Hey, Ms. Mindful what's on your face? #2: Mascara
In my high school days, despite partaking in a lot of athletic activities, I loved my makeup. I enjoyed the act of "getting ready," the smooth calculated strokes of liquid liner and finding that perfect angle with which to sweep mascara on. It was a hobby and slightly meditative. Through college, the more I got into yoga and mindful practices, the less I used face and eye makeup-- but even after all of this time, I still have not really known what substances lurk inside my mascara tube. So, today I'm here to ask what's in your mascara? and hopefully find some better-for-you and better-for-the-world products.
Let's begin with the first mascara-related product born from ancient Egyptian culture, known as kohl, which dates back to about 4000 bc. Ironically, this aesthetic and practice of adorning one's eyes superficially with kohl held a deeper, spiritual purpose of protecting one's own soul. Middle Eastern, North African and Indian cultures also continue to use kohl to darken eyes for both religious reasons, masking the eyes from evil influences, as well as for practical purposes; kohl was and still is believed to strengthen newborns' and children's vision. And it probably does, as all the ingredients used in homemade Southern Indian versions are of the earth and purely medicinal animal products, like ghee. Usually this traditional, eco-friendly eyeliner and mascara is composed of a plant pulp and juice, like that of sandalwood, a wick made out of clean muslin, castor oil to light and slowly burn the cloth, and oil to mix in after. Probably not the most waterproof of mascaras and it does take all night to make from scratch, but there are no toxins nor chemicals, and it is safe enough to put on a baby's face. Shouldn't everything we put on our face and especially around our precious eyes be that safe?
Today's Western mascara brands come from the ideas that upheld Victorian beauty trends that had more to do with looks and fashion than health or spiritual devotion. With the 1900's invention of petroleum jelly, a new "magical" healing and antibacterial ointment, so too came the beginning of modern mascara. Eugene Rimmel and T.L. Williams (who named his company Maybelline in honor of his sister Maybel) began to popularize their mascaras, a petroleum jelly and coal mixture. Sounds simple, right? Yes, but petroleum jelly still comes from a process of refining oil, first found as the material on the bottom of oil rigs, which means that it is a far-from-sustainable ingredient (read more here). And nowadays mascaras have evolved to include lists of chemicals and preservatives that I cannot even believe I had put on my own eyes! Take a look at the back of a box next time you're in a drug store-- the fancy stuff is no different.
In the past, my go-to was M.A.C.'s Zoom Lash Mascara, so I decided to use it as an example of what kind of stuff is out on the market, and that we are trusting is safe to put on our precious eyes.
Right off the bat, I learned that my old time favorite was tested on animals. Additionally, like many others it contains the preservative BHT, which comes from unsustainable petroleum. Similar to another preservative BHA, BHT is known to negatively impact the natural balance of hormones as a synthetic estrogen, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies the substance as a possible carcinogen. The EU doesn't allow it in face products and Canada recognizes it as a "high human health priority." BHA and BHT - just one popular form of makeup preservative - are not just potentially harmful to you body, both the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic and a United Nations Environment Program assessment have deemed BHA/BHT a notable toxic threat to aquatic life!
So, what can you do? Instead of sifting through hundreds of backs of boxes with a magnifying glass and a growing list of ingredients to avoid,
start by looking at companies that are fundamentally changing the game--
ones that are going as raw and natural as possible. Contrary to popular belief, it does't mean these more conscious products function worse or clump more, rather they nourish lashes and get the job done. Not all of those icky ingredients are in your tube of a mascara for a reason other than the fact that they are cheaper materials. You wouldn't knowingly eat cheap chemicals and toxins derived from oil, so why would you put them on your face?
Cultivate a world of REAL beauty and share the knowledge.
Better-for-you Mascaras
Ilia Beauty Mascara ($26)
** Make Your Own!! **
Reading Material and People Shaking Up the Makeup Game:
What are some of your consciously consumed favorites? Comment Below-- can't wait to hear from you!