The Best Natural Lip Glosses With Clean Ingredients

best natural lip gloss
7 min reading time

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 toxins and carcinogens—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 toxic 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.

Ingredients To Avoid

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.

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 dangerous chemicals because they can mimic estrogen in the body and disrupt hormone levels.

Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, Homosalate – These chemicals are sunscreen agents that help protect your lips from the sun. However, recent 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.

Artificial Fragrances (Fragrance, Parfum, Aroma) – Artificial fragrances are common chemicals that help make your lip gloss smell like strawberries or sweet tarts. 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.

Artificial Colors – Artificial colors are another common ingredient in cheap and mass-produced lip glosses. Certain artificial colorings are made from petrochemicals and are linked to organ system toxicity, endocrine disruption, toxicity to our environment, and more. Examples of toxic artificial colorings to avoid begin with FD&C and CI.

Cyclotetrasiloxane – This chemical is a silicone-based ingredient that helps the lip gloss have a smooth texture. While it is considered safe in small doses, the Canadian government declared it potentially toxic in 2009. It is potentially harmful, endocrine-disrupting, and damaging to our aquatic organisms.

Retinyl Palmitate – Retinyl palmitate is an antioxidant and vitamin A source used in many lip glosses. While it may have some antioxidant properties, recent studies have shown that this chemical can accelerate the development of skin tumors and lesions when used on the lips.

BHT – BHT has been shown to cause skin irritation and organ system toxicity in animal studies. While it is used as a preservative in some lip glosses, other natural alternatives can be used instead.

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:

Beeswax – Beeswax has been shown to moisturize and protect the lips while keeping them soft and pliable. It also helps 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.

Coconut Oil – Coconut oil has antimicrobial properties, it can help lock in moisture and stimulate circulation to the lips for healthy and luscious lips.

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.

Shea Butter – Shea butter has been shown to help heal chapped lips, improve lip elasticity, and protect against the sun.

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.

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.

Essential Oils – 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.

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.

Below is our list of natural lip gloss ratings. They’re rated on this scale:

Best – These products are the best of the best. They contain great ingredients, are non-toxic and are often the best choice for our environment.

Good – These products are typically quite good, but don’t go above and beyond like our best choices.

Iffy – These products are typically okay, but have some issues that make us unable to give them a “Good” rating. Often times they contain ingredients or materials that are questionable.

Bad – These products typically have toxic ingredients or issues that make them dangerous or unsuitable to use. These products should typically be avoided.

Natural Lip Glosses Rated: Best

Only one lip gloss we analyzed deserved a 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

Glaze #1 Lip Oil
Price: $15 ($75 per oz)

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

  • Saccharomyces/Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Oil Ferment Filtrate,
  • Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate/Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer,
  • Hydrogenated Polyisobutene,
  • Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil),
  • Silica Dimethyl Silylate,
  • Red Root Gromwell Root Extract (Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract),
  • Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline,
  • Flavor (Flavor/Aroma),
  • Dehydroacetic Acid,
  • Pomegranate Seed Oil (Punica Granatum Seed Oil),
  • Stevioside,
  • Apple Extract (Malus Domestica Extract),
  • Water,
  • 1,2-Hexanediol

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.

W3LL PEOPLE

HydroLip Gloss - Nudist

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

  • Castor Seed Oil (Ricinus Communis Seed Oil),
  • Castor Isostearate Succinate,
  • Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter),
  • Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil),
  • Candelilla Wax (Euphorbia Cerifera Wax),
  • Polybutene,
  • Silica Dimethyl Silylate,
  • Tocopherol,
  • Synthetic Beeswax,
  • Synthetic Fluorphlogopite,
  • Grapefruit Peel Oil (Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil),
  • Vanilla Extract (Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract),
  • Sunflower Seed Oil (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil),
  • Cinnamon Leaf Oil (Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Leaf Oil),
  • Peppermint Oil (Mentha Piperita Oil),
  • Tin Oxide,
  • Aluminum Hydroxide,
  • Triethoxycaprylylsilane,
  • Aloe (Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice),
  • Maltodextrin,
  • Potassium Sorbate,
  • Sodium Benzoate*,
  • Citral*,
  • Linalool*,
  • Limonene*,
  • Benzyl Benzoate*,
  • Cinnamal,
  • Cinnamyl Alcohol,
  • Coumarin*,
  • Eugenol*

Pacifica

Vegan Collagen Lip Plumping Gloss
Price: $14 ($63.64 per oz)

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

  • Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides,
  • Sunflower Seed Oil (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil),
  • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride,
  • Coconut Oil (Cocos Nucifera Oil),
  • Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter),
  • Silica,
  • Flavor (Flavor/Aroma),
  • Candelilla Wax (Euphorbia Cerifera Wax),
  • C10-18 Triglycerides,
  • Menthone Glycerin Acetal,
  • Vegan Collagen (sr-hydrozoan polypeptide-]),
  • Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1,
  • Tocopherol,
  • Lactic Acid*,
  • Sunflower Seed Wax (Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax),
  • Ethylhexyl Palmitate,
  • Caprylyl Glycol*,
  • Mica,
  • Tribehenin,
  • Sorbitan Isostearate,
  • Sappan Wood Bark Extract (Caesalpinia Sappan Bark Extract),
  • Tin Oxide,
  • Potassium Sorbate,
  • Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

Suntegrity

Mineral Sunscreen Lip Gloss SPF 25
Price: $26 ($152.94 per oz)

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

  • Zinc Oxide

Ingredients

  • Organic Castor Seed Oil (Ricinus Communis Seed Oil),
  • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride,
  • Carnauba Wax (Copernicia Cerifera Wax),
  • Candelilla Wax (Euphorbia Cerifera Wax),
  • Organic Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter),
  • White Lily Extract (Lilium Candidum Flower Extract),
  • Evening Primrose Oil (Oenothera Biennis Oil),
  • Polyhydroxystearic Acid,
  • Glyceryl Isostearate*,
  • Organic Tocopherol,
  • Glyceryl Caprylate,
  • Natural Vanilla Flavor,
  • Mica,
  • Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77491),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77492),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77499),
  • Manganese Violet (CI 77742),
  • Tin Oxide

PYT Beauty

Plump It Up Lip Gloss
Price: $14 ($116.67 per oz)

This clear lip gloss

Ingredients

  • Polybutene,
  • Tridecyl Trimellitate,
  • Ethylhexyl Palmitate,
  • Octyldodecanol,
  • Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate,
  • Propylene Glycol Heptanoate,
  • Menthyl Lactate,
  • Phenoxyethanol*,
  • Glyceryl Caprylate,
  • Peppermint Oil (Mentha Piperita Oil),
  • Hydroxyacetophenone,
  • Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide,
  • Avocado Oil (Persea Gratissima Oil),
  • Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil),
  • Tocopheryl Acetate*,
  • Grape Seed Oil (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil),
  • Sunflower Seed Oil (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil),
  • Silica Dimethyl Silylate,
  • Mango Seed Butter (Mangifera Indica Seed Butter),
  • Butylene Glycol,
  • Caprylyl Glycol*,
  • Sodium Hyaluronate,
  • Hexylene Glycol

Vapour

Elixir Gloss - Beguile
Price: $18 ($105.88 per oz)

The Elixer Glosses from Vapour (which comes in 5 shades) have an excellent clean list of ingredients and easily meets our standards. Recommended.

Ingredients

  • Organic Castor Seed Oil (Ricinus Communis Seed Oil),
  • Castor Isostearate Beeswax Succinate,
  • Mica,
  • Organic Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil),
  • Organic Beeswax (Cera Alba),
  • Organic Flavor/Aroma (Fig),
  • Organic Flavor/Aroma (Plum Apricot),
  • Stevia Extract (Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract),
  • Organic Lemon Balm Leaf Extract (Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract),
  • Myrrh Gum (Commiphora Myrrha Gum),
  • Organic Iceland Moss Extract (Cetraria Islandica Extract),
  • Organic Green or White Tea Extract (Camellia Sinensis Tea Leaf Extract),
  • Tocopherol,
  • Phenethyl Alcohol,
  • Ethylhexylglycerin*,
  • Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77491),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77492),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77499),
  • Carmine (CI 75470)

Kjaer Weis

Lip Gloss - Tenderness

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

  • Castor Seed Oil (Ricinus Communis Seed Oil),
  • Dilinoleic Acid/Propanediol Copolymer,
  • Castor Isostearate Succinate,
  • Carnauba Wax (Copernicia Cerifera Wax),
  • Rose Hip Oil (Rosa Canina Oil)*,
  • Mica,
  • Sunflower Seed Oil (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil),
  • Gallic Acid,
  • Green or White Tea Leaf Extract (Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract),
  • Glyceryl Stearate,
  • Tin Oxide,
  • Vanilla Extract (Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract),
  • Fragrance (Essential Oil Blend)*,
  • Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77492),
  • Carmine (CI 75470),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77491),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77499)

Kosas

Wet Lip Oil Gloss
Price: $22 ($146.67 per oz)

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

  • Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides,
  • Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2,
  • Castor Seed Oil (Ricinus Communis Seed Oil),
  • Polyhydroxystearic Acid,
  • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride,
  • Mica,
  • Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter),
  • Avocado Oil (Persea Gratissima Oil),
  • Ethylhexyl Palmitate,
  • Rice Extract (Oryza Sativa Extract),
  • Silica Dimethyl Silylate,
  • Evening Primrose Oil (Oenothera Biennis Oil),
  • Orange Peel Oil (Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil)*,
  • Rosemary Extract (Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract),
  • Sunflower Extract (Helianthus Annuus Extract),
  • Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1,
  • Sodium Hyaluronate,
  • Tocopherol,
  • Tribehenin,
  • Glucomannan,
  • Lactic Acid*,
  • Sorbitan Isostearate,
  • Trihydroxystearin,
  • Caprylyl Glycol*,
  • Ethylhexylglycerin*,
  • Vanillin,
  • Limonene*,
  • Linalool*,
  • Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77491)

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.

Westman Atelier

Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm - Garçonne
Price: $38 ($180.95 per oz)

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

  • Diisostearoyl Polyglyceryl-3 Dimer Dilinoleate,
  • Castor Seed Oil (Ricinus Communis Seed Oil),
  • Octyldodecanol,
  • Sweet Almond Oil (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil)*,
  • Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil,
  • Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil),
  • Mica,
  • Fragrance,
  • Tocopherol,
  • Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter),
  • Argan Oil (Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil),
  • Sunflower Seed Oil (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil),
  • Limonene*,
  • Citral*,
  • Linalool*,
  • Citronellol*,
  • Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77491),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77492),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77499),
  • Carmine (CI 75470),
  • Manganese Violet (CI 77742),
  • Red 7 (CI 15850)

ITEM Beauty

Lip Quip Clean Moisturizing Lip Oil - Come Thru
Price: $14 ($107.69 per oz)

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

  • Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate,
  • Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate/Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer,
  • Hydrogenated Polyisobutene,
  • Diisostearyl Malate,
  • Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil),
  • Sunflower Seed Oil (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil),
  • Silica Dimethyl Silylate,
  • Sweet Almond Oil (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil)*,
  • 1,2-Hexanediol,
  • Tocopherol,
  • Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter),
  • Japanese Camellia Seed Oil (Camellia Japonica Seed Oil),
  • Ethylhexylglycerin*,
  • Fragrance,
  • Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77491),
  • Yellow 5 (CI 19140)

Merit

Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil - Taupe
Price: $24 ($104.35 per oz)

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

  • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride,
  • Octyldodecanol,
  • Ethyl Cellulose,
  • Isostearyl Alcohol,
  • Hydrogenated Dilinoleyl Alcohol,
  • Hydrogenated Polyisobutene,
  • Silica Dimethyl Silylate,
  • Ceresin,
  • Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate,
  • Nylon-12,
  • Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil),
  • Rose Hip Oil (Rosa Canina Oil)*,
  • Grape Seed Oil (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil),
  • Shea Butter Ethyl Esters,
  • Citric Acid,
  • Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77491),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77499),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77492),
  • Blue 1 (CI 42090),
  • Red 30 (CI 73360),
  • Red 33 (CI 17200),
  • Red 7 (CI 15850),
  • Red 28 (CI 45410)

Ilia

Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil
Price: $26 ($185.71 per oz)

Because these lip glosses from Ilia use several controversial synthetic dyes, we can’t recommend them over those that don’t.

Ingredients

  • Hydrogenated Polyisobutene,
  • Diisostearyl Malate,
  • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride,
  • Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer,
  • Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer,
  • Meadowfoam Seed Oil (Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil),
  • Jojoba Esters,
  • Ethylhexyl Palmitate,
  • Tocopherol,
  • Sunflower Seed Oil (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil),
  • Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter),
  • Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate,
  • Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate,
  • Orange Peel Oil (Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil)*,
  • Tangerine Peel Oil (Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil)*,
  • Trihydroxystearin,
  • Common Glasswort Extract (Salicornia Herbacea Extract),
  • Grapefruit Peel Extract (Citrus Grandis Peel Extract),
  • Yuzu Peel Extract (Citrus Junos Peel Extract),
  • Clementine Fruit Extract (Citrus Clementina Fruit Extract),
  • Hedychium Spicatum Extract,
  • Vanilla Extract (Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract),
  • Ginger Root Extract (Zingiber Officinale Extract),
  • Sodium Hyaluronate,
  • Glucomannan,
  • Limonene*,
  • Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77491),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77492),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77499),
  • Red 7 (CI 15850),
  • Yellow 5 (CI 19140),
  • Red 30 (CI 73360)

Minori

Lip Gloss - Juneberry
Price: $22 ($200 per oz)

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

  • Polybutene,
  • VP/Hexadecene Copolymer,
  • Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil),
  • Diisostearyl Malate,
  • Carnauba Wax (Copernicia Cerifera Wax),
  • Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter),
  • Blue Agave Leaf Extract (Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract),
  • Silica Dimethyl Silylate,
  • Tocopheryl Acetate*,
  • Flavor (Flavor/Aroma),
  • Jojoba Esters,
  • Mica,
  • Synthetic Fluorphlogopite,
  • Silica,
  • Tin Oxide,
  • Tocopherol,
  • Citral*,
  • Limonene*,
  • Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891),
  • Red 28 (CI 45410)

Tower 28 Beauty

ShineOn Lip Jelly - Chill
Price: $15 ($115.38 per oz)

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

  • Polybutene,
  • Hydrogenated Polyisobutene,
  • Hydrogenated Polybutene,
  • Apricot Kernel Oil (Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil),
  • Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer,
  • Octyldodecanol,
  • Avocado Oil (Persea Gratissima Oil),
  • Rose Hip Oil (Rosa Canina Oil)*,
  • Raspberry Seed Oil (Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil),
  • Rice Extract (Oryza Sativa Extract),
  • Sunflower Extract (Helianthus Annuus Extract),
  • Rosemary Extract (Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract),
  • Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer,
  • Flavor (Flavor/Aroma),
  • Caprylyl Glycol*,
  • Ethylhexylglycerin*,
  • Tocopherol,
  • Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate,
  • Manganese Violet (CI 77742),
  • Red 40 (CI 16035)

Natural Lip Glosses Rated: Bad

We strongly recommend avoiding these lip glosses. They contain several ingredients we recommend avoiding.

elf

Lip Lacquer - Bubbles
Price: $3 ($37.5 per oz)

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

  • Polyisobutene,
  • Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum),
  • Ethylhexyl Palmitate,
  • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride,
  • Tridecyl Trimellitate,
  • Hydrogenated Styrene/Isoprene Copolymer,
  • Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate,
  • Grape Seed Oil (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil),
  • Avocado Oil (Persea Gratissima Oil),
  • Phenoxyethanol*,
  • Fragrance,
  • Meadowfoam Seed Oil (Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil),
  • Sunflower Seed Oil (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil),
  • Caprylyl Glycol*,
  • Cocoa Butter (Theobroma Cacao Butter),
  • Tin Oxide,
  • Tocopheryl Acetate*,
  • Retinyl Palmitate,
  • Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77491),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77492),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77499),
  • Red 7 (CI 15850),
  • Blue 1 (CI 42090),
  • Red 27 (CI 45410),
  • Yellow 5 (CI 19140),
  • Red 40 (CI 16035)

Physicians Formula

Mineral Wear Diamond Lip Plumper - Light Pink Princess Cut
Price: $8.99 ($52.88 per oz)

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

  • Polybutene,
  • Diisostearyl Malate,
  • Hydrogenated Polyisobutene,
  • Silica Dimethyl Silylate,
  • Ethylhexyl Palmitate,
  • Tocopheryl Acetate*,
  • Diamond Powder,
  • Octyldodecanol,
  • Menthol,
  • Hexyldecanol,
  • Phenoxyethanol*,
  • Caprylyl Glycol*,
  • Octinoxate,
  • Polymethylsilsesquioxane,
  • Quaternium-90 Bentonite,
  • Hexylene Glycol,
  • Ethylhexylglycerin*,
  • Tribehenin,
  • Ethyl Vanillin,
  • Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate,
  • Avocado Oil (Persea Gratissima Oil),
  • Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter),
  • Ethyl Menthane Carboxamide,
  • Methyl Nicotinate,
  • Propylene Carbonate,
  • Sorbitan Isostearate,
  • Bisabolol,
  • Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide,
  • Stearic Acid,
  • Butylene Glycol,
  • Tin Oxide,
  • Caffeine,
  • Niacin,
  • Rapeseed Sterols (Brassica Campestris Sterols),
  • Lauroyl Lysine,
  • Sodium Hyaluronate,
  • Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1,
  • BHT,
  • Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate,
  • Blue 1 (CI 42090),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77491),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77492),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77499),
  • Mica,
  • Red 7 (CI 15850),
  • Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891),
  • Red 28 (CI 45410)

Jones Road

Cool Gloss
Price: $22 ($44.9 per oz)

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

  • Castor Seed Oil (Ricinus Communis Seed Oil),
  • Cocoglycerides,
  • Beeswax (Cera Alba),
  • Polyhydroxystearic Acid,
  • Peppermint Oil (Mentha Piperita Oil),
  • Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter),
  • Menthol,
  • Candelilla Wax (Euphorbia Cerifera Wax),
  • Tocopherol,
  • Monoammonium Glycyrrhizinate,
  • Octyldodecyl Oleate,
  • Flavor (Flavor/Aroma),
  • Synthetic Fluorphlogopite,
  • Silica,
  • Aluminum Calcium Silicate,
  • Citric Acid,
  • Mica,
  • Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891),
  • Carmine (CI 75470),
  • Tin Oxide,
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77491),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77492),
  • Iron Oxides (CI 77499),
  • Yellow 5 (CI 19140),
  • Red 7 (CI 15850),
  • Red 27 (CI 45410),
  • Red 40 (CI 16035)

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.

 
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