Please note that submissions for the 2021 SELF Healthy Beauty Awards are now closed. Winners will be announced in late spring.
Get excited: It’s almost time for the annual SELF Healthy Beauty Awards! Over the next several months, our editors and judges will test new beauty products for skin, hair, and body, along with makeup and oral-care products, to find the very best of the best. After a long and hard year, we can’t wait to share the items that help us look good and feel great, no matter the circumstances.
As we did with our 2020 Awards, this year we will also consult a board of dermatologists to help determine what ingredients and results we should be looking for in effective products. We’re also adding a new oral-care category, because if there’s one place where health and beauty intersect, it’s certainly your mouth. Ultimately, our goal is to share the best new products that are genuinely helpful to have and delightful to use.
Here’s everything that brands who would like to submit products for consideration need to know.
If you are a brand who would like to submit products for the 2021 SELF Healthy Beauty Awards, please follow these submission guidelines:
Qualified submissions include new products and existing products with new formulations that launched or will launch between June 2020 and May 2021. (Products available for preorder online as of May 2021 are eligible.)
To submit an eligible product for consideration, please email [email protected] with “2021 Submission” in the subject line. In your email, please include:
- A press release or info sheet about the product(s). Please include the launch date for the product. If the submission is an existing product with a new formulation, let us know what’s been updated.
- The category where you think this product best fits. (You may submit one product to multiple categories. You may also submit multiple products to multiple categories. All categories are listed below.)
- The ingredients list for the product. (A photo of the ingredients panel on the product or product box is fine, as long as all ingredients are clearly visible.)
- High-res photos of the product, white background preferred.
- If you are submitting multiple products, please include all of your submissions in one email.
Please do not mail product submissions until we request them. Once we’ve made a determination about your submission, we may request samples and send additional information including a mailing address.
Emailed submissions must be received by Sunday, February 28, 2021, in order to be eligible.
Categories and Eligible Products
Skin Care
Facial Cleansers and Makeup Removers for All Skin Types
- When appropriate, please indicate if the product you are submitting is intended for sensitive skin, oily/acne-prone skin, dry skin, aging skin, discoloration concerns, all skin types, etc.
- Includes products such as: oil-based cleansers, foaming cleansers, micellar water, toners, waterproof makeup removers, makeup-removing wipes, eye makeup removers, and blotting papers.
Moisturizers and Eye Creams for All Skin Types
- When appropriate, please indicate if the product you are submitting is intended for sensitive skin, oily/acne-prone skin, dry skin, aging skin, discoloration concerns, all skin types, etc.
- Includes products such as: face moisturizers, mineral and chemical SPF moisturizers, mineral and chemical sunscreens (for face), eye creams (brightening, antiaging, hydrating), dark spot correctors, night creams, and night eye creams.
Serums, Oils, and Masks for All Skin Types
- When appropriate, please indicate if the product you are submitting is intended for sensitive skin, oily/acne-prone skin, dry skin, aging skin, discoloration concerns, all skin types, etc.
- Includes products such as: serums (antiaging, hydrating, vitamin C, retinol, antioxidant, brightening, CBD, etc.), sheet masks & cream masks, face mists & essences, peels, chemical exfoliators, and face oils.
Body Products for All Skin Types
- Includes products such as: scrubs, cleansers, lotions, body washes, deodorants, antiperspirants, hand sanitizer, hand & feet products, nail polishes, mineral and chemical sunscreens for body, at-home hair-removal tools (such as razors, tweezers, etc.), shaving cream, and self-tanners.
Healthy Hair
Hair-Care Products for All Hair Types, Including Natural and Curly Hair
- When appropriate, please indicate if the product you are submitting is intended for fine or thinning hair, color-treated or damaged hair, oily hair, etc.
- Includes products such as: shampoos (formulated for volumizing, clarifying, damaged or color-treated hair, etc.), conditioners, hair oils, hair gels, dry shampoos, scalp exfoliants, leave-in conditioners, hair masks, hair serums, air-dry styling products, mousses, and hairsprays.
Hair Tools
- Includes products such as: straighteners, curlers, curling irons, paddle brushes, round brushes, and blow-dryers.
Makeup
Foundations and Concealers for Every Skin Type
- When appropriate, please indicate if the product you are submitting is intended for sensitive skin, oily/acne-prone skin, dry skin, aging skin, discoloration concerns, all skin types, etc.
- Includes products such as: full-coverage foundation, concealers, BB creams, CC creams, tinted moisturizers, primers, setting sprays, setting powders, makeup sponges, and contouring sticks.
Blushes, Bronzers, and Highlighters for Every Skin Type
- When appropriate, please indicate if the product you are submitting is intended for sensitive skin, oily/acne-prone skin, dry skin, aging skin, discoloration concerns, all skin types, etc.
- Includes products such as: liquid and powder blushes, liquid and powder highlighters, bronzers, blush palette sets, and makeup brushes.
Mascaras, Eye Shadows, Eyeliners, and Brow Products
- Includes products such as: mascara, waterproof mascara, false eyelashes, liquid and pencil eyeliners, eye shadow, eye shadow palettes, brow pomades, brow pencils; plus tools such as eyelash curlers and tweezers.
Lip Stains, Lipsticks, Lip Glosses
- Includes products such as: lipsticks, lip glosses, lip stains, lip balms, lip plumpers, lip sets, and lip liners.
Oral Care
Toothbrushes, Toothpastes, Floss, Mouthwash, and Other Oral Care Products
- When appropriate, please indicate if the product you are submitting is intended for sensitive teeth, sensitive gums, discoloration concerns, all teeth, etc.
- Includes products such as: toothpaste for sensitive gums, toothpaste for sensitive teeth, whitening toothpaste, electric toothbrushes, manual toothbrushes, floss picks, string floss, tongue scrapers, mouthwash, alcohol-free mouthwash, whitening strips, and whitening trays.
Additional Information
If you’re wondering whether a product fits into one of these categories, please send us an email. We do not consider supplements of any kind (for instance, collagen drinks or biotin vitamins) or facial massage tools (such as jade rollers).
Email [email protected] with “Question re: Healthy Beauty Awards” in the subject line, and we’ll get back to you ASAP. Thanks, and good luck!
Editor’s Note: This category list is subject to change.