Makeup Brands: Have you noticed that the words “natural” and “organic” seem to be on every cosmetic label these days? We do, too. Unfortunately, the lack of regulation means that these marketing buzzwords don’t always reflect a product’s ingredients. (See what organic certification entails here .)
But don’t worry: We’ve searched high and low for the best organic makeup and natural skincare brands that are truly clean and cruelty-free, at a variety of price points and products.
Why consider clean makeup?
Unfortunately, for decades, makeup has been riddled with toxic chemicals that can have serious consequences for our health. Ingredients like PFAS, formaldehyde, parabens, and SLS are found in many of our favorite makeup products and can be absorbed into our skin, causing unwanted reactions like allergies, eye damage, or worse.
Luckily, many clean makeup brands are leading the way in making safe, effective makeup products that don’t harm your health. (And they work as well or better than typical makeup products!)
ILIA
The best makeup brands combine natural, effective ingredients with nourishing vitamins and oils. This is the case with ILIA. This natural cosmetics line creates formulas from scratch to ensure your makeup is as clean as possible, while being dedicated to sustainability and ethics every step of the way.
We love the multi-use travel-friendly sticks and compact makeup collection. You can read our review of the ILIA Super Serum tinted skin serum here.
ILIA Review | “Ilia’s tinted skin serum ticked all the boxes. Between the ethics of the brand, the recyclability of the packaging and clean formulation, and the excellent performance of the product, I will gladly repurchase it.
The skincare lover in me takes advantage of an excuse to turn part of my makeup routine into a skincare step, too.” – Natalie Gale, Editor of The Good Trade (Read the full review)
Well People
If you’re looking for the perfect no-makeup look, Well People is the brand for you. The natural, cruelty-free cosmetics in this collection are designed to nourish and soothe your skin while giving you the color and coverage you want. Plus, the range includes plenty of vegan products which we love.
We love the versatility and affordability of Well People’s artisanal cosmetics, especially since over 100 products are EWG certified. (You can find Well People at major drugstores!)
Healthy People Reviews | “It’s very moisturizing and has a good dose of color. Not sheer but light. It has a slight herbal flavor but no fragrance. It’s good for cold weather when I want color and hydration.”
RMS Beauty
RMS Beauty is renowned in the beauty world and we understand why. The brand’s cosmetic collection is produced using raw, organic, food-grade ingredients that hydrate and brighten the skin while enhancing and enhancing your already beautiful complexion.
RMS is dedicated to transforming the way people use makeup, creating products that are not only non-toxic and non-GMO, but are also healing and nourishing.
RMS Beauty Review | “The eyeshadow is very pretty. It applies very easily and has a nice sheen to it much easier than powders. I really like it.
Merit Beauty
Merit produces exactly what we need—no more, no less. The Los Angeles-based beauty brand offers a highly curated line of “well-edited essentials” (including a lengthening mascara and a brightening balm) that contain no more than 1,400 potentially harmful ingredients.
Instead, their products feature skin-friendly formulas that include plant-based squalane, vitamin B5, kaolin clay, and sea daffodil extract. Their shipping packaging is recyclable, reusable, or biodegradable; and Merit also volunteers, donates, and supports the nonprofit Baby2Baby.
Merit Review | “I have incredibly sensitive skin, and finding makeup products that don’t irritate my skin or give me wrinkles or blemishes has always been a challenge. However, I can safely say that these products are absolutely fantastic.
They blend seamlessly, like butter melting on my skin, and the result is a beautifully natural, no-makeup look that I am absolutely obsessed with. It’s rare to find products that not only work well but are also suitable for sensitive skin, and these really exceeded my expectations. I can only recommend them.
Jones Road
Makeup pioneer Bobbi Brown created Jones Road just four years after leaving her namesake company. “Why can’t I find makeup products that are clean and high-performing, that don’t sacrifice one for the other?”
she asked herself. Jones Road seeks to fill this gap in the market, with versatile, easy-to-use products that can be used to achieve any look, from a natural no-makeup look to an ultra-glam, dramatic look.
Using even stricter guidelines than the EU, the carefully curated range of balms, sticks and creams are the crème de la crème when it comes to high-impact clean beauty. You can read our full Jones Road review here.
Jones Road Review | “All of the products are fantastic and wear well throughout the day, and my skin has looked and felt great over the past few weeks. I like that a little goes a long way, which makes the price worth it.
Conclusion
Clean makeup brands avoid using harmful chemicals and instead formulate their cosmetics with natural and organic ingredients like fruit and vegetable pigments, aloe vera, and cornstarch, which are gentler and safer for our skin.
Clean makeup brands also prioritize animal welfare and environmental initiatives, as many are vegan, cruelty-free, and use sustainable packaging that minimizes harm to animals, the planet, and ourselves.