‘Waterproof mascara is bad for your lashes’
Or is it? Allow us to enlighten you…
Somewhere along the way, someone started spreading this not-so-cute rumour about my favourite beauty product. It goes a little something like this: waterproof mascara is super harsh and unless you hate your eyelashes or you’re, IDK, cool with them breaking off and falling out, you shouldn’t be using it at all.
Yeah, scary. Except not true at all. The stuff itself isn’t bad for your lashes – it’s pretty much exactly like regular mascara, with one key difference. ‘It’s anhydrous, meaning that it doesn’t contain water,’ says cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, founder of BeautyStat. Formulas made with water are much less likely to cling to your lashes when they come into contact with rain, sweat or tears. Instead, waterproof mascara is made with a combination of waxes, silicones, and/ or polymers, all of which are perfectly safe, lash-friendly ingredients, insists Robinson.
So how did this technically harmless product get such a bad rep? Because of the way that some people try to take it off. ‘Scrubbing and tugging is best for getting gum off your shoe – not mascara off your face,’ says dermatologist Mona Gohara. Not only can rough mascara removal mess with your lash health, she explains, but it can ‘traumatise your already thin eye skin, break capillaries and worsen wrinkling’.
Also, there’s a very simple solution: an oil-based make-up remover or cleanser, which will easily dissolve your waterproof mascara. Just dab a little bit on a reusable cotton pad and – keyword – gently slide it down your lashes until they’re nice and clean. Follow with your regular face wash and your mascara will be totally gone.
And that concludes this myth-busting lesson. Thanks for listening – now, resume living your best waterproofed lash life.