Out of all of the makeup recipes I have formulated, I found that researching how to make mascara was the most difficult. I tried so many different ingredient mixtures before coming up with this organic natural mascara.
Some were too thick, some too watery, some were lumpy and some just would not stick to my lashes. Finally, I was able to create a recipe that works! I found that these ingredients combined to create a mascara has a nice volumized lash look, which was exactly what I had set out to make.
Want To Skip Natural?
Keep in mind that this recipe is totally natural, so won’t be quite the same as you buy in the store. For that, we need to use some other ingredients and I’ll cover that in my next post on how to make DIY mascara that compares to your store-bought mascara in terms of volume and staying power.
Why Make Your Own Natural Mascara?
Well for me, I wanted to find something more natural and not packed full of ingredients. I wanted to start off my mascara creating journey by making something basic and simple but that still worked well. This mascara recipe is exactly that. It is also a very conditioning product for your lashes so it is a win-win really!
One of the most difficult parts of this mascara recipe was getting the mixture into the mascara bottle. Therefore my advice would be, DON’T! It was near impossible to do, I tried a funnel, piping bag, and a syringe, none of which worked well as the mixture is just too thick.
In the end, I decided to pop it into a little container and use an eyelash brush to apply. You just need to make sure you wipe off the excess to avoid clumpy looking lashes. The beauty of using it in this way is that you can do this to your own taste depending on how thick you want your application to be.
The Ingredients I’m Using & Why
Bentonite Clay
I chose to use bentonite clay in this natural mascara recipe as it creates a good texture and sticks on your lashes better. I also found that the clay adds more volume to my lashes. Clay nourishes and repairs lashes too, which can help to prevent lash loss.
It’s worth mentioning that I’ve also made this mascara using kaolin clay which also worked really well. In fact, you could probably use any type of clay but you may need to adjust the amount of glycerin you use to compensate for the absorption rate of the clay you choose.
Glycerine
The glycerin in this recipe acts as an adhesive meaning that the mascara will stay on your lashes longer. It also makes the mascara smoother in texture.
Glycerine is both moisturizing and hydrating, making it a great choice for lash products. We tried substituting the glycerine for aloe vera gel to see if it worked, which it did but was much thicker so I would suggest that if you choose this option then you will need to add quite a lot.
Activated Charcoal
I used activated charcoal as the colorant in this recipe as I wanted a dark black mascara. Activated charcoal is also detoxifying and helps to balance out PH levels, which in turn can lead to healthier lashes.
When I first tried this recipe I used a black oxide rather than the charcoal, and although this worked ok it wasn’t the smooth consistency that I had had when using the charcoal.
Preservative
As this recipe contains clay, it certainly needs a preservative. If you do not use this, your mascara could form harmful bacteria very quickly; It would probably only last about 24hrs.
I’m using Plantaserve P (saliguard PCG ) at 1% as this is the recommended amount for my preservative. Always check with your supplier for their recommended usage rate then increase or decrease the preservative in this recipe to ensure that you are using the correct amount.
How To Make Natural Organic Mascara At Home
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Ingredients
- 12 grams Bentonite Clay
- 20 grams Glycerine
- 2.7 grams Activated Charcoal Powder
- 0.3 grams Preservative
- 1 Cosmetic Jar 2 oz
Video
Instructions
- Measure out your clay into a small beaker12 grams Bentonite Clay
- Add the activated charcoal to the clay and mix well2.7 grams Activated Charcoal Powder
- Next, it's time to add your glycerine, a bit at a time, mixing together until thoroughly combined. You may have to add a little more or a little less glycerine to get the texture right. I started by adding around 10g and built it up to 20g20 grams Glycerine
- Add the preservative and mix once again, making sure that the preservative is fully dispersed throughout.Then, put the mixture into a little container. As I mentioned before you could put this into an empty mascara bottle but it's a messy and difficult process. The easiest way to transfer it was with a small syringe. I had read that if you put the mascara into a plastic bag and cut the corner off, it could be squeezed into the mascara tube. This didn't work well for me and I lost a good 50% of it just trying. Once you have transferred your mascara into its final container it is now ready to use.0.3 grams Preservative, 1 Cosmetic Jar 2 oz
Final Thoughts
This recipe will create a lovely thick mascara that should stay in place for most of the day. Although if I’m using a mascara tube, I’ll throw mine in my handbag and take it with me. Wouldn’t recommend this if you’re storing it in a beaker.
However, you should bear in mind that it is not rub-proof, so try not to touch your eyes too much when wearing it. This is the case for most mascara’s though, even store-bought ones.
You should also be aware that as this is a very natural mascara recipe, using minimal ingredients, it cannot be compared to your shop-bought mascara (unlike my longer lasting DIY mascara ) in terms of volume and durability. However, it is better for your lash health.
If you like this recipe, take a look at some of my others! The best way to hear first about new crafts is to joins our newsletter or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and Twitter!
Hi Angela,
I’m going to try your formula for homemade mascara. Question: will the mascara wash off with water? From the listed ingredients, it seems to me it does, but please verify.
Thank you!
Hi Kim, this is a water based mascara so it will wash of wash off with water.
Angela x
Where can I find the preserves? I’m confused because I’m looking for this & can’t find it
The preservative is best purchases from a reputible cosmetics ingredient supplier, such as Bramble Berry. Take a look at my preservatives post to learn more about them.
I have a weird reaction to activated charcoal, unfortunately. Would a black mica powder work, or what would you recommend to use in place of the charcoal?
Hi Beth, For a substitution, I would go for black iron oxide rather than mica because it will transfer better.
This the best diy make up content so far. And I have hunted high and low for diy explanations.
Thank you