It’s been six years since the launch of Kylie Jenner’s first-ever lip kit. Since then, Jenner’s brand changed its name from Kylie Lip Kits to Kylie Cosmetics and quickly grew into a full-fledged cosmetics line with an emphasis on lip products. Jenner then launched Kylie Skin in 2019, a skincare line featuring light-pink bottles and a highly-advertised (yet infamous) walnut face scrub.
But do Jenner’s beauty and skincare products live up to the hype? Are they safe to use? As with any beauty and skincare line, the answers are a bit more complicated than “yes” or “no.” Both Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin claim to be vegan and cruelty-free. Kylie Skin also advertises that it is gluten-free, sulfate-free, and paraben-free. However, Jenner’s beauty products have come under fire for questionable ingredients, some of which should not be used during pregnancy according to some physicians.
Kylie Cosmetics May Not Be Safe to Use During Pregnancy
In 2017, when rumors began swirling that Jenner was pregnant with Travis Scott’s baby, Billboard posted an article about the safety of Jenner’s cosmetics. According to Dr. Jacques Moritz, an obstetrician and gynecologist based in New York City said that two products from Kylie Cosmetics would be unsafe to use during pregnancy.
"Both the Bronze Eyeshadow Palette and the Ultra Glow Loose Powder Highlighter (from her "Vacation" collection) have aluminum, which I'd avoid," Dr. Moritz said. "The powder also includes aluminum chloride hexahydrate, which is a category C and should be avoided."
(Aluminum chloride hexahydrate is sometimes used to treat excessive sweating and can be found in a variety of anti-persperant deodorants. According to Medicine Net, the most common side effects include irritated skin, itching, and tingling of the skin.)
Dr. Moritz also said that Jenner’s prized lip kits were “generally safe,” but “should be limited to as needed,” as with all chemicals and dye.
However, many doctors were not as concerned as Dr. Moritz about the ingredient in Jenner’s cosmetics. In an interview with Insider, Dr. Jen Gunter (an obstetrician and gynecologist based in the San Francisco bay area) said that she was not aware of any data that suggests the amount of aluminum in cosmetics poses a reproductive health hazard.”
Potentially Unsafe Ingredients in Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin
While there are several questionable ingredients in Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin products, Jenner’s skin and face-related products do not contain ingredients that are restricted or prohibited by law. Her nail polishes, on the other hand, were deemed a high hazard by the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.
The EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database also rated several Kylie Skin products at a 4 out of 10, with 10 being the worst in terms of ingredient hazards. The most harmful ingredient in all of her products is fragrance, which was rated an 8/10 with a high likelihood of causing allergic reactions and other harms to the immune system. Keep in mind, however, that fragrance is considered a potentially harmful ingredient in a large proportion of scented skincare products.
In addition, the Kylie Cosmetics products listed on Skincarisma (an ingredient analyzing website) appear to be relatively low risk. Ingredients that are considered moderate risks in Jenner’s lip products, for instance, are flavor and color. The Kylie Cosmetics Skin Concealer also has a few moderate-risk ingredients, including Phenoxyethanol, a preservative, and PEG-2 Soyamine, which is used as an antistatic agent and foam booster.
Consumers Slam (and Praise) Kylie Jenner's Cosmetics and Skin Care Brands
Many customers and critics have slammed Jenner’s skin and makeup products.
The Walnut Face Scrub, which sells for $22 on Kylie Skin, spurred heated criticisms on Twitter with many comparing it to St. Ives Apricot Scrub. (St. Ives was sued over this product, with the plaintiff claiming that crushed walnut powder in the scrub created microscopic tears in the skin, exposing it to infection and irritation.)
An anonymous user who wrote a review under the Walnut Face Scrub said, “this face scrub left my skin in so much pain. I don’t even have pimples. It felt like it was cutting into my skin and even left me in pain after use.”
Some of Jenner’s makeup products have also caused irritation for a few buyers. One reviewer said the Kylie Cosmetics Face Spray/Setting Spray made her skin break out and that the quality of the product was cheap and “horrible.”
Many of Jenner’s customers, however, have praised her products and written glowing reviews on the Kylie Skin website. Under the Kylie Skin Clarifying Facial Oil, for example, one anonymous user wrote, “I love this oil. It not only cleared up the blemishes that I had, but has prevented further blemishes from popping up.” Another user claimed that the Hydrating Lip Mask is “the best lip product ever.”
Ultimately, Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin products may not be the cleanest products. They contain several ingredients that may cause irritation or be unsafe for pregnancy. However, her skin and makeup products are not considered “unsafe to use” by industry standards.
