42 / WOMEN’S HEALTH APRIL 2019
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If you told me three years ago that
my entire makeup bag would even-
tually be filled with clean products,
I would have given you some major
side eye. Although the veggies in my fridge
were organic and I saged my apartment on the
regular, clean makeup was the one wellness
trend I did not want to get on board with. Per-
haps like you, I was skeptical that the formulas
could perform, and I imagined the experience
would feel less luxe than the conventional
products I loved. But I had to weigh that risk
against another potential one.
“Makeup sits on your skin all day,” says
dermatologist and Women’s Health advisory
board member Ellen Marmur, MD. “It’s im-
portant to select products free of question-
able chemicals such as parabens, phthalates,
PEGs, and synthetic fragrances that are
l i n ke d to ha r m f u l he a lt h effe c t s l i ke sk i n i r r i-
tation, hormone disruption, even cancer.”
Armed with this knowledge I couldn’t
ignore any longer, I finally decided it was time
to fully walk the wellness walk. But diving
face-first into the clean-makeup world was
confusing. The main reason: “There is no
government or third party–certified defini-
t ion st at i ng what qua l i fie s a s cle a n be aut y,”
says Tara Foley, founder and CEO of Follain,
one of my now-favorite clean-beauty shop-
ping destinations. “Unfortunately, some
brands try to capitalize on the clean-beauty
movement by labeling their products with
words like clean, nontoxic, and natural, but
when you take a closer look at the label, you’ll
find some nasty ingredients,” adds Foley. In
other words: Green-washing is rampant.
S o I t u r ne d to t r u ste d sou rc e s, l i ke t he
be aut y store s Fol la i n, C re do, a nd The D etox
Market, which exclude all brands and prod-
ucts that contain controversial or harmful
ingredients; I flipped each product over and
read its ingredients; and I referenced the
Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep
database, which has unbiased ratings of
products’ safety.
And what did I find? Foundations that felt
l i ke sk i n c a re, l ipst ick s t hat went on l i ke but-
ter, shadows that lasted all day, and mascara
that lifted my lashes. Honestly, I was shocked.
Christy Coleman, chief artistic officer at
Beautycounter (a clean-beauty brand that
has over 1,500 ingredients on its “The Never
List”), says she would have been surprised as
well 10 years ago, when she first transitioned
her makeup-artist kit to clean items. “But
we’ve come a long way in formulations and
innovations, and our products perform as
wel l a s a ny ot her s on t he m a rket.”
Now, I’m not suggesting you panic and
throw out your whole current stash. But when
you run out of something, try replacing it with
a clean version (below are some personal
faves). Prepare to feel beautiful—naturally.
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1.“Conventional liquid lipsticks are
drying, but the shea butter and babassu
oil in this make it so comf y to wear.”
Burt’s Bees Liquid Lipstick in Flushed
Petal, $10, amazon.com
- “Clean palet te s don’t have to be bor-
ing. This one has all the neutrals you
need, plus a few fun sparkly pops.”
Beautycounter Velvet Eyeshadow Pal-
ette in Romantic, $50, beautycounter.com - “Thanks to rose hip and marula oils,
this feel s like sl athering on a luxe face
cream.” Ilia True Skin Serum Founda-
tion, $54, iliabeauty.com
4. “Most clean bronzers are shimmery,
but this is hands down the best matte
version I’ve tried.” Alima Pure Bronzer,
$24, alimapure.com
5. “Sunflower-seed wax and organic
coconut oil blend easily into skin—I just
use my finger to apply!—and leave
behind the prettiest flush.”
Jillian Dempsey Cheek Tint in Rosy,
$28, jilliandempsey.com
6.“This pot gives that dewy, I-work-out-
every-day glow to cheekbones.”
RMS Beauty Champagne Rosé
Luminizer, $38, rmsbeauty.com
7.“TBH, I don’t love many natural
mascaras, but this one builds awesome
volume and stays put all day.”
W3ll People Expressionist Mascara,
$26, amazon.com
Marta’s Must-Haves