The Best Natural Lip Glosses With Clean Ingredients
Last Updated: August 12, 2023
Over the past two weeks, we audited 25+ of the most popular lip glosses on the market to see if their ingredients are as conscious as they claim.
Today we’ll be looking at…
- The dark side of lip gloss.
- Ingredients to avoid in conventional lip glosses.
- Better ingredients found in clean lip glosses.
- How to properly care for (and store) natural lip gloss.
- The best natural lip glosses, rated by ingredients.
Lip gloss was huge in the 90s, and it’s making a comeback in a big way. But unlike yesterday’s lip glosses—which contained potentially harmful chemicals—today’s new-and-improved formulas are packed with natural ingredients that nourish your skin.
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Hundreds of lip gloss brands are available on the market, but finding one with clean ingredients is not easy. Many contain known carcinogens, phthalates, parabens, petroleum products, or other chemicals that can irritate your lips and cause more severe health issues over time.
Lip glosses are the perfect touch-up for any outfit and can instantly glam up anything from a simple tee to an elegant gown. While they moisturize and add shine to your pout, they can also be chock full of chemicals and unpronounceable ingredients that do nothing but harm. So how does one go about finding a natural alternative?
If you like to wear lip gloss (and who doesn’t?), it can be frustrating to look through the labels and find many that don’t live up to your standards.
Fortunately, you don’t need to spend hours searching for an alternative. We’ve researched them thoroughly so you can spend more time enjoying your lip gloss than reading labels.
The Dark Side of Lip Glosses
Because lip gloss is worn directly on the lips, ingesting it during the course of the day is inevitable. This means that any of the ingredients in the lip gloss—which aren’t made for human consumption—are making their way into your body. If you’re wearing lip gloss several times per week, this compounds the problem.
Why does this matter? Conventional lip glosses can contain a long list of nasty ingredients you probably want to keep out of your body.
Heavy metals such as lead, chromium, cadmium, aluminum, manganese, and nickel are frequently found in lip products, albeit at relatively low levels due to contamination. As a result, these heavy metals are not explicitly listed on ingredient labels, as they are hidden under another ingredient, typically as a component of the coloring of the product.
A 2013 study of lip gloss (and lipstick) found detectable amounts of aluminum, titanium, cadmium, chromium, and manganese in some tested products at varied concentrations. Because many of us use lip products daily, this could ultimately result in higher exposure to these heavy metals than what is deemed safe by the FDA.
The potential toxicity doesn’t stop there.
Besides heavy metals, ingredients like parabens, artificial colorings, BHA/BHT and more can be found in lip glosses, all of which could have unknown negative impacts on your health.
Ingredients To Avoid in Lip Glosses
We looked at the ingredients of more than 25 of the most popular conventional lip glosses, and we found that the vast majority of these products contain at least one ingredient we consider harmful to your health.
Here’s a partial list:
Artificial Flavors
Some lip glosses use artificial flavors to have a pleasant taste. While artificial flavors aren’t a significant concern, they still use a lot of chemicals to create the taste. These chemicals are not necessarily safe for your body, especially when you’re absorbing them through the lips.
Artificial flavors can sometimes be found under the term “natural flavor”. It’s actually quite a misleading term. While it’s true that these flavors come from natural or animal sources, they are combinations of chemicals that are extracted from those sources. The flavor isn’t always from the same source you might think—we’re talking about lab creations here.
Much like artificial fragrances, companies can hide the exact chemical makeup of their flavors.
While there is some debate on whether artificial and “natural” flavors are safe, we believe that if possible, it’s always best to avoid them.
Case in point: In 2018, the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) banned seven synthetic flavoring substances, six of which were shown to cause cancer in laboratory animal studies. Because the exact makeup of artificial flavors is kept hidden, we have no idea which products contain potential carcinogens.
This goes to show that the ingredients used in artificial flavorings aren’t always safe.
Artificial Fragrances
Artificial fragrances are common chemicals that help make your lip gloss smell like strawberries or sweet tarts.
The problem with artificial fragrances is similar to that of artificial flavorings—as consumers, we have no idea what concoction of chemicals goes into the pleasant scents that end up in our lip glosses.
It’s estimated that there are over 3,000 different chemicals that can be used in various combinations to create fragrances. Some of these chemicals are considered safe, while others may have potential health concerns.
However, they often use phthalates to create the scent. Besides phthalates, artificial fragrances can contain a mystery soup of other chemicals that brands legally do not need to identify.
For this reason, at Better Goods, we never recommend products that have undisclosed artificial fragrances.
Synthetic Dyes
Debates surrounding synthetic dyes have persisted within the beauty and personal care world for quite some time. Historically, these colorants were sourced from coal tar, but contemporary manufacturing processes predominantly use petroleum.
Uncertainties remain regarding the potential hazards of dyes in products that require rinsing off. A common ingredient colorant that is a prominent component inlipsticks is FD&C Yellow #6.
It has been noted that this pigment could be contaminated with benzidine, a chemical associated with causing tumors and cancer as well as other health effects. Additionally, a 2018 research investigation revealed that Yellow #6, among other colorants, influenced inflammation.
As a standard guideline, at Better Goods we suggest avoiding products that use artificial dyes.
Parabens
Parabens are used to stop the growth of microbes in products. Because lip gloss is a frequently-used cosmetic, it has a high risk of growing harmful bacteria if there aren’t any preservatives present in the product. However, parabens are considered harmful chemicals.
You’ve probably seen these listed on product labels as methyl-, butyl-, ethyl-, or propylparaben. They are commonly used as preservatives in cosmetics, can be absorbed through the skin, and have been linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, and reproductive toxicity. Several studies have linked parabens to breast cancer as well.
The European Union has banned five parabens from use in cosmetics since 2014: Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Phenylparaben, Benzylparaben, and Pentylparaben.
Chemical Sunscreens
Chemical sunscreens like oxybenzone, octinoxate, and homosalate are agents that help protect your lips from the sun. However, studies have shown that these chemicals readily absorb into the bloodstream, and we don’t currently understand what effect this may have on the body. Additionally, it has been found that these chemicals could have effects on the environment, particularly coral reefs.
Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4)
Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, when exposed to higher levels, this ingredient may lead to skin irritation and has been linked to potential endocrine-disrupting effects. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers D4 to be toxic and persistent, indicating that it does not easily degrade in the environment and can accumulate in living organisms such as fish. Furthermore, evidence suggests that it interferes with human hormone function and may impair female fertility.
Retinyl Palmitate
Retinyl palmitate is an antioxidant and vitamin A source used in many lip glosses. While it may have some antioxidant properties, it’s very controversial.
A 2012 U.S National Toxicology Program study investigated the risks of Retinyl Palmitate. Mice were exposed to synthetic sunlight for four hours daily and treated with creams containing Retinyl Palmitate or Retinoic Acid. These mice developed more tumors and at a faster rate compared to mice exposed to sunlight without cream treatment or those treated with just carrier cream.
Another 2005 study examined the impact of treating mouse lymphoma cells with Retinyl Palmitate and exposing them to UV-A light, which penetrates deeper into the skin than UV-B rays. Researchers discovered that the mutation frequency of cells—a factor leading to cancer—was three times higher when cells were treated with Retinyl Palmitate and exposed to UV-A, compared to cells exposed only to UV-A light. Finding a lip gloss with UV protection will help prevent the combined toxicity of retinyl palmitate and sunlight (similar to what is recommended in skincare routines).
BHA/BHT
The European Commission on Endocrine Disruption has found that BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) might have the ability to disrupt the endocrine system. BHT (butylhydroxytoluene) has been linked to hormone disruption, and appears on California’s Prop 65 list as a potential carcinogen. Typically, BHA and BHT can be found together, and the effects of both chemicals (together) are still unknown.
Better Ingredient Alternatives In Clean Lip Glosses
Luckily, if you’re looking for a truly clean lip gloss that doesn’t contain any artificial ingredients or chemicals, we’ve got good news.
You can find natural products available, and they will provide you with all of the nourishment and protection your lips need without causing damage to your health in the process.
Good ingredients to look for include:
- Natural oils: Jojoba oil, coconut oil, and argan oil are often used as nourishing and moisturizing ingredients. Many different essential oils can be used as natural flavors, scents, or moisturizers in clean lip glosses. For example, citrus oils such as orange and grapefruit not only add a nice scent to the product but can also provide anti-inflammatory benefits for your lips.
- Natural waxes: Beeswax and carnauba wax help give the lip gloss structure and staying power. These waxes also help lock moisture into the lips rather than wear it away with time.
- Cocoa Butter: Cocoa butter is another ingredient that can help keep your lips moist and protected from the sun. It locks in moisture and helps form a barrier that protects the lips from dryness.
- Shea Butter – Shea butter has been shown to help heal chapped lips, improve lip elasticity, and protect against the sun.
- Coconut Oil – Coconut oil has antimicrobial properties, it can help lock in moisture and stimulate circulation to the lips for healthy and luscious lips.
- Xylitol – Xylitol is a sugar alcohol used as an alternative sweetener in many lip products. It’s been shown to have antioxidant properties and help prevent tooth decay.
- Honey – Honey is a natural antibacterial agent, and it can provide nourishment and hydration to the lips. It’s also an antioxidant that can protect against free radical damage too.
- Mango Butter – Mango butter is another wonderful ingredient for lip glosses because it provides moisture and protection from harmful environmental factors while also acting as an emollient.
- Castor Oil – Castor oil is rich in antioxidants that can help hydrate and restore luster to your lips. It’s also an antibacterial agent that helps heal infections on the lips.
Caring for Your Natural Lip Gloss
Taking proper care of your natural lip gloss not only ensures a smooth and flawless application but also prolongs the lifespan of the product.
In this section, we’ll discuss tips for storing your lip gloss, understanding its shelf life and expiration, and knowing when to replace your favorite lip gloss.
Storing Your Lip Gloss
Because natural lip glosses don’t contain harsh preservatives like parabens—and sometimes no preservatives at all—proper storage is key.
Proper storage is crucial to maintain the quality and effectiveness of your natural lip gloss. Here are some tips to keep your lip gloss in the best condition:
- Cool, dry place: Always store your lip gloss in a cool and dry environment, away from heat and humidity. Excess heat can break down the natural ingredients and alter the formula, reducing its effectiveness.
- Avoid direct sunlight: Exposure to direct sunlight can also degrade the ingredients in your lip gloss. Make sure to keep it away from windows or any other places where it might be exposed to the sun for extended periods.
- Keep it upright: If possible, store your lip gloss upright to prevent the product from settling at the bottom of the tube or leaking out of the applicator. This will help maintain an even consistency for smooth application.
- Close the cap tightly: To prevent your lip gloss from drying out or becoming contaminated, always close the cap tightly after each use.
Shelf Life and Expiration
All cosmetics have a limited shelf life, but natural products tend to be even more limited due to the lack of harsh preservatives.
It’s essential to be aware of this to ensure you’re using a safe and effective product. Here are some guidelines to help you determine the lifespan of your lip gloss:
- Check the packaging: Most cosmetic products have a symbol that indicates their shelf life. This symbol is usually an open jar with a number followed by the letter ‘M’ (e.g., 12M or 24M), representing the number of months the product is good for once opened.
- Mark the opening date: To keep track of when you first opened your lip gloss, consider writing the date on the packaging with a permanent marker. This will help you determine when it’s time to replace your lip gloss based on the shelf life indicated on the packaging.
- Pay attention to consistency and smell: If you notice any changes in the texture, color, or smell of your lip gloss, it may be time to toss it. Natural ingredients can break down over time, and these changes can indicate that the product is no longer effective or safe to use.
When to Replace Your Natural Lip Gloss
Knowing when to replace your lip gloss is essential to ensure you’re always using a safe and effective product. Here are some signs that it might be time to toss your old lip gloss and invest in a new one:
- Exceeded shelf life: If your lip gloss has been open longer than the recommended shelf life, it’s time to replace it. Using expired lip gloss can lead to reduced effectiveness and potential irritation or infection.
- Changes in texture, color, or smell: As mentioned earlier, any changes in the consistency, color, or smell of your lip gloss can indicate that the product has gone bad. Trust your senses and replace your lip gloss if you notice any of these signs.
- Applicator damage or contamination: If the applicator becomes damaged or contaminated, it’s best to replace your lip gloss to avoid introducing bacteria or other contaminants to your lips.
By following these guidelines, you’ll ensure that you’re always using a safe, effective, and high-quality natural lip gloss. Proper care and timely replacement will not only protect your lips but also help you get the most out of your clean beauty investment (these products can sometimes be expensive!)
The Best Natural Lip Glosses: Ranked By Ingredients
We researched the internet, online stores, and social media for the most popular natural lip glosses.
Each ingredient in every product was researched and analyzed for safety based on available public research. Where possible, sources for information are included.
Products are ranked from best to worst with an internal score based on the ingredient rankings.
Products are rated as follows…
This ranking is for the best of the best. Only exemplary brands will receive a ranking of best for any category.
This ranking is for brands that are typically quite good, but don’t go above and beyond like our best choices.
This ranking is for when we find something we find iffy. Not a good sign.
This ranking is reserved for the worst of the worst.
Natural Lip Glosses Rated: Best
Only one lip gloss we analyzed deserved the best rating for its ingredients list. It was the only lip gloss that contained zero ingredients on our iffy or bad lists and comes highly recommended.
Innbeauty Project
The Glaze #1 Lip Oil from Innbeauty Project has a great list of ingredients with none on our list of ingredients to avoid. It comes in a total of 5 shades.
They aren’t transparent about the exact formula of the flavor, but the brand claims it’s natural. All in all, this is a clean lip gloss that we can recommend and the only one with 100% good ingredients, making it the best lip gloss we analyzed.
Ingredients
Han Skincare Cosmetics
Han Skincare Cosmetics offers a great clean lip gloss full of natural ingredients. With no synthetic flavorings, scents or colors, and made from a base of natural oils, this lip gloss gets our top rating.
The ingredients below are for the shade Raspberry Chardonnay.
Ingredients
Fitglow
Fitglow makes a natural lip gloss with excellent ingredients, many of which are 100% organic. The base is made from organic shea butter and coconut, castor and sunflower oils. It comes in a total of 10 shades, and easily deserves our top rating in terms of clean ingredients.
The ingredients below are for the shade Buff.
Ingredients
Natural Lip Glosses Rated: Good
Any of these lip glosses are a safe choice. The main reason why most of these missed a rating of best is that they use titanium dioxide as a natural coloring agent. Truthfully, this generally isn’t a big concern, but since one of the natural lip glosses we analyzed didn’t have this ingredient, it deserves a higher ranking.
Kosas
This clean lip gloss from Kosas meets our standard in terms of clean and safe ingredients. It comes in a total of 8 shades, each of which met our clean beauty standards.
Ingredients
Vapour
The Elixer Glosses from Vapour (which comes in 5 shades) have an excellent clean list of ingredients and easily meets our standards. Recommended.
Ingredients
Kjaer Weis
Kjaer Weis’s lip glosses come in a wide range of 9 shades and have clean ingredients you can feel safe using. The fragrance is made from a blend of essential oils, and the inclusion of carmine makes this a non-vegan lip gloss product.
Ingredients
Suntegrity
Suntegrity’s lip gloss comes in 10 shades and has a SPF of 25 for sun protection on the lips—something that many people overlook. With a clean list of ingredients and a wide array of shades, we recommend this clean lip gloss.
Active Ingredients
Ingredients
PYT Beauty
This clear lip gloss
Ingredients
W3LL PEOPLE
W3LL PEOPLE’s HydroLip Gloss comes in 6 shades and has a great clean list of ingredients you can feel safe using. For this reason, we can recommend it.
Ingredients
Pacifica
We’ve rated several Pacifica products well on Better Goods, and their Vegan Collagen Lip Plumping Gloss is no exception. With a clean list of ingredients, we can recommend this natural lip gloss to any clean beauty fan.
Ingredients
Natural Lip Glosses Rated: Iffy
We don’t recommend these lip glosses. The primary reason a lip gloss received a rating of iffy is its use of synthetic dyes linked to potential negative health impacts.
Ilia
Because these lip glosses from Ilia use several controversial synthetic dyes, we can’t recommend them over those that don’t.
Ingredients
Tower 28 Beauty
Tower 28’s lip glosses come in a wide range of 12 shades. However, all of the shades use controversial synthetic dyes and as such, we can’t recommend them over lip glosses that don’t use these ingredients.
Ingredients
Westman Atelier
Westman Atelier’s Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm comes in 6 shades and has a relatively clean list of ingredients. While the ingredients list shows fragrance, the brand claims that its natural fragrance. They do use some synthetic dyes, and for this reason, we can’t recommend these glosses over those that don’t.
Ingredients
Minori
Minori’s lip glosses have a relatively clean list of ingredients, but do use some artificial colorings we would prefer to avoid. For this reason, we can’t recommend them over other glosses that use all-natural dyes.
Ingredients
Merit
Merit’s tinted lip oils use many artificial colorings that we recommend avoiding. Because many of the lip glosses we reviewed had better ingredients, we cannot recommend these.
Ingredients
ITEM Beauty
This lip gloss from ITEM Beauty has both undisclosed artificial fragrance, and Yellow 5 (CI 19140), an artificial dye that has been linked to negative health effects.
Ingredients
Lawless
Although the ingredients for Lawless’s lip gloss are relatively okay, we can’t recommend them over those that don’t have synthetic dyes and flavoring.
The below ingredients are for the shade Lavender Sorbet.
Ingredients
BareMinerals
With synthetic flavor and dyes, we can’t recommend BareMinerals lip gloss.
The ingredients below are for the shade Serenity Nude Pink.
Ingredients
Exa
Credo’s in-house brand Exa doesn’t quite meet our standards because of the inclusion of a few ingredients on our iffy list, including synthetic dyes.
The below ingredients are for the shade Dreamer.
Ingredients
Athr Beauty
Although Athr is trying to make a clean lip gloss, the inclusion of several synthetic dyes means we can’t recommend it over glosses that don’t have these ingredients.
The ingredients below are for the shade Influence.
Ingredients
Youthforia
Youthforia’s lip glosses use synthetic dyes, and for this reason, we can’t recommend them over better lip glosses.
The ingredients below are for the shade Sound Stage.
Ingredients
Natural Lip Glosses Rated: Bad
We strongly recommend avoiding these lip glosses. They contain several ingredients we recommend avoiding.
Jones Road
Jones Road’s Cool Gloss comes in a total of 9 shades, but they use several synthetic dyes that we recommend avoiding. Do note that carmine—a natural dye derived from insects—is used in some of the formulations, making them non-vegan.
Ingredients
Physicians Formula
This lip gloss from Physician’s Formula has several ingredients on our Avoid list, including BHT and octinoxate. For this reason, we can’t recommend it.
Ingredients
elf
elf’s lip glosses are nowhere close to clean beauty, which likely isn’t a surprise to anyone. Because they use several ingredients on our Avoid list, we cannot recommend this product.
Ingredients
Haus Labs
Brimming with questionable synthetic colorants, we find it hard to endorse this lip gloss from Haus Labs – the glamorous beauty brand founded by the iconic Lady Gaga herself.
Ingredients
Nudestix
Because this lip gloss from Nudestix has retinyl palmitate, we recommend avoiding it.
The ingredients below are for the shade Nude 02.
Ingredients
In Conclusion
Because lip gloss is a product that you inevitably end up eating, it’s essential to make sure the lip gloss we use is clean and natural.
For a quick recommendation, check out the only lip gloss that received a best rating: the Glaze #1 Lip Oil from Innabeauty Project. It’s the only natural lip gloss we reviewed that didn’t have a single questionable ingredient. It comes in five shades and is relatively inexpensive, making it an excellent choice for a clean and natural lip gloss.
