Affordable Clean & Sustainable Makeup Brands
Sustainable makeup made with clean ingredients is something that is super important to me. I don't want my skin absorbing toxic chemicals or for me to accidentally ingest something via my lip products.
As well, the conventional makeup industry has a laundry list of human rights violations and is terrible for the environment. Child labor abuses, forced labor, deforestation, and water pollution are just a few of the issues some of the large makeup companies are creating and contributing to.
But some makeup companies are trying to change that! So I wanted to create a list of sustainable makeup companies that are coming making their products with good ingredients and packaging them in sustainable containers (or no container at all!).
Bonus, I wanted to split them up by average price points so hopefully, you can find a products/company that fits in whatever budget you may have!
Not every company here will be perfect. But these are the few that I think are making awesome strides to be more sustainable while providing clean beauty items.
Sustainable Makeup Companies List Overview
- Dirty Hippy Cosmetics
- Clean Faced Cosmetics
- Fat and the Moon
- Faraday Face
- Zao
- Elate Cosmetics
- RMS
- Axiology
- Vapour
Now, let's dive into the companies, what they offer, how they're sustainable, and what their price point is!
Cheaper Sustainable Makeup Companies
1. Dirty Hippie Cosmetics
Price:
$3-$20
Product Line:
Face: Concealers, BB creams, powder, foundation, highlighter
Eyes: mascara, powders, shadows, liners
Lips + cheeks: tints, scrubs
Misc: dry shampoo, beach spray, hair rinse, shampoo bar, perfumes, skin care
Highlight:
To my Australian babes, this one is for you! Made in Hall, Australia, dirtyhippiecosmetics provides vegan, cruelty-free, zero waste makeup products!
Plus, they ship with recycled paper only!
2. Clean Faced Cosmetics
Price:
$10-$20
Product line:
Face: blush, foundation
Eye: mascara, eyeshadow
Lip: lip balm, tinted balm
Highlight:
Handmade by Laura, Clean Faced Cosmetics focuses on vegan and mainly organic beauty items. “As of 2019, CFC is almost completely zero-waste / plastic-free! Hoping to get rid of the "almost" part this year.” Laura is also happy to refill empty containers, contributing to the rise of the circular economy.
3. Fat and the Moon
Price:
$12-$20
Product line:
Face: highlighter
Eye: coal, eyeliner
Misc: cheek & lip stains
Highlights:
Fat and the Moon specializes in small batch, handcrafted body care products. Items are made in recyclable metal tins!
Moderately Priced Sustainable Makeup Companies
4. Faraday Face
Price:
$15-$20
Product Line:
Face: Blush, bronzer, setting powder
Lips: color
Eyes: eyeshadow, brow sculpt wax
Highlights:
Farady face is proud to be vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic, gluten-free, plastic-free cosmetics. They also pledge to donate 5% of profits every day to The Ocean Cleanup project.
A little more about their packaging:
“Compacted into very thin aluminum pans, Faraday Face cosmetics are then fitted into paperboard palettes. The palettes are fastened closed with ribbon made of untreated Japanese linen. Palettes and pans can be recycled, the ribbon can be composted. For packing and shipping, Faraday Face uses materials that are recyclable and plastic-free. The cosmetics are padded with recyclable, undyed crinkle-cut packing material, and the recyclable boxes are sealed with paper tape.”
5. Zao
Price:
$10-$35
Product Line:
Face: bronzer, blush, highlight, powder, foundations, concealer
Eyes: primer, powder, shadow, liner
Lips: lipstick, primer, gloss
Highlights:
They package their products with harvested, renewable and sustainable bamboo.
Zao also has a refill system to cut down on unnecessary packaging.
6. Elate Cosmetics
Price:
$15-$35
Product Line:
Face: foundation, primer, concealer, powder, blush
Eyes: eye color, mascara, liner, brow balm
Lips: lipsticks, gloss, balm
Highlights
Elate Cosmetics sustainable makeup products are made from bamboo, making it good for you and the environment.
They also have a refill program that allows you to cut down on unnecessary packaging. Every refill purchased is enclosed in our beloved seed paper. Simply wet, plant, and water!
RELATED RESOURCES:
My Zero Waste Makeup Routine for under \$0.10 a day!
Bouji Sustainable Makeup Companies
7. RMS Beauty
Price:
$20-$40
Product Line:
Face: Foundation, blush, concealer, illumizer
Eyes: mascara, polish, shadow, liner
Lips: liner, lipstick, shine, balm
Highlights:
RMS is dedicated to creating a non-toxic make up line that also nourishes the skin.
Not only is their line good for the skin, it’s also good for the planet! Their packaging is minimal, consisting of either glass or metal.
I have used their concealer for years and love it! Although it’s a little pricey, it lasts me a long time, even with consistent use.
8. Axiology
Price:
\$30
Product Line:
Lip: lipsticks and crayons
Highlights:
Their lipstick boxes are sourced from Bali where the founder discovered a woman-owned recycled paper boutique. “The paper used in our boxes is collected from all over the island—from hotels, offices, and households—and is taken to a small factory. It’s then boiled down to a pulp, dried in the sun, and finally folded and decorated by hand.” This helps trash reduction on their island which is a growing concern. The tubes are made from recycled aluminum. They can be recycled at the end of their life.
9. Vapour Makeup
Price:
$35-$55
Product line:
Face: foundation, concealer, bronzer, illuminator
Lips: lipstick, gloss
Eyes: eyeliner, eye color
Misc: perfume
Highlights:
Vapour packaged their products in glass or aluminum. They also their products in Forest Stewardship Council certified paper stick, printed with vegetable ink.
The company is 100% gluten-free and certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny. All products are handcrafted in Taos were they use passive solar daylighting and wind power in their lab, office, and warehouse.
Wrappin' it up!
I hope this list gave you some more options for clean, sustainable makeup brands for whatever budget you may have! It's crucial we wear makeup that isn't ladden with hidden toxic chemical because our skin absorbs a certain amount of whatever we put on it. Plus, I love that these companies are doing their part to help save the earth.
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Hi, I'm Taylor
Amateur adult. Zero waste zealot. Personal finance fiend. Spicy food supporter. I’m an mid 20’s gal living in Denver, Colorado. My love of the outdoors has cultivated my zero waste lifestyle, which inadvertently fueled my passion for personal finance. Cheers to everyone interested in lessening their footprint while growing their wallet!