7 Organic Eyeliner Brands For A Non-Toxic & Natural Look
If our eyes are our window to the soul, then why do so many makeup brands create eye makeup rife with dangerous, cancer causing chemicals like formaldehyde or carbon black?
Conventional eyeliner is one of the most notoriously toxic items on the cosmetics market, and we’re here to change that with the best organic eyeliner for sensitive eyes—or rather, ALL eyes.
So, what are natural alternatives to eyeliner?
Well, the best non-toxic eyeliner uses natural skin care ingredients—like shea butter, coconut oil, and sunflower seed oil—so as not to compromise health or performance.
That way, you can achieve a bolder cat eye that’s beautiful all day (or night) without irritating your eyes.
Everything we recommend to you on Sustainable Jungle is independently researched and we ask all brands to confirm their claims. To avoid waste, we test products on an as needed basis. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about why we do this here.
An Eye Makeup Primer Of The Best Non-Toxic Eyeliner
Clean Faced Cosmetics is one of our long-standing favorites for clean and organic beauty. Easily the best non-toxic liquid eyeliner on this list, theirs contains only five ingredients that glide on soft and smooth.
Want an eyeliner that features conditioning herbs to revitalize your eyes and make you look younger?
Dab Herb’s natural eyeliners will do just that—without the raccoon eyes!
Wink your way to the bottom to find out how we chose the best organic eyeliner brands.
The Full List Of Non-Toxic & Natural Eyeliners
- Clean-Faced Cosmetics | Visit Store
- ILIA Beauty | Visit Store
- Dab Herb | Visit Store
- INIKA Organic | Visit Store
- Bee You Organics | Visit Store
- Antonym | Visit Store
- Moonrise Creek | Visit Store
1. Clean Faced Cosmetics
*Note: Some products contain synthetic dyes (which you can request to be substituted on custom palettes).
About Clean Faced Cosmetics’ Organic Eyeliner Liquid
Keep your face clean from smudged-on toxins with Clean Faced Cosmetics’ natural black liquid liner.
It’s castor oil-based, meaning it glides on as smooth and simple as the five ingredients it’s made of.
These include sustainably sourced activated hardwood charcoal, kaolin clay, organic acacia powder, and organic tapioca starch.
Because it contains no toxic preservatives, its shelf life is about three months.
This zero waste and non-toxic eyeliner truly ticks all our boxes, down to the reusable glass jar.
The plastic tip on the bamboo applicator can be removed before composting at its end-of-life. Be sure to hang onto it for refill orders to get 10% off.
Complete your natural eyeliner look with their rainbow selection of mascara and can also moonlight as a thicker cake version of eyeliner for all you minimalist makeup junkies out there.
About Clean Faced Cosmetics
This Michigan-based sustainable makeup brand is one of our favorites for their no-nonsense approach to clean beauty.
Products are available custom made-to-order and shipped in either biodegradable cello bags or reusable tins, with labels printed on recycled paper with eco-friendly ink.
While they sometimes use trace amounts of Yellow No. 5 FD&C Lake and Red No. 40 FD&C Lake to properly create skin tone matched foundation powders, this is only when necessary.
To give back, CFC donates regularly to NAACP and Rainforest Trust, and the carbon offset program Terrapass.
2. ILIA Beauty
About ILIA Beauty’s Organic Gel Eyeliner Canada
Do you prefer to paint your cat eyes with a gel liner?
Look no further than ILIAl’s barely-there liquid eyeliner that goes on with the precision of a gel and the ease of an eye pencil for a barely-there tight line… and stays there.
This formula is Carbon Black and Cyclomethicone-free, richly saturated and waterproof, non-toxic, gluten-free, vegan, and cruelty-free.
While the retractable eyeliner stick is plastic, Ilia works with Pact Collective to recycle all hard-to-recycle cosmetic packaging, and is continuously developing ways to create more sustainable packaging.
About ILIA Beauty
It’s all “clean skin-centric beauty” with British Columbia-based ILIA’s brand of clean, non-toxic cosmetics.
They’re passionate about the environment and sustainability, proven by their Leaping Bunny certification and 1% For The Planet membership.
Plus, the brand’s goal is to plant 1 million trees by the end of 2023 with One Tree Planted in an effort to partially offset their impact.
In ILIA’s words, “Sustainability is a journey, and this is only the beginning. We’re always exploring ways to reduce our footprint—from how our products are made to where they go when you’re done with them—because small changes add up to big impact.”
3. Dab Herb
About Dab Herb’s Natural Eyeliners
Dabbing herbs on your skin has never worked as well as with Dab Herb.
If you’re looking to lengthen your lashes while lining them with an all-natural eye liner,they offer some of the best natural liquid eyeliner for sensitive eyes.
The formula is made of conditioning herbs, aloe vera, shea butter, and hemp seed oil that not only lines your lids beautifully, but naturally encourages lash growth from the root.
Sold in a reusable glass bottle, this product is vegan, cruelty-free, food grade, botanical-based, and made with USDA organic ingredients.
About Dab Herb
Dab Herb’s “Nature to Nurture” ethos makes them a botanical beauty dream come true.
They’re one of our favorite zero waste makeup brands because of their entirely plastic-free product housing and repurposed shipping materials.
That’s in addition to their whole line of powders, liquids, and creams being composed of almost entirely organic or ethical mineral ingredients sourced from fair trade certified supply chains.
To give back, Dab Herb supports Made In A Free World, who are helping prevent human trafficking and to provide rescue and care for survivors.
4. INIKA Organic
*Note: We are confirming policies directly with this brand.
About INIKA Organic Eyeliner Australia
The smooth, creamy texture of INIKA Organic’s natural eyeliner pencil can brighten up your eyes and the environment.
Its 100% natural product formula features certified organic coconut oil and vitamin E for an extra soothing approach to safe beauty.
If you’re looking for the best organic liquid eyeliner, INIKA’s liquid eyeliner is likewise sharp, rich, and smudge-free… not to mention 100% natural and 70% organic.
It boasts a formula that includes aloe vera and black tea, both of which are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals for the eyes.
While the liquid liner comes in recycled plastic, the eye pencil is entirely plastic-free.
About INIKA Organic
INIKA Organic is the planet’s first Certified Plastic Neutral sustainable skincare and makeup brand, and they’re dedicated to taking action for the environment.
90% of their packaging comes from sustainable and reused materials, with the brand reducing plastic use annually.
Of the plastic they do use, 4.7 tons and counting has been repurposed into fence posts to help rebuild disaster stricken communities as a way to offset.
The brand has won more than 60 industry awards and thousands of five-star ratings for their organic cosmetics.
They are also certified by Ecocert COSMOS Natural, halal, PETA Animal Test Free, and Vegan Society.
5. Bee You Organics
About Bee You Organics’ Certified Organic Eyeliner
Be your kohl-rimmed best self with Bee You’s Organic Eyeliner Pencil, available in black and black-brown.
Featuring jojoba oil, carnauba wax, and castor oil, it’s like zero waste lotion for your eyes—and they say keeping the eyes moisturized is the best way to fight fine lines and aging!
This food-grade, fair trade, and USDA-certified organic formula is free from iron oxide and mica.
While the wooden kohl eyeliner pencil contains beeswax in order to transform it into organic waterproof eyeliner, the brand is conscious about its local beeswax sourcing.
About Bee You Organics
Using the Earth to heal us while also healing the Earth is at the heart of Bee You Organics. Founder Larissa’s love for natural beauty products comes from healing her own scars after a near-fatal car accident when she was younger.
Larissa combines her passion for holistic healing with sustainable ingredients, to make some of the most natural non-GMO skincare essentials, including moisturizers, sunscreen, perfume, and cosmetics.
While products aren’t vegan, beeswax is sourced from local bee farmers in Washington state and no bees are harmed in the process. The brand also has their own apiary and supports local university bee research projects.
All ingredients are natural and ethically sourced, most are organic, and Bee You ships in recycled, recyclable, and sometimes compostable packaging.
6. Antonym Cosmetics
*Note: Antonym’s organic eye liner is vegan and palm oil free, but some products are not. We have reached out to confirm policies directly with this brand but have not received a reply.
About Antonym Cosmetics’ Non-Toxic Eyeliner
Antonym Cosmetics’ natural, waterproof, richly colored eye pencil has soft and smooth application and a long-lasting coverage guaranteed to help achieve your desired look.
Available in black and brown, use this eye pencil to create a precise line on the upper eyelid or a perfect smudge for a smoky, sultry eye.
Made with ingredients of a 100% natural origin, the eye pencil is free of chemicals or preservatives and features only moisturizing ingredients and antioxidants like marula oil, jojoba oil, candelilla wax, and carnauba wax.
This product does feature iron oxides and micas, which can react with some individuals who have sensitive skin.
About Antonym Cosmetics
Antonym is a celebrity favorite cosmetics brand that believes “sustainability and luxe can live in harmony and gentle ingredients can achieve fierce makeup looks”.
One of our favorite organic foundation brands, you can confidently rely on them for your entire makeup routine—foundation to finishing touches—thanks to their Leaping Bunny and Ecocert certifications.
Besides the bamboo used in their eyeshadow palettes, they package in environmentally-friendly glass bottles and FSC-certified cardboard.
To give back, Antonym supports various organizations that aid with plastic pollution, animal rescue, rehabilitation support, and education.
7. Moonrise Creek
Note: We are confirming policies directly with this brand.
About Moonrise Creek’s Natural & Organic Eyeliner USA
Moonrise Creek’s natural eye pencil will leave you feeling as naturally beautiful as the full moon glistening upon a creek with their plant-based botanical pencil eyeliner, available in brown and black.
Their extra long-lasting formula is easy-to-wear and easy-to-beautifully-define the eyes.
While it’s made mostly of candelilla wax and organic jojoba oil, the ingredients list states that this product may contain iron oxides and titanium dioxide.
This eye pencil is natural, vegan, cruelty-free, and thoughtfully packaged in a compostable wood pencil (though it appears the pencil cap may be made of plastic).
About Moonrise Creek
Etsy-based Moonrise Creek is a female-run small business dedicated to bringing makeup enthusiasts high quality, back to roots, small-batch handcrafted artisan goods.
The brand sells an array of herbal apothecary healing goods, botanical skin care for women and men, aromatherapy oils, and many plant-based cosmetic items.
Everything is organic, vegan and cruelty-free, though not mineral free, as some products contain iron oxides and mineral mica. We’re touching base to learn more about the sourcing for their mica in makeup.
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Why Choose Natural Eyeliner Makeup?
If you’re looking to fill your slowly sustainable makeup bag with natural makeup, eyeliner should be at the top of your list.
Eyes aren’t just the window to the soul, but a fertile membrane for absorbing chemicals, bacteria, and disease.
Chemicals like BHA, talc, urea, sulfates, and phthalates are used in many eyeliner formulas as preservatives, stabilizers, and anti-caking agents—but these chemicals get absorbed by the skin and are potent toxins.
Not only are they potential cancer-causing carcinogens, but they can cause dermatitis and a host of other skin and allergy problems.
And with all the greenwashing out there with cosmetics like eyeliner, “organic” may not always mean what you think.
Not all clean eyeliner companies are created equal, so it’s best that we consumers educate ourselves on specific ingredients to avoid in skincare and makeup
What To Avoid in Truly Healthy Eyeliner
To ensure that “safe eyeliner” is really is safe, look out for these common toxic ingredients in eyeliner we never bat our lashes for:
- BHA / BHT: BHA and BHT are not only derived from petroleum (ew) to preserve makeup. BHA is a possible carcinogen that also disrupts endocrine, and BHT is both toxic to vital organs and also known to cause respiratory issues.
- Formaldehyde: Yes, as in the stuff they use to embalm the deceased. Need we say more? Formaldehyde is often added as a preservative. It’s proven to cause cancer.
- Diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, and methenamine: These are similar and release formaldehyde.
- Carbon Black: Common pigment for commercial eye makeup. Other names for it include acetylene black, lamp black, channel black, furnace black, D&C Black No. 2, and pigment black 6 or 7. It is linked to organ failure and cancer.
- Parabens: Common in countless bath and beauty products because it preserves product and can stop bacteria growth—at the cost of potential breast cancer, hormone disruption, and reproductive issues.
- Benzalkonium Chloride (BAK): Another common preservative known to be a skin irritant and toxin. It can harm the epithelial cells of the delicate eye tissue responsible for keeping dust and dirt out of eyes.
- Ethanolamine Compounds (DEA, TEA, or MEA): They are meant to help oil-soluble and water-soluble ingredients blend, but they also carry nitrosamines which cause cancer.
- Aluminum Powder: AKA LB pigment 5 or pigment metal. It’s a neurotoxin linked to organ toxicity.
- Retinyl Acetate / Retinyl Palmitate: These are synthetic vitamin A that is linked to cancer and reproductive problems. They also dry out the natural oils of the eyes, leading to dry eye disease.
… Not so glamorous, right?
Ensuring that your non-toxic eye liner really is safe means none of these ingredients will be formulated to give you your glam-eyed look.
How We Found the Best Organic Eyeliners
First, is there a natural eyeliner?
Yes, but the best natural eyeliner alternatives for an ideal cat-eye look should also meet some of our other ethical and sustainable beauty criteria.
Here are the merits we evaluate all sustainable beauty brands on:
- Non-toxic: In addition to avoiding the ingredients above, we look for organic ingredients and products that are fragrance-free, as even natural fragrances can irritate the sensitive skin around the eyes.
- Vegan: While ethically sourced bee products are sometimes acceptable, we prefer those with no animal byproducts.
- Cruelty free: Meaning zero animal testing.
- Palm oil free: Skip it or make sure it’s organic or RSPO-certified palm oil.
- Ethical ingredient sourcing
- Thoughtful packaging: Instead of single-use plastic packaging, natural eye liner should be reusable, refillable, and/or compostable.
Final Thoughts On Natural Eyeliner
What is the safest eyeliner?
One that makes us look bold and beautiful without poisoning our delicate eye skin and membranes…or organs or reproductive systems.
We don’t need heavy metals, parabens, toxic black dyes, or petrochemicals to look wink-worthy gorgeous.
A purchase of any one of these best organic eyeliners is a vote for a healthier, cleaner body and environment.
And why not shop for some zero waste mascara or natural eyeshadow in sultry (and sustainable) shades too while you’re at it?
In the blink of an eye, you can clean up your entire cosmetic routine—now if only getting the actual makeup perfect were so quick and easy…
Lastly, please encourage your eyeliner-loving friends and family to make the switch to non-toxic eyeliner by sharing this article.
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