Natural makeup is a phrase that can be tricky and a bit confusing to navigate.
While there’s no agreed upon definition of what it means to be a natural makeup, there’s no way to get around the fact that beauty consumers want their makeup bags to carry products that have non-toxic, cleaner formulas.
If you are considering switching your beauty products to more natural options, foundation is the best place to start. You are most likely applying it to your face day after day, so it makes sense that you may want to minimize your skin’s exposure to chemicals that are a bit questionable.
With more options on the market than ever, the best natural foundations don’t sacrifice coverage, textures or finishes.
The Best Natural Foundation in 2023
1. ILIA True Skin Serum Foundation
Professional makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts rave about this makeup-skincare hybrid. The award-winning foundation blends an ingredient list including jojoba seed oil, aloe, and rosehip to calm redness and sooth any irritations.
The light to medium coverage is buildable, blurring imperfections and minimizing pores for an even skin tone and refined appearance. It leaves a velvety, radiant finish and skin that looks vibrant and refreshed. Its 18 shades make finding a match for your complexion very easy.
2. 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Healthy Foundation
A brand known for creating some of the best natural foundations for every skin type, this vegan formula is ultra-moisturizing, containing bamboo, avocado seed oil and other natural ingredients that make your skin feel smooth and supple long after the day has begun.
The pigments are made from fruits and vegetables and have a creamy formula that covers blemish and dark circles. Great for oily skin, it absorbs excess oil and leaves your pores clog-free for a flawless face.
3. Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigments Flawless Serum Foundation
One of the many award-winning beauty products from this brand, every ingredient has been certified organic. Made with aloe leaf juice, coconut alkanes and safflower seed oil, it packs a powerful punch to the skin, soothing the skin and leaving it looking more radiant than ever.
A weightless liquid foundation that is buildable for sheer to complete coverage, it is comfortable to wear on the longest days you may have, it is suitable for skin types of all kinds.
4. Alima Pure Satin Matte Foundation
Transform your entire beauty routine with this buildable full coverage foundation available in 45 shades. A natural foundation that easily blends into your skin tone, it minimizes the appearance of laugh lines, fine lines and pores producing an enhanced complexion and a gorgeous matte finish.
No matter how much you build, the feather-light formula will not clog your pores, feel cakey or cause irritation and leave you with a shine-free, natural look.
5. RMS Beauty Un Cover-Up Concealer and Foundation
Women who truly appreciate a streamlined makeup bag and routine will be excited to add this cream foundation to their lineup; it is a true multi-tasker. With an extremely rich and creamy texture that seamlessly melts and blends into your skin, it’s a hydrating all-natural foundation and concealer made from coconut butter, coconut oil, beeswax and more organic ingredients.
Formulated to enhance skin, not just cover blemishes, it rejuvenates skin and shrinks pores.
6. Shimarz Deep Liquid Mineral Foundation
When you pump this vegan formula onto your skin, you’ll immediately fall in love with its silky texture. The all-natural, organic formula is aloe-based and hypoallergenic providing full coverage that leaves skin renewed.
A buildable, ultra-lightweight formula it provides great coverage that lasts the entire day. The colors match with the skin so well, doesn’t settle into fine lines and leaves you with a vibrant, youthful appearance.
Another huge benefit of using this foundation is its customer service and return policy, if you need to return anything, there’s no hassle.
7. Physicians Formula Organic Wear Silk Foundation Elixir
While it is true that prestige brands are still dominating the natural makeup market by a large margin, this drugstore brand is the exception.
A budget-friendly bestseller, it has a similar formula to that of a tinted moisturizer, providing a featherweight feel and nourishing, natural ingredients that improve the skin tone and its texture. The dewy finish feels like a second skin for a look of airbrushed perfection.
Everything You Need and Want to Know About Choosing the Best Natural Foundations
You may be on the fence about whether or not to take the leap and get a natural foundation, especially with the many skincare companies that claim their makeup products are natural and organic.
Oftentimes, their attempts to educate you can feel like a marketing scheme meant to tell you what they want you to hear.
With the overwhelming amount of information available, it can be difficult to distinguish the hype form a solid product that actually uses organic and natural ingredients. No longer wonder which foundations are worth buying and which you can pass on.
What is an organic/natural foundation?
Looking for organic or natural certifications is a good place to start but it’s important to take a look at the list of ingredients. The best natural foundations use ingredients that are 100% safe and natural, even if they haven’t gotten the formal seal of approval.
When you read a label, the ingredients that aren’t included are just as important as those that are.
Synthetic fragrances and dyes, parabens, artificial colors and other harmful chemicals should not be in any natural foundation that is of good quality. As the base that it is, foundation sits on the skin directly, for hours on end, making sure ingredients are as natural as possible is a good idea.
Do natural foundation formulas really work?
There’s a belief that organic products won’t perform as well as their chemical counterparts, but thankfully that belief is not true. The reality of the situation is pretty straightforward, just as some chemical foundations work better than others, the same is true about natural foundations.
The performance of a natural foundation formula largely depends on your skin type and what you’re looking for in your makeup. Personal preferences and a little experimentation both play a part in finding the perfect natural formula for your skin and any issues it may have.
Oily or acne-prone skin would do well with water-based or powder foundations and dry skin types should consider anti-aging formulas. No matter your skin type, rest assured that there’s an organic formula on today’s market that works extremely well – just as well as their chemical counterpart.
Are there more options that mineral makeup?
Mineral makeup used to be the obvious choice for health-conscious beauty consumers, especially with brands like bareMinerals’ infomercials doing a great job at raising awareness.
You should know that loose minerals are not your only choice when it comes to the best natural foundations. There are liquid and creamy foundations made from completely natural ingredients and provide every level of coverage you skin may need.
Get a Natural Look with Natural Makeup
With the best natural foundations, flawless skin is possible with the same great coverage as their chemical counterparts – only these formulas give you the peace of mind that you are making the very best choices for your skin.
You might also be interested in these foundations for other skin types:
- Best Foundations for All Skin Types
- Best Foundation for Acne Prone Skin
- Best Foundation for Combination Skin
- Best Foundation for Dry Skin
- Best Foundation for Mature Skin
- Best Foundation for Sensitive Skin
- Best Foundation for Pale Skin
- Best Foundation for Dark Skin
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