A mascara is a cosmetic product that is used to lengthen, thicken, and enhance your eyelashes. It is available in three forms – cream, cake, and liquid. Some basic ingredients in a mascara are oils, waxes, pigments, and preservatives.

This article discusses the history of mascaras and the ingredients that are used in making it.

History of the mascara
Records from about 4000 BC show that a substance called kohl was used to blacken eyebrows, eyelids, and eyelashes. People during ancient times believed that kohl wards off evil spirits and protects one’s soul. Kohl contained charcoal, malachite, galena, honey, crocodile dung, and water.

Until the 19th century, the product that is today known as mascara was not developed in a standard form for enhancing eyelashes. A French-born British perfumer Eugene Rimmel used petroleum jelly to develop a similar cosmetic product. In around 1915, a businessman named Thomas Lyle Williams noticed that his sister was applying a mixture of petroleum jelly and coal on her eyelashes — this inspired him to create a similar product for her. Soon, he started a business that later on came to be known as the famous cosmetics brand Maybelline.

The mascara that Eugene and Thomas developed consisted of equal proportions of coal and petroleum jelly. An alternative solution was soon developed to get better results. A cake was developed containing black dye and soap. A dampened brush was used against it and then applied to the eyelashes. But this alternative was messy as well.

Helena Rubinstein came up with an improved alternative in 1957. In the 20th century, in Paris, mascara was commonly used and was gaining popularity. As the First World War ended, American consumers became eager for French products. Seeing this as an opportunity, Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden launched their cosmetics brand and included mascara in it. With their brand launch, mascara gained popularity in America.

Later on, Helena Rubinstein came up with a formula that evolved the hard cake form of mascara into a cream-based form. This new mascara was sold in a tube with a brush that enabled smooth and easy application. This was a major step toward the creation of the mascara used today.

What ingredients are used to make a mascara?

Cosmetic pigments:  Pigments are used to provide the mascara with the desired color. Most commonly used pigments are titanium dioxide and iron oxides.

Titanium dioxide mainly provides a white color to the mascara and iron oxide provides other shades such as grey, brown, black, red, and ultramarine blue.

Oils and waxes:  A lot of oils are used in the formulation of a mascara. The most frequently used oils are castor oil, sesame oil, linseed oil, and eucalyptus oil. Turpentine oil is also commonly used. Beeswax, paraffin wax, and carnauba wax are some of the common waxes used in the formulation of mascara.

A hydrophobic ingredient called dodecane is used for making waterproof mascara. The non water-resistant mascaras contain water-soluble base ingredients. Rayon or nylon microfibers are present in mascaras that are designed for curling eyelashes. Methyl cellulose, gum tragacanth, and ceresin are other common ingredients that are used and act as stiffeners.