Clean beauty is most definitely a hot topic and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. I did this big post on what it all means and broke down the myths, the noise and more! And I have to say, I’m still unsure about how I feel about it all. There’s lots of chatter about it and either way I can confidently say, I want more non-toxic ingredients in my life. Period. Regardless of it possibly being a fad or not, I think we can all agree that we want less toxins in our life.
I wear lipstick almost every single day. It’s one of my favorite things to put on to complete my look. When I started to learn about the ingredients that are in our lipstick like lead or
Finding non-toxic lipsticks was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. But finding ones that are pigmented and look great was a touch harder! So here are a few brands I discovered and love.
The Best Non Toxic Lipstick Brands To Try
Beautycounter Intense Lipstick
The first non-toxic lipstick I ever tried was actually YEARS ago. I’ve been wearing Beautycounter lipsticks for a long long time. It wasn’t until last year that I grabbed this lipstick in Girls’ Night, an amazing red! Now I’m hooked and it’s one of my all time favorite red lips to grab in my makeup bag. If you’re looking for a super pigmented non-toxic lipstick, this is it!
$34 Intense Lipstick
Axiology Beauty Lipsticks
I recently tried out the Axiology lipsticks and just loved them. For one, the gold tube is so beautiful! But I also love how these wear. I have the balm lipsticks which are a bit sheerer but still pretty pigmented. They also have more creamy pigmented options as well! Plus, Axiology is cruelty-free!
$28-$30 Axiology Lipsticks
RMS Beauty
RMS’ philosophy on makeup is using raw, whole ingredients. Many natural ingredients can still be processed down so much that they barely resemble their original makeup. RMS has a full color range in their Wild With Desire lipsticks so you can find a shade you love.
$28 RMS Lipsticks
W3LL PEOPLE
This is a new to me to brand that uses natural ingredients. This lipstick is deeply nourishing, semi-matte formula. It’s formulated with jojoba oil and organic ingredients like shea butter. Both create a hydrating and moisture-rich formula.
$16 W3LL PEOPLE Lipstick
Bite Beauty
I love Bite Beauty’s motto of “what you put on your lips should be as good as what you’d put in your mouth” and I couldn’t agree more. Clean ingredients and high pigment come together in this perfect lipstick! They also have a vegan lip balm which is great for using when your lips need a break from color.
$24 Longwear Lipstain
Ilia Lipstick
I chatted about Leaping Bunny Certified in this post and not a lot of brands fall under this regimented screening, but Ilia does! These products and ingredients are never tested on animals and they’re also vegan!
$28 Color Block Lipsticks
Toxic Chemicals Typically In Lipstick
There’s a ton of ingredients that have been deemed toxic, dangerous, irritating and so on when it comes to beauty products. I like this list on Credo Beauty’s site and I referenced some of them below. These are personally, the top ingredients that I would like to try to stay away from. Again, choose what works for you and do your research to advocate for your cleaner beauty routine. But when it comes to lipsticks, these are a few chemicals that are typically found in my favorite beauty product.
Parabens
Parabens are commonly used as a preservative and you may see them listed out as Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Isopropylparaben, Methylparaben, and Propylparaben. There are many ways to preserve products without the use of harsh chemicals and these should be avoided whenever possible. They can cause hormone disruption specifically with an increase in estrogen. And as many of us know, an increase of estrogen may be linked to a higher risk of breast cancer.
Harmful SPF
Some lipsticks or lip crayons and things may have SPF as a little perk to the product. SPF is often listed out as oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and octinoxate. This is something to look for when buying your SPF. And spoiler, all the major brands that you’re buying at the store are probably using the harsh SPF chemical.
Dyes
Obviously we love the color of our lipsticks, and they usually get that from dyes. So these can definitely be harmful as some dyes are derived from “aluminum or petroleum products. These dyes are stored in our bodies in the organs and fatty tissues. Coal tar, one of the petroleum products that’s used, is known as a carcinogen. Some of the colours may even contain heavy metals. Some of them are not approved as food colourants yet may be used in cosmetics”. – source
Formaldehyde
Although typically not listed as an ingredient, Formaldehyde “releasers” or “donors” often are listed on ingredient labels. These ingredients likely have Formaldehyde tagging along and may be listed as one of the below. Formaldehyde is linked to respiratory problems and cancer and should be avoided whenever possible.
- Dmdm Hydantoin
- Diazolidinyl Urea
- Imidazolidinyl Urea
- Tosylamide/Formaldehyde Resin
- Quaternium-15
- Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate
- 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol
- Polyoxymethylene Urea
- 5-Bromo-5-Nitro-1,3 Dioxane
- Glyoxal
- Methenamine
- Benzylhemiformal
Featured image by Hannah Michelle
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