1 Physician's Formula Organic Wear, $9.95 - Terri's overall favorite, it also made my top 10.
2 100% Pure Fruit-Pigmented Mascara, $18 - My overall favorite, it also made Terri's top 5.
3 Youngblood Mineral Mascara, $26 - It was an overall top 5 favorite for both of us.
4 Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara, $19 - It was an overall top 5 favorite for both of us.
5 Rejuva Mineral Mascara, $16 - It made Terri's top 5.
6 Josie Maran GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara, $22 - It made my top 5.
7 Jane Iredale Longest Lash Thickening & Lengthening Mascara, $32 - It made my top 5.
8 Honeybee Gardens Truly Natural Mascara, $10.99 - It made our top 10.
9 Faerie Organic Bambi Eyes Natural Mascara, $12.50 - It made our top 10.
10 Lavera Intense Volumizing Mascara, $20 - It made our top 10.
I never leave the house without putting on mascara. Even when I'm going camping, or moving apartments, or just buying the newspaper, I am doing all these things at all times with long, black lashes. No surprise then that of all the makeup in my cosmetic bag, mascara is the one I've had the most trouble detoxing. It's not just about looks either: Between my allergies (watery eye!) and wearing contact lenses (dry eye!), I'm equally concerned about flaking, smearing, and irritation. Luckily, there are many, many options out there now for the gal who wants gorgeous, long lasting results without exposing herself or the planet to known pollutants and carcinogens like parabens, phthalates, diazolidinyl urea, ethyl acetate, sodium laureth/laurel sulfate, formaldehyde (pentaerythrityl hydrogenated rosinate, quaternium-15, and imidazolidinyl urea), petroleum (petroleum distillates, isoparaffins), mercury, and coal tar (D&C Black No. 2). Yes, you read that right: COAL TAR. No one wants an eye full of coal tar.
Terri and I tested more than 25 different brands to see which of the natural, organic, and non-toxic mascaras out there were the best in terms of appearance, endurance, and non-toxicity (as quantified by the Environmental Working Group's amazing Skin Deep Cosmetics Database). Here are ten mascaras that we can heartily recommend.
- My top five...
- 100% Pure Fruit-Pigmented Mascara: No artifical dyes here! The fruit pigments give this mascara a faintly sweet smell when you apply it, and it made my lashes longer, thicker, and clump-free all day long. ($18, EWG Score of 2 out of 10 - low hazard)
- Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara: Gave me volume and length, lasted all day, no clumps, no smudges - what more do you want? ($19, EWG Score of 4 out of 10 - moderate hazard)
- Youngblood Mineral Mascara: Tied with Tarte for me in terms of all-around great performance. ($26, No EWG Score available)
- Josie Maran GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara: I had long lashes with lots of volume, and it was easy to use. Argan oil is supposed to nourish lashes over time. ($22, EWG Score of 3 out of 10 - moderate hazard)
- Jane Iredale Longest Lash Thickening & Lengthening Mascara: Good length with no clumps, perhaps due to the cool brush, but not quite as much volume as the other four. ($32, EWG Score of 2 out of 10 - low hazard)
- Terri’s top five...
- Organic Wear: Terri got the most pop from this mascara, thickening and lengthening just like a conventional brand (perhaps because it still has many conventional ingredients). She hates the packaging though! ($9.95, EWG Score of 7 out of 10 - high hazard)
- Youngblood Mineral Mascara: Terri adds that this mascara goes on very deep black, slick, glossy and easy to apply.
- 100% Pure Fruit-Pigmented Mascara: Terri agreed with me on this one, but felt it lengthens more than thickens.
- Rejuva Mineral Mascara: Terri found this mascara gave good length, but she could have used more volume. ($16, EWG Score of 0 out of 10 - low hazard)
- Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara: Terri liked this one as well, but found it much wetter than the others, so more prone to errors and smudges.
- Rounding out the top 10...
- Honeybee Gardens Truly Natural Mascara: This is a good one for daytime wear, just lengthens well with no clumps. ($10.99, No EWG Score available)
- Faerie Organic Bambi Eyes Natural Mascara: This very natural brand gives darkness and length but not too much volume, so it's ideal for lower lashes. ($12.50, EWG Score of 2 out of 10 - low hazard)
- Lavera Intense Volumizing Mascara: This mascara gave me thick, thick lashes, more volume than length but no clumps or smudging either. ($20, No EWG Score available)
There are still so many more natural mascaras our there to try, too. If you know a brand we should check out, drop us a comment. And of course, if you really want to be 100% sure you know your ingredients, you can always make your own...
From: Natural Mascaras – Our Top Ten Picks - Whole Living Daily : Whole Living | 4/11/11 at 8:05 pm
[...] Check out the ten mascaras that we can heartily recommend. [...]
From: pntszdinFluence | 4/11/11 at 8:59 pm
Great post! I currently use Dr. Hauschka and I'm NOT in love.
From: Stephanie | 4/11/11 at 11:23 pm
Thank you for this! I've been looking for a good, non-toxic mascara! It would be nice to know what types of lashes each of you have, for comparison. Mine are a decent thickness, but they are very straight and need some length, so I've looked for lengthening and curling mascaras in the past. My guess is that whatever makes them curl is probably not very natural. Any chance any of these had that added benefit?
From: Avoiding Chemicals | The Me Makeover | 4/12/11 at 11:10 am
[...] to detox the rest of my life for a while, and like these bloggers, mascara was a toughie for me. They pick their top 10 favorite natural mascaras and I’m excited to try some of these [...]
From: Jennifer | 4/13/11 at 2:11 pm
Stephanie, I have naturally longish lashes that have a slight natural curl, so for me it's 1/2 about added length and volume and 1/2 about staying on without smudging despite my allergy/contact lens issues. Terri has shorter, straighter lashes and no eyeball issues, so her picks might be closer to ideal for you.
From: Kathe | 5/3/11 at 8:23 am
I am very fussy about the ingredients I put on my face especially around my eyes. My favorite for years has been the real purity mascara. A year ago I discovered Korres and prefer it because I can sleep in it with minimal smudging.
From: Detox Your Makeup Bag – We Pick Seven Non-Toxic Liquid Foundations and Tinted Moisturizers - Martha Stewart Living Radio: The Radio Blog | 5/10/11 at 10:01 am
[...] detoxing our deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, and mascara, Terri and I decided it was time to get right up in each other's faces and test a batch of [...]
From: Terri Bly | 5/28/11 at 5:34 pm
By far the best natural mascara I have found is from a French company that is fairly obscure in the US, but very popular in Europe: Couleur Caramel. Their mascara is second to none, really, in the eco realm, and goes on a lot like Dior Show. Love! If you're lucky enough to be in France, Une also makes a lovely non-toxic mascara.