Bronzer can be a bit of an intimidating step in the world of makeup and cosmetics. It’s definitely not the first makeup item you start using as a little girl, but for many, once they discover it, they become addicted. If done correctly, bronzer adds beautiful depth and tone to any face structure. If done incorrectly, it looks fake, cheesy, and obvious. Because of this, when buying a bronzer it is incredibly important that you choose the correct shade for your skin tone, and a bronzer that is smooth and blendable.
Unfortunately, variety of shade and blendability are two of the factors that frequently rely on artificial ingredients. This means that bronzer falls into the same category as foundation and blush when it comes to toxicity. Many bronzers are loaded with harmful chemicals and very small pieces called nanoparticles that are easily absorbed through the skin and deposited straight into your blood stream.
Okay, so what can you do instead? Well, you could forgo the bronzer and live without that beautiful, sun-kissed glow. Or you could go stand in the sun for an hour before going out for the real sun-touched look (not mentioning the potential hazards and inconvenience of that…). But avoiding the tanning use of a bronzer is only half of the problem. A bronzer has two different uses. The first is to add a sunny glow and warmth to your skin, and the second is as a contouring agent.
Contouring is the art of defining cheekbones and slimming faces. Perhaps you don’t need that on a day to day basis, but there is one area where it is indispensible: the photography business. Contouring is one of the main tricks to makes faces appear more than two-dimensional on camera. There’s no substitute like standing in the sun for that. Obviously, bronzer is not a makeup product that we can just forgo altogether.
So since we can’t live without it, and the toxic options are out of the question, the only remaining option is to find a good brand that is made with quality ingredients and free from any toxic or hazardous substances. Luckily, there are more than a few good options out there.
Top Brands
Read below to see our reviews of the three top brands:
1. RMS Beauty
For an all-purpose, perfectly clean, and perfectly satisfying bronzer, RMS’ Buriti Bronzer is the way to go. Buriti oil contains the highest concentration of Vitamin A and beta-carotene of any oil in the beauty market. These nutrients actually heal blemishes and skin imperfections while giving a flawless, beautiful shimmer.
RMS Beauty Buriti Bronzer is a cream that can be applied with your fingertips to all of the main bronzer zones: along the hairline, under the apple of the cheek, along the jaw, and in the hollows of your nose. It can also be lightly dabbed on eyelids for a simple shadow. It rubs in easily for a smooth, seamless effect that won’t rub away or disturb underlying makeup in the process.
This beautiful bronzer is made with all natural and organic ingredients, including organic coconut oil and beeswax, jojoba seed and cocoa seed oils, vitamin E and rosemary extract. The coloring comes from clean iron oxides and mica powder.
It’s definitely worth a try, because this bronzer won’t hurt your body and instead will make it look beautiful. This product comes in a 5.67gram disk.
2. Ecco Bella
Some of Ecco Bella’s products have questionable ingredients, but this bronzing powder is without a doubt both natural and beautiful. It is made of clean and healthy ingredients and it will make your skin look clean and healthy too!
The Ecco Bella Flowercolor Bronzing Powder comes in two different shades: a darker, burnt shade called Sunflower and a lighter, pinker shade called Hibiscus. Both are made with oil-absorbing kaolin clay and cornstarch, so the bronzed spots will never look greasy even hours into the wear. They also include sweet almond oil, green tea extract, aloe, flower wax, mica and zinc and iron oxides.
The .38 ounce container contains a pressed powder that can easily be applied with a rounded brush. The color is very saturated, so a little bit goes a long way, but if you have darker skin or want a more pronounced look, then you can also build it with multiple sweeps of your brush.
Sunflower can be a little orangey on certain skin types, so you should make sure to start out light. Hibiscus is a little more forgiving.
3. W3ll People
W3ll People (pronounced ‘Well People’) is truly one of the best companies in the market for natural beauty products. They are uncompromising in the purity of their ingredients and unrelenting in their desire to use those ingredients to produce high-quality, and high fashion, products that compete with the very best conventional brands. Their bronzer is no exception.
The W3ll People All Natural Bronzer comes in a .3 ounce container and contains a dark, loose powder that can be applied with a bronzer brush. The formula is incredibly blendable, so you don’t have to worry about sharp lines or streaks that look like obvious sculpting. The bronzer can be used over foundation or lightly brushed on solo as a quick daytime brightener.
The color, like the others, comes from mica, iron oxides, and titanium dioxide. The mica adds a subtle shimmer that will brighten up those photos. The formula also contains aloe, chamomile, and green tea for a soothing and smooth powder that never cakes. A little bit really does go a long way.
In addition to the regular uses, try sweeping a light brush of this over shoulder blades and décolletage for a subtle, sexy radiance.
Conclusion
Gone are the days when there were no good natural products available. It only takes a little digging and a little dedication and you can live the lifestyle you want without pollutants. So don’t give up on bronzer just because you want to go clean! Grab one of these fantastic brands and get those photo opps rolling.