7 Natural & Organic Eyeshadow Brands For Those Sultry Sustainable Shades
They say beauty comes at a price, but heavy metals, parabens, and formaldehyde?!
We say that’s too steep of one to pay.
Eyeshadow is one of the most creative forms of makeup, so if we want to keep that creativity in our morning routines, we should at least do so safely by using natural, organic eyeshadow.
From smokey eyes to cut crease colors, it’s time we take our natural makeup remover to synthetic-based powders, and stick with natural ingredients that are better for us and the planet.
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An (Organic Eyeshadow) Primer Of The Best Brands
We love natural eyeshadow looks, especially when created using the all-natural eyeshadows made from certified organic botanicals and ethically-sourced minerals like Dab Herb’s.
With so many conventional beauty products being synonymous with chemicals and plastic waste, Antonym seeks to be the antonym by using mostly natural ingredients and bamboo palettes.
To safely define your eyes, INIKA Organic defines the best non-toxic eyeshadow as that made with 100% natural ingredients.
For more on why we should opt for organic natural eyeshadow and how we found these brands, grab your vegan makeup brushes and blink down to the bottom for a minute.
The Full List Of Natural Eyeshadow Brands
- Antonym | Visit Store
- Dab Herb | Visit Store
- INIKA Organic | Visit Store
- Elate Cosmetics | Visit Store
- 100% Pure | Visit Store
- Vyana Beauty | Visit Store
- Bee You Organics | Visit Store
1. Antonym
*Note: Antonym’s eyeshadow is palm oil free and vegan, but other products are not. We have reached out to confirm policies directly with this brand but have not received a reply.
Antonym’s Non-Toxic Eyeshadow
For red carpet-worthy eyes, consider that Antonym’s matte shadows have graced the faces of some of Hollywood’s elite.
Choose between two color palettes: the warm and earthy eyeshadows in Croisette or the midnight-chic To The Moon & Back.
Like the rest of their cosmetics, these contain over 90% natural ingredients, 11% of which are Ecocert-certified organic.
In addition to mica, they “may contain” iron oxides, titanium dioxide, and ultramarines. We’re hoping to clarify what they mean by this.
While not mineral-free, they are free of mineral oils, fillers, synthetic preservatives, and other toxic petrochemicals (like parabens, phthalates, sulfates, fragrances, and GMOs).
About Antonym
Antonym is an eco-friendly makeup brand that crafts clean beauty products for the face (blush and foundation) and eyes (eyeshadow, pencils, and mascara), along with animal hair-free brushes to apply it all.
Their Leaping Bunny-certified cruelty-free and vegan friendly products are made in either France, Italy, or the Czech Republic, though we’re not certain about their sourcing policies (especially of the mica).
Some products contain palm oil of unknown origin.
Aside from the bamboo used in their all-natural eyeshadow palettes, they package in glass bottles and FSC-certified cardboard.
2. Dab Herb
Dab Herb’s Organic Eyeshadow
When it comes to the best organic eyeshadow palettes, it’s hard to beat Dab Herb.
Made with ingredients like unrefined and organic jojoba seed oil, shea butter, turmeric, and rosehips, they’re almost natural enough to eat.
This Organic Fragrant Jasmine palette contains four organic cream eyeshadows that double as anti-wrinkle cream infused with the natural antioxidant vitamin E.
What type of eyeshadow is best for aging eyes?
This one, apparently!
If you want to mix and match different shades to make your own palette, Dab Herb offers powdered organic matte eyeshadow in several different bright and neutral colors.
Made from organic petals, roots, leaves, and seeds, you’ll flatter your eyes with earthy shades, natural and organic ingredients, and a healthy splash of color.
It comes in either reusable glass or tin containers, which you can send back to be sanitized and refilled.
About Dab Herb
With a “Nature to Nurture” mentality, Dab Herb was born when founder Crissy wanted some natural alternatives for her own personal makeup routine.
They’re now one of our favorite zero waste makeup brands—and they really tick all of the boxes.
Their complete makeup line is cruelty-free, vegan, free of palm oil, and composed of mostly organic and food-grade ingredients.
Ingredients are sourced fair trade when possible and still ethical when not, including their USA-processed mica.
Giving is just as important as clean beauty, and the brand regularly contributes to Made In A Free World to support victims of human trafficking.
3. INIKA Organic
*Note: We are confirming policies directly with this brand.
INIKA Organic’s Natural Makeup Eyeshadow
INIKA Organic highlights the beauty in your eyes and in nature with a selection of eyeshadow quad pressed powder palettes—and brushes specifically designed to give you the perfect smokey eye look.
While none are certified organic, they are 100% natural and free from synthetic pressing agents.
Instead, you’ll find pure mineral pigments like mica, silica, and iron oxide combined with nourishing cocoa seed extract and Carnauba wax for long-lasting wear.
If you’re looking for natural eyeshadows for brown eyes, the Flowers quad combines lighter matte shades with floral highlights to draw out the warmth of your eyes.
Each one comes in a durable compact made from paper.
About INIKA Organic
INIKA Organic is the world’s first Certified Plastic Neutral makeup brand. That means 90% of the packaging is made of either sustainable or post consumer recycled materials.
Having decreased their use of virgin plastic by 84%, any plastic they do use is offset by collecting and recycling an equivalent amount into fence posts for disaster stricken farming communities.
So far, they’ve repurposed 4.7 tons through this initiative.
This award-winning Australian brand holds certifications from Ecocert’s COSMOS Natural, PETA Animal Test Free, and Vegan Society.
Because their ingredient lists contain some potential palm oil derivatives, we’ll be checking in directly to learn more about these, along with their mica sourcing policies.
4. Elate Cosmetics
*Note: Elate uses stearic acid derived from RSPO palm oil.
Elate Cosmetics’ Organic Eyeshadow
If colors like Ethereal and Earthen sound like your vibe, open your eyes to the vegan and cruelty-free subdued color shades from Elate Cosmetics to embody all aspects of the natural look.
Not only are their Pressed EyeColors made with natural and organic ingredients like bamboo stem extract and nourishing jojoba oil.
They do contain ethical mica, titanium dioxide, and other non-nano minerals, but it’s sourced fair trade from members of the Responsible Mica Initiative.
Each natural color eyeshadow comes minimally packaged in a recyclable aluminum pan within a compostable envelope.
You can add this pan to a palette of your own or to Elate’s reusable bamboo palettes—which are FSC-certified, not chemically treated, and fair trade.
The best clean eyeshadow cleans up your whole beauty routine, and theirs does just that by also functioning as a lip color. Just mix with a clear gloss or balm.
Alternatively, the Creme Eye Color satisfies your need for organic cream eyeshadow in a portable bamboo tube.
About Elate Cosmetics
Canadian cosmetics company Elate has become a leader in organic makeup with their PETA vegan, Cruelty-Free International-certified line of foundations, mascaras, lipsticks, brushes, and more.
They’re well on their way to going completely organic (they’re about 90% now) and have ethical sourcing practices to match.
Everything is gluten-free and synthetic chemical-free, but not everything is palm oil-free. Be on the lookout for products with stearic acid, an RSPO-certified palm derivative.
They only use 100% recyclable / compostable packaging and partner with Bullfrog Power to offset all emissions.
To further bat your eyelashes, Elate is a Certified B Corp and donates funds to plant trees, support social projects, and help the environment (1% of profits for each).
Organic Cruelty free eyeshadow never looked so kind.
*Also available on Flora & Fauna (AU)
5. 100% Pure
*Note: Not all products are vegan and palm oil free, but their natural eyeshadow palettes are.
100% Pure’s Natural Makeup Eyeshadow
Whether you’re after a palette or a single Fruit Pigmented eyeshadow, 100% Pure can help with your organic eye makeup routine.
In each organic vegan eyeshadow palette, you’ll find 100% pure (gee imagine that!) and natural skincare ingredients like vitamin E, rice starch, red wine resveratrol, cocoa butter, and avocado butter.
If you’re looking for some natural brown eyeshadow, try the Better Naked palette, filled with unique shades infused and created with coffee and carrots, not a test tube.
The only mineral-based ingredient is responsibly sourced mica in makeup for shimmer shades.
Some products contain beeswax and palm oil, but not their eco-friendly eyeshadow.
Aiming for petrochemical-free packaging by 2024, the plastic-free eyeshadow palettes are made of cardboard, though the singles still come in plastic compacts which can be recycled at 100% Pure stores. You’ll get a free trial-size product for doing so.
About 100% Pure
100% Pure has strict standards to ensure their products are free of toxic ingredients, colorants, and heavy metal dyes.
They are also completely cruelty-free, gluten-free, made-in-USA, and sourced using principles from the Ethical Training Initiative (ETI).
Giving back to our furry friends besides not testing on them, each sale gives customers the choice to either plant a tree or donate a bowl of vegan dog food to an animal shelter in China.
By using eco-friendly dog food, 100% Pure saves the lives of at least two livestock animals, and preserves 60 square feet of rainforest.
Orders are shipped in recycled packaging with compostable peanuts, and the brand’s HQ runs totally on solar power on the road to becoming Carbon Positive.
6. Vyana Beauty
Vyana Beauty’s Brown Natural Eyeshadow
Before we talk about what Vyana Beauty’s chemical-free eyeshadow is, we’ll talk about what it isn’t.
It isn’t a formulation of toxins, palm oil, plastic, titanium dioxide, waste, and harsh chemicals.
Instead, you’ll find powders made of organic kaolin clay, vitamin E oil, and roasted coffee oil—which provides a jolt of caffeine to sleepy or screen strained eyes.
With different and earthy natural eyeshadow colors offered, you’ll also find tinting ingredients like organic cornstarch, organic rosehip powder, non-nano zinc oxide, and mica.
About Vyana Beauty
This Swedish zero waste beauty brand “believes in celebrating natural beauty, instead of covering up behind layers of chemical, toxic makeup”.
Doing makeup in the plant power way, Vyana offers everything from sustainable concealer to lipstick—all made with 100% natural, cruelty-free, and vegan ingredients.
If you look at the sustainable ingredient lists, you typically won’t find more than 5-8 items.
This sustainable eyeshadow brand uses kraft paper boxes and unbleached paper shred filler for inside the boxes.
They no longer use recycled plastic bottles as they once did, but have switched to rose gold aluminum jars (eyeshadow included) and glass dropper bottles.
Some products are available for refill.
7. Bee You Organics
*Note: Not all products are vegan but there are many vegan options, including their organic eyeshadows.
Bee You Organics’ Affordable Organic Eyeshadow
Bee You Organics’ offers some of the best natural eyeshadow for those who love bright colors and statement-making looks.
If you prefer your natural eyeshadow colors a bit more subdued, they have neutral colors too.
They offer both non-toxic cream eyeshadow and pure mineral powders in a compact glass pot.
Regardless of what catches your eye, you’ll enjoy the crease-free, smudge-proof, and water-resistant color from just three ingredients: kaolin clay (powder) or jojoba oil (cream), mica, and iron oxides.
All organic eyeshadows are cruelty-free, zero waste, palm oil-free, and gluten-free.
No questionable ingredients like sulfates, parabens, synthetic dyes, phthalates, or petrochemicals.
About Bee You Organics
Bee You Organics comes from the lush forests of the Pacific Northwest where all products are made.
Combining her passion for holistic healing with sustainable ingredients, founder Larissa creates some of the most natural non-GMO skincare essentials, like sustainable sunscreen.
Allare made with natural (and mostly organic) ingredients that are ethically sourced, though we still haven’t heard back specifically regarding their mica sourcing.
While some contain responsibly-sourced beeswax, the majority are vegan.
They’re also happy to adapt their ingredients or packaging where possible to suit your ethical or low waste living needs.
They support ethical beekeeping through contributions to Washington State University’s bee research and other local charities.
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Why Choose A Non-Toxic Eyeshadow Palette?
We’re going to tell you something that might make your eyes pop.
Conventional eyeshadow is actually awful for you.
But why? What is eye shadow made of, and why are some eyeshadows not eye safe?
Simply because it is typically formulated with a plethora of toxic and unsafe ingredients to avoid in skincare like parabens, aluminum, thimerosal, talc, formaldehyde, acetate, benzalkonium chloride, asbestos, and heavy metals.
They make you feel flirty on date night, but they’re also risky in terms of cancer, eye disease, reproductive problems, and more.
That should make you want to make the switch to non-toxic eyeshadow brands in the blink of an eye.
Is mineral eyeshadow safe?
You’ll notice that even the best natural eyeshadow brands still rely on mineral pigments like mica, iron oxide, silica, and titanium dioxide.
Minerals aren’t inherently bad. They are natural and 100% earth-derived, after all.
Aside from creating stunning and shimmery colors, some are actually beneficial, like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which provide sun protection for the eye area’s delicate skin—think of it as zero waste sunscreen with a gorgeous shimmer.
The problem arises with the form these minerals take, namely whether they’re nanoparticles or non-nano.
Nanoparticles (those smaller than 20 nm) have been shown to permeate intact skin and while there is still little research on the effects these have once absorbed by the body, we’d rather avoid absorbing anything like that, especially around areas as sensitive as the eyes.
The best mineral eye shadow will use non-nanoparticle ingredients and those that are ethically sourced (since the mining industry is particularly prone to child labor and other human rights abuses).
How We Found The Best Natural Eyeshadow
So what is the healthiest eye shadow, and how did we find it?
Sustainable and ethical beauty can mean a lot of different things.
It takes a lot of zero waste makeup remover to get through layers of toxic ingredients and irresponsibly sourced minerals—much like the time it takes in finding products that meet each of those criteria.
While we do our best to hit all the tick-boxes, we don’t always get that perfect vegan foundation skin tone.
- Non-toxic ingredients: No junk from the selection above, meaning it’s so safe, it qualifies as pregnancy safe makeup, much like these organic tinted moisturizers.
- Vegan: Organic and responsibly sourced beeswax are some of the few exceptions we make.
- Cruelty-free
- Palm oil free: Or use of responsibly-harvested palm oil certified by organizations like RSPO.
- Ethical ingredient sourcing policies
- Thoughtful packaging: Recyclable, at the very least, but ideally zero waste and plastic-free.
Final Thoughts On The Best Natural Eyeshadows
What is the safest eye makeup?
No eye makeup at all—but what’s the fun in that?!
But when it comes to either bold or natural makeup looks, eyeshadow used to achieve it shouldn’t be filled with cheap fillers, petrochemicals, questionable additives, and synthetic ingredients.
Thanks to brands like these popping up (and popping eyes), it doesn’t have to be.
Before you get too excited and fill your totally natural beauty cabinet with all the best organic eye creams, natural eyeshadows and organic lipsticks, remember minimal makeup fits best in that sustainable makeup bag.
If you do need to spice up your look, show some of these natural beauty brands some love.
Speaking of love, spread some by sharing this list with your makeup-loving loved ones to open their eyes to all the potential dangers of what they might be putting on their face.
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