The Safest Drug Store Makeup Brands to Buy... And Brands to Avoid
If you want to look good, have healthy skin and not spend a fortune, I got your back. Check out this regularly updated list of the safest drug store makeup brands, and which ones should be avoided so the next time you're ready to replace an item you'll feel prepared.
The information provided here is largely based on information from the EWG's Skin Deep App and website. So if you're on a budget and want to look like a queen while also protecting yourself, these will be some helpful tips for you. Now, bear in mind that I am not a dermatologist, and I am not a scientist. I definitely encourage you to look this stuff up for yourself!
One important note before we get started: the EWG rates products on a 1-10 scale. 1-2 being low hazard, 3-6 being moderate, and 7-10 being high hazard. I looked at which brands have most of their makeup products in the low to moderate range (so I ignored the scores for things like nail polish and hair dye).
Brands to Buy
Physicians Formula Organic Wear. I can't say enough good things about this brand, and prominent beauty gurus like Tati agree that this is an excellent option. Most of their products fall in the 1-2 range, which is fantastic. I use several of their products, like this bronzer, face powder and blush (which I wear almost every day!). Their mascara is also a favourite of mine - it's one of the only mascaras that doesn't make my eyes itchy.
NYX. Almost all NYX products fall between 1-5 - yay! That means you can be pretty comfortable filling your cart with NYX products, no matter what you need.
Maybelline. Most of the products that actually sit on and sink into your skin like foundation, pressed powder and concealer fall in the 1-5 range, and about half of products listed fall between 1-4, which is pretty good. However, some of their blush and eyeshaddow (specifically the Expert Wear line) gets sketchy, sitting around 8 - so stick with Physicians Formula or NYX for those ones.
Olay. Most Olay products fall in the 1-5 range, which is pretty good. Where it starts to get a bit iffy is in the anti-aging series and the Olay + Cover Girl series, which fall in the 7-8 range - not so good. So if you just stay away from that stuff, this is a pretty good option!
Revlon. Revlon is pretty safe, and their lipsticks in particular are great, usually chillin' in the 2-3 range. However, it's at the bottom of this list because many of the products that really sit on and sink into your skin, like concealer and foundation, have ratings all over the place, making it a tricky brand to navigate. Much of their foundation is rated at 2-5ish, which is great, but some of it also hangs out at 6-8, and that ain't my jam. So... use at your own discretion.
Brands to Not Buy
Wet n Wild. I wasn't really sure what to do with this one, because they do have a lot of makeup in the safeish zone (2-6)... but they seem to have an equal number of products in the not-so-safe zone (7-9). The ratings are all over the place, even within product types. Around half their concealers are pretty safe, but half aren't. Same with eyeshaddows. So I'm going to suggest staying away from this brand, because it's too tricky to navigate.
Cover Girl. Most products sat somewhere between 4-6, and several foundations and several of the concealers, lipsticks and powders ventured up to 7. So because foundations and concealers go all over your face for hours on end (thus the badness just sits on there, soaking in, destroying your life and probably murdering puppies), CoverGirl doesn't make the cut. So it's not that this brand is awful... it's just less good than I want it to be.
Neutrogena. Again, a lot of the makeup products hovered around 4-7... and some of the foundations even ventured into the 8-9 range. This was really disappointing to me because for some reason, I had sort of assumed Neutrogena was one of the healthier brands. That's marketing for ya. Don't trust the marketing!
So what do you all think? Did I miss any brands? What's you go-to for safe, affordable makeup? Leave a comment below or spread the love!
