Mascara is the magic wand of the cosmetic industry and one of the most used cosmetic accessories in the world of makeup. Mascara creates focus on the eyes by giving long, thicker, fuller, voluminous lashes. Who wouldn’t want flirty peeps!
The problem is that most commercial mascaras are filled with synthetic dyes and minerals that cause skin irritation, allergic reactions, and can be carcinogenic. We all knew beauty can be intoxicating, but who knew beauty was so toxic. Yikes!
We talk a lot about what to eat. However, what we put on our skin can be just as important as what we eat! This statement may puzzle you. However, when we eat food, it goes into our mouth, down our digestive tract and then is absorbed into the body. Similarly, when we put things (makeup, cream, shampoo, etc.) on our skin, it is also absorbed into our body and can affect our health in both a positive or negative way.
Let’s undress the ingredients used in many commercial mascaras to see if they look good naked (I’ll give you a hint, they don’t). Also, let’s have a look at some AMAZING natural products that look fabulous naked and will make you look sensational as well.
Undressing the ingredients of many commercial mascaras
Toxic ingredients such as Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, and Propylparaben can cause allergic reactions and have been linked to skin rashes such as contact dermatitis. In addition, parabens are known as endocrine disruptors because they resemble human estrogen and can easily penetrate the skin, our largest organ. These chemicals are absorbed directly into the body via the tiny pores around the eyes and enter into the bloodstream where they mingle with your hormones and can cause problems.
Furthermore, synthetic colours are often used. These are usually labeled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a color and a number (e.g. FD&C Red No. 6, D&C Green No. 6). These are believed to be carcinogenic, meaning that they can cause cancer!
In addition, ingredients such as Polybutene are often used as a tackifier and plasticizer. It is derived from petroleum and is also used for manufacturing adhesives (glue). Yuk.
The problem is that these ingredients are not used because they are good for your skin. They are however used because they are cost effective (cheap) and because they facilitate the manufacturing process and long product shelf life that companies love. Who wants to pay big bucks for cheap harmful stuff? Definitely not me!
If you want to see what ingredients your mascara contains, a good website to check out is ewg.org/skindeap. It is a database that allows you to look up thousands of products to see their ingredients and assess their health hazards.
Good News: There are healthy alternatives that work great. Hooray!
Natural mascaras are slowly surfacing in the market and are starting to make way in the beauty industry. In fact, they have come a long way in recent years. The ingredients found in natural mascara are not only natural; they also provide a whole host of antioxidants and other health promoting elements. They are filled with rich ingredients derived from fruit and vegetable pigments as well as lash stimulating oils that allow for the same beautifying effect as regular commercial brand mascara, minus the hazardous toxins.
The colors are derived from the pigment of nutrient dense fruits and vegetables. Some of the fruits that are commonly used include blackberries, blueberries, acai berries, boysenberries, pomegranate, grape skin, blackcurrant, raspberries, etc. All of which are packed with antioxidants and help to provide a variety of colour options for your peeps. Not only do the mascaras made with these ingredients smell like dessert, they are smudge proof, they nourish your lashes by preventing them from falling out and they don’t cause harm to your body. Awesome!
The protein component of natural mascara is often derived from oats, wheat, and seaweed powder. These nutrient dense proteins perform an excellent job at giving you fantastic, sexy, flirty, long lashes, as well as helping to strengthen hair.
Shine and extra moisturizing nourishment is often delivered by Vitamin E, green tea, coconut and mica.
Some natural mascaras may also have even more added helpful ingredients such as the extracts of lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano and goldenseal. These natural herbs help to stimulate hair growth and help with capillary growth. That’s right ladies, you won’t need to purchase costly eyelash growing mascara any longer because the natural mascara does the trick for you!
Suggestions for Natural Mascara
There are a number of natural mascaras on the market. Some are better than others. My personal favorite is called “100% Pure” and I love the Blueberry version which smells like blueberry pie! Another option that many people like is Pure Anada. This one has a slightly lower price point, is natural, but isn’t quite as food based as the first option.
In summary, many commercial mascaras are toxic and harmful. Natural mascara on the other hand, is healthy and provides the same aesthetic benefits of longer, flirty, shiny lashes. Va-va-voom!
Share a comment below to let me know the name of your favourite natural mascara. Also, if you have any special ladies in your life that currently use harmful mascara, please help me spread the word by emailing this article to them or sharing it on facebook and twitter. Their eyes will thank you.
