‘Clean beauty’ make-up: five brands selling natural, vegan, eco-friendly products – beauty with a conscience
- The ‘clean beauty’ trend began more than 20 years ago, and it was only a matter of time before it spread from skincare to make-up
- We run the rule over five brands offering ethical, earth-friendly make-up products
Fancy some hemp in your mascara? Maybe a dusting of Amazonian clay in your blush, or tinted sunscreen that won’t harm coral reefs? All housed in ecologically sound packaging and smelling like coconut or grapefruit so your brain gets a fragrance boost too?
‘Clean beauty’ make-up has been around for a while. bareMinerals was a trailblazer, starting in 1995. The Organic Pharmacy opened its first store in London in 2002.
A recent study by Future Market Insights forecasts that the natural cosmetics market will grow by 4.8 per cent in 2019. In 2018, Mintel’s Global New Products Database reported that vegan (product) launches had more than doubled in the previous five years.
For Diane van Zwanenberg, it’s a no-brainer. The Hong Kong-based founder of Coconut Matter uses coconut oil from wild coconuts harvested in the Solomon Islands to create natural lip balms, lipsticks and natural deodorants.
It’s vegan, zero waste and follows the guidelines of Cosmos, a non-profit international association which has created an international standard for organic and natural cosmetics.
Van Zwanenberg was inspired by a desire to give her young daughter cosmetic products that were safe for her and the planet, looked good and felt good.
“I used to think that sustainability is an issue that the government should be sorting, not me,” Diane says. “Then I realised we can contribute. We have so many things in our bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, even in our handbags, that contribute to a sustainable lifestyle.”
Perhaps making the most waves globally in this growing sector is hip New York-based Milk Makeup. Its Insta-glow products use ingredients such as cannabis oil, quinoa, blue lotus and antimicrobial silver.
We have so many things in our bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, even in our handbags, that contribute to a sustainable lifestyle
Many more brands have entered the “clean beauty” make-up market. Here are five eco-friendly make-up products to consider:
Milk Makeup Kush Mascara (U$24)
Get your lashes high with this hemp-derived cannabis oil mascara. Milk Makeup says cannabis oil fuses the heart-shaped fibres to your lashes without fallout and whips the formula into a creamy texture that allows for smoother application on lashes and easier removal. It also provides additional conditioning.
Kush Mascara is the vegan way to get major volume and healthier looking lashes.
Available from milkmakeup.com/
Coconut Matter Vivid Moisturising Lipstick (US$25.50)
Face winter with avocado oil and wild virgin coconut oil and a blend of omega-rich fatty acids to hydrate, repair and soothe lips. Swipe once for a subtle look or more for greater depth of colour.
“Our lips are thinner than any other part of our body,” Coconut Matter says. “Shea butter and cocoa butter protect lips from free radical damage and pollutants. They promote the healing of chapped lips.”
This brand’s sources minerals ethically to avoid child labour, and its lipsticks are free from artificial dyes. Its packaging is zero- waste, made from paper tubes rolled by hand using cardboard lined with food-grade wax paper on the inside.
Available at coconutmatter.com/
Tarte Toasted Eyeshadow Palette (US$44)
Tarte’s Toasted Eyeshadow Palette features 12 naturally inspired winter colours, described by Sephora as “warm and cosy” shades to get you in the party mood. Tarte’s product is formulated without mineral oils, gluten and phthalates, and is cruelty-free. The company’s mantra is “high performance naturals”.
To soothe and soften skin this palette uses Amazonian clay for better, longer wear; vanilla extract, a natural fragrance with antioxidant properties; and mineral pigments.
Available at Sephora
Juice Beauty’s Stem Cellular CC Cream (US$43)
Juice Beauty says this cream is especially beneficial for fine lines and wrinkles. It is available in five shades; colours are effective for skin tones ranging from very light to dark as they “blend and adapt”. It also provides broad spectrum sun protection, evens skin tone and is “reef safe” – formulated without chemical SPF ingredients such as oxybenzone, banned in Hawaii and Florida for harming coral reefs.
Ingredients include zinc oxide, organic aloe, organic white grape juice and organic coconut oil. Formulated without parabens, petroleum, propylene or butylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfates, pesticides, phthalates, artificial dyes or synthetic fragrance, these products are never tested on animals.
Available at juicebeauty.com/
La Bouche Rouge Lipstick (US$45)
Nicolas Gerlier, a French entrepreneur, founded the lipstick brand in 2017. “We designed the first pure and sustainable lipstick. Both our vegan and fine leather lipstick cases are refillable ... A lipstick set has two parts: a plastic-free case and a vegan colour eco refill.”
La Bouche Rouge says it avoids PMMA, a thermoplastic, “as nobody wants to eat microplastics”. It has replaced preservatives with natural antioxidants, free from animal fat, parabens and beeswax.
You can even get the case engraved.
Available at Lane Crawford stores
