I haven’t always been into natural makeup. But a few years ago, when I became pregnant, I began reading ingredient labels in an effort to make healthier choices.
The Search for Cleaner Makeup Alternatives
Once I began reading ingredient labels and finally figured out what was inside my makeup, I decided to get rid of my Naked2 palette. I found natural eyeshadows by Alima Pure, Antonym, and Kjaer Weis that I absolutely adored. But the one which offers the most satisfaction, when compared with the Naked2 palette, is the Laid Bare Eye Palette by Lily Lolo.
The Eyeshadow Upgrade, from Lily Lolo
The Laid Bare Eye Palette by Lily Lolo contains eight flattering neutral shades in a slimline compact. The eyeshadows are not only aluminum free, but also free of talc and petroleum-based chemicals. Lily Lolo instead uses ingredients like mica, jojoba oil and manuka oil.
The colors are a bit more sheer than what I was used to with the Urban Decay eyeshadows, but that didn’t bother me at all. Once I found Lily Lolo’s Eyelid Primer, I was able to achieve the makeup look I wanted.
In the end, I did choose to replace my Naked2 palette with a cleaner alternative. And I couldn’t be happier with that choice.
The Laid Bare Eye Palette from Lily Lolo is $34.
GET THE LILY LOLO PALETTE HERE
Saying goodbye to my beloved Naked palette wasn’t easy. But by blindly sticking to what was familiar, I was missing out on an entire world of makeup and beauty products made of ingredients I could feel confident in. Switching to cleaner makeup is a decision I’ve never regretted.
The Problem with the Naked Ingredients
Don’t hate me for all the ingredients that are about to follow. It’s tedious, I know. But there’s a dozen colors in Urban Decay’s Naked2 palette, and it’s worthwhile to investigate.
Ingredients for Booty Call, Foxy and Pistol: talc, caprylic/capric triglyceride, zinc stearate, ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer, sodium dehydroacetate, phenoxyethanol, sorbic acid, PTFE.
Ingredients for Half Baked, Snake Bite, and YDK: caprylic/capric triglyceride, talc, zinc stearate, PTFE, ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer, sodium dehydroacetate, phenoxyethanol, sorbic acid.
Ingredients for Chopper: talc, polyethylene terephthalate, caprylic/capric triglyceride, zinc stearate, PTFE, ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer, sodium dehydroacetate, phenoxyethanol, sorbic acid, acrylates copolymer, tin oxide.
Ingredients for Suspect: talc, caprylic/capric triglyceride, calcium sodium borosilicate, zinc stearate, PTFE, ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer, sodium dehydroacetate, phenoxyethanol, sorbic acid, tin oxide.
Ingredients for Tease: talc, zinc stearate, caprylic/capric triglyceride, ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer, sodium dehydroacetate, phenoxyethanol, sorbic acid, PTFE.
Ingredients for Busted and Verve: talc, caprylic/capric triglyceride, PTFE, zinc stearate, sodium dehydroacetate, phenoxyethanol, sorbic acid, ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer.
Ingredients for Blackout: zinc stearate, talc, silica, ethylhexyl palmitate, sodium dehydroacetate, phenoxyethanol, boron nitride, sorbic acid.
All shades may contain: CI 77019 (mica), CI 77891 (titanium dioxide), CI 77491/77492/77499 (iron oxides), CI 77000 (aluminum powder), CI 75470 (carmine), CI 77510 (ferric ferrocyanide), CI 77742 (manganese violet), CI 77163 (bismuth oxychloride).
| Extremely Safe | Reasonably Safe | Proceed with Caution | Insufficient Data |
Three ingredients which consistently pop up are talc, caprylic/capric triglyceride, and zinc stearate. Let’s explore those.
Talc is an absorbent opacifying agent. Talc is dangerous when the powder is inhaled or applied to the genital area (it is then considered possibly carcinogenic). In the late 90’s, Senator Edward Kennedy petitioned the FDA to include a cancer warning label on talc products–which obviously hasn’t happened. Many organic and mainstream brands successfully substitute cornstarch for talc in their cosmetic formulations. But according to the available research, talc is a reasonably safe ingredient in a pressed eyeshadow powder.
Caprylic/capric triglycerides is a safe, silky and chemically stable ingredient made from coconut oil.
Zinc stearate is a white, powdery substance usually created by combining stearic acid and zinc oxide. In cosmetics, it is often used as a water repellent and to improve texture. Zinc stearate is generally considered safe in small topical applications.
Two other notable ingredients in this palette are PTFE and Aluminum. PTFE is teflon, which has a variety of cosmetic uses. Teflon becomes toxic when it exceeds 392∘ F, which explains the hand-wringing over teflon-coated cookware. I’m not planning on deep-frying my eyeshadow, so I’m not especially concerned about PTFE in this formulation.
Aluminum, on the other hand, is a potentially problematic ingredient. In the early 2000s, concern over aluminum exploded after a study appeared to directly connect aluminum to breast cancer. Since then, the National Cancer Institute has calmed fears about aluminum’s status as a carcinogen. But a solid body of research remains, demonstrating that aluminum is, at best, a controversial ingredient in personal care products. My concern is not that I’ll apply an aluminum-containing eyeshadow and fall down dead. It’s that continuous, low-dose exposure to problematic chemicals can slowly degrade my health. Even if aluminum is not a complete carcinogen, it is still a neurotoxin which inhibits over 200 biologically important functions, causing various adverse effects in plants, animals and people.
What’s Next?
Check out my user-friendly guide, the 75 Best Natural & Nontoxic Makeup Products. Quickly scan for the best natural lipsticks, eyeshadows, concealers and more. I’ve made it as easy to use as possible, I promise.
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*This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.
**Products get makeovers too. Be sure to check if this product has been recently re-formulated before using it yourself.
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