The 5 Best Foundations Without Titanium Dioxide

In our latest product round-up, we’re looking at our top choices for the best foundations without titanium dioxide. For those who are impatient, we’ll start with the list of titanium dioxide free foundations that we like before giving a little more background information for folks who are looking for more information about titanium dioxide and potential reasons to avoid it.

Update: 3/27/2023 – Our original research yielded a few false positives for titanium dioxide free foundations. We’ve since pulled incorrect products and replaced them with better options. It is a great reminder to always double check labels!

Our Top Picks For The Best Foundation Without Titanium Dioxide Include:

• Omiana Liquid Foundation Mousse – Natural Foundation, Concealer, and Contour Makeup

  Omiana liquid foundation mousse is formulated for ultra-sensitive skin. While not completely free from oxide ingredients (it contains zinc oxide), Omiana highlights the lack of titanium dioxide several times in their promotional materials. We also like that this product provides considerable coverage due to its concentration and lack of water or other fillers.

  Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Zinc Oxide, Organic Arrowroot, Squalane, Organic Aloe, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Green Tea Leaf Extract, Cetearyl Olivate & Sorbitan Olivate, Cetyl Palmitate & Sorbitan Palmitate & Sorbitan Olivate, Organic Olive Fruit Oil, Stearic Acid, Xanthan Gum. May Contain: Iron Oxides.

• RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up Cream Foundation

  This luxurious cream foundation is perfect for those beauties prone to dry skin. Nothing is worse than when a foundation settles into dry patches or causes flakes. Thankfully, the all-natural ingredients in this foundation hydrate and nourish skin while offering amazing coverage with an on-trend, luminous finish. Since skin problems like dryness and acne can often be your skin’s response to germs, this foundation also comes with a designated applicator spatula you can use to apply the product. So, you don’t have to worry about introducing germs into your foundation with your fingers.

• Hynt Beauty Velluto Pure Powder Foundation

  Looking for the perfect powder foundation? Look no further than Hynt Beauty’s pure powder foundation. Available in exciting shades like bronzed caramel and multiple beiges, this powder foundation is vegan and not only free of titanium dioxide, but also bismuth oxychloride and other nanoparticles & talc that leaves a mask like finish. Hynt also promises this foundation does not dry, crumble or settle into fine lines over hours of wear, giving you long lasting coverage that is more time resistant than other options.

• Eminence Organics Vanilla Latte Tinted Moisturizer

  For those of you looking for a foundation that isn’t full coverage, a BB cream is often your best bet. However, titanium dioxide is usually the first or second ingredient in BB creams. But don’t fret! You don’t have to use fuller coverage formulas to banish titanium dioxide from your makeup bag. Eminence has a gorgeous tinted moisturizer brimming with carefully curated natural ingredients like shea butter and aloe to deeply moisturize your skin. For an added dose of sun protection, this tinted moisturize contains SPF 25 sunscreen to further protect skin.

• MG Naturals

  Our most recent find is MG Naturals. We love the fact that they are upfront and aggressively anti-titanium dioxide across all of their products. Their foundation kit saves you some money by bundling 30ml of their organic foundation, a stainless steel spatula, a 12gm sifter of their vegan mineral silk foundation powder and a bonus vegan foundation brush, that can be used wet or dry. We recommend browsing their site for other make-up types as well. You can find titanium-dioxide free eye shadows, lipsticks, and more all on their website.

Why Choose Titanium Dioxide Free Foundation?

Titanium Dioxide is a white powder naturally found in nature. It is used in many cosmetic products to help the formula maintain pigment. Titanium dioxide is also used in brightening products, it can add shimmer to makeup, and it can even add UV protection to topical skincare formulas. But it doesn’t end there; titanium dioxide can also be found in other everyday products like toothpaste, sunscreen, soaps, and diaper creams. However, this mineral is not without controversy amongst beauty gurus. As people are getting wiser about the products they put on their skin and in their bodies, some people have raised their eyebrows at titanium dioxide and questioned whether it must be used so pervasively in beauty products. While it is hard to ignore the benefits that titanium dioxide can lend to cosmetics, others worry that the powder can irritate skin or even make us sick with long-term use. When inhaled, titanium dioxide can be carcinogenic to humans. Since titanium dioxide is found in many powders that are inadvertently inhaled when applied, the carcinogenic effect the powder can have is a huge concern. Additionally, titanium dioxide is often broken down into such small particles that the powder is absorbed into the skin. Since titanium dioxide is a key ingredient in many facial products like foundation and concealer that are rubbed right onto the skin, many people are trying to avoid having this powder in their system by purchasing products that don’t have titanium dioxide as an ingredient.

Smile For The Camera – Titanium Dioxide’s Impact On Photoshoots

In addition to the effects that titanium dioxide could have on your health and wellness, there is one big problem with titanium dioxide that everyone can agree on: It is a huge no-no in flash photography. In fact, many makeup artists outright refuse to use products with titanium dioxide in them to avoid any dreaded photo disasters happening to their clients. The problem is that titanium dioxide, particularly in powder form, has powerful light-reflecting qualities. So, when the flash of a camera illuminates the face of a person wearing a beauty product with titanium dioxide, the titanium dioxide in the product reflects the light, making the skin on your face look many shades lighter than the rest of your body. In an age where everyone is being photographed all of the time, avoiding products that contain titanium dioxide can eliminate the risk of an unwanted photo disaster. Whether you’re living a life where you are surrounded by flashbulbs, or just want a cleaner beauty routine, eliminating titanium dioxide from your beauty products can be a challenging task. The powder is still widely used by most beauty brands. But don’t be discouraged. We did the digging for you and compiled a list of some amazing foundations that are free from titanium dioxide.

Final Thoughts

While it is discouraging that so many of our favorite beauty brands continue to rely heavily on titanium dioxide, with a little digging it is possible to find great products that are titanium dioxide free. However, like all controversial ingredients, we recommend you do your own research to determine what amount of titanium dioxide is acceptable in your beauty regimen. Do you use products with titanium dioxide, or have you eliminated it from your beauty routine? Let us know in the comments below!