Toxic-Free Makeup for Better Fertility
When you’re trying to support your fertility—whether naturally, through IVF, or prepping for egg freezing—you probably start to question everything you put in and on your body.
The supplements, the skincare, the scented candles... and yes, your makeup.
Because here’s the truth: what you put on your skin gets absorbed into your body—and some common ingredients in makeup can act as endocrine disruptors. That means they may interfere with your hormones, which is not what you want when you’re working hard to nurture your reproductive health.
So let’s talk about what it means to choose toxic-free makeup, why it matters during your fertility journey, and how to swap smartly (without sacrificing performance or blowing your budget).
Wait—Makeup Can Affect Fertility?
Potentially, yes.
Many mainstream makeup products contain ingredients like:
Phthalates (often hidden under “fragrance”)
Parabens (used as preservatives)
BHA/BHT (common in lipsticks and eyeliners)
Talc (may be contaminated with asbestos)
PFAS (aka “forever chemicals” often found in waterproof products)
These chemicals have been linked in some studies to:
Disrupted estrogen and progesterone levels
Poor egg quality
Irregular cycles
Lower IVF success rates
Increased oxidative stress in the body
It doesn’t mean using mascara will destroy your fertility. But daily use of hormone-disrupting ingredients over time can add to your overall toxic load—and during egg freezing or TTC, it makes sense to reduce that where you can.
Choosing Better Makeup Without Going Broke (or Beige)
Let’s be honest: clean or non-toxic makeup used to mean chalky powders and zero pigment. Thankfully, that’s changed.
You can now find high-performance, low-tox options that still give you glow, pigment, and staying power—without a cocktail of hormone-disrupting ingredients.
The key is intentional swaps, not a full beauty overhaul. Think:
Your foundation (because it covers the most skin)
Lipstick (because you literally eat it throughout the day)
Blush and highlighter (since they sit directly on the cheeks, near mucous membranes)
My Personal Go-To: Beauty Pie Foundation
If you’re looking for something clean but effective, Beauty Pie’s foundation is one of my favourites. It’s:
Very pigmented (a little goes a long way)
Blends beautifully with fingers or a damp sponge
Leaves a satin finish that isn’t too matte or too shiny
It’s also free from a lot of the typical hormone-disrupting ingredients you’d find in mainstream products. The coverage is impressive, especially if you’ve had hormonal acne and want something that doesn’t cling to texture.
But heads up: the shade matching can be a little tricky.
Because Beauty Pie is online-only, it’s hard to swatch in person. You may need to order two shades and mix—or use their shade matcher and expect to tweak it slightly with bronzer or concealer. That said, once you do find your match, it’s worth it.
What I Look for in Fertility-Safe Makeup
When choosing makeup during egg freezing, I focused on:
Fragrance-free formulas
No parabens or phthalates
Cruelty-free and ideally vegan
Simple, minimal ingredient lists
Glass or low-tox packaging where possible
I wasn’t perfect, and I didn’t overhaul my entire makeup bag overnight. I just made swaps gradually—starting with the products I used the most or that covered the largest surface area of skin.
Other Clean Makeup Favourites
Here are a few tried-and-true brands I used or tested during my fertility prep that actually performed:
Foundation + Base:
Beauty Pie Foundation (full coverage, pigment-rich, but tricky to shade match)
ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint (lightweight, glowy, with SPF)
Jane Iredale BB Cream (clean and great for sensitive skin)
Blush + Bronzer:
Kjaer Weis Cream Blush (refillable and luxe)
Tower 28 Cream Blush (buildable and made for sensitive skin)
Beauty Pie Bronzing Drops (very glowy—go light-handed)
Mascara:
Ilia Limitless Lash
Ere Perez Avocado Waterproof Mascara
Lips:
Beauty Pie WonderGloss Lip Oil
RMS Tinted Lip Balm
Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmers (affordable and easy to find)
Highlighter:
Vapour Highlight Stick
RMS Living Luminizer (clean-girl classic)
What to Avoid (When You Can)
You don’t need to toss your entire makeup drawer—but it’s worth being mindful of:
Waterproof mascara (often contains PFAS or other “forever chemicals”)
Lipsticks with synthetic fragrance, BHT, or carmine (check labels)
Foundations with parabens, dimethicone, or high levels of talc
Powders with “fragrance” or "parfum" listed as an ingredient
Look for brands that are transparent about their ingredient sourcing and ideally use mineral-based pigments and natural preservatives.
Final Thoughts
Going low-tox with your makeup isn’t about fear. It’s about supporting your hormones and fertility with small, intentional shifts. Makeup is such a personal ritual—and for many of us, part of how we feel confident and put together.
You don’t need to give that up to protect your fertility.
Instead, focus on making cleaner swaps over time—especially with your foundation, lip products, and anything you use daily. Choose formulas that feel good on your skin and inside your body.
Because the more we align our routines with our goals—whether that’s better hormones, better egg quality, or simply peace of mind—the more our bodies can feel safe, supported, and ready for what’s next.
