6 Brands That Offer Safe Beauty Products

When you shop for makeup and similar items, do you check ingredient lists, and do you specifically look for safe beauty products? A few months ago, a New York Times editorial on cosmetics safety, “Do You Know What's in Your Cosmetics?” got a lot of attention. In part, it explained that “federal officials [are] nearly powerless to regulate the makeup, lotions, toothpastes, deodorants and other elixirs that often are applied to the most intimate parts of the human body.” (Well, that's comforting.) Some of the ingredients that have caused concern are toluene, parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates, asbestos, and lead. You may have also heard about the recent study that found that the sunscreen ingredients avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, and ecamsule are absorbed into your bloodstream through your skin. 

“Natural” beauty products are becoming more popular, and while we've previously featured cruelty-free beauty products, we haven't specifically looked at this issue — so today we're rounding up 6 brands that offer safe beauty products. (For the other side of the issue, do check out the links in “Further Reading” at the bottom of this post, including an article from Racked (R.I.P.) that states, “There is absolutely no convincing evidence that your beauty products are going to make you sick.”) Do you have any favorite brands for safe beauty products? Do you try to avoid certain chemicals? Or is this a topic that you don't give much thought to?

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Here are a few things to keep in mind when you're shopping for safe beauty products:

• “Chemical” is not a bad word.
• “All natural” or “100% natural” claims should be treated with suspicion.
• “Organic” has no regulated meaning in cosmetics labeling.
• The nonprofit Environmental Working Group, which makes sunscreen recommendations and provides advice on cosmetics safety, has often been criticized for fear-mongering and making incorrect claims, so take their advice with a grain of (organic?) salt. 
• Check out the Clean at Sephora category, which features products without sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates, mineral oils, and others, and also Target's Natural Personal Care category, which highlights products that are free of propyl-paraben, butyl-paraben, phthalates, and formaldehyde. 

Here are 6 brands that make safe beauty products: 

Bite Beauty [available at Sephora]: Bite Beauty offers lip products that are made from “food-inspired ingredients” and are free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates. Some items are gluten-free. While the products aren't vegan, they are cruelty-free and Leaping Bunny certified. Sample product: Amuse Bouche Lipstick, 46 colors, $26.

Ilia Beauty [available at Sephora]: Ilia Beauty has a down-to-earth perspective — its site notes that the company is “mindful that not every natural ingredient is good for the skin, nor is every synthetic bad.” Their products do not contain parabens, phthalates, sulfates, GMO ingredients, synthetic fragrances, gluten, or talc. Some products are vegan; the only animal product in the others is beeswax. The company doesn't test on animals and is Leaping Bunny certified. Sample product: Sheer Vivid Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20, six shades, $42

Juice Beauty [available at Ulta]: A California company, Juice Beauty sources many of its ingredients from organic farms on the West Coast and makes all of its products in the U.S.A. Its name is inspired by its use of “30 freshly-squeezed organic botanical juice concentrates” and it claims to be one of the first companies to be completely paraben-free. The company is Leaping Bunny certified. Sample product: Phyto-Pigments Last Looks Cream Blush, four shades, $25

Kjaer Weis [available at Neiman Marcus]: Kjaer Weis's products are made in Italy (Europe has stricter regulations regarding transparency in ingredients) and have many organic ingredients. The company is working toward eliminating synthetic pigments, and products are packaged in refillable containers to reduce waste. The items are not vegan, but the only animal product used is beeswax, and the company does not test on animals. Sample product: Cream Foundation Compact, 17 shades, $68

Lilah B. [available at Sephora, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus]: Like Kjaer Weis, Lilah B. makes all of its products in Italy. They're created from ingredients such as aloe, agar and other botanicals and are free of gluten, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances. They're also vegan and cruelty-free. Sample product: Marvelous Matte Crème Foundation, five shades, $54

The Lip Bar [available at Target]: The Lip Bar, which specializes in lip products, emphasizes natural ingredients (shea butter, avocado oil, coconut oil, vitamin E) and inclusivity. The products are also vegan and cruelty-free. On the company's website, founder and CEO Melissa Butler shares one of her inspirations that's worth highlighting: “I was determined to not change the way I looked to fit into some superficial or trendy beauty standard. F*** that. There is no standard.” Sample product: Matte Liquid Lipstick, $12.99

Have you tried any of these brands? What are some of your favorite safe beauty products?

Further Reading: 

• “The ‘natural' beauty industry is on the rise because we’re scared of chemicals” [Vox]
• “What’s Driving The Billion-Dollar Natural Beauty Movement?” [Fast Company]
• “Your Beauty Products Are Not Killing You” [Racked]
• “Goop and others profit by shunning makeup chemicals. What do scientists say?” [USA Today]