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With heavy metals, parabens, and formaldehyde lurking in conventional eye shadows, it’s high time to rethink our makeup choices. After all, we deserve to have gorgeous beauty products that enhance our well-being, not take away from it.
Enter: natural eye shadow.
Natural and organic eye shadows are free from harmful chemicals, instead relying on plant-based extracts, essential oils, and vitamins to deliver beautiful color while nourishing the delicate eye area. Plus, they’re usually better for the environment, particularly if they use ingredients that are grown with sustainable, eco-friendly practices.
If you’re ready to “eco edit” your makeup collection, read on for our top picks for the best natural and organic eye shadow.
What Is Natural Eye Shadow?
Natural eye shadow is formulated with natural and often organic ingredients. It’s a safer option than synthetic eye shadow, which often contains harmful chemicals like parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances.
Natural eye shadow, on the other hand, is usually made from plant-based extracts, mineral pigments, and nourishing oils. The ingredients in organic eye shadow are also often gentle and nourishing to the delicate skin around the eyes.
This non-toxic approach doesn’t make the eye shadow any less effective than its synthetic counterpart, either. You can find natural eye shadow in a wide range of colors and textures, including matte, shimmer, satin, and metallic finishes.
Whether you’re looking for a subtle everyday look or your fiercest smoky eye, you have plenty of options.
Avoid These Ingredients in Eye Shadow
Organic and natural eye shadow doesn’t contain the icky ingredients you can find in some other eye shadow products. Here are the main ingredients you’ll want to avoid:
- Parabens: These are preservatives that have been linked to hormone disruption and skin irritation.
- Phthalates: These can disrupt the endocrine system and have been linked with adverse health issues.
- Synthetic fragrances: Artificial fragrance can cause skin irritations, especially if you have sensitive skin.
- Talc: This is a common ingredient in conventional eye shadows that can contain carcinogenic ingredients.
- Heavy metals: Unfortunately, some eye shadows have been found to contain harmful heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and mercury.
By opting for natural eye shadow, you can avoid putting these potentially harmful ingredients and chemicals on the delicate skin around your eyes.
7 Best Natural Eye Shadows for Your Makeup Bag
Now that you know which ingredients to look for in eye shadow (and which to avoid), check out our top picks for the best natural and organic eye shadow, including both powder and cream makeup.
Note: All of these natural eye shadows are either verified by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) or have a rating of 1 or 2, meaning they meet strict standards for transparency and non-toxic ingredients and are among the safest makeup products on the market.
1. Mineral Fusion Glamping Eye Shadow
- EWG verified
Mineral Fusion’s vegan powder eye shadow is both buildable and resistant to creasing and fading. It has a range of colors for soft to bold looks that work with any skin tone or eye color.
This luminous eye shadow nourishes your skin with yummy ingredients like aloe and white tea. It’s free of gluten, parabens, talc, artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, and phthalates, and is never tested on animals.
Mineral Fusion offers a range of non-toxic makeup and skincare, including natural blush, all of which is made in the USA.
2. Nudestix Magnetic Luminous Eye Makeup
- EWG rating: 1
This shimmery eye shadow pencil delivers bold color in a satin finish that can last up to 11 hours. Most of the colors are metallic, or at least glowy, and have names like spirit, angel, copper foil, gilt, and immortal.
Nudestix eye makeup is vegan, cruelty-free, and waterproof. It’s formulated without parabens, sulfates, or phthalates.
3. Honest Beauty Get It Together Eye Shadow Palette
- EWG rating: 2
Honest Beauty’s Get It Together eye shadow pallette contains 10 velvety, versatile shades. In this pallette, you’ll get three eye shadows with a shimmery finish, two satin finishes, and five matte finishes.
These earthy shades are dermatologist-tested and cruelty free. They’re made without nasties like parabens, paraffins, talc, silicones, and petrolatum.
If you’re looking for a gel eye shadow, Honest Beauty also offers the Eye Catcher Lid Tint. This natural eye shadow provides long-lasting, crease-resistant color in a shimmery and glossy finish.
It’s lightweight, buildable, and glides onto the eyelids easily. You have a bunch of color options for this one, including happy hour, joy ride, late night, new love, out of office, and pay day.
4. Bella Mari Natural Mineral Eye Shadow
- EWG rating: 1
Bella Mari from Natural Brands makes a mineral eye shadow in a wide range of colors, with enticing names like ancient ivy, Aruban coral, Cleopatra, honey, majestic forest, mermaid, pixie dust, and Victorian lilac.
This natural loose powder eye shadow is made in the USA and is free of parabens, synthetic fragrances, dyes, carmine, soy, and gluten.
This blendable eye shadow has a shimmery finish and is both vegan and cruelty-free.
5. Real Purity Eye Shadow
- EWG rating: 1
Real Purity’s eye shadow offers a unique feature: UV protection. It contains titanium dioxide, which protects the eyelid from the sun while Vitamin E nourishes the skin.
This vegan eye shadow uses mica and iron oxide to provide vibrant colors. It’s free of parabens, FD&C dyes, oils, talc, alcohol, and other irritating ingredients.
It also comes in a variety of natural and bolder colors, including wild iris (pictured above), bright blue, charcoal, chocolate, fawn, mocha brown, mulberry, white shimmer, vanilla, misty blue, and more.
6. Beautycounter Lid Glow Cream Shadow
- EWG verified
If you’re looking for a natural cream eye shadow, check out Beautycounter’s Lid Glow. This cream shadow delivers buildable color and has a variety of pretty shades to choose from, including luster, aura, sepia, ember, twinkle, and prism.
It uses a weightless, crease-free formula with safe, soothing ingredients that nourish your eyelids, including cucumber and chamomile. Each shade is formulated with pearlescent micas for a light-catching effect that’s glowy (not glittery).
Beautycounter’s cream shadow is buttery, non-greasy, and helps moisturize your lids while providing gorgeous color.
7. Rejuva Minerals Talc-Free Multi-Purpose Powder
- EWG verified
Rejuva Minerals makes a multi-purpose powder that you can use for eye shadow, brow powder, eye liner, or highlighter. This organic eye shadow contains antioxidants from certified organic fruits, berries, and botanicals.
With the exception of white diamond, all the shades are free of mica and titanium dioxide. They also don’t use artificial colors, carmine, or talc.
Color choices include iris, tropical sunset, mocha latte, Brazilian brown, white diamond, and beach bum.
Unlock Your Natural Beauty with Organic Eye Shadow
If you prioritize health and sustainability, natural eye shadows are the way to go. They’re made with nourishing, natural ingredients that nourish your skin and are often better for our planet.
Plus, they deliver just as great results as their conventional eye shadow counterparts, providing gorgeous color in a variety of shimmery, natural, matte, and other finishes. By going natural, you can achieve the look you want while making a positive impact, one makeup brush stroke at a time.
Ready to take the next step on your natural beauty journey? Check out our picks for the best natural lipsticks.
