As you’ll see in a minute, U.S. law allows a lot of toxic endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, and allergens to get into our makeup products. This can be quite a problem for our kids, tweens, and teens who are in such an important time for their hormonal and overall development.
Adolescence is great time to educate and empower your kids about how to choose safer cosmetics and personal care products. So in this article, we’re going to talk about the benefits of choosing non-toxic, natural, and organic makeup for kids, tweens and teens. You’ll learn about the ingredients to be careful of, and which brands you can trust.
Table of Contents
- Why Choose Non-Toxic Makeup For My Child or Tween?
- Toxic Chemicals To Avoid In Makeup for Kids, Tweens, & Teens
- Parabens
- PEGs & Other Ethoxylated Ingredients
- Fragrance
- Butylated Compounds
- FD&C Colors
- Mineral Oil
- Talc
- Lead
- The Best Non-Toxic, Natural, & Organic Makeup Kits for Kids & Tweens
- Best Clean Makeup Brands For Teenagers
- 100% Pure
- Ather
- Honest
- Axiology
- Fat And The Moon
- Mad Hippie
- Containers For Storing Tweens’ & Teens’ Makeup And Brushes
- The Benefits Of Purchasing A Non-Toxic Makeup Kit For Tweens
This post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase.
Related:
- The best natural skincare brands for teens
- The best non-toxic and natural deodorant brands for tweens & teens
- The best pretend makeup sets for your littlest kids
Why Choose Non-Toxic Makeup For My Child or Tween?
In the United States, cosmetics are not regulated by the FDA the same way food and drugs are. As the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics states: “Cosmetics are one of the least regulated consumer products on the market today. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act (FFDCA) includes 112 pages of standards for food and drugs, but just 2 pages are dedicated to cosmetic safety. Existing cosmetic safety law is over 75 years old and provides the FDA with virtually no statutory power to perform even the most rudimentary functions to ensure the safety of an estimated $71 billion cosmetic industry.”
For this reason, conventional makeup (including makeup kits targeted toward kids and teens) contains a wide variety of toxic ingredients that can affect a person’s health—especially when used regularly over a long period of time.
In 2016, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Breast Cancer Fund did an investigation into what is actually in kids’ cosmetics products and Halloween face paint. Brands they tasted included Disney, Lisa Frank, Claire’s, Hershey’s, and more.
We’re going to discuss some of the specific toxins they discovered in these products in a minute, but first, here is a quick summary of some of the things they found lurking in kids’ makeup and face paint products:
- Parabens: found in 34% of products tested
- Ethoxylated ingredients: found in 28% of products tested
- Fragrance: found in 50% of products tested
- BHT: found in 13% of products tested
- Mineral oil: found in 40% of products tested
- Talc: found in 18% of products tested
- Heavy metals: almost half of products tested contained at least one heavy metal
As you can see, these toxins are quite common in kid makeup. Now let’s talk about why these ingredients are potentially problematic.
(P.S. If you want to avoid these chemicals completely, you might consider choosing fake play makeup for younger children. This article will help you with that.)
Toxic Chemicals To Avoid In Makeup for Kids, Tweens, & Teens
Parabens
This is a very common category of toxins that you’ll find in cosmetics and personal care products. Parabens are preservatives that help prevent the growth of things like mold and other microbes. Considering that mold can also be toxic, adding preservatives to personal care products and cosmetics doesn’t seem like a bad thing, right?!
But the problem is that parabens are linked to a host of serious health concerns, from cancer to infertility. They are known endocrine disruptors, which means they can harm the body’s many important hormonal systems. There are safer and more natural preservatives that can be used instead.
PEGs & Other Ethoxylated Ingredients
Polyethylene Glycol, also known as PEG, is commonly found in all kinds of products, such as lotions, toothpastes, and laundry products.
The problem with ethoxylated ingredients is not actually the ingredients themselves, but rather how they are processed. The process involves ethylene oxide and 1,4 dioxane. Ethylene dioxide is an irritant that’s known to cause multiple types of cancer and infertility. 1,4-dioxane is also carcinogen. Unfortunately, products containing ethoxylated ingredients be contaminated with both of these ingredients, leftover from the manufacturing process. Because they are contaminants, however, you don’t see these two ingredients on the label.
Fragrance
We talk about “fragrance” on The Filtery all the time In the United States, “fragrance” and “parfum” are protected by an “industry secret” law that allows companies to NOT disclose certain potentially toxic ingredients (there is a list of about 4,000 of them) on their labels, leaving consumers in the dark. That list includes phthalates, which can disrupt the hormone function of your tween. It’s not just products like perfumes and candles that contain fragrance—a lot of cosmetics do as well.
Butylated Compounds
BHT and its relative, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), are synthetic antioxidants that are also commonly used in cosmetics to extend shelf life. BHA has been linked to reproductive and developmental toxicity, along with cancer.
Although more research still needs to be done on BHT specifically, it should also be noted that it’s a toluene-based ingredient. Toluene is a well-established toxin that can cause neurological damage and more. In the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics investigation, toluene was found in 11% of the products tested.
FD&C Colors
FD&C colors are synthetic dyes used in “food, drugs, and cosmetics” (which is what “FD&C” stands for).
This includes coal-tar dye, which can contain heavy metal contaminants (like lead). Coal-tar dyes will sneak into cosmetics and hair dyes through long and difficult-to-decipher names like P-phenylenediamine, diaminobenzene, and aminophenol. These ingredients have been known to cause eye injury, allergic reactions, and several kinds of cancer. Coal-tar ingredients don’t have to be approved by the FDA.
Other FD&C colors have been associated with things like skin allergies and hyperactivity in children.
Mineral Oil
It might sound like a “safe” and “natural” ingredient, but mineral oil is actually derived from crude oil, a.k.a. petroleum. It can contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic carbons (PAHs), which are classified as carcinogens.
Talc
In its pure form, talc is safe. The problem is that talc is often contaminated with asbestos, which causes cancer, so it’s a risky ingredient to use.
Lead
Lead contamination is a real problem, especially in lipsticks and lip glosses. You can read more about that here. Because even small amounts of lead can negatively affect children, and since it’s much more likely that lip products will be ingested, it’s best to be extra careful to use lead-free lipsticks, balms, and glosses.
The Best Non-Toxic, Natural, & Organic Makeup Kits for Kids & Tweens
Below are our suggestions for the best non-toxic, natural, and organic makeup sets for kids, tweens, and teens. It’s important to note that there actually are not any makeup kits for teens that are 100% organic. The recommended brands below DO use all non-toxic and natural ingredients, with some organic ingredients. This is partly because not all ingredients can even be certified organic. Natural minerals that are mined from the earth, for example, cannot be certified organic.
The following brands are great for kids ages 9 to 12-ish:
Klee Naturals
Klee Naturals is a great brand for non-toxic makeup sets for kids and tweens. They have a lot of different options—whether your tween is into astronauts or butterfly fairies.
Klee Naturals uses ingredients like beeswax, shea butter, and natural mineral, and absolutely no talc, parabens, phthalates, FD&C colors or dyes, or gluten.
In addition to their lip gloss, eyeshadows, and other makeup, Klee Naturals also carries water-based nail polish, hair, and body care for kids and tweens as well. Plus, everything is made in the USA, and each purchase supports a local charity.
Evereden
Evereden is an excellent skincare and personal care brand for moms and kids, and now they have kids play makeup, too!
They offer a “rainbow” of multi-use face crayons that come in nine different fun colors. They can be used on the lips, eyes, and anywhere on the face, and are formulated for kids aged 3 and up.
Everything is gluten-free, vegan, and made from mostly natural ingredients. They don’t use any toxicants like parabens or phthalates in any of their products.
While Evereden’s safe kids’ makeup isn’t EWG Verified yet (some of their other products are), they do provide the EWG score for each of the ingredients right on the product page, making it easier for parents to check for anything questionable. As you can see, none of the ingredients in their Play Crayons score above a 3 (which is good!).
They also offer a couple of different gift sets, lip gloss, kids’ face wash and face cream, and more.
Prim & Pure
Prim & Pure carries really fun eye shadow palettes, blushes, lip glosses and balms, nail polish, biodegradable body glitter, and more. They have all kinds of different gift sets and accessories, too.
All of their products are made with natural, non-toxic ingredients that are free from parabens, phthalates, GMOs, synthetic FD&C dyes, gluten, and animal testing. They also use many USDA certified organic ingredients, which are indicated with an *asterisk.
Everything is made in the USA and each purchase gives back to non-profit organizations that support children.
Prim & Pure also has a moms and teens collection now too!
No Nasties
No Nasties is a Canadian cruelty-free brand that uses only 100% natural ingredients like mica, candelilla wax, and shea butter. That means zero FD&C dyes, talc, parabens, or other toxins.
Their various natural makeup kits come with things like shimmery lip gloss, eye shadows, blushes and balms, makeup bags and brushes, and more.
They also carry nail polishes, nail stickers, and hair chalk!
Urban Kangaroo
This DIY lip balm-making kit would be a really fun afternoon activity to do with your child. The minimal natural ingredients are made and sourced ethically in the USA.
Petite ‘n Pretty
Petite ‘n Pretty is on our list as an “OKAY” brand. Most of the ingredients they use are safe, but there are a few that are of mild to moderate concern (mainly ethoxylated ingredients). Some of their products also contain undisclosed “fragrance,” which we don’t love… But it’s at least free of phthalates, parabens, and formaldeyde.
Petite ‘n Pretty is also certified cruelty-free by PETA and they’re also free from things like soy, gluten, and nut products (including coconut). Their products are also dermatologist tested, ophthalmologist approved, and pediatrician approved.
Best Clean Makeup Brands For Teenagers
These brands are good options for teens, ages 13 to 19. Of course, they can technically be used by adults, but they are great for teens as well because they carry colorful cosmetics with fun and unique branding while prioritizing natural, organic, and wildcrafted ingredients.
100% Pure
100% Pure carries a really wide variety of fruit-pigmented makeup, from eyeshadow palettes to lipsticks and more. Instead of synthetic dyes, this vegan-friendly brand uses fruit extracts like cherry, pomegranate, and rose petals.
Many of their ingredients are organic, and almost everything is made in the USA.
Ather
Athr is a pretty good brand that carries fun eyeshadow palettes, bold lip colors, illuminating oils, and mascara. Infused with all kinds of crystal vibes, they use ingredients like moringa seed oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and shea butter.
They have a robust #GoodVibesOnly Ingredient Code, which not only ensures customers that their vegan makeup is free from animal-derived products, but that it’s also free from a wide range of toxins like phthalates, ethoxylated ingredients, talc, coal tar and more. It’s important to be aware, however, that Athr does use several different FD&C colorants in their products.
Honest
Honest is another great clean makeup brand for teens because their products are affordable and easy to use. They do have a lot of bright colors for eyes and lips, but they also have more subtle makeup options, like their No Makeup Makeup Kit. This kit would be a good option for young people who are just getting into the makeup game and want some light coverup, mascara, and a little pop of color—nothing drastic.
You can check out our full review of Honest beauty here.
Axiology
In terms of lip color, Axiology is a fun non-toxic brand for teens. All of Axiology’s vegan and clean beauty products are made with 10 ingredients or less. Their lip crayons are a fun twist on conventional lipsticks, and their Lip to Lid Balmies are a great safe option for people young and old. They use nourishing ingredients like coconut oil, avocado oil, and more.
Fat And The Moon
Founder and herbalist, Rachel Budde, has built Fat And The Moon around providing handcrafted, herbal body care products using age-old ingredients and earth-centered recipes that have been passed down from various healing traditions for generations.
Their “Adornment” natural makeup kit includes lip paint, eye coal, cheek stain, highlighters, and more (many of which can be used as multipurpose products).
Everything is handcrafted to order in the USA, and many of the ingredients are organic.
Mad Hippie
Mad Hippie is another company with fun branding. Instead of outward beauty standards, Mad Hippie is inspired by the beauty of love, health, self-confidence, optimism, and caring for one another.
They carry cheek & lip tint, eye pencil, concealer, and mascara, all of which are free from silicone, petrochemicals, parabens, perfume, SLS, phthalates, animal ingredients, animal testing, synthetic colors, and dyes.
Plus, they use eco-conscious packaging whenever possible and $1 from every sale goes toward conservation.
Containers For Storing Tweens’ & Teens’ Makeup And Brushes
Many of the above makeup kits come with carrying cases, but if you’re looking for extra storage, Made Trade, BLK+GRN, Annemarie, ES Essentials Home Decor, and IKEA carry some great plastic-free cosmetics cases and storage units in a variety of shapes and sizes that are great to keep at home or take on the go.
The Benefits Of Purchasing A Non-Toxic Makeup Kit For Tweens
Not only will choosing a non-toxic makeup kit for your tween give you more control over what sorts of ingredients are absorbed into their skin, but it can also have some other benefits as well, like:
Keeping Them From Sharing Others’ Not-So-Desirable Makeup
It can be a lot of fun for kids and teens to do makeovers with their friends. If your kids have their own natural and non-toxic makeup set, it can help to reduce the amount of exposure they get from their friends’ makeup products.
Providing an Opportunity for Ingredient Education and Awareness
As you know, it can be overwhelming at times to learn about all of the different toxic ingredients and materials we’re surrounded by every day. It can feel like swimming upstream.
One of the best ways to turn that overwhelm into empowerment is to learn and implement little by little, the way you’d learn a new language. And just like learning a language, it’s so much easier to pick up when it’s ingrained in one’s culture and environment, especially as a young person.
When children and teenagers learn slowly which ingredients to watch out for and avoid, it can be less overwhelming and more empowering in the long run because these habits are just normal to them.
The good news is that it actually doesn’t take long to make a difference either. A 2016 study called the HERMOSA Intervention Study, which followed 100 adolescent Latina girls, found that after just three days of avoiding personal care products that contained endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as phthalates and parabens lowered the concentrations of most of these chemicals in their urine. This suggests that choosing personal care products and cosmetics carefully can potentially make a significant difference in how many toxic chemicals are coursing through adolescents’ bodies.
Encouraging Self Care and Mindfulness Habits Early
We know that the cosmetics industry is certainly guilty of exacerbating unhealthy beauty standards for women and girls by communicating that they’re not “pretty enough” without their faces caked in colors. This is definitely something to be aware of when deciding when to let your kids start using makeup, and how much.
But makeup can also be a means of empowerment, play, and an opportunity for a mindfulness ritual. After all, humans all over the world have been painting color onto their faces basically since humans have existed—for self-expression, for protection, for communication, and more.
Establishing A Skincare Cleansing Routine
Establishing a healthy skincare routine is always a good idea, especially considering that many teens struggle with acne. When tweens start using makeup, it can be a great opportunity to talk about why it’s important to remove makeup before bed, how to properly cleanse and moisturize your face, and how to care for pimples.
We actually have an entire article on the best non-toxic, natural, and organic skincare brands for young people—check it out here!
(Oh, and check out these organic and plastic-free hair ties and scrunchies to hold their hair back while they wash their face!)
Promoting Hygiene And Proper Care Of Cosmetic Instruments
Keeping one’s skin clean means also keeping one’s makeup brushes and tools clean and cared for.
This eco-friendly makeup brush set from Honey Bee Gardens is a great starter set for tweens and teens. It comes with five different brushes made with bamboo handles and a hemp & cotton carrying case. It’s super affordable, too. EcoTools also carries a really wide variety of brushes, sponges, and other eco-friendly makeup tools and accessories.
Dermatologists recommend cleaning makeup brushes and tools at least once a month in order to keep bacteria and extra oils at bay. You don’t really need anything fancy to clean makeup brushes; a simple non-toxic dish soap with a cloth towel will work just fine.
But if you want something that’s made specifically for cleaning makeup brushes, you can check out this Luxury Vegan Makeup Brush Soap or this All Natural Makeup Brush Cleanser. EcoTools also carries a Brush Shampoo as well. Or you can easily use a regular all-purpose cleaner like Branch Basics.
Or if you want something that will disinfect really easily (you don’t even have to wipe or rinse it off), Force of Nature’s all-purpose cleaning spray is great for makeup brushes as well.
Transitioning to wearing makeup is one of those rights of passages that makes us wonder how the time flew by. Getting your tween or teen natural, non-toxic, organic makeup kit opens the door to a slew of opportunities to educate on proper personal hygiene and the pitfalls of toxic ingredients. The standards and habits you demonstrate now will benefit your child for years to come.
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