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Mascara is one of the primary makeup staples that can be found in nearly every routine, and even if you aren’t a beauty guru you likely still have a tube that you turn to most days to give your eyes a lift. However, just as your skincare products have the potential to contain harmful ingredients that can do some serious damage to your skin, mascara can also be formulated with questionable chemicals that make your lashes brittle and your eyes irritated. Before you toss your tube in the trash and head out to buy a new formula, this is the one ingredient that experts say you should avoid in mascara if you want to preserve your lashes.
Formaldehyde can be found in mascara as a preservative, however, it should be avoided if you want to protect your eyes from irritation and lash fallout. While preservatives are necessary for ensuring the longevity of your makeup products, formaldehyde has been known to have some frightening downsides when used in your beauty products. “Formaldehyde [is] a carcinogenic substance that also irritates skin and causes inflamed and irritated eyelids. It can also cause contact dermatitis,” explains Nurse Practitioner and medical spa owner Jill Canes.
The presence of fragrance in your mascara as well as diazolidinyl urea can also indicate the presence of formaldehyde and other parabens. Celebrity makeup artist and beauty expert Douglas Otero explains, “The serious side is fragrance is usually tied to other harmful parabens like formaldehyde, found in nail polish remover. Hence why so many still say “my eyes tear when I use this mascara.” If you often find your eyes watering once you apply your makeup, it’s worth giving the ingredients list a look to see what your mascara is made up of.
If you’ve realized that your mascara contains carcinogens such as formaldehyde which can cause irritation and lash fallout, it’s time to make the switch to a new product that doesn’t put your lashes at risk. The clean beauty market has exploded over the past several years, so now more than ever it’s easy to find a high quality product that does not contain formaldehyde or other dangerous preservatives. For a higher end option, Kosas’ The Big Clean Mascara is great for volumizing and nourishing your lashes without harmful ingredients. If the drugstore is more in your price range, the Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara is loaded with natural ingredients to enhance and define your lashes without causing damage.
In order to preserve your natural beauty it’s important to prioritize purchasing products that won’t cause damage to your skin and lashes. It may take a little extra effort to uncover a safe product without formaldehyde or other carcinogens, but keeping your lashes intact and optimizing your beauty routine will be well worth it when you can enhance your look without causing damage.
