If you’re willing to switch to organic makeup, starting with mascara is an excellent idea since the eye area is the most sensitive. Plus, whether you’re applying makeup or not, mascara is that coveted item you’re wearing anyway — we all do it.
Many mascaras out there are filled with questionable ingredients, such as petroleum derivatives, carbon, paraben, or synthetic dyes, that many of us are sensitive to. The good news is that organic mascaras lack these potentially hazardous elements while still give that length, volume, and color. They’re environment-friendly too! So can you name a reason not to use organic mascara? I thought so. In an interview for Bustle, Dr. Jody Krukowski of the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Department of Integrative Medicine explained the harmful effects mascara could have on eyelashes and the body. However, none of them have been related to organic products. Surprisingly, the tube can come with more problems than you expected. Most of them are related to the bacterias that can be transferred between uses. In a study by the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, a group of researchers took a look at 40 different mascara samples taken from women. The verdict? A whopping 79% of said samples contained staph bacteria. Gross. So as a little note, be cool and change the tube every three months — organic or not.
Ingredients to avoid in mascara
These ingredients are known to possibly harm the lashes and may even have effects on the entire body:
- Parabens — used as preservatives. They are added to makeup to stop the growth of microbes. Parabens have also been linked to reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and skin irritation.
- Synthetic Dyes — are often used as a colorant to achieve the vibrant colors that mascara offers. Unfortunately, they are believed to be toxic and carcinogenic.
- Thimerosal — a mercury-based element used as a preservative. It’s known to damage brain function, according to the FDA. It may cause allergic reactions, skin irritation, or neurotoxic manifestations.
- Coal Tar Dyes — used as colorants in mascara containing heavy metals. Risks associated with coal tar dyes include severe allergic reactions, headaches, lack of concentration, and nervousness.
- Aluminum Powder — it’s a metallic substance used as a cosmetic colorant and is a neurotoxin. Long-term exposure to aluminum powder can impair the body’s ability to excrete mercury.
12 Clean & Non-Toxic Mascaras
The mascaras we’ve rounded up come only from trusted organic makeup brands, formulated with natural pigments and enriched with botanical oil to nourish and strengthen your lashes every time you wear them.
PÜR Fully Charged Mascara
After sweeping this through your lashes, they’ll be instantly lifted and volumized for a WOW effect. Infused with peptides, beeswax, and glycerin, it wraps around each lash for instant lift, separation, and definition while nourishing. The addition of B5 and C vitamins helps condition and strengthen your lashes, preventing them from falling out. Healthy ingredients, high performance, mess-free application — really can’t ask for more. Besides, it’s super easy to take it off!
Jane Iredale PureLash Lengthening Mascara
With panthenol and vitamin B complex, this one conditions the lashes while making them smoother and way more manageable. Made from triple-length cellulose fiber helps prolong the lashes while seaweed lipids and wheat protein help thicken, curl, and strengthen them. The combination of shirt and long bristles will grab every lash with each swipe. Free of lacquers, shellac, or petroleum-based ingredients, JI organic mascara manages to stay on the lashes all day without smearing, flaking, or smudging. It’s one of the best out there!
Ecco Bella Vegan & Healthy Mascara
Your eye area is instantly opened with Ecco Bella mascara. Instead of lacquer, shellac, or alcohol, this vegan mascara is formulated with natural clay and flower cutins coated iron oxides that won’t irritate sensitive eyes. The smooth formula wraps around your lashes, building length and volume for fuller, longer lashes, clump-free. Great for touch-ups on the go thanks to its built-in mirror!
100% PURE Fruit Ultra Lengthening Organic Mascara
This organic mascara formula is really standing out. Made with natural pigments from black tea leaves, berries, and cocoa, it gives that dramatic black without irritating. Curl? Check. Volume? Indeed. Length? YES! On top of everything, the addition of seaweed and provitamin B5 strengthens your lashes and conditions them with oat and wheat — fabulous.
Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara
Burt’s Bees mascara is gentle enough for the eye area, safe for sensitive eyes, and contact lens wearers. Its formula includes jojoba oil to hydrate the lashes and naturally moisturizing glycerin. The dense, easy-to-use applicator brush does an excellent job of separating the lashes, making them look more voluminous.
bareMinerals Escentuals Lashtopia Mega Volume
You want MEGA volume? Well, this organic mascara will be game-changer for you. The mousse-like formula feels weightless on lashes, keeping them nourished and conditioned (thanks, castor oil and glycerin). With its 600 soft, staggered bristles, it’s able to hold more mascara for coating every lash while separating them from root to tip. No smudge, no clump all day long! It’s really a hit!
ILIA Limitless Lash Mascara
Clean Beauty Award Winner, Allure
Lightweight feeling & nourishing formula is what you can expect from Ilia’s organic mascara — properties given by the organic bee waxes, shea butter, and Arginine. It contains more than 25% organic ingredients for a formula that is 99% natural. Gentle enough for sensitive eyes, it boosts lash condition for a naturally chic look. You can apply one coat to lift and extend or several layers to dial up the intensity for a scandalous look.
RMS Beauty Volumizing Organic Mascara
The ECOCERT-approved formula is a blend of essential oils, organic plant waxes, and raw minerals to shape your lashes and intensify fullness. Its brush is just perfect for separating and defining lashes for a dramatic volumizing effect. Literally, it adds life to your lashes without clumping or smudging while it’s super healthy!
W3LL People Natural Mascara Expressionist Black
Enjoy a natural mascara with a plant-based formula, flake-free, and no clump. Its large brush ensures easy application: wiggle back and forth while twirling it up from the base to the tip. The result? Fabulous volumized lashes! It conditions, builds volume and length while it’s free of artificial chemicals or petroleum derivates. No wonder it’s an award winner and first-favorite for many women.
bareMinerals Organic Mascara
It’s easy to love the Bare Minerals natural mascara: it nourishes the lashes while lengthens, thickens, and volumizes, powered by minerals and quinoa protein complex. It uses a brush that spirals 180° to curve around lashes and coat all angles with an intense black. Plus, the new formula provides superior smudge resistance and nourishment, so you will absolutely adore your healthy, lush lashes.
Chantecaille Faux Cils Longest Lash Mascara
You want long lashes yet natural-looking and free of toxins? Stop right here. This mascara uses peptides to make your lashes appear thicker and fuller, rose oil to condition, and a mix of natural waxes for immediate volume. Just one coat separates each lash, making them look thick and dramatic. Pay a bit of attention to that brush: it’s a double helix that’ll help comb and feather your lashes for increased volume and definition.
Endlessly Beautiful All Natural Mascara
Here’s a travel-friendly mascara that does a great job at thickening, lengthening, and curling lashes. Basically, it’s a fusion of minerals, a safe and gentle product, without any touch of paraben, and also vegan- and cruelty-free. On top of that, it’s an excellent moisturizer for your lashes, being enriched with chamomile and vitamin E. The coffee, cinnamon, rosemary, and rice powder in its formulation are conditioning and stimulating lash growth every time you wear it. Black and brown available.
Prevent potential mascara issues
You can avoid unwanted situations that may be caused by mascara by respecting the following basic steps:
- Don’t share the mascara — it can give you a stye.
- Never sleep with mascara on — it can scratch your cornea if it pokes in the eye.
- Mascara can cause allergic reactions — change it once in three months.
- Read the ingredients list carefully — some products contain toxic chemicals that may affect your eye lashes.
Final words
Since organic makeup became so active in our lives, it’s time to overthink products that don’t come from natural sources. You can begin by considering to change your typical mascara with an organic one. Stop compromising your lashes and start taking care of them. Alternatively, you can change all your beauty routine with organic makeup products!
