DIY Natural Mascara

Making natural mascara is perhaps the most difficult of creating your own cosmetics from ingredients that are not artificial – and possibly toxic. A lot of trial and error is involved when making anything from scratch, but mascara poses a unique set of problems. The space the mascara must be placed, the eyelashes, is thin, small, and moves a lot.

Women have worn mascara dating at least as far back as ancient Egypt – long before commercial cosmetics counters existed. The simplistic formulas used to make mascara were oil and wax based and contained some basic natural pigmentation ingredients.

Homemade Natural Mascara Tips And Facts

DIY mascara recipes must not be running, that is the most important part of any recipe. No one wants “raccoon eyes” or worse yet, oils and butters flowing into their eyes and causing great discomfort. If natural mascara drips and runs into your eyes while you are driving, operating equipment, or engaged in homesteading tasks, the temporarily blocked vision could be a safety risk.

All of that being said, there are DIY natural mascara recipes that tend to work well. Yet, I still must caution you to be mindful of wearing these recipes in hot climates or during the summer months, especially if using coconut oil as a base ingredient, due to the potential for runny mascara.

Personally, I would prefer being cautious about wearing homemade natural mascara in intense heat over wearing commercially manufactured products that contain:

• Silica
• Panthenol
• Benzyl Alcohol
• Methylparaben
• Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
• Sodium Polymethacrylate
• Hydroxyethylcellulose
• Saccharum
• Aluminum powder
• Phenoxyethanol
• Disodium Edta
• Butylparaben
• Phenethyl Alcohol
• Ceteareth-20

I have never come across a way to make waterproof mascara naturally, keep that in mind when going out to play in the rain while wearing makeup created from one of the recipes below.

You can store DIY natural mascara in a glass or plastic container with a firm-fitting lid that will accommodate the brush you plan on using during the application process. Empty mascara containers can be purchased online with a syringe being used to force the homemade makeup inside.

DIY Natural Mascara Recipe #1

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon of shea butter
• ½ teaspoon of activated charcoal
• 2 teaspoons of coconut oil

Directions

1. Heat the beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil in a small pot over only low heat – stir frequently to avoid scorching. You can also use a double boiler for this step, or a glass dish positioned over the small pot that has water boiling inside, to help avoid burning your ingredients.
2. Stir in the activated charcoal once all of the initial ingredients are melted.
3. If you prefer a brown to black shade of mascara instead of jet black, stir in a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, or cocoa powder now.
4. Remove the mixture from the stove, and pour it into your chosen storage container while it is still hot.

DIY Natural Mascara Recipe #2

Ingredients

• ¼ of a teaspoon of Bentonite clay
• ¼ of a teaspoon of aloe vera gel
• ¼ of a teaspoon of activated charcoal, or black mineral powder
• 4 drops of vegetable glycerin

Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients together, and stir until they are entirely smooth. Stir in a pinch more of aloe vera gel to garner a smoother consistency.
2. Pour the mixture into your chosen storage container.

Hints And Tips

• If you dust your eyelashes with a slight amount of either cornstarch or arrowroot powder before applying the natural mascara, it tends to stick better to your lashes and prevent dripping in warmer weather.
• Some ladies use an eyelash curler to apply both their natural mascara and cornstarch or arrowroot powder.
• If you add one drop of lavender essential oil to your mascara recipe, it might help your lashes appear fuller and help them grow.
• Bentonite clay can help prevent smudging and hardening of the natural mascara. Even if you do not choose the recipe with clay as a base ingredient, you might want to consider tossing half a pinch into any recipe you use, or coating your lashes with it before applying the mascara.
• Both aloe vera gel and vegetable help the mascara go on smoothly, and work like a natural glue to help it stay on the lashes.

I highly recommend always washing off your mascara brush or wand after each use, and allowing it to dry thoroughly. This practice will help prevent any bacteria from your face or surroundings from being transferred back into the mascara storage container – and potentially into your eyes.