Choosing Green Makeup: Ingredients to Love (and Avoid)

November 30, 2025•Sustainable, Makeup, Ingredients

When shopping for eco-friendly makeup, reading labels is key. Here’s a cheat sheet of ingredients and claims: Ingredients to Embrace: - Mineral Pigments: Iron oxides, titanium dioxide, mica – these provide color and coverage in natural makeup. (Make sure mica is ethically sourced; many green brands specify this due to child labor issues in mica mining). - Plant Oils and Waxes: Jojoba oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, candelilla wax (vegan alternative to beeswax) – these nourish skin and form the base of many natural lipsticks, balms, and cream products. - Botanical Extracts: Green tea, chamomile, aloe vera, rosewater – these can be beneficial and are gentler preservatives or skin soothers. - Natural Preservatives: Vitamin E (tocopherol), rosemary extract, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate (the latter two are food-grade preservatives often used in clean cosmetics in safe amounts). Some products might use no added preservative by being water-free (e.g., powder formulas or oil-based serums). - Biodegradable Glitter: Yes, it exists! Made from plant cellulose (like eucalyptus) coated with mineral pigments, it breaks down unlike plastic glitter. Brands like EcoStardust or BioGlitz make it. If you love sparkle, look for these or products containing synthetic mica or other mineral shimmers instead of PET glitter. - Zinc Oxide: For sunscreens or foundations with SPF – zinc oxide is a reef-safe physical sunscreen (opt for non-nano to be sure it’s eco-friendly and safe). - Certified Organic Ingredients: Not always necessary, but if a product is, say, 70% organic content (which some certifications require), that’s a plus for both you and farming practices.

Ingredients/Components to Avoid

- Parabens: (methylparaben, propylparaben, etc.) – Preservatives linked to hormone disruption. Many clean brands proudly state “paraben-free”. - Phthalates: Often hidden under “fragrance” or “parfum”. They’re used to make scents stick. Opt for fragrance-free or naturally scented makeup. If a product has fragrance, look for “phthalate-free” specifically or brands that disclose natural origin of fragrance. - PFAS (Perfluorochemicals): These are nicknamed “forever chemicals.” Sometimes used in long-wear or waterproof makeup to make them spread or repel oil/water. They won’t be listed as “PFAS” but rather long names like “polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)” – yes, the Teflon chemical – which has shown up in some foundations and powders. Avoid anything with “fluoro” in the ingredients. -Microplastics: Beyond glitter, microplastic ingredients like Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Nylon-12, PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) are used to give a smooth feel or bulk to cosmetics (e.g., in powders or creams). They are essentially plastic powder in your makeup. They can end up polluting water when you wash your face. Seek brands that avoid these and use rice powder, silica, or clay instead for texture. - Heavy Metals: These aren’t intentionally added (except some brands used to add lead in hair dyes historically), but can be contaminants in pigments. Clean brands often test for heavy metals and choose safer colorants.

There’s not an easy label to read for this, but choosing brands known for quality and transparency helps. If a brand says “lead-free” or “tests for heavy metals to comply with xxx standard” – that’s a good sign. - BHA/ BHT: Synthetic antioxidants (not the same as beta hydroxy acid BHA). They’re used as preservatives in some lip products. These have some health concerns; vitamin E or rosemary are nicer alternatives. - Siloxanes: (Ingredients ending in -siloxane or -methicone) – these are silicones. Not harmful to you in small amounts, but they are persistent in the environment and their production isn’t very eco. Some eco makeup avoids them, especially primers or cream products might substitute plant oils instead. That said, some clean foundations still use a bit of silicone for slip – decide where you draw the line. They’re not the worst offenders but something to be mindful of.

Choosing Green Makeup: Ingredients to Love (and Avoid)

Ingredients/Components to Avoid

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