Lavera Lipstick

In the quest to find an all natural, lead free, decent lipstick, Lavera lipsticks kept coming on my radar screen again and again.  After all, Sophie Uliano, author of Gorgeously Green, said “I particularly love their cosmetic line. Go to this company for your lipsticks because they have a really good choice of colors….”

So I ordered a Lavera lipstick, and I have to say, I am impressed!

Why are Lavera lipsticks different, and so good?  Well, first of all, they’re made with all natural ingredients and no petroleum byproducts, a rarity among the conventional brands of lipstick out there that you’ll find in most drugstores. 

Second, they’re LEAD free.  Listen up ladies, this is a serious problem.  You wouldn’t allow a child to play with a toy containing lead, right? Well then why are you putting lead on your lips and then ingesting it as the lipstick rubs off? Over 60% of the most popular lipsticks contain lead, and the FDA recently found lead in all 20 of the lipsticks that it tested.

So, if Lavera lipsticks are so good for you, do they actually work? Yes!

I bought a tube of Lipstick No. 23 – Coral.  This fun color is brilliantly rich with pigment, meaning that a little will go a long way. Not that it’s too dark or gaudy, but you don’t have to keep sweeping the lipstick over your lips again and again to get the color coverage that you need.  Nope, just one little swipe will do ya!

The lipstick comes in a sleek silver case, standard looking to other lipsticks out there.

Because it’s made of so many oils and natural ingredients, I did find this lipstick to be a little softer and definitely more creamier than others.  It goes on smooth but a little creamy, and I had the tube in my pocket for a few days and the lipstick did start to slide a little inside the case, but nothing major.  I would just recommend keeping it away from heat and storing it in a purse or drawer.

So, what’s the lipstick made of? Here’s the ingredients for Coral No. 23 -

• Castor Oil
• Carnauba Wax
• Candelilla Wax
• Jojoba Oil
• Soybean Oil
• Olive Oil
• Almond Oil
• Tricaprylin
• Ceramide 3
• Macademia Nut Oil
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin C
• Grain Alcohol

Lavera has signed the Compact For Safe Cosmetics, sponsored by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, however their lipstick has not yet been tested by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics for a product score.

Why It’s Better For Your Health:  Lavera lipsticks are made with all natural ingredients.  Just read the list above.  Aren’t most of these ingredients something that you could eat or cook with?  So by applying Lavera lipstick to your lips, where you know that your lipstick will wear off and be ingested, you can rest easier with what you’re applying to your body.

Conventional lipsticks can contain lead and petrochemicals, meaning by products of petroleum production that can contain contaminants.  Don’t put these harsh ingredients on your lip’s delicate skin.

Why It’s Better For the Earth:  The ingredients in Lavera’s lipsticks are natural and therefore easily renewable.  They require no petroleum or oil to produce, and create no nasty chemical byproducts that get pumped into the air or released in waterways.

Lavera has always been committed to creating healthier, all natural cosmetics. While you might not be familiar with the brand in the U.S., it’s well known in Europe (where it has an impressive 27% market share!), where environmental standards for cosmetics are stricter. (I’d like to import some of that over here, guys!)