Best Natural Mascaras

Finding the best natural mascaras for your needs can be a little bit tricky. While it’s getting easier and easier to find other natural products in stores these days, it seems like natural cosmetics are still about a decade behind everything else. There are far fewer options and many of the options that do exist just don’t perform very well. And then there’s the fact that what cosmetics companies consider to be natural may not be what we as consumers consider natural.

When it comes to natural mascaras (and natural cosmetics in general), I try to find products that are a lesser evil than conventional brands. I do my best to avoid brands that are clearly greenwashing, but I’ll be the first to admit that it’s difficult sometimes, particularly when you’re seeking products that still manage to do what they’re supposed to. These are the best natural mascaras that I’ve found so far, but as you can see, some are more natural than others. I try to buy products with an Environmental Working Group score of 4 or below, so that’s what I’ve included here.

Organic Wear Jumbo Lash Mascara // It’s hard to find natural mascara in drugstores, but Organic Wear is from the makers of Physician’s Formula, so it’s a little more widely available than other brands (it’s also cheaper). Organic Wear makeup is 100% natural and 47% of the ingredients are organic too. Jumbo Lash contains soy and olive oils to protect and nourish lashes.

• 100% natural volumizing technology
• Moisturizes and helps nourish lashes, while shielding lashes from harsh environment
• Hypoallergenic; Fragrance-free; Ophthalmologist approved

Suncoat Natural Mascara // A vegan mascara that’s made from sugar, clay, and earth pigments, Suncoat is perfect for sensitive eyes. It comes in three colors (black, brown, and navy blue) and its ingredients are biodegradable. Suncoat isn’t waterproof (which might be a plus for some people), but it still manages to be somewhat smudge-resistant. This is the most natural mascara of the bunch and it has an EWG score of 1.

Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara // This mascara claims to deliver a 406% increase in lash volume. While I have no way of telling whether that’s accurate or not, I do love this mascara. As you might guess from the name, it’s made with clay, which hydrates lashes and absorbs oil throughout the day. As someone with oily skin, I really love that oil absorbing ability and I wish other mascaras would do that too. The biggest downside to this mascara is that there are some iffy ingredients and EWG gives it a score of 4, mostly because of the allergy and immunotoxicity risk. Personally, I put more weight on the cancer risk, so I’m willing to purchase products with a higher allergy rating if they rate lower on cancer. If you have chemical sensitivites, you might want to stay away from this one though.

• The Amazonian clay makes this the first and only “smart” mascara that intuitively finds and treats your unique lash concerns, delivering the benefits you need and volume you desire.
• The Amazonian clay instinctively lengthens, conditions, repairs and replenishes dry and brittle lashes.
• This mascara works overtime to keep lashes intact, healthier, and stronger by preventing lash loss and promoting lash health.
• Amazonian clay: balances, nourishes, hydrates, replenishes and repairs to promote healthy, more voluminous lashes and while preventing lash loss.

Korres Deep Colour Mascara // This is my favorite brand! It’s the first one I started using when I switched to natural mascara and it’s the one I keep going back to. The difference in my eyelashes going from regular mascara to this one was so dramatic–they really look healthier and they’re less brittle. Korres’ secret is the addition of Provitamin B5 to help condition and strengthen lashes and rice bran to provide length and volume. If it was possible to combine the oil absorbing abilities of the Gifted Amazonian mascara with the conditioning abilities of Korres Deep Colour, I’d be a happy camper. Unfortunately, this mascara has an EWG score of 3–definitely not a bad score, but it could be better.

• This brand favorite contains pro-vitamin B5, a proven hair-strengthening agent that conditions and strengthens lashes
• Rice bran expands to provide maximum lash length, volume, and fullness
• Start at the base of the eyelashes and wiggle the mascara wand upward in long strokes to condition lashes and create maximum length and volume

Origins Fringe Benefits Lash-Loving Mascara // This mascara comes in both black and brown and it’s a great everyday mascara because it looks natural and not cakey, flakey, and fakey. It doesn’t clump, but it does have a tendency to smudge–it’s definitely not waterproof.

Thank you to guest blogger Kiersten from OhMyMunchkin for her review!

We also have an article on Fiber Lash Mascara with Review and images!