What Is Mascara Made Of?

Regardless of whether you prefer drugstore or designer brand, you can’t help but fall in love with mascara for its ability to thicken, lengthen, and darken lashes, and enhance your appearance instantly!

That said, there’s no doubt that mascara is one of the most ubiquitous tools in any makeup kit — and there’s data to prove it. According to a survey conducted in 2020, over 106 million women in the United States used mascara in that same year. That’s approximately one-third of the American population! Millions of mascaras are sold every year, with some brands selling as much as one tube every two seconds.

Applying mascara is a daily ritual for many, but how often do you stop to think about what you’re actually putting on your lashes? This popular eye makeup has been around for thousands of years and has gone through several transformations in terms of formula and packaging. Yet, there are still many questions surrounding it.

What is mascara made of, how is it made, and is there really bat poop in it? Let’s discuss this in detail.

What Are the Ingredients in Mascara?

Mascara ingredients vary from brand to brand, but they generally consist of these four essential ingredients: 

Pigments such as carbon black or iron oxide give mascara its dark black color and opaqueness.

Polymers form a film that coats the lashes.

Thickening Agents like oils and waxes add body and texture. Common ingredients include eucalyptus oil, sesame oil, and mineral oil. Other substances such as castor oil, lanolin oil, and linseed oil are also used but in smaller quantities because of their higher concentration. Waxes such as paraffin, petrolatum, carnauba wax, and candelilla wax play a similar role but are more commonly used in waterproof formulas.

Preservatives prevent the growth of microorganisms and keep the mascara fresh.

Other Ingredients like emollients and silicones are used in waterproof mascaras, whereas non-waterproof mascaras contain water.

How Is Mascara Made?

There are two methods for making mascara: the first is called the anhydrous method, which is used to create waterproof mascara, and the second is called the emulsion method, which is used for non-waterproof mascara.

Anhydrous Method

In this method, the ingredients are carefully weighed and measured into a mixing kettle or tank. Heat is applied to melt the ingredients, then agitated with a propeller blade until the mixture reaches a semi-solid state.

Emulsion Method

In this method, the waxes and emulsifiers are heated separately until melted, after which pigments are added. The two mixtures are then combined in a high-speed mixer until homogenous.

Filling

After the mascara has reached the proper state through either method, the mixture is then transferred into a filling machine that pumps a measured amount into the mascara tubes. The tubes are typically capped manually. A few samples are removed for inspection and the rest are prepared for distribution.

What Was Mascara Made of in the Past?

Mascara has been around for thousands of years, with its earliest known predecessor traced back to 4,000 BC in ancient Egypt, where men and women used a combination of kohl, burned ashes, and honey to darken their eyelashes. Although this ancient eye makeup was used as a form of physical and spiritual protection, it also contained lead, a heavy metal that is now heavily regulated by the FDA.

Modern mascara, or a version that more closely resembles the cosmetic we’re familiar with today, dates back to the early 1900s when a French chemist by the name of Eugène Rimmel invented the first non-toxic mascara consisting of coal powder and petroleum jelly.

In the 1930s, the first waterproof mascara formula was made using turpentine, a toxic substance that caused eye irritation and, in worse cases, blindness.

Thankfully, mascara (and cosmetics in general) have improved greatly since its earlier stages, as manufacturers continue to innovate and are given much stricter health and safety regulations to follow.

Is Mascara Made Out of Bat Poop?

The ingredients used in modern eye makeup are much safer than they used to be. However, there is a common belief that mascara is made from bat ‘guano’ aka bat poop.

The truth is, mascara does not contain bat feces. But there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this misconception: a mix-up in terminology.

Guanine is a crystalline material that adds a white color to and reduces the transparency of a product. ‘Guano’ refers to the excrement of seabirds and bats, used as fertilizer.

Mascara contains guanine, an ingredient that’s used as a colorant and opacifying agent in many cosmetic products, such as lipsticks, nail polishes, and hair conditioners. It’s added to mascaras to give it a glossy, iridescent sheen.

Although guanine can be found in bat poop, the material used in cosmetics is derived from fish scales, as specified by the FDA. This means that some mascaras contain an animal product.

What Ingredients to Look For in a Mascara

Every mascara is formulated differently, so you might be wondering what ingredients to look for in a mascara. The answer will really depend on your personal preferences and needs.

If you have dry eyelashes, then mascaras that contain nourishing ingredients like castor oil and jojoba oil may benefit you.

If you’re looking for a mascara that adds volume and has lash curling potential, thickening waxes such as beeswax, paraffin, and carnauba make the mascara stronger, allowing it to form and hold a curl.

What Ingredients to Avoid

As for what ingredients you should avoid, you’ll want to steer clear of mascaras that contain thimerosal, a preservative that can cause conjunctivitis and eyelid dermatitis. Another ingredient to watch out for is petroleum or propylene glycol, which can trigger an allergic reaction in some individuals.

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