20 Best Natural Foundations That’ll Cover Everything From Acne to Hyperpigmentation
Aaand there’s one for every single skin type too.
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If you're trying to transition to a natural makeup routine (hi, clean beauty convert over here), I highly recommend starting with a natural foundation. Here's my thought process: Foundation covers your entire face and most people wear it every day, unlike, say mascara or lipstick. So why wouldn't you want to make the switch to clean and green with the product that's coming into contact with your skin the most?
That's not to say, of course, that non-natural foundations and traditional formulas are "unsafe" or "worse"—nope, not at all (like, it wouldn't exactly be good business practice to sell dangerous products to consumers, right?). It's just that natural foundation can be such an easy swap in your routine if you are trying to go clean—and this is how:
How to choose a natural foundation
Some natural foundations don't perform as well as their conventional counterparts, and others aren't even made with natural or organic ingredients at all (remember, those types of claims go largely unchecked in the beauty industry, so you can't always believe what you see). So to eliminate some of the guesswork, I made you a little cheat sheet with a few shopping rules:
Look for "free from" on the label
Often, beauty products characterize themselves as "clean" or "natural" based not on what’s actually in the formula, but on what isn’t. Usually, you’ll see this written as a list of “free from...” on the product or website. A few key ingredients to consider avoiding if you're looking to go natural include parabens, synthetic fragrances and dyes, phthalates, talc, and PEGs.
Keep an eye out for certain logos
Before you buy, look for a logo or seal of approval from one (or more) of the below groups on a product’s packaging or website. Each independent group that has created their own set of standards and guidelines pertaining to clean beauty—and they vet everything from a product’s safety to its environmental impact, so you don’t have to do any of the time-consuming investigative work.
- MadeSafe: Meets regulations set by Made Safe (a nontoxic certification agency) that ensure products are safe for your skin and environment.
- FSC-Certified: Ensures that products and packaging come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.
- USDA Organic: Products must contain at least 95 percent of organically produced ingredients.
- Ecocert: More than 95 percent of ingredients in the product are natural, environmentally friendly, and free of things like parabens.
- Leaping Bunny: The company does not conduct and is not party to animal testing nor does it purchase ingredients that have been tested on animals.
- B Corp: Signifies that a company meets B-Corp’s social and environmental performance standards.
Read the reviews
It may sound obvious, but it's still important! Take a minute to read what fellow shoppers have to say—and bonus points if you can find reviews from people with your same skin type and tone.
The best natural foundations of 2022:
- Best drugstore: Burt's Bees Goodness Glows Liquid Makeup
- Best for oily skin: Pacifica Alight Clean Foundation
- Best for sensitive skin: Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation
- Best for combination skin: Ilia True Skin Serum Foundation
- Best for dry skin: Chanel N°1 de Chanel Red Camellia Revitalizing Foundation
- Best sheer formula: Rose Inc Skin Enhance Luminous Skin Tint
- Best full-coverage formula: Lawless Conseal the Deal Long-Wear Full-Coverage Foundation
- Best waterproof formula: Tarte Shape Tape Cloud Cream
- Best loose powder formula: Blac Minerals Mineral Foundation Perfecting Face Powder
Keep scrolling for the whole list of the 20 best natural foundations. Honestly, each one works just as well as (if not better then) whatever foundation you're currently using.
If your skin is on the more oily side, this is the natural foundation for you. In addition to covering everything from acne to dark spots, the oil-free formula sets to a soft, satin finish (think: matte but not overly drying) to keep your skin shine-free throughout the day.
Just because a foundation is made with clean ingredients doesn't automatically make it's suitable for sensitive skin. Some natural and organic foundations are formulated with potentially irritating ingredients, like oils and fragrances, but not this super gentle option from Tower 28. The lightweight, hypoallergenic formula is approved by the National Eczema Society—plus it's got SPF 30 too.
A few pumps of this serum-like formula gives skin medium coverage (read: it'll hide redness and marks without making your skin feel suffocated), lightweight hydration (thanks to all-natural squalane and aloe vera), and helps control excess shine with oil-regulating mastic.
Yep, even Chanel makes a natural foundation these days too. This one comes in 20 shades and is especially great for dry skin types, thanks to red camellia seed oil. The ingredient is key for moisturizing, plumping, and supporting a healthy skin barrier.
Not only does this clean, all-natural foundation cover up redness, discoloration, and breakouts, it helps protect skin from the harmful effects of blue light and pollution. The magic? A blend of super-powered antioxidants, including maqui berry, acai, and algae, which work together to shield skin from free radical damage.
I'm a huge fan of sheer, lightweight foundations like this skin tint from Rose Inc. The plumping and smoothing formula is actually perfect for days when you just want a teensy bit of coverage to help even out your skin tone and make your skin look super glowy.
If you're looking for a clean or natural foundation that provides full coverage, then you'll love this option from Lawless. A few drops cover everything from cystic acne to melasma (without feeling overly thick or being difficult to blend) and lasts for hours and hours so you don't need to worry about it disappearing from your face during the day either.
Made with 94.5 percent natural ingredients, including hydrating prickly pear extract, brightening vitamin C, and nourishing jojoba oil, this clean foundation helps improve the quality of your skin while diffusing the look of large pores, discoloration, and redness with blurring pigments.
This 3-in-1 natural foundation is a true multitasker. The buildable formula instantly evens out your skin tone and softens the appearance of rough texture, protects from free radical damage with turmeric, soothes inflammation with ashwagandha, *and* hydrates skin with a dose of hyaluronic acid too.
Okay, so this one is technically a clean tinted moisturizer, but I love using it as a lightweight daily foundation. The texture is similar to a gel-cream (fast-absorbing and hydrating) and the coverage level is sheer but definitely buildable. I like to apply a dime-size drop allover and then go in with a little concealer under my eyes and around my nose to complete the look.
Don't let anyone tell you some B.S. about clean foundations "not lasting", because this waterproof foundation from Tarte stays put on skin for up to 24 hours. The lightweight texture hydrates, blurs, and smooths skin with buildable pigments and plant-based hydrators leaving you with an airbrushed effect that lasts all damn day.
Part face oil, part foundation, this bb is loved by editors and makeup artists for it's ability to cover up redness, breakouts, and dark marks while still letting your skin look like real skin. Made with just 15 natural ingredients (most of which are nourishing plant oils), a few drops soothe, plump, and nourish your skin.
This buildable natural foundation is super versatile–you can use just a little for a sheer, second-skin effect or layer it on for full-coverage. The clean formula is made with antioxidant-rich maqui berry to help protect skin from environmental aggressors, plus micellar technology which helps the foundation mimic your skin's natural texture for a seamless finish.
This top-rated option from Burt's Bees is proof that you can get a great natural foundation at the drugstore that won't cost you a ton of $$. The full-coverage liquid formula is 98.9 percent natural and gives skin a dewy glow thanks to moisturizing meadow foam seed oil.
IMO, there's no easier foundation to use than a foundation stick. They're mess-free, easy to blend, and won't ever leak or spill in your makeup bag. This one from Laws of Nature Cosmetics is infused with organic plant oils (like sunflower seed oil and olive oil), so it's suuuuper creamy and easy to apply.
This foundation from Vapour Beauty honestly gives skin the prettiest glow. It uses a blend of natural and organic botanical oils and tiny pearlescent pigments to reflect light and diffuse the look of dark spots and uneven texture while adding instant brightness to your skin.
This natural foundation from organic brand Juice Beauty is infused with an anti-aging serum (specifically, a combo of resveratrol, fruit stem cells, and vitamins C and E) that works to smooth lines and brighten dark spots with continued use. Even better: It won't settle into fine lines or pores, so you don't need to worry about touch-ups during the day.
A few taps of this natural pressed powder foundation give skin a velvety matte finish. It comes with a soft sponge for easy application, and is infused with argan oil, aloe vera, and evening primrose oil to ensure the powder formula never feels cakey or drying on your skin. Plus the compact is refillable, so the packaging creates less waste too.
Non-toxic and totally clean, this all-natural loose powder foundation is made with skin-friendly minerals to cover up redness, acne, spots, and more without causing irritation or clogging your pores. And unlike like some loose powder foundations, this one won't make your skin look ashy or chalky.
This liquid foundation from clean beauty brand Beautycounter legit feels weightless on skin, making it the perfect option for anyone who hates the feeling of foundation or heavy makeup on their skin. It's breathable, buildable, and has a little bit of hydrating hyaluronic acid to help immediately plump and smooth your skin.
Lauren Balsamo is the beauty director at Cosmopolitan where she writes, edits, and produces all types of beauty content—from product reviews to personal essays and trend reports. She has covered beauty for more than a decade at Cosmopolitan. Follow her on Instagram.
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