

---

Lip Balm

Birch Babe has a collection of lip/cheek tint sticks that come in a variety of colors. I got the ‘Skinny Dipper’, which is a colorless balm that’s closer to your standard clear/glossy chapstick.

Of course, I like that it comes in a paper tube, so it’s plastic-free and low-waste. The texture got a little weird after a while, like kind of gritty. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s not my favorite lip balm either.

Would I re-buy it? Probably not. Only because it’s $20, which is steep for a chapstick. I’d be more likely to buy one of the colored options because you can use it for more things, and spend less on a different clear lip balm.

---

Refreshing Mouthwash

Some functional dentists will tell you not to use essential oil based mouth washes because even though they’re natural, they can still be too harsh and mess with your oral microbiome.

And while I believe that, I also just want fresher breathe sometimes! 😆 So, I don’t use mouthwash on a daily basis—it’s more just like an ‘as-needed’ situation.

Anyway, I really like this mouthwash! It’s definitely very refreshing but it’s not so overpowering that it makes my eyes water like Listerine did back in the day. There’s no alcohol; it’s only distilled water, organic essential oils (peppermint, spearmint, tea tree), and stevia.

It comes in an aluminum bottle—yay for no plastic!

Would I re-buy it? Yep!

---

Sunscreen

To be honest, I don’t really like wearing any kind of sunscreen, whether it’s chemical or mineral. I find it all to be heavier/greasier than I’d like and I’m still on the hunt to find a non-toxic sunscreen that I actually love.

This sunscreen fits into the same category as a lot of other mineral sunscreens I’ve tried. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it either.

I definitely like that it comes in an aluminum tin, so less plastic.

I got the fragrance-free option, but it does still have a slight scent to it. (This is super random and not a bad thing, but it reminds me or something we used to feed our horses growing up! I think it must be the carrot seed oil. 😆 But don’t worry—it’s not very strong and it went away as soon as I rubbed it in.)

It is white, but I found that it rubbed in well, especially if I was careful to not put too much on a section of my skin at one time.

The active ingredient is non-nano zinc oxide, which is the safest active sunscreen ingredient you can currently get in the U.S.

Would I re-buy it? Maybe.

---

Muscle & Joint Relief Balm

This is like Tiger Balm or Vick’s Vapor Rub. It’s got ingredients like castor oil, menthol, and eucalyptus.

The scent is a little intense if you use a lot of it. (But kind of nice if you’ve got stuffed up sinuses!)

My muscles and joints hurt all the time, so I was definitely down to try this. It’s not *magic* in the sense that it takes all of my aches and pains away, but it does seem to help ease things a bit. I’ve also used it on my husband’s aching neck and it’s been helpful to ease soreness there too.

Would I re-buy it? Yes.

---

Summing up my thoughts

Birch Babe has a lot going for it. I love that it’s a small, Canadian-made brand that’s both female-founded and family-run. 🇨🇦 They put care into their ingredient choices, often using EcoCert and Fairtrade options, and they’re committed to being cruelty-free and vegan. Their packaging leans low-plastic (though you’ll still see some plastic for things like lids, which is pretty normal for skincare). Most of their products are made to work well across different skin types, which makes them really versatile.

In terms of performance, Birch Babe isn’t anything super fancy or luxurious. They’re not using cutting-edge anti-aging ingredients or things like that. I would say this brand is more for people who are looking for minimalistic products that get the job done without a bunch of bells and whistles.

P.S. Don’t forget: if you decide to buy, you can use the code THEFILTERYBB10 for 10% off.

---

I hope this review has helped you decide if you want to try Birch Babe out for yourself!

If you have tried it in the past, let me know in the comments what you like (and/or dislike) about this brand.

🍋 Join Thousands of Subscribers Reducing Toxic Chemicals

If you found this guide helpful, sign up for my (free) weekly newsletter. You’ll get product picks, the latest news about toxic chemicals, and other exclusive content I don’t share anywhere else.

Sign up

We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.