Oh hey Abi’s readers, it’s Lucy from sparklyscience.com here, and I am
taking over! Sparkly Science is a blog on the science behind stuff we care
about day to day, and like many of you I really care about my mascara.
My current mascara collection; a wide price range but
they’re all pretty good!
Mascara is one of the most hotly debated beauty products
with thousands of brands claiming they have the perfect solution in their
little tube to create big, dark fluttery lashes. In Boots alone there are 280 types,
with prices ranging from a mere £1.99 to a hefty £33. This makes it no surprise
that mascara is one of the most blogged about beauty products of all time! But I have been wondering, how does mascara actually work? And
what is the difference between what is in a high end mascara compared to the
cheaper options?
Pigment – Let
start with colour, and how mascara makes our lashes so black (get prepared for
some high techy chemical name dropping). Most mascara contains iron oxides and titanium dioxide to
give black and brown tints, carbon black
is also a common chemical for giving a dark tint. Mascaras with blue hue contain
a chemical called ultramarine blue. These
pigments are mixed with oils, water and waxes to make an emulsion, and that is pretty much all that is in mascara.
Lengthening – Many
types of mascara that claim to lengthen your lashes contain ‘micro fibres’,
which are usually made out of nylon
(the same material as tights!) or cellulose
(a fibre that makes up plant cells). They seem like weird materials to use, but
these tiny fibres are able to cling to the end of each lash and hang over the
edge, extending our natural lashes so they look like spider legs.
Thickening – Some
of the thickening effect comes from the dark carbon black pigments, giving the
optical illusion of thicker lashes. Also, the nylon and cellulose micro fibres can cling between lashes,
giving the illusion of more eyelashes being there, but it’s really just the
ones you have being clumped together by tiny bits of tights and plants in a big
web on your eyelid. Another strange material we seem to be putting on our eyes
is tapioca starch (yes, exactly the
same as tapioca pudding!), this is an effective lash thickening agent in
organic mascara.
Smudge proof- A
key component of mascara is waxes
like carnauba, ozokerite and beeswax. They bind all the ingredients of the
mascara together and glue them to the lash. This allows the mascara to stay put
throughout the day, despite our constant blinking, sweating and accidental eye
rubbing.
Waterproof- These
waxes also protect the mascara pigments from water as they are hydrophobic (which means they can’t
dissolve in water). Water can’t break the bonds between the waxy mascara and
the lashes, so we won’t get panda eyes in the pool or whilst sobbing watching
‘one born every minute’. The only thing that can break the bonds between the hydrophobic
wax and the lashes is oil based makeup remover.
High end vs high
street- what’s the real difference?
Honestly, a lot of the ingredients are quite similar, and
there are many cheaper brand mascaras that give great colour, length and are
waterproof. However, some subtle additions and changes to chemicals in some
pricey mascara can give them the edge in a few areas:-
- More colourings – I noticed that my Estee Lauder mascara had a longer list of pigment chemicals in the ingredients than my Maybelline mascara. This combination of several pigments could explain why it creates a slightly darker black (although to be fair, the cheaper one is still pretty dark with its iron oxides and carbon black).
- More waxes – typically high end mascara has more smudge free hours of wear, this is due to a wider range of waxes being used, and sometimes better quality wax to give it extra staying power. The use of shellac in high end mascara also improves longevity of wear, but recently shellac is present in many cheaper brands too.
- Silky texture – some designer mascara contains tiny amounts of pearl to create a silky shiny finish, it seems super fancy but really it is a teeny tiny amount!
- Conditioning – pro-vitamin B5 is present in many cheaper mascaras, but other B vitamins are added to pricier mascara to further improve lash condition. This helps pretty curls to form and keeps lashes in top condition.
As this is a beauty blog I thought you would like to know
that my favourite mascara is Estee
Lauder double wear; the texture is like silk! I have also been really impressed
with my Maybelline ‘Colossal Go Extreme – waterproof’ which was a fraction of
the cost, but still gives me beautifu
l thick lashes that last all day, even
after a swim!
My favourite mascaras! Don’t underestimate the humble
Maybelline; it lasts longer than the Estee Lauder!
So, next time you choose a new mascara, take a look at the ingredients!
You may not have to splash as much cash if you can see that the cheaper brand has
all the pigments, fibres and waxes that you need (See...science is useful!).
Thanks for having me Abi! For more posts on the science behind useful stuff like hangover cures, sex, love, dieting and shoes check me out at sparklyscience.com.
Love Lucy xxx
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