Gaby
Women have been enhancing their eyelashes with mascara for thousands of years. The first recorded use dates back to 3000 B.C. in Ancient Egypt, where people used a mixture called kohl—made from animal fat and soot—and even men wore it. The practice continued through history, including the Victorian era, and culminated in 1917 when Eugene Rimmel created the first mascara tube.
What is Mascara Made Of?
Today, mascara is a staple product with a range of tried-and-true formulas. While many women can’t imagine a day without it, few know what actually goes into this cosmetic.
A short YouTube video revealed the components of mascara, surprising many viewers. The narrator said there are four main ingredients: wax, water, pigment, and binders. Although formulas vary by manufacturer, nearly every mascara has both oil-soluble and water-soluble phases.
The Mascara Production Process
An expert explains that to create the oil phase, a technician combines four types of wax: carnauba, candelilla, beeswax, and glycerin stearate—a binder that helps the ingredients blend. Next, liquid vitamin E is added to condition the lashes and give the mascara a smooth texture. Then a compound called Pelemol D-2000 is introduced to make the mascara waterproof.
The mixture is heated, and as the wax melts, the ingredients fuse. The result is a “semi-liquid gel” that coats the lashes with a glossy film.
Meanwhile, the technician prepares the water-soluble phase by heating water and adding an emulsifier. The expert told the Daily Mail that the emulsifier binds the water and oil phases when they come together later; without it, the two would separate.
To give the mascara its black color, a pigment made from black iron oxide is added to the hot water and stirred in. The technician then adds an organic compound to balance the product’s pH, along with cosmetic powder to give the mascara a silky feel. Finally, both mixtures are heated and combined.
Quality Testing and Bottling of Mascara
Before packaging, the product must pass a series of quality checks. A viscometer measures the thickness to make sure the formula isn’t too runny or too sticky.
Once approved, technicians pour batches into a filling machine that continuously mixes the mascara and keeps it warm. Keeping the mixture liquid prevents it from turning into a gel and clogging the nozzles.
As it cools in the bottle, the mascara becomes a semi-liquid gel. Workers finish the process by sealing the bottle with a rubber stopper and screwing on the cap. Finally, the bottles are labeled, sealed, and packaged, ready for store shelves worldwide.
The video showing the mascara-making process has attracted 317,000 views. Beauty fans were surprised to learn how the product is made. Some called mascara a “chemical soup,” while others said it seemed more processed and synthetic than other cosmetic liquids.
