Should I wear Waterproof Mascara?

So you are about to see that new tear-jerker movie, or going to your best friends wedding. Heck, your own wedding, and you don’t want to look like Rachel McAdams after the rainstorm scene in The Notebook. I get it!! You want to grab your favorite waterproof mascara. But how healthy is that waterproof mascara for lashes? 

Let's take a look at the common ingredients in waterproof mascara. Each brand will have its own special formula but most contain little to no water. The main ingredients will be the colorant (carbon black for example), silica which repels water and helps reduce clumping, a wax, and petroleum distillates, which act as a solvent for the other ingredients which cannot be dissolved in water. It’s a cocktail perfectly formulated to get those lashes coated- and leave ’em that way no matter how hard that love story is making you cry.

One downside to the waterproof part, is how it coats the lash. The lash gets covered with a substance that does not allow the lash to breath. Air and moisture can not get in or out of the lash causing it to become brittle. After a period of time, the lash crumbles or snaps in half do to lack of moisture. The waterproof mascara itself isn’t quite enough to cause all the lash damage. Especially if you remove it properly and in a timely manner, and not sleeping in it for days at a time. In fact, most of the damage to lashes is done during the removal process, and the excessive rubbing it takes to get it off. You can safely and effectively remove waterproof mascara by soaking a cotton pad with a specially formulated mascara remover. Let the cotton pad lay on your lashes for a moment then wipe it across lashes. This gives the remover a little time to break down the mascara. Then gently swipe a few times over your lashes, taking care not to tug at the sensitive skin around your eyes. Never vigorously rub your eye area, or scrub your lashes. 

 The bottom line here is, while waterproof mascara is wonderful for certain occasions, due to blocking of moisture and the removal factor it’s advisable to use regular mascara the majority of the time. You will notice a healthier and a longer set of natural lashes.