The Clean Girl Aesthetic Definitive Guide

Of all the viral trends in beauty, none has been so mystifying in its simplicity, so coveted as the “clean girl aesthetic”. It plays into the effortless perfection described by French girl chic, but it’s more wholesome and all-American in its execution. Soft, bouncy hair, minimal (visible) makeup, perfect skin, white teeth – it’s everything you (okay, I) wanted to be in high school.

Still, if you’ve dyed or heat styled your hair, ever drank a coffee, or aged past 19, you might find aspiring toward the clean girl aesthetic a little tougher than 10 second clips on TikTok imply. Let’s dive into how to achieve this aesthetic, why you’d even want to, and what’s tricky about it. Buckle up, because this guide is exhaustive.

Wait, Isn’t Clean Girl Aesthetic Just the No-Makeup Makeup Look?

In short, it’s a lot more work than that. While no-makeup makeup has taken the Internet by storm, to truly achieve the clean girl look, the canvas (you) must be flawless inside and out, from head to toe. Soft, luxurious, naturally colored hair, straight gleaming teeth, glowing clear skin and a fit body all take this look beyond no-makeup makeup. It’s a lot closer to the “Pilates princess” aesthetic or “that girl” trend we’ve seen lately, a green juice-drinking ultrafemme form of gymrat whose flexibility is rivaled only by her somehow natural-looking bronzed legs (sunless of course – she’d never risk a wrinkle tanning outdoors). In short, it has to be real, from the inside out.

Let’s break this look down piece by piece, and assume you’re starting from zero.

Bouncy, Soft, Luxurious Hair

You may think the words “clean girl aesthetic” imply that all you have to do is um, clean yourself well. No. You can certainly stop dyeing your hair if your natural hair color is nice. Some of us dislike our natural color, and the process of growing out dyed hair is arduous at best. The clean girl aesthetic works best with natural looking hair colors, and soft browns and balayage play well against the bronzed, healthy skin we’ll be looking to achieve, but depending upon your coloring/ethnicity a darker brown or black may work better for you. For best results, pick a shade close to your natural hair color and have a pro give you a lovely dye job – or, learn a bit about haircoloring and do it yourself.

Whatever shade you pick, you’ll need to protect your hair from damage in the dye process with a product like All-Plex, which you can use while processing your hair to keep it healthy. Protection from damage will be a theme here – consider skipping heat styling and using heatless curlers a la Cassie, and always use a heat protectant (my fave is Amika).

There’s more that can damage hair than chemicals – hair also suffers physical damage. Brushing, handling, styling, etc can cause damage. I once read a girl with ultralong hair espousing treating your hair like vintage lace. Get a gentle detangling brush without ball tips on the bristles, as they can snag hair. Silk pillowcases also famously cause less friction against the hair follicle and help prevent physical damage.

It goes without saying, clean=clean cut, so get a proper hair cut from a professional. As far as styles, clean girls keep it simple, or at least simple looking.

Glowing Skin

Clean girls glow from the inside out. The 1200-step Cassie-level skincare routine has reached cult status on TikTok. I resisted for a long time, but TBH, it’s worth it. Here’s mine:

Morning Skincare

1. Cleanse with a gentle cleanser like CeraVe Foaming Cleanser. Note: some people use just water in the morning. However, your pores shed impurities at night, and frankly, sometimes I break all the clean-girl rules and sleep on my face. Accordingly, make sure you’re washing your (silk) pillowcases weekly.
2. Tone – I love the TONYMOLY Wonder Ceramide Mochi Toner.
3. Follow with an essence (the hype af COSRx Snail Mucin is worth every rave review).
4. On alternating mornings, include an ampoule or specific anti-aging treatment. I like this one because it includes niacinimide.
5. Use a skincare serum. In the morning I like Matrixyl + Argireline, because its ingredients show immediate Botox-like effects and help make a smooth base for my day’s makeup.
6. Apply eye cream. It’s expensive, yes, but Tatcha Silk Peony is the most luxurious eye creme I’ve ever used.
7. Apply your moisturizer. Finally, use a moisturizer! If you’re oily, you still need to moisturize – just use an oily skin-friendly one like Cetaphil’s.
8. Wear sunscreen, every day, everywhere. Even if you live in gloomy New England in the winter, the sun can sneakily damage your skin. Sunscreen goes on before your makeup – no excuses. Supergoop Glowscreen functions as a primer and sun protection in one, so it’s perfect for the AM.

Evening Skincare

1. I double cleanse at night, starting with an oil cleanser. The Face Shop is just as nice if you can’t afford Tatcha. I follow with a Hadolabo cleanser (yes, I have three facial cleansers, because I’m extra).
2. I cycle nights between three nighttime treatments, because again, I am extra:

Night Treatment Cycles

1. Treatment A: I have dared to age, so after toner I use tretinoin 2.5% on one night, followed by a thick nighttime moisturizer. You have to get a scrip for this, but it’s very easy to do online. I used Ro and it was very simple and quick. I can say definitively that of everything I have done, tretinoin has made the most marked difference in my facial texture. My skin is smoother and my visible pores are essentially gone. A couple of points here for those new to the wonder that is tretinoin:
   • Do NOT use tretinoin in the morning. You should not go in sunlight with tretinoin on your face.
   • Do not be led to believe that you can just buy a retinol serum and get the same effects as tretinoin. Retinol and tretinoin are two different things.
2. Treatment B: After toning, I exfoliate with a glycolic acid or Zo Skin Health AHA. FYI, glycolic acid is a type of AHA, and IMO it’s the best one for exfoliating skin, but don’t do it too often or your skin may become irritated.
3. Treatment C: I give my skin a break from the intensive treatments of the other two nights every third night and proceed with toner, essence, ampoule, serum, eye cream and moisturizer as normal. If I want to use an extra hydrating mask, I’ll insert it on this night, but I don’t do any resurfacing or otherwise irritating masks, ever.

No matter the night, I always finish with Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. It’s ultra hydrating and just honestly feels like a treat.

In addition to the daily skincare routine, I also get a monthly hydrafacial. They’re not cheap, but they’re worth it. Note that skin quality (and every other section here) will be highly influenced by the Nutrition section below.

Healthy Skin All Over

Clean girl aesthetic-worthy skin goes beyond the skin on your face. You don’t have to be tan, but a healthy color helps – however, it goes without saying you should never tan outdoors. Use a sunless tanner if you feel your pale skin tone makes you look sallow or to help disguise visible veins or other imperfections on your body. However, note that to look like a clean girl and not like a Jersey Shore extra, the effect must be natural looking and the application must be flawless. I suggest shaving first, then applying either a daily gradual tanning lotion or a high quality self tanner with a tanning mitt. This set has a clever applicator for your back and hard-to-reach spots. If you’re not sure on the color, start light.

Perfect Teeth

Teeth are often neglected in our quest for beauty, but for the clean girl aesthetic, they’re a non-negotiable. The two toughest bits: make them white and make them straight. If you lost your retainer and were afraid to tell your mom, you may have to go for round 2 like me and try Invisalign. There are cheaper alternatives available online, but the savings aren’t enough to outweigh the risks of not seeing a proper dentist throughout, imo.

For whiter teeth, an in-office whitening provides the best results, especially if they offer take home trays. You can DIY this part, though. Most overlook the need for maintenance: if your teeth weren’t white to start, they won’t stay white without repeated whitenings. I like to use my whitening kit, strips or pen while I’m putting on my makeup in the morning. I do this a few times a week to keep my teeth staying bright.

Another piece of whitening that deserves attention: remineralization. After you whiten, your teeth are more sensitive and likely to stain. Remineralize after you whiten to combat this effect. My whitening kit came with remineralizing gel.

Minimal, Natural Makeup

Here’s where the no-makeup makeup comes in. This is a key part of the aesthetic. Nice brows, rosy cheeks, natural lashes and healthy, medium pink lip color define this look. Olivia Rodrigo tends to be a great example. Here are some shortcuts:

• Start with fantastic skincare as outlined above. Glowing skin is a must.
• Keep falsies to a minimum. If you get lash extensions, go for classic, or try an under-lash flare set like Falscara.
• Use cream blush to keep it dewy and natural – Glossier’s Cloud Paint is a viral hit.
• Consider brow lamination. This is popular in the aesthetic, and you can DIY it at home now!

Nails

The standard is in the name: no matter what, your nails need to be clean. If you can’t afford to get your nails done, you need to be keeping them pretty yourself. File, trim and oil your cuticles daily, and buff them if you don’t like polish or aren’t good at it. You can even get a home gel nail kit and DIY.

Frankly, I find this effort too onerous and get regular manicures and pedicures. Gel-X is a budding new way to grow your natural nails while simultaneously rocking baddie tips, but honestly, clean girl aesthetic isn’t even about long nails – just healthy looking ones. In fact, watch that the length isn’t out of control.

Colors that scream clean girl include light to medium pinks, nudes, French ombre, neutrals, and if it’s short and classy, a classic red. Above all, they should be pristine.

Fitness and Nutrition

If you take one thing from this guide, it should be nutrition. Good nutrition makes everything else mentioned herein look better. Collagen powder can encourage healthy hair, NAD+ precursors like niacinimide/nicotinamide riboside can reduce the signs of aging, and everyone should be taking a multivitamin. I take a multi, Krill oil, Vitamin D3, and the above supplements every day.

Along with nutrition comes fitness. Clean girls are healthy girls inside and out. The classic clean girl exercise is Pilates, but anything you partake in that raises your heart rate daily will improve your overall health and will shine through in your skin. You don’t need an expensive gym membership – you can do YouTube workouts for free at home. Chloe Ting is a literal lifesaver.

Conclusion: Why, though?

Honestly, if you don’t have the time, money or energy to do all this, it’s okay. Aesthetics, including the clean girl aesthetic, are aspirational. They are not meant for mere mortals working 9-5 jobs. You can do all of the above, and you’ll still age, mess up, and dare to eat a cheeseburger sometimes. And this isn’t everyone’s aesthetic – more glamorous, fashion forward, or alternative aesthetics exist and are valid. You don’t have to be one thing, and you can change aesthetics daily if you feel like it. Be you, and if that’s embodying the clean girl aesthetic today and Wednesday Addams tomorrow, that’s great.