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Created in 1913, the first mascara blended Vaseline with coal
dust as a lash darkener. Have mascara ingredients become any
safer?
Why do you care?
- Skin around the eyes is very sensitive as it's thin and
it has no oil-protecting glands. Toxins go directly to the
bloodstream.1
- Reports of itching, burning and swelling of eyes and eye
irritation due to mascara.2
- Conventional mascara contains chemicals you may want to
avoid. Specifically petroleum, parabens, quaternium-15 (eye
irritant), BHT, PEG, TEA and synthetic fragrance.
- Waterproof products can contain plasticizers, like polystyrene
sulfonate, which can irritate eyes and may be a hormone disruptor.
- Petroleum-based ingredients, such as nylon and polyester,
are also common in lash-building mascaras as they promote
thickness and lengthening, but they have also been found to
trigger contact dermatitis. Nice.
The Know How
- Alternatives do exist … try natural mascara but keep
in mind:
- Natural mascara is not waterproof as there is
no plastic in it - so far there doesn't seem to be a natural
ingredient that is waterproof.
- Natural mascaras are usually based in waxes and oils,
like beeswax, carnauba, and candelilla, which tend to
soften at room or body temperature. So be prepared
for a few touch-ups!
- Try black mascara. Black is the least allergenic colorant.3
- Mascara is very susceptible to bacterial growth, and since
many natural mascara go easy on preservative, replace every
2-3 months. Use it or lose it!
- The mascara brush may make the difference in product
performance. It's the brush that often gets the patent - not
the actual formula. Look for hollow bristle brushes for building
lashes.4
- Pure Know How has covered other cosmetic topics - lipsticks,
foundation, eye/lip pencils, concealer - so take a look in
the Passé section.
Know and Tell
- Tamey has long and fairly thick lashes, so most mascaras
work for her. She has been as happy with the natural brands
in terms of similar effects as her old conventional brand.
The lack of waterproof natural mascara is her only issue.
- Patti, on the other hand, has short stubby lashes (how's
that for total honesty?), and has found some natural brands
so-so on performance and others so-so on ingredients. What's
a girl to do? There are many brands of natural mascara's rated
low on the Skin
Deep cosmetic database and Patti - with her short stubby
eyelashes - will continue to hunt for a "clean"
and effective mascara!
- See their Product
Reviews.
- Pure Blogger - Mascara is often
quoted as a "desert-island beauty essential"
- tell
us about your success (or not) with natural mascara.
1 Product
Report - Lip and Eye Makeup. The
Green Guide, March 30, 2002.
2. A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, Ruth Winter, 2005
3. Beauty Flash: The
Top 10 Cosmetic Do's & Don'ts for Women with Sensitive Skin,
Dr. Zoe Diana Draelos. American Academy of Dermatology, 2003.
4. Nick Mornate Chair, Society of Cosmetic Chemists
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