Clean mascaras are setting a new benchmark for the category.
A study published in the Journal of Environmental Science & Technology found that many popular mascaras – predominantly waterproof or those dubbed “longer lasting” – contained carcinogenic PFAS chemicals to enhance durability and water resistance. These findings gave the industry a much-needed reexamination of the ingredients used in the eye make-up staple.
Vogue’s favourite clean mascaras at a glance:
Clean mascaras have emerged supreme – formulated with fewer chemicals that may irritate, including potential nasties like synthetic fragrances and preservatives and prioritising plant-based waxes and oils, from beeswax and carnauba, to shea butter and jojoba.
But it is important to note that the term clean is highly unregulated. So to determine which actually deserve the moniker, Gabriella Elio, founder of clean make-up brand Sweed, explains what to look out for. She says, “There is no legal regulation or binding seal for clean beauty. The term is more focused on ‘free from’, so excluding controversial substances such as parabens, formaldehyde, oxybenzone, phthalates, silicones, microplastics and synthetic fragrances.”
Be aware that clean doesn’t always mean natural. “Unlike natural cosmetics, synthetic ingredients that are classified as safe may be included,” Elio adds. “Therefore, every brand and/or retailer can have their own definition of ‘clean’ beauty”. She divulges that the likes of Sephora has its own clean beauty standards, as do Credo and The Detox Market. She explains that the latter two “are the toughest ones in the industry and only sell very strict clean beauty products with their own definition of it that is more excessive than other retailers. They even have a clean beauty concept for the packaging to be environmentally friendly.”
How often do you replace your mascara? I don’t need a crystal ball to know that the answer is likely not every three to six months as per the recommended guidelines. Without traditional preservatives, clean mascaras may dry out sooner than the chemical-filled alternatives. Elio tells us, “Some mascaras can last for a very long time. But I recommend exchanging every three to six months to be sure that the formula is fresh with no bacterial growth inside.”
See the Vogue-approved edit of clean mascaras below
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: “A brand from founder Sheena Yaitanes’s love for elevated yet natural beauty, Kosas remains coveted for its performance-driven formulas,” says Vogue beauty contributor Jessica Diner. “This lash-lift-in-a-tube comes infused with jojoba oil and vitamin E to curl and nourish lashes and the size and shape of the wand allow for serious length and separation. A new favourite.” The infusion of peptide serum treats the hair and improves the coating of each individual lash. The Kosas Soulgazer Mascara is vegan, hypoallergenic and ophthalmologist-tested.
- Key ingredients: Jojoba oil and vitamin E
- Type: Lengthening, lash serum
- Waterproof: No
- Additional features: Safe for sensitive eyes
- Shades: 1
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: The Lash Sculpt Mascara stands out from the crowd for its incredibly curvaceous brush. A half-moon in shape, the bristles are like a comb that glide through the hairs during the application, lifting, lengthening and coating them in the waxy pigmented formula. It takes some getting used to, but once you have, lashes appear wispy and luscious. It comes in two colourways: brown and black. The mascara is vegan, cruelty-free and forgos the inclusion of parabens or synthetic fragrance.
- Key ingredients: Pro-Vitamin B5 and glycerin
- Type: Define and lengthen
- Waterproof: No
- Additional features: Ideal for short lashes and to create a natural look
- Shades: Two
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: A go-to for 83-year-old Martha Stewart, Merit’s lengthening mascara is infused with ingredients – such as fatty acids and olive oil esters – that nourish and hydrate brittle lashes. Robert Bryan, celebrity makeup artist for the likes of Mindy Kaling, is also on board with the easy-on-the-eyes (literally!) formula. “This tubing mascara can be removed using only lukewarm water, which prevents you from damaging or losing lashes from vigorously rubbing them to remove makeup,” he says. The finished result gives a natural-looking flutter for any minimalist eye make-up look. If you’re looking for a separating tubing mascara that also has 100 per cent clean ingredients, look no further than Merit.
- Key ingredients: Fatty acids, olive oil esters, vitamin B5
- Type: Lengthening, tubing
- Waterproof: No
- Additional features: vegan, buildable, easy to remove
- Shades: 1
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Saie switches out parabens, sulfates and synthetic fragrances for a fully transparent ingredients list that doesn’t eschew synthetics but ensures that when they are included, they are safe, not irritating and non-toxic. There are conditioning heroes like beeswax and carnauba wax, shea butter and a Hydra-Mineral Complex with arginine amino acids, the latter of which works to strengthen the lashes as you apply the pigment. This is a thick consistency, but it’s buildable.
- Key ingredients: Beeswax, shea butter, and carnauba wax
- Type: Lengthening and volumising
- Waterproof: No
- Additional features: Creates a natural look without flaking
- Shades: 1
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: UKLASH is best known for its lash serum, and its mascara is designed to be used alongside this to give you instant length. Free from parabens and including only cruelty-free ingredients, the inky black pigment instantly transforms lashes, giving a false lash effect. Customers praise its impact on mature lashes particularly.
- Key ingredients: Carnauba and candelilla waxes
- Type: Lengthening, curling and defining
- Waterproof: No – water-resistant
- Additional features: There are three mascaras on offer – tubing, volume boost or lengthening
- Shades: 1
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: The Sweed Cloud Mascara has Sabrina Carpenter’s seal of approval. To mark the end of her Short n’ Sweet tour, the Manchild singer captured her make-up bag as part of an Instagram dump, revealing that not only is she a fan of this clean formulation but the matching Sweed Satin Kohl Eyeliner too. The mascara is vegan and free from parabens and fragrance, which means it’s also safe to be used by those with sensitivities. In either black or brown, it creates a natural, lengthened look without flaking.
- Key ingredients: Vitamin B5 and C
- Type: Volumising, lengthening and definition
- Waterproof: No – water resistance
- Additional features: No flaking or smudging
- Shades: 2
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: In addition to imparting the perfect curl, this mascara is wrapped up in cute, bright packaging that brings cheer to any vanity display. The vegan formulation calls on Aquaflex technology to easily curl lashes without a crunchy hold. Tower 28’s mascara is formulated with sensitive eyes in mind and is ophthalmologist-tested. There are two shades: black and dark brown.
- Key ingredients: Castor oil, vitamin B5
- Type: Lengthening
- Waterproof: No
- Additional features: No-clump formula that lengthens
- Shades: 2
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: What sets Ilia’s Limitless Lash Mascara apart from others in the market is that it’s 99 per cent naturally derived – much like the brand’s assortment of make-up products focused on sustainability and good-for-the-skin ingredients.
- Benefits: Packed with nourishing actives, this lightweight mascara shouldn’t smudge.
- Key ingredients: Arginine, shea butter, and beeswax
- Who it’s for: Anyone who is constantly on the go will appreciate the mascara’s ability to stay put all day – and wash off easily (using just water) at night.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: 1
- Editor’s tip: I typically coat my lower lashes with a lot of caution (and, frankly, little skill.) The lash-grabbing spikes in this brush make it easy to coat that bottom layer with smudge-defying precision. Overall, my eyes look so much more awake.
FAQs
Is “clean mascara” safer or better than conventional mascara?
“All mascaras created for the European market are considered safe due to tougher regulations in Europe than in the US,” explains make-up founder Gabriella Elio. “In Europe, we have more ingredients that are prohibited in beauty products. But there’s another layer to the topic where you can choose to exclude even more ingredients, as Sweed has done to be more suitable for sensitive skin or for an environmentally-friendly perspective.”
Are there any certifications that apply to clean mascara?
A murky category in the beauty industry, there is no official guidelines that a brand has to follow to be able to call their products clean. Elio confirms this, “As far as I am aware, there are no “Clean Beauty Certifications”, but there are other certification schemes for natural cosmetics. For natural cosmetics, the most common certifications are called Natrue, Cosmos or BDIH.”
How does clean mascara perform in terms of length, volume, and curl?
You don’t need to sacrifice on performance by switching to a clean mascara, as the products above confirm. This is certainly the case when it comes to Elio’s Sweed, one of the Vogue top picks. She adds, “our viral Sweed mascaras are a perfect example of a clean mascara giving insane length and volume and yet not budging on performance.”
Meet the expert
- Gabriella Elio, founder of the clean and vegan Scandi make-up brand Sweed, which has two award-winning mascaras, the Cloud and Lash Lift Mascara.