A Merit Beauty Review

Merit Beauty has been on my radar for a while now. I’ve had so many readers ask me my thoughts, so I knew I needed to test them out. I am sharing a full Merit Beauty Review, as well as deep diving into their ingredients to see if Merit Beauty is really a clean beauty brand.

*Affiliate Disclosure: I do have affiliate links in this blog post. If you purchase something from my link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. This comes at no cost to you but is paid by the company. I do not take becoming an affiliate with any company lightly. If I am, it’s because I believe in the company and their product.

Merit Beauty

Merit Beauty is very new to the beauty scene. Katherine Powel began developing Merit in 2017 while pregnant with her son. 

She had been on the hunt for products that were cleaner than what she felt were available and also weren’t marketed towards a younger consumer. 

Based in Los Angeles, CA Merit Beauty was launched on-line in January 2021 and on-line at Sephora in February 2021. Katherine had a created a beauty line of essentials that in their words were

a clean, luxury beauty brand inspired by minimalism.

Merit Beauty is also 

• Formulated to EU standards
• Vegan
• Leaping Bunny Certified
• Clean At Sephora

What Products Does Merit Beauty Carry?

Merit Beauty carries all the essentials anyone would want in a simple and more minimalistic makeup routine that still allows you to look like yourself – just enhanced.

They currently carry the following:

• Instant Glow Serum
• Perfecting Complexion Stick
• Blending Brush
• Bronze Balm Sheer Bronzer
• Flush Balm Cheek Color
• Day Glow Highlighting Balm
• Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara
• Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade
• Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil
• Signature Lip Lightweight Lipstick

What makes Merit Beauty even easier is the kits that they have. Not only will you save when you purchase a kit, but you will get exactly what you need and nothing more. A true take on minimalism.

Merit Beauty Ingredients

Unfortunately, in the world of greenwashing, I can never take a brand’s word that they are a true ‘clean beauty brand.’ Why?

There is no definition or standard of what clean beauty means. So what I might not be ok using on my body, another person might be. And this goes for the formulators and brands.

For instance, Clean at Sephora (that Merit meets) is nowhere near as strict as Credo Beauty’s standards. So this claim of ‘meeting’ Clean at Sephora’s standards isn’t really saying that much.

Here are some questionable ingredients that I saw in the ingredient lists for Merit Beauty’s products:

-Microcrystalline Wax- You can find this in the Minimalist Perfecting Stick, Balm Blush, and Bronze Balm. This is used in cosmetics to help with texture, and feel of a product.  It helps it to spread easier. It is derived from petroleum. While there are no concrete studies listing it as harmful to the human body, I still have reservations and feel there needs to be more research done in order to determine its safety.  I find it interesting that they mention people who handle microcrystalline wax have to be very careful when handling but that when it’s in a solid form it’s fine(1)? 

-Acrylates- You can find these in the Clean Lash Mascara and Brow 1980. These are used in a product to stabilize and bind ingredients. Been deemed as a possible carcinogen, causing reproductive harm, developmental issues, and genotoxicity(2). 

-Polyethylene- You can find this in the Signature Lipstick, Brow 1980. A microplastic that’s made from ethylene. While some would argue that their molecular structure is so large that the body doesn’t absorb them, I would reconsider.  When you’re applying something daily, the risk of exposure goes up.  Not only that, it’s affecting our water, animals and life on earth as we know it.  Microplastics are in the air we breathe now everyday.  Not a sustainable option at all. Also, may be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane- a known carcinogen(3).

-Phenoxyethanol- You can find this in the Signature Lipstick, Brow 1980 and Clean Lash Mascara. It’s important to know your sourcing and the amount that is used.  It’s used to preserve products. It can be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane. The research shows amounts less than 1% are harmless(4).

-Synthetic colors like red 7, blue 1 lake- You can find this in the Tinted Lip Oils, Balm Blush and Signature Lipstick. This is a gray area.  I do use some products with artificial dyes.  But again it’s important to know the sourcing and to consider the amount.  Many makeup colors cannot be made without the use of synthetic colors.  The amount in most formulations is literally less than 1%- if you think of how big a tube of lipstick is, in the formulation there is less than 1% of synthetic color.  I’m ok with a little synthetic color.  I know some people aren’t.  You have to make that decision for yourself.  The only instance I would have synthetic dyes in my products is in makeup products.  I don’t want to be rubbing synthetic dyes over my whole body.  The reason it’s in makeup is because it serves a purpose- adding color. 

-PVP(Polyvinylpyrrolidone)- You can find this in the Clean Lash Mascara. Use as a lacquer or carrier in creams.  It can last in your body for years and years.  In rats it caused tumors(5).

-Tromethamine– You can find this in the Clean Lash Mascara. This is used as a pH adjuster and fragrance in cosmetics.  It can contain carcinogen ingredients when used with nitrosating agents(6). A test must be performed in order to determine this.  

-Steareth-20- You can find this in the Clean Lash Mascara. It’s a synthetic polymer used as an emulsifier.  May be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane due to the presence of PEG(7).

-Ceresin- You can find this in the Tinted Lip Oils. This is a mineral wax derived from coal or shale or synthesized from petroleum. Used to help add texture to a product and for consistency.  It also acts as an emulsifier.  It can be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons- carcinogen contaminant(8). 

-Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate- You can find this in the Bronze Balm and Tinted Lip Oils. Used as an antioxidant in products to help with efficiency and stability.  It has been noted to be boi-accumulative and harmful to the environment(9).

-BHT- You can find this ingredient in the Minimalist Perfecting Stick, Bronze Balm and Balm Blush. I was a little taken back when I saw this ingredient in products. It is an antioxidant that helps to stabilize a product and reduce contamination. It is a hormone disruptor(10). It’s also listed as a human carcinogen(10) and can cause reproductive problems(11).

-Chloroxylenol- You can find this in the brow 1980. It is used in cosmetics as a biocide and preservative. I haven’t seen this ingredient as much in formulas.  My biggest concern is that your body can absorb it and it was detected in human urine.  It can be an irritant at 100% doses, however, most formulas are at 1%.  Studies I found showed no known carcinogenic activity or irritation at low concentrations(12).

-Aroma- You can find this in the Signature Lipstick. I’m wasn’t sure what “Aroma” meant when I saw this on the lipstick label. However, after emailing them I was informed that it is raspberry oil extract. 

Merit Beauty Review

I tested out the entire Merit Beauty line and am sharing my review of the products – including whether I would purchase it again.

Related Content: Best Natural Mascaras

Conclusion: Is Merit Beauty Actually Safe?

I don’t think Merit Beauty is actually a safe brand- or at least not one I would recommend. Is it safer than some conventional brands? Sure. But not by a lot in my opinion. It really failed to meet my expectations as far as performance too. I just wasn’t impressed with the products. I love the luxe gold packaging and sleek design but it stopped there for me with Merit Beauty.

Have you tried out Merit Beauty? Share your thoughts below!

If you liked this post, check out these past posts:

• Tower 28 Beauty Review
• Ilia Beauty Review
• Cocokind Review: Affordable Natural Skincare

References:

1. “Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs) Factsheet.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Mar. 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/PAHs_FactSheet.html. 
2. “Assessment of Health Risks From Exposure to Acrylamid.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 1990, https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/910157YQ.txt?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=1986+Thru+1990&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&UseQField=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A%5CZYFILES%5CINDEX+DATA%5C86THRU90%5CTXT%5C00000027%5C910157YQ.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h%7C-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8%2Fr75g8%2Fx150y150g16%2Fi425&Display=hpfr&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results+page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=11. 
3. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “1,4-Dioxane in Cosmetics.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, 29 Jan. 2019, https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/potential-contaminants-cosmetics/14-dioxane-cosmetics-manufacturing-byproduct. 
4. Pitman, Simon. “Latest SCCS Ruling Finds Phenoxyethanol Safe in Cosmetics.” Cosmeticsdesign, William Reed Ltd, 12 May 2016, https://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Article/2016/05/12/Latest-SCCS-ruling-finds-Phenoxyethanol-safe-in-cosmetics?utm_source=newsletter_product&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=16-May-2016&c=QKN643y0Fl1cySOWVOBpKPevPIMBZO2E&p2=. 
5. Polyvinylpyrrolidone – SCBT. https://datasheets.scbt.com/sc-203204.pdf. 
6. “National Toxicology Program: 15th Report on Carcinogens.” National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/whatwestudy/assessments/cancer/roc/index.html. 
7. 5: Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Steareth-2,-4,-6,-7,-10,-11 …https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3109/10915818809078712. 
8. “Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs): Where Are Pahs Found?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 Dec. 2013, https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbons/where_are_pahs_found.html. 
9. “Ewg Skin Deep®: What Is Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-t-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate.” EWG, https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/722079-PENTAERYTHRITYL_TETRADITBUTYL_HYDROXYHYDROCINNAMATE/. 
10. “Butylated Compounds.” Safe Cosmetics, 7 July 2022, https://www.safecosmetics.org/chemicals/butylated-compounds/. 
11. Sun Z;Gao R;Chen X;Liu X;Ding Y;Geng Y;Mu X;Liu T;Li F;Wang Y;He J; “Exposure to Butylated Hydroxytoluene Compromises Endometrial Decidualization during Early Pregnancy.” Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33792845/. 
12. 5 Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Chloroxylenol. Journal of the American College of Toxicology. 1985;4(5):147-169. doi:10.3109/10915818509078689