As demand for clean beauty brands continues to rise, more consumers are also seeking out the top eco-friendly makeup brands that align with their values—without compromising on performance or aesthetics.
What makes a makeup brand sustainable?
There are 5 key areas to consider when looking at the sustainability of a makeup brand.
- Refillable Makeup – being able to reuse packaging helps reduce waste and environmental impact.
- Clean Ingredients – parabens, phthalates and petrochemicals all pollute the environment, so choosing products free of them is important.
- Vegan and Cruelty-free – to ensure these products are ethically sourced and have minimal environmental impact.
- Recyclable/Recycled packaging – reduces the amount of waste generated.
- Transparency – open about their impact on both people and the planet.
Why is sustainability important in the makeup industry?
According to CleanHub, the cosmetics industry generates 120 billion pieces of packaging each year, most of which ends up in landfill or the ocean. 95% of this packaging is thrown away, therefore, it is important for us to take action and make more sustainable choices. In recent years, the sustainable makeup industry has significantly grown, and many brands have put a lot more effort into creating eco-conscious products.
This change has happened due to an increasing demand for sustainable makeup products. This shows how important it is to support brands that have sustainable products and practices.
To ensure the safety of these products I used the criteria suggested by EWG, that have strict standards for health and safety of makeup ingredients. Six of these brands have been assessed by EWG and all scored a 1 on the product hazard scale, which is very good.
Sometimes it is hard to know where to start, this list provides a beginners guide to making more sustainable makeup choices.
Our 8 top eco-friendly makeup brands
1) ILIA
ILIA is a makeup brand that is a good option for ‘basics’ like; Foundation, Shadow Sticks and Mascara.
Their products are all formulated without parabens, phthalates and sulfates, which can be harmful to you and the environment.
They tackle sustainability by using mostly vegan ingredients, the only exception being beeswax. However, this beeswax is sustainably sourced, high quality and is only used in 5 products.
ILIA uses sustainable materials to package and deliver their products, including; aluminium, glass components and responsibly sourced paper.
They have also teamed up with Pact Collective to enable customers with empty products to send them back. ILIA then reuses these ‘empties’ or recycles them accordingly.
2) Subtl Beauty
This is one of the most iconic brands known for its refillable ‘Staks’ that give you freedom to create your own ideal makeup set.
These ‘Staks’ can include concealer, cheek tint, eyeshadow, powder, highlighter, and bronzer! You can have your whole makeup bag in one ‘Stak’ creating a very convenient and travel-friendly makeup set.
Once you have bought your ‘Stak’ they offer refills for all products, so you never have to buy the ‘Stak’ again.
Subtl Beauty is vegan, cruelty-free and paraben-free, which further shows their commitment to creating sustainable products.
3) Fat and Moon
Fat and Moon is a smaller women-owned company that’s all about healing through using plants.
Most of their products are vegan aside from a few, like the Eye Coal, which contains sustainably sourced beeswax.
The ingredients of Fat and Moon products are what makes this brand shine in sustainability. The ingredients are consciously sourced as they are fairly traded, organic and local which can reduce carbon emissions and overall environmental impact.
When it comes to packaging they use recyclable and some compostable materials, and are partnered with Terracycle.
Fat and Moon collaborate with and donate to charitable organisations each year.
This shows their dedication to social and environmental change, so go support them by trying some of their products.
4) Inika Organic
Inika Organic is an Australian brand that is vegan, cruelty-free and reef-friendly. They have strict ingredient regulations that means they use 100% pure, natural ingredients. They guarantee no parabens, sulphates, or petrochemicals.
They have a particular focus on sustainable packaging and 90% of their packaging uses sustainable materials like sugarcane or recycled plastic.
They have partnered with CleanHub, an initiative dedicated to preventing plastic pollution by funding waste collection in coastal areas. Every product sold funds the removal and recycling of plastic waste from oceans.
5) Kjaer Weis
If you want to treat yourself, a slightly higher end and more luxurious brand is Kjaer Weis, which have refillable options for 90% of their products.
One of their most popular products is the ‘Iconic Edition’ packaging made from alloy metals. These can be refilled over and over again, and the refills are packaged using recyclable paper.
The ingredients they use are all cruelty-free, many are also vegan and 95% of the plant products they use are organic. Their standout products are their cream blushes, which I love!
6) Zao Makeup
Zao makeup is a sustainable makeup brand as they focus on having a ‘low waste’ system. They have refills for products like their lipsticks and blushes which reduces waste and allows you to switch up your look easily.
All their products are cruelty-free and vegan and avoid using synthetic ingredients.
Zao makeups’ packaging is their standout feature as the primary material they use is bamboo. This is sustainably sourced from endemic forests so has a lot less impact on the planet than traditional materials used in makeup packaging.
They use biodegradable packing peanuts and have a recycling scheme ‘Eco Box’, to encourage people to recycle their empty products.
7) Axiology
Axiology may be one of the most sustainable makeup brands on this list as they fulfil the most sustainability goals and are 100% plastic free.
This brand is cruelty-free and vegan, the makeup is packaged entirely in paper made from discarded waste.
Axiology partners with a women’s cooperative in Bali that turns paper waste from beaches into gorgeous packaging!
This initiative provides stable work and fair wages for women in Bali, alongside removing waste from the island.
Axiology offers beautiful shades of lipsticks and multi-use balms that are fun and versatile. This commitment to people and the environment is why this brand is one of my favorites.
8) Crunchi
Last but not least, Crunchi is the only brand that is fully EWG certified, which means that the ingredients it uses are the least hazardous to people and the planet.
Crunchi uses 0% plastic in its primary packaging and for secondary components they use BPA/phthalate free recyclable plastic.
All their shipping packaging is made from recyclable and recycled materials.
Their standout products are their makeup brushes, as they have a wide range of sizes and are made from vegan bristles.
Share this guide to clean beauty brands
I hope this guide has opened your eyes to more sustainable choices when it comes to makeup!
Share this guide with your friends and family, and give some of these brands a try the next time you are looking to purchase makeup.
Are you interested in more sustainable living content? Check out the sustainable living category in our blog for more inspiration. You might also like our guide to non-toxic fashion.
By choosing sustainable makeup brands you are helping to reduce your carbon footprint and create a better future for us all.
Maisie is a content writer based in England. She recently graduated from the University of Exeter with her MA. She loves animals, nature and reading.
