I’ve tried dozens of clean lipstick brands over the years and I’m finally sharing my guide to help you find the best one for you. The best non toxic lipsticks will be free of parabens, silicones, lead, mineral oils, artificial dyes, fragrance, and microplastics.

Why I switched to clean lipstick

Not all lipstick is created equal, and most of the ones you find in stores contain harmful chemicals that you end up ingesting. Personally, the thought of eating petroleum-based ingredients and harmful synthetics makes me want to gag!

After testing the top-rated clean lipstick brands, the overall winners for me are 100% Pure and Mineral Fusion.

Ingredients to Avoid

Everyone has different standards of purity when it comes to clean beauty, but here are some common ingredients found in lipstick that you might want to avoid.

• Parabens: These are preservatives used to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold.
• Fragrance: This is a hormone-disrupting cocktail of up to 4000 untested chemicals.
• Lead: Lead is a neurotoxicant and can be dangerous even at small doses. The use of lead in cosmetics is regulated and is not intentionally put in lipstick but many color additives approved by the FDA are mineral-based and therefore contain trace amounts of lead. Keep in mind there is NO safe level of lead exposure.
• Mineral Oil: Mineral oil is derived from petroleum and has a polluting manufacturing process. It can go by many different names: Paraffinum Liquidum, Isododecane, Ozokerite, Cera Microcristallina, Paraffin, Petrolatum, Ceresin, Synthetic Wax, Isohexadecane, Polybutene, Isoparaffin, Isoeicosane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Silicone Quaternium-17.
• Polyethylene and Polypropylene: These are microplastics often used for texture in lip products.
• Carmine: Carmine is derived from insects and is used to add red or pink hues to lipsticks.

Best Non Toxic Lipsticks Compared

I tried Westman Atelier Lip Suede Matte Lipstick

Westman Atelier’s lipstick is the most sophisticated clean lipstick I’ve tried so far in clean beauty but it does not come cheap. It glides on like mousse and feels like a soft, cushiony balm. I appreciate that the formula goes beyond the usual plant ingredients and has a lot of “anti-aging” actives for lips like peptides and hyaluronic acid. I find the finish to be a natural sheen I’d characterize as semi-matte. I would say this is an option for luxury lovers who want something that performs like Chanel but has cleaner ingredients. Is it the healthiest lipstick out there? No, I’ve used much cleaner lipsticks. But it does very well in the performance department.

Price: $50 for 0.134 oz
How it feels: like a balm
Finish: Semi-matte
Is it 100% natural: No
Key ingredients: Peptides, Hyaluronic Acid, Meadowfoam extract, Vitamin C and E
Types available: Lip Suede Palette, Lip Suede Matte Lipstick, Liquid Lip Balm
✔ Cruelty-free

I tried Jane Iredale Triple Moisture Lipstick

This is overall a decent mid-range lipstick, even though it’s not my favorite. Jane Iredale is a trusted name in clean cosmetics and their formulas are for the most part quite natural. I appreciate that this lipstick has interesting oils and extracts like Moringa, White Mustard Sprout Extract, Tahitian Vanilla (yum!), pumpkin seed extract, ginger root, green tea and more. I would say the color payoff is weaker than other clean lipstick brands I’ve tried, but if you don’t care for high coverage then it wouldn’t be an issue. The consistency is neither highly moisturizing nor too dry and lies somewhere in the middle. I found that it felt quite dry and grippy the first handful of uses, but afterwards it glided on much more easily. I actually like that the nude shades look very natural, in a my-lips-but-better kind of way.

Price: $35 for 0.12 oz
How it feels: like a balm
Finish: Semi-matte, natural finish
Is it 100% natural: No
Key ingredients: Moringa Oil, Brassica Alba Sprout Extract, Avocado Oil, Blackberry & Tahitian Vanilla
Types available: ColorLuxe Hydrating Cream Lipstick
✔ Organic ingredients ✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free

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I Tried Manasi 7 All Over Colour

For more of a pot rouge situation, I like Manasi 7 All Over Colour and prefer it to rms lip2cheek. I love that it’s organic, natural and wild harvested as well as soo versatile. I find that this works almost identically as a lipstick as it has a dense yet still creamy consistency. rms lip2cheek is overly creamy compared to Manasi 7 and less pigmented. The All Over Colour provides super high coverage and is intensely pigmented. A little goes a very long way! They do use a bit of artificial color but otherwise all ingredients are certified organic.

Price: $43.50 for 0.17 oz
How it feels: like a dense balm
Finish: Natural, semi-matte finish
Is it 100% natural: Certified organic but includes dyes
Key ingredients: Castor seed oil, sweet almond oil, beeswax, apricot kernel oil
✔ Certified organic ingredients ✔ Cruelty-free

I tried 100 Percent Pure Fruit Pigmented Lipstick

100% Pure’s lipstick was the first all natural lipstick I ever tried and it remains top tier. Most clean lipsticks will still add a small amount of artificial color to achieve certain shades, but 100% Pure is committed to being entirely fruit pigmented. This is THE most moisturizing lipstick in clean beauty hands down. It’s chock full of plant oils and butters and feels very slick in consistency. I do find that their darker shades tend to bleed around the edges of my lips. Another thing to note is during the warmer months be cautious when using because it’s more prone to coming off the center. The color payoff is excellent but it does need to be reapplied when eating or drinking. My only complaint is they need to restock a lot of their shades, including their Matte Lipstick which is also a favorite of mine.

Price: $28 for 0.15 oz
How it feels: like a super slick balm
Finish: Satin
Is it 100% natural: Yes
Key ingredients: Pomegranate Seed Oil, Cocoa Seed Butter, Cherry, Plum, Raspberry
✔ 100% natural ✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free

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I tried Kjaer Weis Lipstick

Kjaer Weis’ lipstick is so lovely inside and out with certified organic ingredients and refillable packaging. But it IS on the drier side, so my lips absolutely need to be exfoliated and smooth before I use this. Otherwise it just makes my lips look awful and so so dry. The finish is a natural matte and the pigmentation is decent. I do find this lipstick to “cling” to my lips better than some other brands. There’s only a small handful of clean makeup brands that make refillable lipsticks but Kjaer Weis is the ONLY one that makes an organic refillable one.

Price: $48 for 0.15 oz / $30 for refill
How it feels: like a drier balm
Finish: Matte
Is it 100% natural: Yes
Key ingredients: Castor seed oil, olive fruit oil, shea butter
Types available: Matte Naturally Liquid Lipstick
✔ 100% natural ✔ Certified organic ✔ Cruelty-free

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I tried Mineral Fusion Lipstick (budget!)

This has been my favorite budget natural lipstick along with Gabriel Cosmetic’s. I looove how nourishing the Mineral Fusion lipstick feels and the fact that I can find it at almost any big health food store. It’s super affordable at under $20 and is filled with lip-moisturizing ingredients, vitamins and antioxidants. This glides on very well and has a slicker, more moisturizing feel than other popular natural lipsticks. It’s just soo buttery. Color payoff is decent, but I do find that I need to reapply between drinking and eating.

Price: $17.99 for 0.14 oz
How it feels: like a balm
Finish: Satin
Is it 100% natural: No
Key ingredients: Castor Seed Oil, Sesame Seed Oil, Pomegranate, Red Tea and White Tea, plus Vitamin C and E
Types available: Lipstick Butter
✔ 80% naturally derived ✔ Hypoallergenic ✔ Cruelty-free

I tried INIKA Organic Lipstick

INIKA is one of the few brands that still makes truly organic lipstick. The entire line is certified vegan and organic and their lipstick is full of nourishing castor seed oil, jojoba seed oil, Argan oil and shea butter. The finish isn’t a true matte nor a satin, so I call it a semi-matte. INIKA doesn’t use any artificial colors like many of today’s clean makeup brands, so the pigmentation isn’t as strong as say ILIA’s. It can feel a bit dry and dense during the first few uses, but it eventually becomes easier to glide on.

Price: $42 for 0.15 oz
How it feels: like a drier balm
Finish: semi-matte
Is it 100% natural: Yes
Key ingredients: Castor seed oil, shea butter, jojoba seed oil, Argan oil
✔ 100% natural ✔ Organic ingredients ✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free

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I tried Kosas Nourishing Satin Lipstick

When I first tried Kosas Weightless Lip Color I was surprised by how much I liked it. I love how smooth and creamy it felt even on first application and the lovely satin finish that makes my lips look so hydrated. The formula is very very similar to ILIA’s lipstick (do they have the same manufacturer or what?!) and full of oils and butters. It’s not exactly long lasting since it has a slicker consistency. If you like a more hydrating lipstick with a glossy finish, Kosas is a good option. I find the color payoff to be solid, not too strong and not too weak.

Price: $26
How it feels: like a hydrating balm
Finish: Satin
Is it 100% natural: No
Key ingredients: Mango Butter, Cocoa Butter, Rosehip oil
Types available: Wet Stick
✔ Cruelty-free

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I tried ILIA Color block Lipstick (most pigmented)

ILIA’s color block lipstick is probably the most pigmented clean lipstick I’ve tried. It goes on matte so I need to make sure my lips are well exfoliated and moisturized beforehand. I’m surprised that even after being bought out, the formula is still quite natural. Even though they do use artificial color, it’s made mostly of moisturizing oils and butters like castor oil, mango seed butter, apricot seed oil, shea butter, rosehip oil, raspberry oil and grapeseed oil. Overall, it’s a high impact, long lasting lipstick that is much cleaner than conventional lipstick.

Price: $28 for 0.14 oz
How it feels: like a drier balm
Finish: Matte
Is it 100% natural: No
Key ingredients: castor oil, mango seed butter, apricot seed oil
✔ Organic ingredients ✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free

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I tried HIGHR Collective Lipstick

I think HIGHR Collective is so underrated as a lipstick brand. They’re the world’s first CO2 neutral lipstick and the first certified B Corp luxury lip company, which I find so cool. Plus, they’re PETA certified 100% Vegan. I appreciate that they’re transparent about the exact percentage of organic ingredients in each lipstick, which ranges from 66% to 74%. There’s also an innovative ingredient they use that I haven’t seen in other products callee Hyaluronic Ultra Filling Spheres, which utilize a modernized delivery system to penetrate the dermis and plump lips from the inside out. The packaging is super practical and comes with a rectangular mirror so I can apply whenever wherever. I find the finish to be a soft semi-matte.

Price: $11 for
How it feels: Like a balm
Finish: Semi-matte
Is it 100% natural: No
Key ingredients:
Types available:
✔ ✔ Organic ingredients ✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free

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