4 Essentials To Look For When Shopping Mascaras For Sensitive Eyes
Sensitivities and allergies make picking a mascara a nightmare. Catch phrases on labels fall short, as many are unregulated—especially those labeled "clean" and "healthy".
You could check out each mascara’s ingredient list—but it’s only helpful if you know what to look for. Benzalkonium chloride? Retinyl Acetate? Plain english, please.
And with more people wearing regular mascara more often, sensitivities and allergies are becoming more common. Mascara is a perfect storm. It's our eyes' job to be sensitive... and it's mascara's job to hang out next to them.
If your eyes are sensitive to mascara, you’ve probably encountered a few of the following:
- Specks of mascara in your eyes (ouch!).
- Burning sensation in your eyes when they water or when you try to remove makeup.
- Your mascara interferes with your contacts, so you you wear glasses on days you want to wear more mascara.
- Light crust around the roots of your lashes.
- Clear mascara residue in the inner corners of your eyes throughout the day.
- Rashes and/or dry itchy spots around your eye area and lids (dermatitis).
- Tiny bumps (Mila) or styes around your lash line (mila).
What to Look for When Buying Mascara for Sensitive Eyes?
- FIND NON- FLAKING MASCARA
Flakes are the primary source of irritation. All traditional mascaras are paint-based and will eventually flake throughout the day. So, how do you know if a mascara is prone to flaking? Here are the top factors that contribute to flakiness:
- Formula: Mascara with an oil-based formula is more likely to flake (and most mascaras fall into this category). Blinc's Tubing Mascaras are a great choice to avoid flaking because it forms a protective "tube" around each lash as it dries.
- Age: The older your mascara gets, the more air enters it, causing it to dry out and flake.
- Application Speed: If your lashes are wet, or you don’t let layers dry, mascara won’t apply smoothly.
Flaking often goes hand-in-hand with smudging. Traditional mascaras containing wax and oils react poorly when in contact with water. That leads many to turn to waterproof mascara to prevent smudging.
- STAY AWAY FROM "WATERPROOF" LABELS
These formulas contain a suspicious cocktail of ingredients designed grip onto your lashes. Great for a day at the pool...not great when you have to take it off. Not only do waterproof formulas need special removers, they also require lots of rubbing.
However, waterproof mascara’s biggest drawback is the eye dryness it causes. These mascaras are notorious for leaving a residue that clogs your ducts and pores. If any mascara will irritate your eyes, it's waterproof mascara.
- FIND A MASCARA FREE OF THESE IRRITANTS
Thankfully, there's now more public awareness about mascara ingredients, and it's easier to find information on the subject. So, which ingredients should you be stay away from that might not agree with sensitive eyes?
- Parabens: These help extend mascara shelf life but can be tough on sensitive skin, often leading to red and itchy patches around your eyes, known as dermatitis.
- BHT: Another preservative used to prolong mascara's life, but it's a common cause of mascara-related allergic reactions.
- Fragrance: commonly used to mask the natural scent of makeup, ingredients labeled as "fragrance" can be vague, and can trigger irritation.
- Mineral Oils: These are used in mascaras to enhance their shine and ease of application, but they can also clog your pores and ducts, potentially resulting in issues like milia, styes, and irritation.
- DON'T USE FIBER MASCARA (OR REMOVERS WITH FIBERS)
These mascaras are super popular for their length and definition-enhancing powers. But they use—you guessed it—fibers. Ones that can get in your eye and cause that irritation. Steer clear of fiber mascaras to have more confidence in a flake-free formula.
Plus, if you remove your mascara with a cotton ball or cotton pad, you’re exposing your eyes to even more fibers. If your eyes are prone to irritation, swap out fiber-full disposables with a non-shedding wipe or reusable cloth.
We get it, it's hard to shop for mascara when you have sensitive eyes. Most options you find at the drugstore are oil-based mascaras. And many of the great mascaras that hold up like a charm make you pay for it with difficult clean up. So what choices does that leave you with?
THE SOLUTION: TUBING MASCARA FOR SENSITIVE EYES
It applies like a normal mascara, but it uses a different technology and mascara formula. Traditional mascara is a paint that's usually oil-based. It still interacts with water and your natural oils, coming off in flakes and sludge.
Blinc's Tubing mascaras wrap each individual lash in its own tube. It sets as it dries, creating a sturdy structure that's smudge proof and doesn't flake throughout the day. It lasts until you take it off, so you won’t wake up raccoon-eyed if you forget to take it off before bed.
And the best part? It’s the easy-to-remove mascara your sensitive eyes have been needing. To remove, simply soak your lashes with warm water...and the tubes slide off your lashes. No scrubbing. No lineup of cleansers. No black floaters or slime out the corners of each eye.
Your sensitive eyes deserve a mascara that treats them gently—but never make you sacrifice the lash length and volume you’re looking for.
Explore Blinc's 4 best tubing mascaras and discover the one that fits you best depending on your lash type and desired looks for different occasions. We also have Clean, Vegan, and Gluten-Free options. We have a QUIZ to help consumers decide.
You can also shop Blinc at Target.com, Sephora.com, Riteaid.com or Amazon.com.
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