On the hunt for a clean mascara? Get ready for a list of my top recommendations so you don’t have to figure it out all on your own.
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When I tell you that this has been one looonnggg journey to find what I consider to be the PERFECT clean mascara. “Clean” and “mascara” is a tricky combo, and it’s hard enough to find a mascara you generally like, right?
In this post I share my top favorite clean mascara recommendation, but I also include 6 other great options depending on what you’re looking for.
This post is all about clean mascara.
Why Do I Need a Natural Mascara?
You might be wondering what the big deal is with using a conventional mascara, especially when it’s just applied to your lashes. Your eyes are one of the most sensitive parts of your body, and toxins can still be absorbed into your body through your eyelashes.
EWG (Environmental Working Group) posted an extensively cited article about the toxic ingredients allowed in cosmetics that are linked to reproductive harm, neurological harm, and even cancer. Not to mention topical side effects like burns and infections. I know it sounds crazy that something so small could cause that much harm, but it just shows how harmful some these ingredients are that are allowed in products.
Toxic Ingredients to Avoid in Mascara
Here is a toxic ingredient list commonly found in cosmetics from EWG with reasons on why you want to avoid them:
- Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.
- Paraformaldehyde, a type of formaldehyde.
- Methylene glycol, a type of formaldehyde.
- Quaternium 15, which releases formaldehyde.
- Mercury, which can damage the kidneys and nervous system.
- Dibutyl and diethylhexyl phthalates, which disrupt hormones and damage the reproductive system.
- Isobutyl and isopropyl parabens, which disrupt hormones and harm the reproductive system.
- The long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS, which have been linked to cancer.
- M- and o-phenylenediamine, used in hair dyes, which irritate and sensitize the skin, damage DNA and can cause cancer.
Sadly, this is just the tip of the iceberg and is not an exhaustive list. So rather than painstakingly go through a mascaras ingredient list at the drugstore, I highly recommend checking out the EWG product database. They have reviewed thousands of products and given “hazard scores” on a scale of “EWG Certified” (aka the non toxic stamp of approval) to 10 (aka the worst possible ingredients for your health). It makes choosing clean products SO much easier. Oh, and it’s free!
My Hunt for the Perfect Clean Mascara
It took me years to finally find a clean mascara that I can actually rave about. Probably because I had this long list of requirements:
- Non-flaking
- Non-irritating
- Non-smudging
- Holds curl
- Lasts all day long
- Provides volume and length
It was a tall order, but I wasn’t giving up until I found it. I’m so happy to say I finally did!
Best Clean Mascaras
1. Thrive Causemetics | $26
Features: Water-resistant, smudge-proof, non-flaking, buildable, extra-length
Here she is! My favorite clean mascara. You may have been bombarded by tons of marketing for this mascara that probably was a turn off, like it was for me initially. I only tried it when I found out it was a non toxic mascara.
It’s made with an award-winning tubing formulaI that wraps each lash with “lightweight ‘tubes’ that build and extend beyond the lash for maximum length!” The formulation makes it easy to remove at the end of the day, and is gentle on your lashes. This mascara checks off everything I was looking for. 10/10 recommend!
2. Ilia | $28
Features: Smudge-proof, non-flaking, buildable, adds lengthen & volume, not clumpy
Here we have a big favorite in the clean beauty space. This award-winning mascara offers a buildable and flake-resistant formula that provides length, lift, and volume. Customers love that this mascara lasts all day and isn’t clumpy.
I got a sample of this mascara from the free birthday gift Sephora offers and really liked it. The only thing I didn’t love was it irritated my eyes when I removed it.
3. Merit | $26
Features: Smudge-proof, non-flaking, adds volume & length, not clumpy, for sensitive eyes
Another favorite clean mascara per the 2000+ reviews on Merit’s website. Customers rave about the long-lasting, smudge-proof, volumizing, lengthening, lifting, defining and sensitive formula. I hear of people only being able to use this mascara because of how it doesn’t irritate their sensitive eyes like other ones do. Give it a try if you’re eyes are especially sensitive!
4. Honest Beauty | $19
Features: Extreme length & volume, definition, buildable, for sensitive eyes
Honest Beauty created this award-winning and best-selling double-sided mascara designed to create extreme volume and length. To use you firsy apply the primer, which is on the peachy colored end of the tube. Then you apply the mascara and watch as it lengthens and add volume to your lashes.
I have gone through several tubes of this mascara and I LOVE it for the first few months. However, it doesn’t seem to have a very long life, and with the price I think it should last at least the normal amount of 3-6 months. But so many are obsessed with this mascara and love their experience with it.
5. Tarte | $27
Features: Water-resistant, smudge-proof, non-flaking, buildable, extra-length, conditioning
The Tartelette Tubing Mascara is another tubing formula mascara (like Thrive Causematics) where it “wraps each lash in lengthening “tubes” instead of weighing them down with layers of pigment”. The best formula (in my opinion) to achieve everything you could want in a mascara. I have not tried this one yet, but I’m definitely going to when I run out of my current favorite.
6. Jones Road | $26
Features: Lash separation, holds curl, volumizing, buildable, conditions
With over 10,000 reviews, it’s safe to say this is a big favorite amidst the health-conscious community. Specially made to separate, lengthen and lift lashes while keeping lashes conditioned.
It’s a buildable formula, so you can choose to go with a natural or more bold look. This mascara features a curved wand brush so you can capture hard to reach lashes and easily lengthen out to the tips. Give Jones Road Beauty a try!
7. Well People | $20
Features: Defines, lengthens, long-lasting, non-flaking, conditions
Well People’s Expressionist Pro Mascara is an award-winning fan favorite! Specifically created to define and lengthen while conditioning the lashes simultaneously. Well People takes great care with what they put in their products, with many of them being EWG verified. This mascara included! Formulated to be 100% vegan, powered by key ingredients like vitamin e (moisturizer), sunflower seed oil (moisturizer), and cellulose plant fiber (thickening agent).
{RELATED POST: My Favorite Non Toxic Products}
It’s difficult finding a mascara you generally like, let alone one that is clean. I hope this list was helpful in your search. Comment below if you have found a favorite clean mascara that works!
