7 Clean Beauty Mascara Swaps To Try

May 1, 2022

Written by Christian Brewer

May 1, 2022

Written by Christian Brewer

Mascara is one of the top and first makeup swaps for our customers who come in store or shop with us online. A few reasons people make the switch is having allergic or skin reactions to conventional mascaras, seeking to avoid specific ingredients due to safety concerns, or looking for brands that are cruelty free. Regardless of the reasoning, there are many positive outcomes to swapping to a natural mascara. The formulations are more gentle meaning they won't cause burning, itching or redness (as long as you are not allergic to any specific ingredients in the formulations). Many of the mascaras contain nourishing ingredients that act like skin care to coat your lashes with lash loving ingredients to promote the health and growth of your lashes. Here is a round up of our favorite clean beauty mascaras and swaps we have from conventional brands you may be avoiding.

1. The first swap is for Two Faced Better Than Sex Mascara for the Lily Lolo Big Lash Mascara in our clean beauty bar! The Two Faced Better Than Sex Mascara ranks a 9 on the Think Dirty App scale for containing "red" level ingredient polyester-11, which is known to have carcinogenic effects. Additionally, it contains "yellow" level ranked ingredients such as PVP, and black 2. The waterproof formula from Two Faced also contains Talc, which is a known ovarian cancer carcinogen. Our swap to still get those big lashes, while ditching those ingredients is the Lily Lolo Big Lash Mascara. You still get to enjoy the hourglass wand and big voluminous lashes. If you are huge volume fan, and if you like that spidery buildable lash you can keep layering this formula to your desired thickness and volume.

Poppy pro tip flip the wand to the smaller ball point to go into separate and uplift the lashes after coating using the wand horizontally.

2. If you have been a Lancome lover for your life, you are going to be surprised to find a mascara that feels familiar but even exceeds your expectations with our Sappho Mascara. Lancome scores anywhere between a 5-8 for formulations on the thinkdirty app. Their formulations still contain parabens, BHT, and PEG's. Meet your new go-to mascara Sappho Maximum Intensity Vegan Mascara. Enjoy a formula that is a happy mascara like most clean beauty mascaras. While it may not be a swimming mascara or tear proof, it is ideal for everyday life! You will fall in love the the super tiny lash-defining-comb-like mascara wand that never leaves you lashes clumpy. This is an ideal mascara for someone looking for length and very soft volume.

3. For the budget friendly clean beauty mascara is the swap for a Loreal Voluminous Mascara would be the Lily Lolo Natural Mascara. Loreal still formulates with parabens, and Imidazolidinyl Urea. According to the thinkdirty app "Imidazolidinyl Urea is an ingredient that allows chemicals to penetrate deeper into the skin. This ingredient can cause an increase risk for contact dermatitis and known to release formaldehyde which has known carcinogenic effects." An ideal swap for a budget friendly clean beauty mascara is Lily Lolo Natural Mascara. This mascara from Lily Lolo unlike its Big Lash Sister will give you a more soft doe-eyed mascara look with volume.

4. Benefit has marketed the They're Real Mascara as a mascara that makes your lashes look provide the ultimate length, volume, and separation. However, some ingredients that are REALLY interesting in their formula is ingredients titanium dioxide, BHT, sodium-laureth 12 sulfate. For a formula made with real wholesome ingredients try the TOK mascara. Founder Tara was actually inspired by the Benefit mascara to make a cleaner version of a mascara she used, made without ingredients she wanted to avoid. Tok mascara is made in Canada. TOK Beauty Eyes That TOK Lash Enhancing Mascara gives your lashes volume and length while helping to condition and strengthen your natural lashes. This plant-based formula is made with horsetail plant which works to strengthen lashes, pea protein which is known to help prevent breakage, and bayberry wax which gives it a water-resistant hold.

5. While Tarte use to be a "cleaner" dubbed brand, in recent years, their formulas have proven the companies use of greenwashing to appeal to conscious consumers while selling them a formula opposite of their claims. Their mascara lights camera lashes and other Tarte products contain some yellow and red level ingredients according to the think dirty app like PEG's, chlorphenesin, and parabens. Swap to an our ATHR big bang mascara that not only is making strides to be the most eco friendly makeup line but with ingredients that are out of this world! This mascara is the ultimate lash maximizing, black-diamond-infused mascara that truly does it all for out-of-this-world length, volume, curl, and definition. Literally, coating you lashes with black diamonds 😍✨

6. While many assume if you purchase designer or "name brands" it must mean that they use better ingredients than what you would find at the drug store. The reality is, in this case, you do not get what you pay for. In the conventional cosmetic world you get products made with the same chemicals and cheaper fillers with maybe some prettier packaging and a name brand label making you feel like an "it" girl. A exact swap for the Dior signature curve brush but without the pegs, pvp, sodium laureth-12 sulfate, and parabens in the formula is the Kosas big lash mascara. Kosas The Big Clean Longwear Volumizing + Lash Care Mascara is now designed with 12 hour wear, for big, fluffy lashes all day long. Made with ingredients found in hair care including castor oil to moisturize, nourish and add shine, pro vitamin B5 to help revive lashes and biotinyl tripeptide to support healthier, fuller lashes. This mascara acts as a hair serum for your lashes, and gives you volume, length and separation.

7. Our last clean beauty mascara swap is for the Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara for our Elate Mascara. As we mentioned prior in the post, Tarte use to be a "cleaner" dubbed brand. In recent years, their formulas have proven the companies use of greenwashing to appeal to conscious consumers while selling them a formula opposite of their claims. Try the Elate mascara which is a truly universal mascara that adds length and volume for every beauty style. With one light coat for a natural eye-opening look, to clean and smooth layers to bravely go bold- this mascara transitions effortlessly. Our favorite feature of this mascara is it is water-resistant (not water proof) meaning for those who are more prone to watery eyes, or mascara transfer will find success with this mascara. This is our best selling mascara in store for years.

We hope this round up mascara swaps helps you make some healthier choices for your lashes with clean lash nourishing mascaras. You can shop our favorite mascaras in store with us and test out the formulas any time, or snag one online and get the poppy experience shipped to your door. Click here to shop now!