If a major clean-up has largely begun in skincare, makeup is making its entry into clean via vegan and organic . As for the big classic brands, they are having more difficulty getting into clean makeup.
For a few years now, we have clearly seen a “ clean beauty ” trend taking hold for skincare. On the makeup side, the movement has more obstacles. And for good reason. The results, colors and sensoriality are much more difficult to achieve with clean formulas. As for the packaging, it is often part of the pleasure that the makeup object provides. In short, the story of clean makeup is only just beginning.
More natural formulas? Not easy
All brands have entered a phase of "cleaning" their formulas to varying degrees. The Indies (new shoots) that are launching are positioning themselves as at least vegan (which does not mean at all that the formulas are clean) and are making great efforts thanks to ingredients of natural origin (but a natural transformed by ... biochemistry). The organic players are reviewing their products to move towards more naturalness and sensoriality, while pushing the cursor on the side of the sourcing of ingredients. As for luxury brands, we will see later why they are still taking small steps.
Varnish: pioneer and bio-sourced

Oddly enough, the most chemical of makeup products was one of the first that some brands looked into, at the very moment when nail polish was booming on the European market. More than ten years ago, first appeared 4, 5 or even "10-free" nail polishes (in which 4 to 10 components considered suspect had been removed) and then so-called "bio-sourced" nail polishes.
First, we need to remember the components of a varnish. In order for it to meet all that is required of it – good adhesion to the nail, nice coverage, shine, long-lasting – the varnish contains film-forming agents, resins, plasticizers, solvents and pigments. However, many of the components used a few years ago were problematic: toluene, a pollutant and irritant; phthalates, including dibutyl phthalate (DBP), suspected of being an endocrine disruptor; formaldehyde, classified as carcinogenic at European level; rosin, a resin that can cause allergic reactions and asthmatic symptoms.



Specialized brands (OPI, Essie), soon followed by all the others, removed the most controversial ingredients , even those dangerous for health: formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate.
Then, some brands, led by Kure Bazaar, went further by replacing petrochemicals with ingredients of natural origin: wood, cassava, corn, potato, cotton. It was then deduced – wrongly – that these varnishes were clean , or even organic. They are in fact “biosourced” or of natural origin. Because, yes, the ingredients are natural at the base, but they undergo transformation processes, so that in the end their INCI formula is almost identical to that of non-biosourced varnishes. As for organic varnishes, they are not yet the panacea. Water-based and solvent-free, they do not offer the same shine, nor a large choice of shades.
Replacing silicones and polymers, a delicate matter
The great revolution in modern makeup since the 1950s was the birth of organic chemistry, which allowed for major advances in the composition of lipsticks, mascaras and eye shadows. Raw materials of petrochemical origin have gradually transformed the hold, sensoriality, glide and grip of makeup products: microcrystalline waxes, silicones (dimethicone on the INCI list) and volatile silicones (cyclopentasiloxane and others), polymers, synthetic oils. They have allowed the development of long-lasting, transfer-free products, where the pigment clings and fuses with the skin without a material effect, without a drying effect, from the creamy reds of the 80s to the lacquers and lip inks of recent years. So much so that today, doing without all these components is a real challenge.




- In mascaras and lipsticks, we return to waxes, mainly vegetable (candelilla, carnauba, rice, and castor for mascaras) to avoid beeswax as much as possible, to which we add derivatives of vegetable oils, polymers based on corn, potato or tapioca starch for a good coating of the eyelashes and a creamy grip on the lips.
- In lipsticks, shea butter allows the grape (the stick) to hold and oils (argan, coconut, apricot) and oil fractions replace silicones. The problem: vegetable waxes cost four times more than petrochemical ingredients!
- As for the complexion, we will still find polymers but in very small quantities, alongside worked silicas, clay derivatives, powders and sometimes mother-of-pearl. But above all, formulators play on the forms of emulsion - water in oil, micro-dispersion of droplets - and the coating of pigments to obtain a uniform film that does not migrate.
- In organic, the color palette is still limited because polymers are out, even of natural origin. Waxes and oil fractions are allowed, but you have to play with starches and powders in foundations, sugar networks and fibers in mascaras, micas in eyeshadows.
Pigments, the big challenge
There are two types of pigments: minerals (based on iron oxide, titanium dioxide and manganese) and chemicals (about fifteen authorized) that are mixed to obtain a palette of shades. In recent decades, the know-how of other industries, such as printing, mirror making, automotive or even aeronautical painting, has been imported into makeup to obtain sophisticated effects. Because these industries are not only at the forefront of research on pigments, but also on the reflection of light. This is how all the interference pearls were born, derived from mica or silica, which allow iridescent, glittery, "butterfly wing" effects. This is why most "natural" brands keep synthetic pigments.
- In organic farming, only mineral pigments are allowed, which already reduces the color palette. In addition, these mineral pigments are not indefinitely renewable resources.
- Brands that have chosen vegan have had to ban the famous red color, obtained from a crushed insect, the cochineal.
- Today, some want to go even further. Thus, the brand Le Rouge Français, certified organic, vegan and clean beauty, has eliminated all chemical and mineral pigments. It has developed its own patented pigments, obtained by pressure, fermentation or biotechnological extraction based on dye plants (madder, hibiscus, lotus, indigo, roucou, sorghum, cosmos, turmeric, beetroot, etc.). The palette remains more limited and the shades are essentially "natural".
Clean makeup: fewer results, more care
Lipsticks don't last as long and need to be "warmed" before applying them or, on the contrary, look like balms. Mascaras offer a fairly natural result, far from the multiplying and dizzying effects of those from star brands. Foundations don't have the evanescence or the "blur" (corrector) effect of certain BB creams or foundations loaded with volatile oils and silicones. Transfer-free and waterproof are currently impossible to obtain. Only a new brand - Last - has just patented a long-lasting polymer of natural origin.
But the other side of the coin offers other advantages. In addition to the "clean" argument, the use of vegetable oils and butters has nourishing, fortifying, moisturizing, but also anti-oxidant effects. The castor oil in mascaras strengthens the eyelashes and promotes their growth. Finally, with clean makeup, you don't swallow petrochemical ingredients when applying your lipstick!
Eco-designed packs? on the right track
The formulas are not the only ones to have had a facelift. On the packaging side, we also see progress.
Rechargeable, the first step
It's hard to do without plastic in makeup. Of course, most foundations come in glass bottles , but it's harder for mascara (La Bouche Rouge has tried it, however) and almost impossible for lipstick. Which explains why the number of refillable lipsticks is increasing. It's true that, more than any other makeup product, lipstick is a symbolic and status object. We slip it into our bag, we carry it with us, we take it out to reapply several times a day (except during pandemic periods), we enjoy showing it off. And we think it's a waste to throw it away when we've finished it. So brands - especially luxury brands - are offering repacks of their iconic products (Rouge Dior, Rouge G Guerlain) or launching new refillable objects, like Hermès or La Bouche Rouge (with a customizable leather case). Same strategy at Lush, Kure Bazaar, Le Rouge Français, Veganie, Zao where certain eye shadow palettes, compact foundations or powders are also refillable.
Bioplastic mascara packs and brushes
The big new thing in the last year: bio-sourced mascara brushes, made from castor oil. Indeed, castor oil has several advantages. In addition to its nourishing and strengthening properties for eyelashes, it is inedible, and therefore does not compete with the human and animal food chain. Indeed, castor oil is GMO-free, requires little water for its cultivation, with an excellent yield. The plant, extremely resistant, grows in regions where there is little rainfall, such as Gujarat in India, which provides more than 80% of global production. It is a great alternative to nylon bristles or polymer brushes. Several brands, organic or not, have already converted to it. And Le Rouge Français has even made its lipstick cases in this bio-sourced, resistant and recyclable material.
Cardboard, primary and secondary packaging



Cardboard is gaining ground at the expense of plastic, especially among organic brands. Whether it's Couleur Caramel, Zao or Bo.ho, they have all long opted for cardboard boxes from FSC forests ( eco-managed) for all their makeup references. Other players are taking advantage of a new launch (like SoBio Etic) to convert to cardboard.
Cardboard is also becoming more popular for secondary packaging. It is gradually replacing plastic blisters and sleeves (sealed plastic envelopes).
Major difficulties persist
Managing to create perfectly clean makeup while providing the same benefits as classic makeup is a real headache today.
Sensoriality and performance, a change in requirements
The big names in makeup, whether luxury brands or well-known players in large and medium-sized stores, have more difficulty turning to Clean. While they loudly display their CSR commitments in terms of sourcing and recyclability (efforts on packaging), it is the formulas that pose the most problems. Of course, Guerlain has led its Terracotta to display 96% of ingredients of natural origin and has launched a foundation displaying a particularly high rate of naturalness. The same strategy at Dior with the Rouge Dior balm and at L'Oréal Paris which is launching its first mascara with 99% natural origin, but all these initiatives are a drop in the ocean in the number of makeup references. Why? When you have accustomed your consumers to ultra-sensory textures, imperceptible but ultra-resistant finishes, ultra-sophisticated and luxurious packs, the step is difficult to take.
A department with high logistics: a brake on Clean
All distributors know it: the makeup section is one of the most complicated to manage. There are a plethora of references, multiplied by the high number of shades, some of which have a much higher sales turnover than others. Testers are needed, and you need to constantly check that they remain clean. The sales furniture is imposing and what about hypermarkets where the products are presented in plastic blisters to see them transparently, while remaining inviolable? This enormous logistics also explains the difficulty in transforming packaging, while respecting the specifications of distributors, and why it is confidential brands, sold on the internet or with their own points of sale, that manage to advance the Clean makeup market.
Makeup is finally at the same point as skincare was a few years ago: at the very beginning of Clean . But, thanks to consumer demand and the creation of more efficient raw materials, there is no doubt that the Clean makeup landscape will truly change in the coming years. A case to follow closely.