Switching to clean beauty products requires a bit of an adjustment period as you search for clean products that will hold up to your old favorites. Often “clean” mascaras can’t compete with conventional mascaras. It’s hard to let go of your tried-and-true products, and to be fair, some “clean” or “natural” beauty products just can’t compete with the formulation of their traditional counterparts. There are lots of good reasons for giving clean products a shot, however. If, for example, you have sensitive eyes, clean formulas may be just the thing for you–provided that you can find one that works. no one wants runny mascara, after all. But we do want a mascara that washes away with a little warm water at the end of the day. Clean makeup, in general, is great to try if you have an array of health issues but love to wear makeup.
That being said, some amazing clean mascaras are flake, smudge, and are clump-free at different price points depending on your budget. Keep reading to see our picks for the top five best clean mascaras we recommend that you try! During the past year, I began thinking about wanting to try clean makeup, which sent me on a hunt for clean makeup products. The past couple of months, I have been on a search for clean skincare and makeup products, and finding the best natural mascaras was top of my list since I want to take good care of my eyes. I have tried both organic mascaras, and those that fall under the clean label and look forward to sharing my findings with you. Oh, and if you are using clean products you think are great, be sure to drop us an email or comment. It is my goal to find the best natural formula for each category.
Illia Beauty Limitless Lash
Illia Limitless Lash mascara has been my go-to mascara for months now. The volume and length this mascara provides are amazing, and the applicator is great for separating the lashes and creating a beautiful fanned-out look. I have worn it to the office, the gym, out on walks in the rain, and it still stays put! My roommate also swears by this mascara and says she’s never had any problems with smudging or transferring. 5 stars from us! I love that I can create a natural look, or build it up for more drama. This mascara formula has no synthetic fragrances, contains all natural ingredients, and has no harmful ingredients. . illia’s beauty limited lash mascara is the best of clean beauty mascaras. I would also recommend this for contact lens wearers like me. In my opinion, it’s the best clean mascara on the market.
Roen CAKE Mascara
The Roen Cake Mascara is a fan favorite for a lot of folks. It’s volumizing with a super fluffy brush that is designed to create lift and length. It’s clean, vegan, gluten-free, and cruelty-free too. It doesn’t contain any talc, parabens, nanoparticles, alcohol, or fragrance. The main callout in a lot of their customer reviews is the fact that it doesn’t clump, which is great for a buildable formula. This mascara is one of my top picks for best mascara.
Covergirl Lash Blast Clean Volume Mascara
If you’re looking for a clean drugstore mascara, Covergirl has you covered! Lash Blast is supposed to provide length and volume without any parabens, talc, mineral oil, or sulfates in the ingredients. It has lash-conditioning ingredients such as argan and marula oils and claims not to smudge. Some of the reviews mentioned flaking, so keep an eye out for that if you choose to try out this mascara. The only con would be that this mascara might not be great for contact lens wearers. It does boast decent staying power, which is good news for those who like a drugstore favorite without toxic chemicals.
Glossier Lash Slick
Glossier is one of my favorite brands, they have beautiful eco-friendly packaging and formulate their makeup with cleaner ingredients than most big beauty brands. Lash Slick is supposed to give you the effect of “baby extensions” with its lengthening and lifting abilities. Glossier claims that Lash Slick doesn’t smudge or flake and looks ultra-natural, as Glossier’s brand is focused on that extremely subtle makeup look. This mascara is also “water-resistant” which they claim helps keep it in place, but still remove it more easily than traditional waterproof mascara. This one is definitely on my list of products to try. If you love a natural look, this mascara is for you.
Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara
If you’re on Instagram a lot, you’ve probably seen an ad of someone testing this product and showing absolutely the insane length this mascara can give you. Thrive is a new beauty brand that is all vegan and cruelty-free with clean ingredients. This mascara has the most dramatic, extension-like effect out of all the mascaras mentioned here. This product has won multiple awards from Allure and Glamour and has tons of great reviews. Thrive claims their Liquid Lash Extensions mascara will coat each of your lashes with a “tube” of mascara. This new tech is supposed to save your towels from mascara stains and prevent clumping or flaking. This new mascara is water-resistant, yet easy to remove. If you are looking for lush lashes, this mascara is for you. This is one of the best formulas available today.
Ingredients to Look For
Some ingredients to look for include jojoba esters, and vitamin e. When possible select, organic ingredients such as organic shea butter, look for labels that state non-toxic mascara and avoid some of the questionable ingredients found in traditional mascaras.
There are so many great brands that formulate their products with clean ingredients, which proves that you don’t have to compromise on your look to shop clean products. By supporting brands and companies that formulate with clean ingredients, don’t test on animals, and provide eco-friendly packaging and manufacturing processes, we are showing big companies that consumers’ tastes have changed. Just one small change on your shopping list can lead to great shifts in the formulation in the long run! I love
If you’re on the fence about switching to clean makeup products, be sure to read our introduction to clean living article here.