How to Make Natural Mascara (Easy DIY Recipe)
Making your own mascara might be easier (and more important) than you think!
Have you ever looked into the ingredients in drugstore mascara? From PFAS, dyes with heavy metals, parabens and phthalates to formaldehyde – it’s a scary list.
It seems like it shouldn’t be that hard to find a makeup that doesn’t potentially cause cancer or disrupt our hormones.
Not only that, but the price of these toxic products keeps increasing. Why pay more for something that’s bad for your health to begin with?
Now is a great time to hone your makeup-making skills, starting with this DIY natural mascara.
Homemade mascara FAQs
Before we jump into the recipe, you might be asking:
- Does homemade mascara really work?
- Is it safe and beneficial?
- Does it cost a lot to make?
- Are there any drawbacks of DIY mascara?
First, it really does work. The activated charcoal provides the coloring, and the bentonite clay works to absorb excess oil and prevent smudging.
This recipe includes ingredients that are all generally safe for use in natural makeup; just be choosy with the brands you buy (look for organic when possible). The aloe vera is especially nourishing for lashes and can help prevent breakage.
You’ll be glad to know that making natural mascara is not expensive compared to buying it in stores! I estimated that you can purchase all the ingredients to start for about $5 per tube of mascara (with lots of leftover aloe vera, bentonite clay and glycerin, which you might already have).
The only real drawback of making your own mascara is simply taking the time to do it, which is honestly minimal! If you follow the steps below, you’ll see it’s a really easy DIY project that’s so worthwhile.
How to make natural mascara
We’re just using 4 natural ingredients for this mascara: activated charcoal, bentonite clay, aloe vera gel, and vegetable glycerin.
You’ll simply mix together the charcoal and bentonite clay first. Then slowly add the vegetable glycerin and aloe vera gel until combined. Add more of the liquid ingredients if it’s too thick.
*I will note that some might prefer a thicker or more water-resistant mascara at the end. If you find this is the case, so you could also add some fractionated coconut oil or melted beeswax to your mixture.
Coconut oil also has additional benefits for strong lashes and may help your mascara stay fresh longer, as it acts as a preservative (in addition to the aloe gel).
Once you get the desired texture, you can use a pipette to squeeze it into an empty mascara tube.
That’s really all it takes to make your own natural, long-lasting mascara! And I think you’ll love using these ingredients that are actually beneficial for your lashes.
See the recipe card below for full instructions, tips, and links to ingredients.
Easy Natural Mascara Recipe
This mascara recipe offers lots of flexibility with all natural, beneficial ingredients for your lashes.
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoons of activated charcoal (OR dark cacao powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon bentonite clay
- 1/2 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
- 1/2 teaspoon aloe vera gel (NOT fresh- see notes)
- OPTIONAL: Fractionated coconut oil (a few drops as needed, if desired for thickness)
- OPTIONAL: melted beeswax (a few drops as desired for waterproof effect)
- Empty mascara tubes
- Pipette
Instructions
- Mix together the activated charcoal (or dark cacao powder) and bentonite clay until combined.
- Slowly add the glycerin and aloe vera gel. You can add more if it's too thick.
- If you want a thicker or creamier texture you can add fractionated coconut oil and/or melted beeswax (which can make it more waterproof). You only need a tiny amount of each.
- Once mixture is the desired thickness, color and texture, you can use a pipette to squeeze it into an empty, clean mascara tube.
Notes
*Use store bought, cold processed aloe vera gel such as the one linked to in this recipe card. It provides a preservative effect to make the mascara last longer. Fresh aloe vera will spoil after just a few days and start growing bacteria (not good for makeup!)
*Adding the coconut oil can also help preserve the ingredients longer.
*Proportions in recipe are for one tube, but you can easily increase this recipe to make several tubes of mascara with the products linked to below.
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