safe looking brow pencils - updated june 2025
we've recently had a bunch of clients having trouble clearing up in or around their eyebrows, and we've linked it to cloggy brow pencils. we did a quick search and after a visual + comedogenic search box look, here are some promising brands (some contain ingredients rated a 1 or 2, like tocopherol or talc).
BUT on the whole, acne-safe makeup pencils for both lip and brows are very difficult to find because they usually are based in a cloggy oil or have synthetic wax, aka japanese wax or rhus succedanea wax that can be very comedogenic for sensitive skins.
cloggy brow pencils can result in inflamed acne around the brow, temples and even forehead or upper cheek areas.
cloggy lip pencils can result in blocked pores on the lipline, and inflamed breakouts under the nose, on the upper lip, in the corners of the mouth or chin.
TOP RECOMMENDATION

use a loose mineral eyeshadow from alima pure. their pressed powder shadows and brow pencils have comedogenic ingredients, so using a small brush to brush this loose powder into your brows would be best.
alternatively, you can take some shea butter and a spoolie / clean mascara brush to make a paste to brush into the hair.
SAFE LOOKING PENCILS
reminder, these only look safe on paper. we've not had clients try them yet, so try at your own risk, with caution and please report back!
ULTA: ultra slim brow pencil
ingredients: Diisostearyl Malate, Triethylhexanoin, C20-40 Acid, C20-40 Alcohols, Polyethylene, Synthetic Wax**, Glyceryl Behenate / Eicosadioate, Ethylene / Propylene Copolymer, Ethylcellulose, Boron Nitride, VP / Eicosene Copolymer, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Mica (CI 77019).
**Synthetic wax can be pore-clogging for sensitive skins
IT cosmetics: brow power universal eyebrow pencil
ingredients: Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract (Saw Palmetto), Biotin, Urtica Dioxica (Nettle) Leaf Powder, Iron Oxides (77492), Iron Oxides (77499),Ceresin, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Extract, Lecithin, Pantothenic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Beeswax, Microcrystalline Wax, Iron Oxides, BHT, (77491), Retinyl Acetate.
tarte: amazonian clay waterproof eyebrow pencil
ingredients: Diisostearyl Malate, Triethylhexanoin, C20-40 Acid, C20-40 Alcohols, Polyethylene, Synthetic Wax**, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer, Ethylcellulose, Boron Nitride, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Kaolin. Mica. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).
**Synthetic wax can be pore-clogging for sensitive skins