My favorite non-toxic mascaras

If I could take one makeup product to a desert island, I think mine would be mascara. There is something about putting on a coat of mascara, even without any other makeup but great skincare, and just feeling and looking more alive. I am always testing and trying mascaras, because I think they are one of the beauty products that can be great at any budget, and you can really see the results. In my recent trials, I’ve come across two mascaras from newer, clean beauty brands that I think are quite fabulous.

You might be reading this post simply because you saw that headline and thought, what the hell is a non-toxic mascara? Well, I really don’t love the concept of “clean beauty.” It’s a concept that I understand and appreciate in theory, but the more I have learned about it, the less I believe in the purpose of calling it “clean” beyond a marketing scheme in the beauty industry to convince you that you need something different/new, therefore making them more money because you are willing to spend more on something, “safer.”

But by whose definition? To be honest, clean beauty can mean a whole host of things to various companies, and while the purpose is to create more transparency in the products that you use on your skin. But, the reality is, those fuzzy parameters in the clean create consumer issues in the beauty industry, all in the name of more transparency for the consumer. I’ll end my TED talk here, but if you want to understand a little more about this, I definitely recommend this podcast episode that breaks it all down with an actual chemist.

When I am thinking about the kinds of products I want to use, I think that there are two elements I want to consider when searching the clean beauty market- #1, are the ingredients non-toxic? and #2, is the company cruelty-free? An added bonus would be sustainability in how the products are sourced and how they package their products. In terms of skincare and makeup, as a consumer, those are the things I have decided to try and prioritize, especially when it comes to something like a mascara, where I am going to be putting it near my eyes.

To be honest, the list of products that fell into these categories wasn’t so great before – there was a pretty minimal market, and they often lacked the qualities that made a great mascara great. Instead, they were often quite thin, without a lot of grip, and usually fell flat for both my standards and quite literally throughout the day. But for better or worse, this industry has expanded quickly, and I decided to try out some new mascaras from two of my favorite non-toxic beauty brands on the market- Ilia and Kosas (even between these two about pages, you can see the blurred definitions of clean beauty that these two brands have).

I’m going to cut to the chase now since you’ve already endured my lecture, and tell you that I really love both of these mascaras I’m sharing. If you’re looking to find a non-toxic/cruelty free alternative to your drugstore favorites, then look no further than these two mascaras that really live up to my high standards.

I will be the first one to tell you that the best makeup product to buy in a drugstore is a mascara; in fact, I would argue that drugstore mascaras can be better than many of the options lining the aisles at Sephora. I think the first time I tried a mascara that wasn’t from Walgreens was the Clinique, High Impact mascara in college. But when I finished the bottle, I was like, alright, that was nice, but I don’t really want to shell out the money for another bottle when it looked the same as my $8 option. As I get older though, I do have a desire to consider more of the ethics behind some of these bigger beauty brands. Here are the results of what I’ve found.

I started with the Ilia limitless lash mascara this summer, and have been raving about this mascara ever since. Not only has it been the mascara that I reach for more than any other, by far, but it is also my favorite pick for a non-toxic mascara. It is just so…reliable.

When it comes to a mascara, I usually prefer a fluffier spoolie (that’s what you call the little brush on a mascara wand) for a fluffier more voluminous lash. I would say my natural eyelashes are quite short and stumpy, and need a bit of help with the curl factor. So a harder wand with spikey bristles was not something I expected to like, much less love. But here we are, and I have to tell you this mascara is great for any lashes, but it’s best for adding length and curl to your lashes.

Now, to be fair, over the last few months I have been using an eyelash growth serum, and the results are incredible, so I know this is not just the mascara – I have wonderfully and full lashes for the first time in my life (more on that here). But this mascara was working for me well before that, and I think that this mascara is an incredible option that just gives you a lot of length without being clumpy leading to being flaky, two of my biggest qualms with most lengthening mascaras. Now that my lashes are longer, I love this mascara because it doesn’t smudge onto my lash-line while I am applying or transfer onto my brow bone or below my eyes. You can find my Ilia mascara at Sephora or Credo Beauty (essentially the Sephora for non-toxic beauty options) for $28 or a trial size for $13.

My second pick is a mascara and brand that is newer to me – the Kosas’ The Big Clean mascara. I decided to try this option after watching one of my favorite beauty influencers use this to build gorgeous voluminous lashes, which has usually been more of my preference than length. But now that I have a bit more length, I was looking for a mascara to bring me a fuller lash-line. So I decided to grab this mascara in a trial size – the best way to test out mascara options if you don’t want to spend the money to commit.

This mascara is probably closer to some of the drug store options you might have tried, with a traditional, fluffier spoolie with an hourglass shape, which is what you are looking for when you pick a volume-bragging mascara. This mascara did not disappoint – it is easy to work with, the formula is thin and not clumpy, and it layers really really well. Because of the shape of the wand, it really gives you great volume all the way across, and really doesn’t disappoint with length either, as you can build.

If I had to list one qualm with this mascara, it’s that I love to use an eye cream during the day, which can lead some mascaras to transfer onto my under eye area. I’m not sure if this is because of the formula or the brush size, but it’s also very easily avoidable by making sure you use a sparing amount of eye cream and/or cleaning it up with a q-tip or clean spoolie. However, one reason I can look past that is that often voluminous mascaras will transfer onto my upper lash line when I layer, and this one never ever does – a major win that means less clean-up time.

Bottom line, if you’re looking for a volume-building mascara that is non-toxic, then this is your pick for a lash that is full without being heavy, caky or flaky. You can find this $26 mascara ($13 for a trial size) at Sephora or at Credo Beauty.