Natural Lipstick

Natural and organic lipsticks are still hard to find

Consumer safety groups suggest choosing a lipstick with natural components or one that has 10 or fewer ingredients. Paula Begoun, however, warns that "natural" does not always mean better. Several of these lipsticks, she says, contain natural but irritating ingredients that are not good for the skin or lips. While natural cosmetics are growing in popularity, most are not reviewed often enough to properly evaluate their effectiveness. If you prefer natural alternatives, Environmental Working Group rates lipsticks for safety at its Skin Deep cosmetics database. This website also notes whether or not a company conducts animal testing.

Even though organic foods and skin-care products are becoming more mainstream than ever, it is still rather difficult to find truly natural cosmetic products. That's because most companies rely on synthetic ingredients to some degree. Jolene Edgar of Allure magazine also points out that the industry is largely unregulated and many natural ingredients are not as heavily tested and studied as synthetic substances. Due to a lack of funding for research, one company's natural lipsticks may not be as good, or good for you, as another's.

PeaceKeeper Lipstick (*Est. $14) may be as natural as lipstick gets. The company only uses non-toxic ingredients and a quick look at the ingredient list confirms this. Its main ingredients are beeswax, carnauba wax, candelilla wax, shea butter and castor oil, among others. PeaceKeeper also defines each of their ingredients and suggests that vegans may wish to use something else. That's because the lipstick gets its red coloring from insect scales, which the company insists is a safe alternative to standard food-coloring dyes. The creamy lipstick is available in 12 shades. While the Environmental Working Group labels this lipstick as "low hazard," we didn't find any other reviews to tell us how well it works.

Dr. Hauschka Lipstick (*Est. $24) also uses natural substances to obtain its range of hues and to provide moisture to the lips. Ingredients include shea butter, rose hip and carrot extracts, rose and jojoba waxes, along with a slew of essential oils. The lipstick, however, gets a "high hazard" rating from the Skip Deep website because it includes fragrance and some of the ingredients can cause irritation and allergies. Paula Begoun, who often criticizes natural-cosmetics companies for using irritating ingredients, gives Dr. Hauschka a good rating but says that the colors have "minimal stain." Dr. Hauschka Lipstick is available in eight shades.

It may be easier to find a natural lip gloss in a shade that you love, since glosses require less color. Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer (*Est. $4.50) was named a winner in Natural Solutions magazine's 2008 Beauty with a Conscience Awards. It also gets above-average user ratings at MakeupAlley.com where consumers say that it is moisturizing and gives your lips a "natural flush" of color. Some, however, complain that it doesn't go on smoothly and that the color is "uneven." The gloss is available in 11 shades, all made with natural ingredients. Begoun warns, though, that the peppermint and rosemary oils included in the Shimmer can be irritating to some. She recommends Burt's Bees Super Shiny Lip Gloss (*Est. $7) instead. Both get good ratings from Skin Deep for including safe ingredients.