Clean & Toxin-Free Makeup Brands
Obviously no one “needs” makeup, but I view it as a method of self-expression, and I think it’s fun to play with different colors. I don’t wear makeup every day, but many people that I love do, and I want them to be as safe as possible when doing so.
Greenwashing
So many brands these days use a strategy called “greenwashing” to make their products seem healthier than they really are. This is often done by using fancy or “eco-friendly” packaging, “plant-based” or “natural” ingredients. But if you’ve ever actually looked at the ingredients in your cosmetics, you’ll know that these same brands contain a bunch of objectively toxic ingredients like parabens, titanium dioxide, avobenzene, fragrance and more.
Greenwashing is a huge issue in the cosmetics industry and affects a very high percentage of products, especially ones that can be purchased in brick and mortar stores. Unfortunately, all of these chemicals will absorb into your skin once they’ve been applied. Many of these ingredients are banned in countries like Europe due to definitive links to health issues, but for some reason remain legal here in the US.
Shareholder Profits > Product Safety
Another issue with a lot of these brands is that they are owned by mega-corporations. This is a big issue, because these giant corporations actually have more incentive to make money for their shareholders than they do to actually make sure their products are safe, as detailed by journalist Ian Carroll in this video:
“But Ivy, everything’s a chemical!”
Yes, everything is technically a chemical. And some are safer than others. I am merely pointing out that the dose makes the poison, and many of the ones added to cosmetics are not ones that are healthy to apply to your skin, especially on any kind of long-term basis.
Anyways, I recently spent some time researching the cleanest makeup brands so that you can opt for safer products. Many of them even have a pretty inclusive shade range, and some even offer more fun products like plastic-free glitter and eyeshadows. I hope that this article at least brings awareness to the ingredients that you’re applying to your body, and shows you that better options do exist.
Ingredients to Avoid
Since I can’t possibly list every makeup product that contains unsafe ingredients, here’s a list of the worst ingredients that you can use to check the products you’re currently using (it may be easier to “search in page” or hit ctrl+F to search ingredients in your product specifically). If any of your products are less than ideal, take a look at the brands below to find a replacement.
If this list seems overwhelming, you can check out the EWG Skin Deep App, or Yuka or Olive apps (Apple users only). These apps allow you to scan the barcode of the product and will give you a quick rundown of how safe it is, with any problematic ingredients flagged. This is way faster easier than googling each ingredient line-by-line, so it’s something I do before getting anything new that I’m buying in-person. These apps also work for food and household items.
Formaldehyde – Preservative in nail and hair products; known human carcinogen and allergen. (EWG)
Paraformaldehyde – Solid form of formaldehyde in nail hardeners; releases carcinogenic gas. (EWG)
Methylene Glycol – Used in hair straighteners; breaks down into formaldehyde when heated. (EWG)
Quaternium-15 – Preservative in creams; releases formaldehyde and causes skin sensitization. (EWG)
Imidazolidinyl Urea – Preservative in powders/lotions; formaldehyde releaser and allergen. (EWG)
Diazolidinyl Urea – Preservative in skincare; releases high amounts of formaldehyde. (EWG)
DMDM Hydantoin – Preservative in shampoo; releases formaldehyde over time. (EWG)
Bronopol – Preservative that can form carcinogenic nitrosamines. (EWG)
Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) – Preservative in liquid products; allergen and possible neurotoxin. (EWG)
Methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT) – Preservative; linked to skin allergies and lung toxicity. (EWG)
Parabens (Methyl-, Propyl-, Butyl-) – Preservatives; mimic estrogen and linked to hormone disruption. (EWG)
Triclosan – Antibacterial in soaps/toothpaste; endocrine disruptor and environmental toxin. (EWG)
Triclocarban – Antimicrobial agent; disrupts hormones and may affect fetal development. (EWG)
Phenoxyethanol – Preservative in many products; linked to allergic reactions and neurotoxicity. (EWG)
Oxybenzone – Sunscreen agent; hormone disruptor and potential carcinogen. (EWG)
Octinoxate – UV filter in SPF products; disrupts thyroid and reproductive hormones. (EWG)
Homosalate – UVB sunscreen filter; enhances chemical absorption and may disrupt hormones. (EWG)
PABA – Old sunscreen ingredient; causes skin sensitivity and may disrupt hormones. (EWG)
Padimate O – Sunscreen chemical; PABA derivative linked to nitrosamine formation. (EWG)
Octocrylene – UV filter that degrades into benzophenone, a possible carcinogen. (EWG)
Benzophenone – UV stabilizer in cosmetics; linked to liver tumors and hormone disruption. (EWG)
DEA/TEA/MEA – Emulsifiers that can form carcinogenic nitrosamines. (EWG)
PEGs (e.g. PEG-100) – Used for texture; often contaminated with carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane. (EWG)
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) – Detergent that causes irritation and strips skin barrier. (EWG)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) – Surfactant possibly contaminated with 1,4-dioxane. (EWG)
Nonoxynol-9 – Surfactant that can cause irritation and form toxic byproducts. (EWG)
Polyacrylamide – Thickener that can release acrylamide, a probable carcinogen. (EWG)
Petrolatum – Moisturizer; may be contaminated with carcinogenic PAHs. (EWG)
PTFE (Teflon) – Used for slip in makeup; often contaminated with PFAS, linked to cancer. (EWG)
Resorcinol – Found in hair dyes; thyroid disruptor and skin irritant. (EWG)
p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) – Hair dye chemical; strong allergen and possible carcinogen. (EWG)
Coal Tar – Dandruff and psoriasis treatment; contains carcinogenic compounds. (EWG)
Carbon Black (CI 77266) – Pigment in mascara and eyeliner; possible carcinogen if inhaled. (EWG)
Lead – Contaminant in lipstick and eye makeup; neurotoxic with no safe exposure level. (FDA)
Mercury (Thimerosal) – Preservative in some eye products; neurotoxin banned in many countries. (FDA)
Talc – Used in powders; risk of asbestos contamination and linked to ovarian cancer. (EWG)
Silica – Found in powders; inhalable form may contain carcinogenic crystalline silica. (EWG)
Titanium Dioxide – White pigment; inhalable form is classified as a possible carcinogen. (EWG)
Aluminum Compounds – Found in deodorants and colorants; linked to neurotoxicity and breast cancer. (EWG)
Cyclomethicones (D4/D5) – Silicone conditioners; linked to hormone disruption and uterine tumors. (SafeCosmetics)
Fragrance (Parfum) – Hidden blend of chemicals; linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and headaches. (EWG)
Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) – Plasticizer in nail polish; endocrine disruptor and reproductive toxin. (EWG)
Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) – Banned phthalate contaminant; affects fertility and fetal development. (CDC)
Toluene – Solvent in nail and hair dyes; neurotoxin and possible reproductive hazard. (EWG)
Acrylates (MMA/EMA) – Found in nail products; irritants and possible carcinogens. (EWG)
N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP) – Solvent in removers; reproductive toxin and organ irritant. (SafeCosmetics)
BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) – Preservative in lipsticks; endocrine disruptor and possible carcinogen. (EWG)
BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) – Antioxidant preservative; linked to hormone disruption and organ toxicity. (EWG)
Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate) – Anti-aging compound; may speed cancer growth in sunlight. (EWG)
1,4-Dioxane (contaminant) – Found in PEGs and SLES; probable human carcinogen not listed on labels. (EWG)
Child working in a mica mine in India.
Source: Originally published by Satyarthi US on their site › satyarthi‑us.org
About Mica
Mica is a mineral that is often added to cosmetics to give it sparkle. Unfortunately, the mica mining industry is highly unethical and most of this mineral is mined by children as young as 4 years old. The conditions these children work in are known to cause lung issues and broken bones because of the dangerous nature of the work in these mines. Children are not able to attend school and are not paid hardly anything for their work. Mica is also used in most electronics because it is highly conductive, but doesn’t heat up very much, so it is pretty much impossible to avoid entirely.
Clean Makeup Brands
If you have found that your products contain these harmful ingredients, you can upgrade your routine with these clean brands. Full disclosure: I did not personally try all of these, but the ingredients in these brands are clean and they generally are rated positively in the reviews for each of their products. Even though I can’t review each product from these brands specifically, there are lots of reviews from others who have purchased.
Full disclosure, I am not affiliated with or sponsored by any of these brands. I’m sharing this because I did the research for myself to find the best/safest/healthiest makeup, and felt like this is information everyone should know.
Does Clean Makeup Cost More?
I was concerned about this when I began researching for this article, but actually was pleasantly surprised to find that these clean products are priced very similarly or cheaper than your average commercial makeup brand that you’d find at Sephora or Ulta.
Grocery store makeup like Maybelline, NYX or Physicians Formula may still be a bit cheaper than most of these, but in my opinion, I think that if you’re going to wear makeup, it is worth the investment of a few more dollars for brands that will not be detrimental to your health.
Okayyy, with all that out of the way, let’s get into the brands I found in my research!!
100% Pure | 100percentpure.com
Clean makeup brand offering products made with plant-based metal-free pigments. 100% Pure is also completely vegan/cruelty free, and
Pros: Pigments are made from fruit and plants, ingredients are very clean, and their formulas look like normal makeup.
Cons: Some of their formulations include sunflower seed oil, which oxidizes very quickly and can promote inflammation. I have repeatedly tried to buy from this company, but the shade I need is almost always out of stock. Also many of their products are packaged in plastic.
I actually tried a few products from this brand like a year ago and was surprised to find that it works pretty well. Their foundation is made with pigments from fruit, and did not break me out. However, I typically like a more dewy look and felt like the formula was too matte. The formula was very lightweight and felt like I had just applied a serum, which was nice.
One Organic | us.one.organic
This brand offers non-toxic household items, body care and cosmetics.
Pros: pretty clean ingredients overall, no titanium dioxide, no parabens or synthetic fragrances.
Cons: Several of their core formulas contains essential oils & sunflower seed oil. Shades are not very inclusive, mostly pale/light toned shades.
Why This is Not My Favorite
Essential oils are harsh on the skin, and many of them are endocrine disruptors, meaning that they affect your hormones. Sunflower oil is also problematic because it has a higher omega-6 level compared with omega-3. Sunflower oil is often produced using chemical solvents that can remain in the finished product, and also it oxidizes very quickly, which can cause inflammation.
Omiana | omiana.com
Omiana is a brand offering gentle, Non-Toxic, and Cruelty-Free makeup products.
Pros: mica free (cruelty free), no synthetic fragrance, no parabens, generally pretty natural ingredients.
Cons: Many products contain sunflower seed oil, which oxidizes quickly and promotes inflammation. Some of their products contain titanium dioxide, which is a possible carcinogen.
Because of the presence of titanium dioxide in this company’s products I don’t really want to support them with my business, so I probably won’t be ordering from them. I included them in this list because they are generally pretty clean and probably better for your health than most.
Lauren Brooke Cosmetics | laurenbrookecosmetiques.com
Brand offering nontoxic, titanium dioxide-free makeup and skincare products made from 100% food-grade, organic ingredients.
Pros: No fragrance, no essential oils, no titanium dioxide, no parabens, and no talc. Sample sizes and travel sizes are available. Most of their skincare products are packaged in glass.
Cons: Many of their makeup products are packaged in plastic.
I actually ended up ordering a few products to try from this company and will update you guys once I receive them with what I think. I do like that they have samples so that you can make sure the shade is correct before buying a larger version.
Attitude | attitudeliving.com
This brand offers makeup, skincare and haircare products that are cruelty-free and nontoxic. They also have a line of mineral-based sunscreens packaged in plastic-free tubes.
Pros: most products are in plastic-free and/or compostable packaging. They have a wide-ish range of different shades, but not that many options for each product overall.
Cons: very limited number of shades available for each product. Also they use sunflower seed oil in many formulations, which oxidizes quickly and has a bad ratio of omega-3 to omega-6, making it a bit inflammatory for sensitive skin.
The main downsides of this brand is that they use sunflower oil, and that they are pretty limited on the different tones of each shade they have. Like for example if you are pale but have warm/cool/red undertones, there is no variance in their shades to select from to get a proper match. The fact that their concealers and foundation comes in a stick is nice though, because I find that to be more efficient and less wasteful than many liquid or powder formulations.
MG Naturals | mgnaturals.com
Multi-Award winning brand featuring non-toxic and titanium dioxide-free makeup and skincare products.
Free From: Vitamin E (sometimes contains soy or wheat, which are common allergens), Titanium Dioxide, Fragrance, and Synthetic preservatives.
Pros: Organic, cruelty free, free from titanium dioxide. They offer samples so that you can test out their products before buying a larger quantity. Products are vegan.
Cons: Some of the packaging for this brand is in plastic, which isn’t ideal. Many shades of their foundation are out of stock as of June 2025, and the shades they offer are not very inclusive, with mostly fair/pale shades. Some products contain sunflower oil, which oxidizes quickly and has a bad ratio of omega-3 to omega-6. Also some of their products contain essential oils, which can be irritating to skin and disrupting to endocrine system.
I probably won’t try this brand, all the shades that could possibly work for me are out of stock, and I try to avoid using sunflower oil and essential oils on the skin. I still felt this brand was worth mentioning here though, since it is still pretty clean.
So what do you think? Are you going to swap out your products for safer options?
I’m the type of person who finds out something’s toxic and will literally just toss everything overnight and go bare-faced until I find replacements. I’m not suggesting you do that, but I think that over time as you naturally replace your products, opting for the safer brands makes a lot of sense.
Let me know what you think in the comments!!
