You can build a full paraben-, phthalate- and cruelty-free makeup kit with picks from Youngblood, Nude by Nature, Eye of Horus and Aesop that cover primers, foundations, concealers, powders, mascaras, brows, lips and removers. This roundup highlights clean alternatives, ingredient red flags and practical swaps so your routine stays effective and kinder to skin and planet.

Follow the ingredient checklist to swap one product at a time, prioritising primers and removers. The guide shows which clean formulas suit oily, dry or sensitive skin and flags common triggers so you can simplify your routine without losing coverage or performance.

This year, we’re loving our clean beauty edit: ditching parabens and phthalates, and going cruelty-free.

Some ingredients are harsh on the planet. Others are harsh on your skin. And some are harsh on both!

But avoiding the talcs and the glycols doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality. Some of our favourite cult products are completely clean and free of harsh chemicals.

Want to know more about our best cruelty free makeup brands? This guide will cover some of the best cosmetics free of parabens and phthalates if that's the kind of beauty products that you like to shop.

So, whether you’re after a mascara to transform your peepers or a foundation to airbrush your complexion, we’ve got you covered...

What: Youngblood Mineral Primer

Start your new clean beauty routine with the Youngblood Mineral Primer. It’s packed full of vitamins and minerals to nourish and protect your skin while creating the perfect makeup base. This talc-free makeup primer is also free of perfumes and chemical dyes. Whether you’re priming your eyes, lips or face, what you use for your base is vital as it acts as your first point of contact with your skin. Clean primer formulas tend to be non-comedogenic, mineral based, and fragrance free, so expect your skin to feel nourished and cared for.

What: Jane Iredale Beyond Matte Liquid Foundation

If you love a polished, shine-controlled base, meet your new complexion MVP. Jane Iredale Beyond Matte Liquid Foundation is a lightweight, vegan and cruelty-free formula that delivers medium-to-full, buildable coverage with a smooth semi-matte finish. The multitasking formula works as a primer, concealer and foundation in one, helping to blur imperfections, minimise the appearance of pores and keep shine in check. Long-wearing, dermatologist- and allergy-tested, it’s also suitable for sensitive skin.

What: Benefit Boi-ing Cakeless Concealer

Say goodbye to cakey concealer. Benefit Boi-ing Cakeless Concealer delivers full, buildable coverage with a lightweight, flexible feel that helps blur the appearance of imperfections without settling into fine lines. The long-wearing, water and crease-resistant formula leaves skin looking smooth and natural, while its vegan and cruelty-free credentials make it an easy addition to your makeup bag. Perfect for covering everything from blemishes to under-eye darkness, especially as it promises up to 24 hours of wear.

What: Nude by Nature Mineral Cover Foundation

Australian brand Nude by Nature offers some seriously swoon-worthy makeup products. Even better, they’re all talc-, alcohol-, paraben-, phthalate-free cosmetics, aka completely clean! Mineral Cover Foundation can either be worn alone for lightweight but buildable coverage, or used on top of your foundation to set it in place. Chemical free powders don't exist, but we have a great range of natural, paraben free powder foundation to suit the cleanest palate. Playing with powders can sometimes be a dangerous game, especially when it’s something you might inadvertently inhale. Pick a powder that is going to be kind to your skin, and free of Talc and synthetic fragrances, which might overwhelm your skin and senses. With our wide selection of pressed and loose powders, it’s easy to make a clean choice with plenty of colours and finishes to suit you.

What: Eye Of Horus Goddess Mascara

Mascaras are a nightmare for chemical nasties, often containing loads of parabens to create the long-lasting formulas. But Eye of Horus has proved that you just don’t need them to get enviable lashes. Instead, the brand’s Goddess Mascara is free of everything horrible yet creates the lashes of your dreams! Strengthening, lengthening, and defining your lashes, it's the perfect choice for your clean makeup bag. As mascaras are an absolute haven for bacteria (and are designed to be ditched every 3 months), they have traditionally been packed with loads of chemicals and preservatives we don’t necessarily love. Not only can Parabens and Thimerosal damage our lashes over time, they can easily be absorbed, as we smudge and rub our mascara so often. With our selection of clean mascaras we have found a way to curb these problems, with clean ingredients that really tend to your lashes.

The mascara separates my lashes beautifully without clumping. My eyes appear more open and defined, yet the result never looks heavy or overdone.

What: MODELROCK Uptown Arch Brow Pencil

For effortlessly defined brows, this vegan and cruelty-free pencil deserves a spot in your makeup bag. The ultra-fine 1.7mm tip makes it easy to mimic natural hair strokes, while the blendable, matte formula fills, shapes and defines with precision. It’s also water-resistant, smudge-proof and designed to last for up to 10 hours, plus the built-in spoolie makes blending a breeze. Bonus: it’s infused with vitamins C and E and panthenol to help condition brows.

What: Nude by Nature Moisture Shine Lipstick

Finish your look off with this nourishing lipstick from Nude by Nature. This hydrating lipsticks smooths and plumps your pout for completely kissability. Lips are also left protected and moisturised—wonderful! Lush lips shouldn’t come at a cost. As lip products are the easiest to ingest, it’s important that they are super safe. These clean formulas are infused with ingredients that will naturally moisturise and plump your lips.

Your trusty makeup routine may be serving you well in terms of aesthetics. But if you’re opting for clean beauty, you may need to make some amendments. Oxybenzone, butylene, toluene? You probably don’t recognise these ingredients, but they’re common in beauty products and can wreak havoc on both your complexion and the planet. By switching to phthalate free, clean beauty, you’re saying goodbye to potential aggravators.

One of the main benefits of paraben, phthalate free makeup is that you won't be subjected to all the harsh chemicals that may leave your skin dry and irritated, and speed up the appearance of signs of ageing. If you have sensitive skin, halving the ingredients lists on your products means less chance of a flare-up, as there’s literally less chance of meeting a trigger ingredient. Generally, parabens and phthalates are more likely to cause sensitivity than nourishing botanicals are.

Another benefit of cleaning up your beauty routine is that cruelty-free makeup brands are more ethical. So, you’ll instantly be kinder to animals, nature, and just about everything on our planet! If you’re ready to do your bit on a daily basis, consider making some switches to phthalate free makeup.

Deciphering ingredients lists is an absolute minefield. But don’t worry: we’ve sat down and decoded them for you! You can thank us later. Our Clean Beauty category is free of all of the following ingredients. You’ll sleep easy at night, knowing that your skin is in a much happier place.

Chromium: Chromium is a heavy metal and a green pigment that’s often found in eye makeup, nail polish, and hair colourants. Currently, there are no limits as to how much chromium can be included in beauty products, even though research suggests it could be pretty toxic to your skin.

Phthalate: Phthalates are absolutely everywhere, from your food packaging to your household cleaners and—wait for it—your cosmetics! Phthalates are chemicals that help make plastic flexible, and they’ve been linked to some scary health issues. For peace of mind, phthalate-free cosmetics are the way forward.

Talc: Avoiding baby powder? Really? Yes! The safety of talc has been an ongoing conversation. This ‘harmless’ ingredient has been linked to cancer and asbestos poisoning. We now know that talc can leave your skin feeling dry and clogged, and generally just isn’t great for your skin. Talc is commonly found in powder products to give them that silky texture. But there are tons of perfectly good talc-free powder makeup and talc-free makeup brands that deliver all the goods without the complaints.

Toluene: Toluene is one of the lesser-known evils but definitely one to avoid. It’s a toxic chemical often found in nail products to help create smooth, easy-to-apply formulas. But toluene can give you headaches, cracked skin, and dizziness as well as more long-term effects such as respiratory problems. Not worth it.

Oxybenzone: Wearing a daily sunscreen? Kudos to you for protecting your skin! But sadly, it isn’t all good news: a lot of sunscreens contain the chemical oxybenzone, which was named ‘allergen of the year’ in 2014 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society. If you have sensitive skin, we recommend choosing a different sunblock.

Diethanolamine: Diethanolamine. Rolls right of your tongue, doesn’t it? Commonly seen as ‘DEA’, which is a bit easier to manage, this ingredient is found in shampoos and skincare. DEA helps create that luscious lathering sensation, which makes you feel squeaky clean! But it’s a highly hazardous ingredient that’s been linked to multiple types of cancer. Again, avoid.

Triclosan: Triclosan is used to help inhibit bacteria and fungi from growing in your beauty products and on your skin. But triclosan is bad for our oceans, as it kills off fish and algae. So, if you want a more ethical beauty routine, we recommend avoiding triclosan.

Propylene glycol: Propylene glycol is hotly debated in terms of its danger. Derived from petroleum, this ingredient is considered OK by some, whereas others think it’s best to avoid. Used to moisturise and hydrate your skin, propylene glycol is unsurprisingly found in a lot of beauty products. However, one thing we know for sure is that propylene glycol is a common allergen. So, if you’re having sensitivity, you may want to cut it out completely.

Lead: We’ve all heard the horror stories about how women poisoned themselves centuries ago with their lead makeup. Surely that’s all done with now, though … right? Nope! Believe it or not, some beauty products still contain lead. Lead-free makeup is an easy switch to make, so don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. Stay away from lead!

Alcohol, especially methanol and ethanol: Many types of alcohol are used in cosmetics, and we highly recommend shopping for only alcohol-free cosmetics going forward. Although some fatty alcohols, such as cetyl alcohol actually moisturize, others can dry out your skin, cause irritation, and literally cause your skin to self-destruct. So, if you want a youthful, hydrated, and healthy complexion, ditch the alcohol. (You can still enjoy an occasional G&T!)