What Is Eyeliner Made Of?

Whether you love it or hate it, you can’t deny that eyeliner is one of the most versatile makeup products out there. You can create a variety of looks using different types of eyeliners, ranging from a fierce cat eye to a grungy smudged eyeliner look.

With ancient Egyptian icons like Queen Nefertiti and Cleopatra who popularized eyeliner, it’s no secret that this makeup has been around for a long time. But the earliest version of eyeliner has gotten a major upgrade since the Bronze Age, namely: getting rid of toxic ingredients. Today, pretty much every eyeliner formula contains the same basic ingredients, whether it’s pencil, liquid, gel, or cream.

Have you ever wondered what your favorite beauty staple is actually made of? Keep reading to find out.

What Was Eyeliner Originally Made Of?

Like mascara, eyeliner has been around for millennia. Its earliest known traces date back over 12,000 years ago in Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, as evident in the heavy eyeliner worn in drawings and sculptures from that period.

Eyeliner or kohl was a smudgeable, lead-based mixture used by men and women of high status to define their eyes. Kohl was originally used as a protection against eye ailments like inflammation and infection, as it possessed antimicrobial properties. It was applied liberally around the rims of the eyes to protect the delicate eye area from the harsh desert sun and wind, as well as on the eyebrows and facial tattoos. It came to represent status, fashion, and a connection to the divine.

The earliest form of eyeliner was crude, to say the least. Kohl eyeliner was originally made from black minerals such as stibnite and galena, which contain heavy metals like antimony and lead. Traditional kohl is unapproved for cosmetic use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because it contains high levels of heavy metals that can cause lead poisoning.

You might be wondering why kohl eyeliners are still available in the market. Don’t worry, the kohl eyeliners we have today are vastly different from their predecessor in terms of ingredients and formulation.

What Are the Ingredients in Eyeliner?

Makeup formulas can greatly vary from product to product or brand to brand. Eyeliner is no different. Today, eyeliner is made up of three key elements that are consistent in most — if not all — eyeliner formulations, and these are film formers, thickening agents, and pigments.

• Film formers are a common ingredient in cosmetics. They are designed to leave a thin layer on the skin, which results in smooth and easy application.
• Thickening agents make up the bulk of eyeliner in terms of weight and volume. They are used to enhance the consistency, volume, and viscosity of cosmetic products. These include clays, gums, and waxes, which can be synthetically made or naturally derived.
• Pigments make up the tint or coloring of the product. The most common pigment in eyeliner is iron oxide, which is used to create the classic black and brown shades. Other pigments used are titanium dioxide for white, chromium oxide for green, and ultramarine for blue.
• Other ingredients you may find in eyeliner include alcohol denat, ammonium acrylates copolymer, carbomer, colorants, dimethicone, fragrance, glycerin, magnesium silicate, mineral oil, PEG-6 sorbitan oleate, polysorbate 20, propylene glycol, and preservatives that preserve and extend the life of the eyeliner.

source https://degreesofvanity.com/what-is-eyeliner-made-of/