New to Sustainable Makeup? Here are 5 Mainstream Brands

Burts Bees –  That’s right, Burts Bees the chapstick brand, is also a great sustainable makeup brand, and it sells way more than just chapstick. Using Burts Bees is a great way to help the environment, while still using mainstream makeup that is available at stores such as Ulta or Sephora.  With recycled packaging, natural ingredients, responsible sourcing, great quality, and countless other benefits, this is a great brand to try out. Need to see the proof? They publish sustainability reports to hold themselves accountable and sponsor countless environmental organizations.

Products include: Skin care, makeup, lip care, body/hair products, baby products, and even toothpaste.

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Elate Cosmetics – This affordable makeup company is a great option for those who love makeup and the environment. Elate aims to creates vegan products that don’t harm animals or humans in any way. They use sustainably sourced ingredients and are working to becoming 100% waste free – they are currently at about 75% – and use a combination of recyclable glass, bamboo, and seed paper packaging. With providers across the country and the world, they aim to minimize shipping distances and therefore carbon emissions. They also have a great refill program. This means that instead of throwing out your makeup container when it’s empty, you can order replacements that will be sent in biodegradable envelopes.

Products include: lipstick, eye makeup, foundation, makeup brushes, and more

Kjaer Weis – This minimalist NYC brand prides itself on being environmentally conscious without compromising quality. All products are organic, sustainable, and of course, guaranteed to spice up your look. Kjaer Weis, like Elate, takes sustainability a step further, by providing high-quality compacts that can be refilled with your favorite products, instead of being discarded after use, however their compacts are not recyclable. This reusable aspect makes up for an initially higher price than Burts Bees, because when you refill, all prices are 30% off, creating a win-win situation for the earth and your wallet!

Products include: skincare, makeup bags, and brushes

Lush Beauty – Recognize the name? That’s probably because this company has had so much success with their bath bombs, not to mention that you can’t walk past their store without smelling their products. But what many don’t realize is that Lush has a lot more to offer than just soaps and bath bombs, with a variety of beauty products, all of which are sustainable. Lush advocates against animal cruelty, uses packaging made from recycled ocean trash, uses sustainably sourced ingredients, and also supports a large variety of charitable organizations devoted to preserving the environment. Although you can get products online – and this is the only option right now – getting them in person is so much more enjoyable, with live demonstrations of their bath bombs, the ability to actually smell the different products, and great customer service!

Products: Makeup, lip balm, face masks, moisturizers/lotion, shaving cream, toothpaste, soaps, bath products, hair products – including hair dye, deodorant, and some adorable gift sets and accessories

 

Tarte – This mainstream makeup brand is not well-known for being sustainable, but they are committed to ethically sourcing their ingredients and materials to create quality products that are as natural as possible and chemical free! If you are shopping at a Sephora or Ulta, this is definitely one of their more eco-friendly brands, however they are not by any means zero-waste, and are the least eco-friendly option of the five brands.