The Best Cruelty Free Foundations for Mature Skin

(Last Updated On: August 31, 2022)

Searching for the best cruelty free foundations for mature skin? As mature women, we have choices. Choices that include where we live, what activities we engage in, how we nourish our bodies, what physical fitness routines we follow, the products we choose to use in our home and also on our skin.

When it comes to our skin and our face in particular, we can choose to spend a lot of money (I know…that’s a relative phrase), a little bit of money, somewhere in the middle or none at all on the care we give to it. We might consider the best cruelty-free makeup brands, or perhaps not.

We can choose to use skin care products and cosmetics that are convenient, affordable, preferred, or have a long history in our life. For many of us, we choose to keep using the products we’re familiar with and have purchased for years. They’re our best buds. But are they the best choice for us now…today…at this time in our life?

What if there are other options for you as a woman over 50, cosmetics in particular, that would be beneficial to your skin and also to the environment and our animal friends? Maybe it’s time to look past what is familiar for some new alternatives, including the best cruelty free foundation for mature skin.

That was my very long introduction to the topic of the best cruelty free foundations for mature skin. To me, there should be an understanding of the ‘why’ as well as education about cosmetic companies and environmentally friendly brands.

Cruelty free cosmetics, makeup brands, and skin care products are something I have become aware of, and am working towards a full commitment to purchasing and utilizing exclusively. But, I hadn’t spent the time to learn what the term ‘cruelty free’ really means. Here is a definition:

According to Wikipedia: Cruelty-free cosmetics is a category containing all cosmetics that have not been tested on animals. The FDA has not approved a legal definition that binds this term to a certain set of criteria, making it difficult to define. 

However, in addition to the final product, most advocates for cruelty-free beauty agree that none of the ingredients used in the production of the cosmetic can be tested on animals in order for it to be truly cruelty-free, despite the fact that many companies who brand themselves as such still use raw materials that have been tested on animals.

There is an organization called Cruelty Free International, a nonprofit entity that champions the cause to eliminate animal experiments worldwide.

The Leaping Bunny Program includes eight national animal protection groups who have banded together to form the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC). They promote a single comprehensive standard with an intentionally recognized Leaping Bunny Logo.

A Leaping Bunny Certification can be sought and obtained by companies, indicating that they have passed a rigorous set of criteria and agree to ongoing testing to ensure that they continue to adhere to the established cruelty-free standards.

A company can provide cruelty-free products without the Leaping Bunny certification, so a lack of that symbol doesn’t mean the products would not qualify, or that they do not in some way manufacture their products in a cruelty-free environment.

All that said (whew!), here are a number of companies that offer cosmetics for mature skin and the products are cruelty-free. My experience personally is with City Beauty, Thrive Causemetics, and Boom by Cindy Joseph so I included in them my personal ‘best’ category for cruelty free makeup brands and foundations for mature skin.

By the way, if you click on a link and then make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Best Cruelty Free Foundations for Mature Skin
My Top Picks

Thrive Causemetics

Leaping Bunny certified, this company was founded by makeup artist and product developer Karissa Bodnar, with a theme of Beauty with a Purpose. For every product purchased they donate to help a woman thrive. Some of the ways they do this is to support women fighting cancer, those surviving domestic abuse, and emerging from homelessness.

Thrive’s products are vegan, 100% cruelty free formulas using proven ingredients without the use of parabens or sulfates. The cosmetics are developed in a highly controlled environment at their lab in Los Angeles.

I chose to begin using Thrive Causemetics several months ago for the reasons stated above, and, their products are beneficial for mature skin. I’m currently using the Buildable Blur makeup, Triple Threat Color Stick and Sculpt Bronzing Powder on my face.

After using the Buildable Blur makeup for a couple of months, I found it to be a bit heavy for me. It’s really a matter of preference. If you’re searching for a makeup that you can put on a little thicker to hide imperfections, this will do it for you.

The Waterproof Eyebrow Liner and Semi-Permanent Eyebrow Gel are wonderful for my aging brows. The product stays in place all day and washes off nicely at night. A big thumbs up for the Eyebrow Gel after using it for about six months. Love it!

Next on my list will be the Eye Brightener and Lip Mate High Shine Reviving Topper, which instantly plumps lips and fills fine lines. I’m anxious to try both, but as I’m a girl on a budget, my purchases occur when they can. It’s worth it to me, though, to spend a bit more on a quality product.

Thrive Causemetics are sold online, so it’s not the type of product you can test out before purchasing. But, their return/exchange guidelines are very generous. I needed to exchange my first makeup choice because it was too light, and it was a simple, quick process.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THRIVE CAUSEMETICS

Look Fabulous Forever (LLF)

This UK based company was founded by Tricia Cusden and they sell their products worldwide. The company received an award from Cruelty Free International and they display the Leaping Bunny logo on their site.

The philosophy of LFF is to celebrate mature beauty, to challenge perceptions and to embrace the benefits of aging. I like that!

Look Fabulous Forever is dedicated solely to the mature face, like ours, with a full range of makeup and some skin care products, all sold online. There are a number of ‘how-to’ videos as well as lots of helpful tips on the site, particularly when it comes to choosing the right color of makeup for your skin.

A few of the LLF products contain a small amount of beeswax, and the eye shades contain lanolin alcohol. All of the products except the mascara are gluten free, and all but a handful are vegan.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LOOK FABULOUS FOREVER

Juice Beauty

Leaping Bunny certified, this progressive company was the brainchild of Karen Behnke, a serial wellness entrepreneur who launched the company in 2005.

Juice Beauty offers award winning skincare and makeup products that meet rigorous USA organic regulations supported by solid eco-values that include purchasing many ingredients locally from West Coast certified organic farmers. They manufacture strictly in the USA, often with solar & wind power, utilizing sustainable containers and printing with soy ink.

What makes this company unique is that their products start with an organic botanical juice base, not the most common base used by others, which is water. Read more about “why juice”.

For those of us with mature skin, the Stem Cellular Anti Wrinkle Skincare collection is of particular benefit. This line offers products for your overall face, with some formulated for targeted areas such as the eyes and the neck.

One product caught my eye as I was perusing the site, the Stem Cellular Exfoliating Peel Spray, that instantly exfoliates to uncover smoother, younger looking skin after just one use.

The makeup products that Juice Beauty offers are geared toward locking in moisture, smoothing lines & wrinkles, and protecting against free radical damage. All of these are on the list for women over 50!

Note that Juice Beauty products are available at select retail locations. In my area, I can purchase them at ULTA and Whole Foods. Check your area here.

LEARN MORE ABOUT JUICE BEAUTY

City Beauty

I’ve recently connected with City Beauty to represent their products, and will be dedicating a post to my experience with their cruelty free, functional beauty products.

My first impression is that I’m impressed with the quality of the products I’m using as well as the company philosophy.

They define ‘functional beauty’ as products that are designed to not only make you look beautiful while you wear them, but to provide deeper benefits.

Case in point is City Lips plumping lip gloss which is their most popular product, and has won the Good Housekeeping award twice.

City Lips is formulated especially for dry, thin, wrinkled lips of all skin types and is formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, mineral oil, gluten, and nuts. So you can check all those bad boys off your list.

Not only do your lips shimmer and shine (well, mine do anyway) when you wear the lip gloss, it also provides an instant plumping effect. I’ll say this: I can feel this product on my lips. It has a gentle, cooling feel to it.

The longer term benefits include deep hydration and smoothing out of lip lines and wrinkles.

City Lips is available in clear as well as shimmer and opaque tones. I’m not a real fan of shiny shimmery lip color, but I really like the look of this lipstick. And I like the fact that it’s doing good things for my aging lips.

This image is of me wearing City Lips Matte Rosy Mauve:

Head over to my City Beauty review and learn more about City Lips as well as their other anti aging skin care products, definitely a front runner in the best cruelty free makeup as well as foundation for mature skin.

Use this link and enjoy a very special 15% discount using coupon code: CANDI

CITY LIPS BY CITY BEAUTY

Boom by Cindy Joseph

I have to include Boom by Cindy Joseph in this group. I’ve used the Boomstick Color off and on for years, and you know what? I always come back to it eventually, for cheek and lip color.

What I love about it is the fact that the color blends with your skin tones, no matter what they are. When I use Boomstick Color on my lips it doesn’t stay too “pinky”; it turns more of a natural lip tone but still has a lovely, soft color.

Sometimes I’ll use it on my eyes, too, and again it gives a natural, enhanced look to them without looking overly made-up. And that’s me, to a tee. 🙂

You’ll find a range of easy-care products at Boom, and they are expanding their product line frequently.

Regarding their cruelty-free status, here is what the FAQ section on their site has to say about it:

We guarantee that none of our products or any of the ingredients in our products have been animal tested. Our products are gluten free and we use no GMO ingredients. They also contain no phthalates, parabens, binders or added ingredients. We are very proud of the quality of our products, and you can know that we take the greatest care in their manufacturing. If you have any questions at all, just reach out to us by email, on-site chat, or phone and we’ll back up what we say!

Boom FAQ

LEARN MORE ABOUT BOOM BY CINDY JOSEPH

ILIA Beauty

Leaping Bunny certified, environmentally responsible, and formulated for all skin types, ILIA Beauty provides clean, skin-centric beauty products.

They believe that skin should like like skin, with natural radiance, and their products reflect that philosophy with potent formulas that protect and revive your skin.

A strong belief in the benefits of SPF and fuss-free philosophy combine with a balance of conscious, carefully selected ingredients with no compromises.

ILIA Beauty offers several types of makeup foundation, including primers, concealers, skin tints (I love these!) and serum foundation as well as a variety of finishing powders, illumintors and highlighters.

I like the multi-functionality and simplicity of Color Haze and Multi-Stick, which give you cheek and lip color in one.

Because I prefer a light coverage in makeup, the True Skin Serum Foundation is a product I’m curious to try. It plumps fine lines and blurs imperfections, something that my mature skin really needs. And, it received two awards in 2019 – Best Natural Foundation and Best Natural Anti-Aging Foundation.

I think this line definitely earns a place on the list of best cruelty free makeup for mature skin!

LEARN MORE ABOUT ILIA BEAUTY

Find Cruelty Free Cosmetic Products at Target

Purchasing makeup and skin care products online isn’t for everyone, so I’ve created a list of brands that stipulate they provide cruelty free products + are available at Target as well as other retail locations:

• Alba Botanica – Leaping Bunny certified
• Burts Bees – Leaping Bunny certified – see my comments below
• E.L.F.
• NYX Professional Makeup
• Pacifica
• Pixi – see my comments below
• W3LL People
• Wet n Wild

Interesting list, isn’t it? You see some familiar brands, but also the brands that are noticeably absent.

We all have choices to make, including the makeup brands we choose as women over 50. If you’re like me, finding the best cruelty free foundations for mature skin is at the top of the list.

When I’m breezing through Target and need to pick up a quick makeup or skincare product, you can be sure I’ll shop these ethical skincare brands first. As I’m searching for things like foundation for mature skin, I want to make a commitment to cruelty-free products.

Over the last six months or so I’ve purchased several products from the makeup brands on the list above, and want to share my experience with them:

• Burts Bees – I’ve used their lip balm for years and have always loved the non-greasy feel of the product. Recently I purchased the Nourishing Mascara in black/brown. I find that it goes on well, does not cake or smear below my eyes. It is not a heavy mascara; the overall effect is light and natural.
• Pixi – I have used the H20 Skintint for over a year now, because I wanted a very light coverage for face makeup. I don’t care for the look or feel of a heavy coverage makeup. I love how the Skintint gives just a hint of color, enough to give me a healthy, natural look. It’s not greasy at all. If I want more coverage I apply more of the product. Easy peasy.

Ultimately, it is an individual choice what products to purchase from a manufacturer. This post is provided for informational purposes only. Please verify the current cruelty-free and/or Leaping Bunny certification of a manufacturer before purchasing if this is of utmost importance to you.

Aging Well Involves More Than Skin Care

Discovering the right cruelty free foundation and skin care is always high on my list of actions to take so I can further the goal of aging well. There’s no magic formula that will work perfectly for all of us, and frankly, the aging process is not something that I would describe as ‘perfect’!

It can be tough, and hard on the self confidence, to watch our bodies age, almost in front of our eyes. That young girl with the firm, smooth skin and taut muscles is in our memory now. A lot of conquering that battle takes place in our little heads, my friend. Learning to keep a healthy perspective as well as maintain our self confidence is key.

For me, it comes down to some key areas of my life, and maintaining a balance between them:

• Making wise choices with nutrition. No, I don’t always eat the proper foods, but my decisions are more often right than unhealthy, and I look for ways to add superfoods that are good for my skin into the daily diet.
• Taking time out of each day for exercise, including my goal of 10,000 daily steps. Walking for exercise is a wonderful thing! A combination of aerobic and strength training is also on the weekly agenda.
• Following healthy routines, both morning and evening, to make sure I take care of my mind, body, and spirit.
• Giving myself the opportunity for a good night of sleep by making wise choices throughout the day as well as into the evening.

There are many ways we can look and feel our best as women over 50 and like me, over 60, including finding the best cruelty free foundation for mature skin! It’s all part of a well balanced, healthy lifestyle.

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