Sustainable makeup brands will have a minimal impact on your health and the environment. It can be difficult sometimes to find cosmetics brands that are truly ethical and sustainable. Some brands are not always honest when it comes to customers asking them if they practice sustainability in any way. Brands could also have sustainable packaging, but not sustainable formulas.
There are so many great natural makeup alternatives now, being made by sustainable makeup brands. The brands on this list take sustainability to another level, by creating zero-waste cosmetics.
1. 100% Pure
100% Pure is one sustainable makeup brand making cruelty-free and Fair Trade makeup as well as vegan makeup brushes. The brushes, made from recycled PBT plastic bottles, come in a pretty pink color.
The brand is committed to producing the purest, healthiest products. They try to educate everyone on why being 100% PURE is so important. The brand also strives to be environmentally sustainable and to improve the lives of all people and animals. They do this while being charitable and giving back to their global community as well.
All 100% PURE formulas adhere to strict purity standards and never contain any harsh or toxic ingredients. They also source their pigments from fruit, tea, vegetables, and cocoa. This is to avoid commonly used FD&C colorants and heavy metal dyes. The products are non-toxic and their Tea Tree products are also USDA organic certified.
100% PURE takes every action possible to decrease the impact their products have on the environment. They try everything they can to reduce their carbon footprint, which is how they are sustainable.
2. Tata Harper
Tata Harper is a well-known skincare brand but many people overlook the fact that they offer a variety of makeup products. Their products, made from glass bottles and jars and bio-plastic tubes, are 100% recyclable.
The plastic resin for their tubes is derived from sugar cane. This makes it more of a renewable resource instead of using petroleum. Their cartons also have two different sustainability goals. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative label on a few of the boxes lets you know that the package’s materials came from a responsible source – as opposed to unethical sources.
The brand’s formulas are 100% natural and completely biodegradable. The products are all 100% free from GMOs, toxins, fillers, artificial colors, artificial fragrances, and synthetic chemicals as well.
If you would like to give their makeup products a try, you can get $25 off of your order here.
3. Ilia
Ilia is a popular vegan and sustainable makeup brand, as they have won some Allure Best of Beauty awards.
Each product is created from a mix of natural and organic botanicals, but they also include safe synthetics from time to time. The founder of Ilia, Sasha Plavsic said when creating the brand, “Although synthetics get a bad rap today, not all-natural ingredients are inherently good and not all synthetics are inherently bad.
The brand also strives to ensure that its products are manufactured ethically and sustainably, with the use of recycled aluminum, post-consumer recycled paper printed, and vegetable-based dyes.
4. RMS Beauty
RMS Beauty strives to stand out among other natural cosmetics. The brand has also taken extreme care in the use of minimal heat in the manufacturing process of this product to keep all nutrients and healing properties alive. All RMS Beauty products are free of harmful chemicals, synthetic preservatives, synthetic vitamins, and genetically modified ingredients (GMOs).
These nutrients are in harmony with nature and the environment as well. They also interact with the skin to promote hydration, softness, and luminosity.
5. Besame Cosmetics
Founded in 2004, Bésame Cosmetics has gained a large following with its meticulously designed, historically inspired, and highly pigmented cosmetics.
Each product is also 100% cruelty-free and created for sensitive skin. They do not contain mineral oils, parabens, or gluten.
All products are produced locally in California with the founder overseeing every batch. The products are also long-wearing and have minimal waste.
They believe that clean beauty at its core is about safe and responsible ingredients; not all-natural ingredients are good for you and not all synthetic ingredients are unsafe. Overall, all their products are produced without ingredients that are deemed harmful and toxic.
Bésame is also committed to sustainable practices and safe ingredients. By taking out fillers and poor-quality ingredients, they can create beautiful, high-quality products to wear all day. We’re constantly evolving to offer more refillable and low-waste products. Every product is phthalates, paraben, formaldehyde, mineral oil, gluten, and cruelty-free.
6. Kosas
Kosas was founded in 2015 by Sheen Yaitanes and is quickly becoming one of the go-to brands for sustainable beauty. They are a clean and sustainable makeup brand that doesn’t test on animals. Their signature lip colors also come in aluminum tubes with a magnetic cap to keep them secure.
All of these minimalist products are made without parabens, phthalates, BHA/BHT, mineral oil, propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, petrolatum, phenoxyethanol, “fragrance,” vitamin A, retinoids, or retinoid derivatives. The products are all also vegan, gluten-free and Leaping Bunny certified. Kosas has banned over 2700 ingredients and adheres to the Sephora and Credo clean standards as well.
7. Elate
All of their compacts, tools, and palettes are made from bamboo, which is a self-regenerating natural resource. You can also purchase refills when you run out that will come in seed paper you can plant.
You can create your capsule beauty collection on their website. The capsule, designed to simplify your beauty routine, creates less waste. The brand is also vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free.
8. Alima Pure
This Portland-based makeup brand uses plastic packaging and all of its foundations, concealers, and eye shadows come in refillable compacts.
They work hard to be as sustainable as possible and support organizations such as B Corporation and 1% for the planet. The brand offset 100% of its corporate carbon emissions through contributions.
9. Vapour
According to Vapour, they “Package solid products in aluminum and our liquid products in glass, both widely recyclable. We choose product boxes made from managed forest paper stock and printed with soy ink in a wind-powered facility.”
Their most popular product is the Elixir Lip Gloss. It’s similar to the other products in the sense that most of their products are easy to use.
The brand has certifications including Leaping Bunny, Certified Vegetarian by the American Vegetarian Association, member of the Organic Trade Association, and The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.
10. Antonym
This brand is sustainable by making its products with bamboo compacts and FSC-certified paper boxes. They offer minimalistic products such as bronzers, blushes, and eye shadow palettes. Antonym is also vegan, Leaping Bunny certified, and Ecocert certified natural and organic ingredients.
The brand believes that sustainability and empowerment are the keys to developing a more balanced society. They also include a list of organizations they support on their website. These organizations help educate consumers about makeup safety and clean ingredients and those educate others on preserving the environment.
