Guide to Clean Makeup at Sephora

What makeup is actually clean at Sephora and our top LFG picks

Welcome to the first of our multi-part series where we dive into what’s actually clean at Sephora—and share our top picks in each category.

We’re kicking things off with makeup (because let’s be honest, it’s the most fun). In the coming guides, we’ll cover clean favorites in haircare, skincare, body care and perfume.

The Spring Sephora Sale just launched and runs through April 14th, so it’s the perfect time to stock up on your clean beauty essentials.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• Why clean makeup matters

• Why Sephora’s “Clean” certification isn’t always reliable

• Our top clean makeup picks you can trust from Sephora without sacrificing quality

Let’s get into it 💄✨

Why clean makeup matters

Did you know the FDA doesn’t properly regulate the ingredients in our personal care products?

To put it in perspective: the European Union has banned or restricted over 1,300 chemicals in cosmetics. The U.S.? Just 11.

So why doesn’t the U.S. regulate personal care products at the same level?
In the U.S., a chemical must be proven harmful before action is taken—often after years of exposure and emerging evidence. The EU, on the other hand, requires ingredients to be proven safe before they’re allowed on the market.

The result? An unregulated industry with no legal definition of “clean.” That makes it hard—frustrating, even—for consumers to know what’s truly safe.

Many ingredients in everyday products can pose serious health risks: think endocrine disruption, cancer, developmental and reproductive harm. And because regulation is so weak, these ingredients often stay on the shelves for years—even decades—before being reconsidered.

The good news: There are cleaner, safer products out there. And they often work just as well, if not better.

At LFG, we do the work for you—researching, testing, and vetting products so you can feel confident that what you’re buying is truly clean and effective.

Which brings us to: Sephora’s Clean Seal. Launched in 2018, it’s meant to signal that a product doesn’t contain ingredients linked to health concerns. But here’s the catch: it doesn’t filter out all potentially harmful ingredients. Since there is no legal definition of clean, chemicals are allowed in products that are legal but not safe.

So while “Clean at Sephora” products are better than those without the seal (which we recommend avoiding entirely), a clean label doesn’t always mean safe.

Some questionable ingredients that can still show up in products with the clean seal.

To be clear—a lot of products with the clean seal are safe and we’re here to help you find them.

We’ll always point you toward personal care products that are actually clean, actually safe, and actually work.

You deserve better—and we’ve got you.

EYES 👀

1. Saie - Hydrabeam Hydrating & Concealing Under Eye Brightener

2. ILIA - Fullest Volumizing Mascara

3. ILIA - Clean Line Liquid Eyeliner

4. Westman Atelier - Eye Pods Cream Eye Shadow

5. Kosas - Air Brow Tinted Clean Volumizing Eyebrow Gel

6. Kosas - Brow Pop Dual-Action Filling and Shaping Easy Eyebrow Pencil

7. ILIA - The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette

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