15 Paraben free makeup brands – without Phthalates and Silicones. Makeup products are using a variety of chemical additives in order to achieve their effects permanently. However, these ingredients are often problematic for the human body and the environment. Three of these ingredients in makeup are parabens, phthalates and silicones. Paraben Free Blush. Maybelline Fit Me Blush. More Drugstore Options: Maybelline FaceStudio Master Contour Flower Beauty Flower Pots Powder Blush NYX HD Blush. More Expensive Options: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush MAC Powder Blush. Paraben Free Eye Shadow Primer.
Parabens are a type of preservative that are often used in cosmetics and makeup to prevent mould and bacteria from growing in them.
There are lots of different parabens, but some of the most commonly used are propylparaben, methylparaben and butylparaben.
If one or more of the ingredients in your makeup ends in ‘-paraben’, this means it contains parabens.
Parabens are effective as preservatives, but they could have several negative effects on human health.
The most concerning thing about parabens is that they have been linked to breast cancer as they mimic the hormone oestrogen and having high levels of oestrogen could increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
If you’re looking to limit your exposure to parabens, here’s a list of some of the top paraben-free makeup brands in the UK.
Not all of these brands are British, but they all sell products in the UK.
As well as being paraben-free, many of these brands are also committed to using as many natural and organic ingredients as possible.
Alva
About: Alva Natural Cosmetics is a natural and organic cosmetics brand based in Romford, Essex. You can buy their products at BigGreenSmile.com, Ecco-Verde.co.uk, OnlyNaturals.co.uk and MyPure.co.uk.
Website: http://www.alvanaturalskincare.co.uk/
Paraben policy:“All of our products are free of petroleum derivatives, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), ammonium lauryl sulfate, parabens, PEG’s, EDTA, phenoxyethanol, lanolin, silk and carmine, and are suitable for those with sensitive skin.” (See here)
Makeup products: Lip balm, eye shadow, lip gloss, mascara, lipstick, bronzing powder, rouge, eye liner, foundation.
Beautiful Me
About: Beautiful Me is a California-based natural cosmetics brand. You can buy their products at Holland & Barrett.
Website: http://www.beautifulmewonderfullymade.com/
Paraben policy: “100% Natural/Organic ingrediants free of parabens or any other chemicals, additives, or preservatives” (See here)
Makeup products: Foundation, concealer, foundation brush, eyeliner brush, lip gloss, eyeshadow.
Benecos
About: Benecos is a natural cosmetics brand founded by German couple Silke and Stephan Becker. Benecos aim to create affordable and colourful products. You can see their products at Pravera.co.uk, Ecco-Verde.co.uk, OnlyNaturals.co.uk, BigGreenSmile.com, MyPure.co.uk,
Website: http://www.benecos.uk/index.php/benecos
Paraben policy: “We guarantee that: BDIH-certified benecos products do not contain any mineral oils or derivatives / silicones / parabens / synthetic emulsifiers or their derivatives (PEG/PEG derivatives) / synthetic colorants or aromatic substances.” (See here)
Makeup products: Foundation, eyeshadow, concealer, eyeliner, face powder, mascara, eyebrow pencil, lip gloss, makeup brush, lipstick.
List Of Paraben Free Makeup
Burt’s Bees
About: Burt’s Bees is an American company founded by Maine beekeeper Burt Shavitz and his then partner Roxanne Quimby. The company’s first product was Beeswax Lip Balm, but the company now sells a large range of products inspired by the principle “Nature has the best answers.” You can buy their products from lots of places including Boots, Amazon, Superdrug and Holland & Barrett.
Website: https://www.burtsbees.co.uk/
Paraben policy: “No petrochemicals, phthalates, parabens or sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS).”(See here)
Makeup products: Lip gloss, lip balm, lipstick, lip crayon, makeup remover.
Charlotte Tilbury
About: Charlotte Tilbury is a British brand founded by the makeup artist of the same name. Charlotte Tilbury is quite a high-end brand and isn’t focused on natural or organic beauty, but they do sell a range of paraben-free products. You can buy Charlotte Tilbury makeup from John Lewis, Selfridges and FeelUnique.com.
Website:http://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/
Paraben policy: Not all products are paraben free. See their range of paraben-free products here.
Makeup products: Eyeshadow, lipstick, brushes, concealer, foundation, mascara.
Cover FX
About: Cover FX is a Canadian makeup company that specialises in foundation. Their products are cruelty free and vegan. Cover FX products can be bought from CultBeauty.co.uk, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and FeelUnique.com.
Website: https://www.coverfx.com/
Paraben policy: “we’re free of the inflammatory five: parabens, mineral oil, fragrance, talc and gluten” (See here)
Makeup products: Foundation, primer, setting spray, concealer, bronzer, brushes,
INIKA
About: INIKA is an Australian organic cosmetics company that has received several organic certifications. As well as being free from parabens, their products are also free from petrochemicals and mineral oils, sulphates and other potentially harmful ingredients. You can buy INIKA makeup from FeelUnique.com, Naturisimo.com, OnlyNaturals.co.uk and Amazon.
Website: https://www.inikaorganic.com/uk/
Paraben policy: “No parabens (Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Isobutylparaben and Propylparaben)” (See here)
Makeup products: Foundation, lip serum, bronzer, primer, blusher, lip liner, eyeliner pencil, makeup remover, brushes, eyebrow pencil.
lavera
About: lavera is a makeup brand owned by German company laverana GmbH. The brand uses natural ingredients from organic sources and doesn’t use any synthetic preservatives, colours or perfumes. You can buy lavera products from lavera, Pravera.co.uk and Naturisimo.com.
Website: https://www.pravera.co.uk/lavera-natural-cosmetics
Paraben policy: “None of the products are tested on animals and do not contain parabens, SLS, phtalates, parraffinium, or petrochemicals.” (See here)
Makeup products: Foundation, tinted moisturiser, rouge, bronzer, lipstick, lip gloss, lip liner, concealer, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara makeup remover.
Living Nature
About: Living Nature is a natural skincare company based in New Zealand. The brand uses some of New Zealand’s unique plants to create healing skincare products. As well as making skincare products, Living Nature also has a range of makeup. You can buy Living Nature makeup from MyPure.co.uk and Naturisimo.com.
Website: https://www.livingnature.com/
Paraben policy: “At Living Nature we are firmly committed to certified natural skincare, free from any potentially harmful synthetic preservatives (such as parabens or phenoxyethanol).” (See here)
Makeup products: Foundation, concealer, tinted moisturiser, pressed powder, mascara, blush, lipstick, lip pencil, eyeshadow.
MIA Cosmetics Paris
About: MIA Cosmetics Paris from Laurens Cosmetics is a range of enamels and nail treatments that are free from parabens, formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, formaldehyde resins, camphor, TPHP, xylenes and ethyl tosylamide. You can buy MIA Cosmetics Paris makefup from their online shop or Amazon.
Website: https://www.mia-laurens.com/uk/
Paraben policy: Nail products and lipsticks are paraben free. (See ingredients policy here)
Makeup products: Lipstick, nail polish, nail polish remover, nail treatments.
Pacifica
About: Pacifica is an American vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics and perfume brand founded by Brook Harvey-Taylor. Pacifica’s website doesn’t state that all of their products are paraben free, but their nail polish and several other products are. You can buy Pacifica products from FeelUnique.com, Naturisimo.com and Holland & Barrett.
Website: https://www.pacificabeauty.com/
Paraben policy: “Pacifica 7 FREE Nail Polish is formulated without parabens, phthalates (dibutyl phthalate), toluene, xylene, camphor, formaldehyde, resin, and animals.”(See here)
Makeup products: Mascara, eye pencil, eye brightener, lip tint, eyeshadow, lip gloss, nail polish, eye shadow.
PHB Ethical Beauty
About: PHB Ethical Beauty is a family-run natural cosmetics brand based in the UK. As well as being paraben free, PHB Ethical Beauty’s products are also free from other chemicals such as SLS, petrochemicals and phthalates as well as being vegan and cruelty free. You can buy their makeup from Amazon, FeelUnique.com, LoveLula.com and Ecco-Verde.co.uk.
Website: http://www.phbethicalbeauty.co.uk/
Paraben policy: “none of our products contain parabens or formaldehyde-releasing preservatives such as dialyzed urea” (See here)
Makeup products: Makeup brushes, eye liner, mascara, foundation, brow powder, lipstick, blusher, bronzer, finishing powder.
RMS Beauty
About: RMS Beauty is a US natural beauty brand based in South Carolina. They use natural and organic ingredients rather than potentially harmful artificial chemicals. In the UK, you can buy RMS Beauty makeup from Amazon, Naturisimo.com and BeautyBay.com.
Website: https://www.rmsbeauty.com/
Paraben policy: “The minerals in rms beauty products are guaranteed to be in their raw, uncorrupted form, without silicon, paraben preservatives or other chemical coatings.” (See here)
Makeup products: Concealer, blusher, lipstick, mascara, lip balm, makeup remover, foundation brush.
For some recommendations, see these articles:
Laurence is the founder and editor of Naturaler. He’s been working in the online world for over 5 years and is trying to live a more natural and eco-friendly lifestyle every day.
Makeup products are using a variety of chemical additives in order to achieve their effects permanently. However, these ingredients are often problematic for the human body and the environment. Three of these ingredients in makeup are parabens, phthalates and silicones.
Many consumers are looking now for products that do not use these substances. But it is difficult, regardless of the price range, to find appropriate products. In this article we provide you a list of brands that offer makeup without parabens, phthalates and silicones.
What do Parabens do in makeup?
Parabens are used primarily as a preservative. They are added to water-containing cosmetics in order to avoid the development of bacteria in the contained water. The parabens, however, are highly controversial because of their impact on the human hormonal balance. More and more countries around the globe are imposing strict maximum limits for the use of parabens on the human skin. Some countries, such as Denmark, have already banned them from cosmetic products, all together.
The function of parabens can already be replaced by plant based ingredients such as essential oils or various harmless acids in order to prevent impurities and to combat the formation of germs, bacteria and fungi.
Why are Phthalates used in make-up?
Phthalates are used to plasticize the products, making them more flexible or better able to hold in color and scent. From nail polish to scented lip stick these chemicals are used in a variety of makeup products, usually listed as “fragrance.”
Phthalates are a group of chemicals that are suspected to be disruptive to the endocrine system, which is responsible for the hormone production. The effects of phthalates are related to their ability to mimic human hormones. A study by the University of Maryland reported that exposure to phthalates could cause reproductive abnormalities and decreased production of testosterone in males, as well as decreased male fertility. Other studies show a link between phthalates and premature delivery and endometriosis in females.
Why are silicones used in makeup?
Silicones make sure that makeup, foundation, eye shadows or lipsticks can be applied smoothly and keep the colors for hours. As soon as the silicones react with the heat of the skin the moisture evaporates and solid particles remain, make them feel powdery and hold the color pigments.
Silicones are especially controversial because of their effect on the environment. In particular, the silicones that are used in large quantities in hair care products. Via the sewage and sludge they are included in fertilizers and get washed into rivers, lakes and groundwater.
Silicones can be easily detected on the list of ingredients on the product packaging. They usually end with “-cone” such as “Dimethicone”, “Cyclomethicone”, “Amodimethicone” or “Dimethicone copolyol”. The natural cosmetics manufacturers use more costly ingredients such as almond oil, avocado oil or other natural fatty oils in order to replace silicones. These substances are biodegradable.
In order to avoid these negative effects it is a good idea to ĺook at makeup brands that use formulations that avoid these chemicals and offer makeup, foundations, lipsticks or eyeshadows without Parabens, Phthalates and Silicones; by the way, at reasonable prices.
Paraben, Silicone and Phthalate free makeup Brands
Eco Bella
- from New Jersey
- Lipsticks, Lipsmoothers, Lipliners, Lipgloss, Color Blushes, Bronzing Powders, Face Powders, Liquid Foundation, Eyeshadows, Eyeliners, Mascara
- with formulas of vegetable waxes, oils, and mineral pigments
- all natural
Real Purity
- from Evansville, IN
- Mascara, Lipsticks, Cream Foundation, Eye Shadow, Pressed Powder, Lip Balm, Makeup Remover, Powder Blush, Concealer, Perfume, Lip Gloss and Cream Blush
- 100% natural and organic
- Rated one of the purest health and beauty brands on the market today by the Environmental Working Group
- no artificial preservative, coloring or additives
- no petrochemical or synthetic substances.
- Cruelty free
100% Pure
- from Silicon Valley, California
- Foundations, BB Cream, Face Primer, Concealer, Blush, Bronzer, Highlighter Makeup Remover, Eyeshadow, Palettes, Mascara, Eyeliner, Nail Polish, Lipstick, Lip Stain, Lip Gloss, Lip Balm
- 100% natural and 100% cruelty-free
- all products are free of artificial colors, artificial fragrances, synthetic chemical preservatives and all other toxins
RMS Beauty
- from New York City
- by Makeup Artist Rose-Marie Swift
- Makeup, Luminizers, Bronzers, Powder, Lip balm, Lip shine, Eye shadows, Eye Polish, Mascara.
- only Minerals (no Nanoparticles) and organic or wildcrafted natural ingredients
- Gluten free, GMO free, Soy free, Nano free, not tested on animals
Affordable Mineral Makeup
- Mineral Makeup, Base Minerals, Blushes, Eyeshadows, Finishers, Foundations
- No micronized minerals/nano-particles, no talc, no coated minerals, no Bismuth Oxychloride, no Synthetic dyes, no parabens
- No carmine, no fragrances, no artificial preservatives, no Petrochemicals
- Cruelty Free – No Animal Testing
- Non-comedogenic – Will not clog pores
Vapour Organic Beauty
- from Taos, NM
- Foundations, Concealers, Primers, Makeup Removers, Organic Nail & Cuticle Oil, Eye Colors, Eyeliners, Highlighters, Bronzers, Lipsticks and Lip Conditioners
- only natural, healthy, minimally processed ingredients with a minimum of 70% organic ingredients and the remaining 30% comprised of mineral pigments and essential oils.
- Clarity Organic Make Up Remover, Replenish Organic Nail and Cuticle Oil, and Lux Organic Lip Conditioner are USDA certified organic.
- All other Vapour products contain a minimum of 70% organic ingredients and 30% minerals and pure essential oils but are not certified due to their mineral pigment content.
- cruelty free
- All Vapour products are made in the USA.
Kjaer Weis
- from New York, NY
- developed by Danish Makeup Artist Kirsten Kjaer Weis
- Cream Blushes, Highlighters, Bronzers, Foundations, Lip Sticks, Lip Tint, Eye Shadows, Mascara
- raw substances and natural preservatives extracted from minerals, plants and wildflowers
- made in Italy
- almost all of the makeup has been approved as “Certified Organic” .
- Cream Blush, Lip Tint and Mascara are Certified Organic (95% of ingredients organic) or “Certified Natural” by the Italian organic inspection body, CCPB (Controllo e Certificazione Prodotti Biologici)
- Eye Shadows are Certified Natural.
- no parabens, no silicone, no petrochemical emulsifiers, no synthetic fragrances.
Pacifica
- from Portland, Oregon
- Eyeshadows, Eyeliners, Mascara, Under Eye Brightener, Primers, Concealers, BB Cream, CC Cream Foundations, Powder Cheek, Lipsticks, Lip Gloss, Lip Butter, Lip Tint, Nail Top coat, Nail Polish
- gluten free, 100% vegan, 100% cruelty free
- no phthalates, no parabens, no sulfates, no propylene glycol, no mineral oil, no petroleum, no peanut oil, no triclosan
Axiology
- Lipsticks from Bend, Oregon, USA
- No harsh chemicals. No animal testing. No toxins.
Axiology uses Mineral Powder Pigments, natural ingredients such as Organic Avocado Oil, Avocado Butter, Organic Castor Seed Oil and Organic Grapeseed Oil
Cate McNabb
- from Chicago, IL
- Foundations, Pressed Powders, Concealers, Blushes, Illuminizers, Makeup Primers, Eyeshadows, Eyeliners, Mascara, Eye Primers, Lip sticks, Lip gloss, Lip tints
- No Parabens, no Phthalates, no Triclosan, no Vitamin A, no Aluminum, no formaldehyde releasers
Lavera
- Eyes, Lips and Teint all-natural cosmetics from Germany
- 100% natural ingredients, NATRUE-certified
- no animal testing
- made in Germany
Logona
- Complexion, Eyes, Lips and Nails
- 100% natural ingredients, NATRUE-certified
- made in Germany
- Free from synthetic colours, fragrances and preservatives, paraffin oils or any other raw materials from petroleum chemistry
- Made with plant oils and extracts from organic cultivation Dermatologically tested
- Developed and produced without animal testing
ILIA
- Lip Sticks, Lip gloss, Lip care, Mascara, Eyeliner, Eyeshadows, Foundations, Powder, Concealers
- with certified organic bio-active botanicals.
Sheer Miracle
- from Saint Charles, IL
- Mineral Makeup: Foundation, Finishing Powder, Concealer, Bronzer, Blush, Eyeshadow, Eye Liner
- truly natural ingredients that are organic, fair trade or locally sourced
- hypoallergenic, non-irritating
Rituel de Fille
- from Los Angeles, CA
- Lipsticks, Eye Soot and Lip Sheer
- All Rituel de Fille products are 99% natural
- handcrafted without parabens, phthalates, synthetic dyes or synthetic fragrances
- never tested on animals
- raw materials from companies that are 100% cruelty free
Are Mac Cosmetics Paraben Free Brands
Conclusion
Are Mac Cosmetics Paraben Free
When it comes to makeup, you should be aware what you put on your skin. There are already a lot of brands on the market that do offer makeup products without parabens, silicones, phthalates and other chemicals. They make an effort to reduce the effects of those chemicals on our bodies and on the environment. Consider this next time you buy a lipstick or a foundation.
Image Source: Pixabay CC0 Public Domain
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