The MAHA-Approved Makeup Products I Swear By
By Jordan Jantz
From the grocery store to the clothing department, America is ditching the artificial dyes, lab-concocted toxins, and mystery materials. Driven largely by concerned mothers and young women, the Make America Healthy Again movement has heard the health alarms of hormone-disrupting chemicals and carcinogen ingredients. For the women behind MAHA’s momentum, the movement is the perfect opportunity to clean out the makeup drawer and splurge on a nontoxic lineup.
The only problem? Natural makeup can be synonymous with smudges, lackluster color, and skin-irritating dryness. I would know—I spent my teen and early adult years experimenting with a slew of clean beauty products searching for the ones that would give me a natural glow, while keeping the ingredients just as healthy.
While it’s a feat for nontoxic makeup products to compete with the best a laboratory-created chemical can offer, clean beauty has come a long way to compete with conventional makeup. Here are the items I’m adding to cart for a full face of MAHA makeup.
BareMinerals Prime Time Original Foundation Primer $31
Every long-lasting makeup look starts with a good base, and while plenty of primers are packed with pore-clogging ingredients, BareMinerals has managed to create a primer that smooths skin and applies like a dream. I’m still using an older bottle of their formulation, but I’ll be buying the latest and greatest when I need more. With a green rating from the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Skin Deep database, it also checks the box as safe for sensitive skin and ranks high on the MAHA scale.
Ilia Beauty Skin Blur Serum Concealer $32
For the last year, I’ve been dipping into Ilia’s True Skin Serum Concealer. It provides natural coverage all day that is perfect to touch up blemishes and brighten under the eye area while also becoming a foundation substitute if applied more liberally. Skin Blur is the upgraded version of True Skin concealer, and offering 36 shades and hundreds of glowing reviews, it’s a no-brainer clean beauty buy. The Ilia Shade Guide and product shade matcher make picking the right color easy, and taking the shade quiz, I was matched with the right color on the first buy.
A’del Natural Cosmetics Cream Blush $36
A’del Natural Cosmetics makes its name for natural ingredients after the founder had to find better cosmetics to support her health, and its blush lives up to the clean reputation with a coconut oil and beeswax base. The cream blends into a natural flush and warm glow, and with seven shades to last all day, there’s a hue for all skin tones.
100 Percent Pure Fruit Pigmented Palettes $32
100 Percent Pure’s makeup relies on fruit pigment for its colors, and made with ingredients like strawberry and acai extract, the brand is a mainstay in the clean beauty cabinet for a reason! The palettes are a mix of three complementary eyeshadow colors in pinks, browns, and taupes alongside a blush and highlighter shade, and while the blush and highlighter are gorgeous as-is, I love using them as additional eyeshadow colors.
Mineral Fusion Eye Pencil $17
With or without the eyeshadow, I’m lining my top and bottom lashes with Mineral Fusion’s Eye Pencil. As the name suggests, Mineral Fusion relies on mineral-based formulations, and with jojoba seed butter and mango seed oil, the brand’s eye pencil has a soft finish that is non-irritating around the sensitive lash line. I’m grabbing the brown shades for a subtle outline and fuller looking lashes, and the darker black or gray shades would blend out perfectly for a smoky look. And because the pencil emerges with a fresh surface after every sharpening, it also outlasts most makeup’s expiration timelines.
100 Percent Pure Maracuja Mascara $19
When navigating an endless sea of mascara options, I’m looking for a volumizing formula that also lengthens lashes—ideally with a few color options to match a variety of complexions and lash colors. And 100 Percent Pure’s Maracuja Mascara fits the bill. With three colors to choose from and a simple brush design that applies a buildable formula, it makes my lashes pop (without the poison). The product relies on Maracuja oil to hydrate lashes after repeated wear and washing as well as a mix of tea, cocoa, and coffee for pigment. As a bonus, the cocoa comes through as a heavenly chocolate scent!
Ilia Beauty Color Block Lipstick $29
To round out my makeup routine, I’m swiping on another Ilia product. Initially receiving the Color Block Lipstick as a freebie on National Lipstick Day, this has become a surprise new favorite. The smooth formula glides on and provides moisturizing and full coverage with organic castor oil. Even hours later, the pigment sticks around to leave my lips with a natural tint, and with nine shades to choose from, there’s a color for every occasion.
Mineral Fusion Sheer Moisture Lip Tint $11
When a bold lip look isn’t the look, I turn to Mineral Fusion’s lip tint for a glossy layer of color. The formulation is comfortable for everyday wear with a balm-like texture that doesn’t dry out my lips. And with no parabens, talc, artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, SLS, or phthalates, it uses ingredients like castor seed oil, shea butter, and coconut oil for a hydrating, shiny finish.
BareMinerals Mineral Veil Setting Power $36
For the final touch, I’m applying BareMinerals’ setting powder to extended the life of my look and matte down any shine. With a green rating from EWG and a short ingredient list, the fine powder applies and sets translucent in a swipe, locking in everything for the day.
And with that, any MAHA woman would be ready to go face the world, knowing her daily look is better for her skin, hormones, and the kind of beauty that starts from the inside, all while paving the way for a healthier America.
Jordan Jantz is the assistant editor at IW Features as well as a freelance writer, editor, and website designer.
