DIY mascara free of harmful chemicals

For about 2 years now, I have been on a "rid my life of chemicals" journey. In college I learned a whole lot of science and a whole lot of why we need to be more cautious of what we put on our bodies. First I took chemistry, then bio chemistry, then genetics. These three compounded on one another made me, and many of my other classmates, haters of most big makeup manufactures. Known carcinogens are often put into make-up. It is seen as safe because a compounding factor is not looked at. If 6 of your 10 beauty products have this carcinogen in them, it could really start to cause a problem, especially if you use it daily and for many years.

This accounts for pretty much all types of beauty products. Make-up, lotions/moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, body wash, soaps and more. 

As a dietitian, I often preach that it is all about what we put in our body... and it is... but that also includes what enters our body via the skin and eyes. It all counts. Although we have this awesome armor known as our skin, some things slip through the cracks (known as pours) and slip strait into the blood stream or lymph system. This is pretty unnerving. At least when we eat something there is somewhat of a second filtration system before it gets into our blood. I am not saying that everything you put on your skin enters your blood stream, because that is just crazy. We would have all died long ago if that was the case. On the contrary, our skin is actually really fantastic at keeping harmful chemicals and pathogens out of our body. The problem arises when something is missed. It could be either so small it passes through, or there could be a small cut, or maybe some chemical component that allows it to pass through the skin unhindered. Whatever the method, these unwanted chemicals can cause many problems for our bodies. This is important for all walks of life, but the growing bodies (kids) are of even more importance for protecting against these unwanted chemical invasions. 

The sad part is, these things are in most products at your supermarkets or local grocery. They are in toothpastes, regular & children's shampoos and washes, baby wipes and definitely make-up. 

After learning about some of these chemicals in my classes and what they could do on a genetic level, I decided it was time to cut them out. I am not all of the way there yet, but I have a great start. 

I am lucky in that I don't care much for long morning routines. I pretty much stick to moisturizer blush and mascara in the beauty department. The only time I can remember taking more than 5 min putting on makeup is my bachelorette party and my wedding. I can't really count my wedding either, because someone else did it... but you get my drift. 

Now that you know my make-up situation (or aversion), I'm sure you can guess that I now make my own mascara. I tried making my own blush once. It was bad. Really bad. I might try again some other day... but no time soon. For the time being I buy my blush from Etsy. I love it. In case your are wondering i buy it from this shop. She also sells other beauty products. I have asked her about her ingredients before and they all passed my harmful chemical screening as far as the blush goes! No idea about the rest. Im sure she would send you info about them if you were curious! I use the perfect blush. It is pretty perfect. See why I have no desire to try making my own again? :) 

So... Mascara. The idea of making my own taunted me for a very long time. I thought it was going to be complicated and scary. I was wrong. It is really simple and really easy.

What you need:

1/2 tsp + 6-8 drops Argan oil (jojoba oil, coconut oil will work also)

1/4 tsp Arrow root powder (cornstarch will work also)

1/2 tsp bottled water

1/4 tsp grated beeswax

1-4 capsules of activated charcoal

small tin or tube to put it in

1/4 tsp Vitamin E is optional

mascara brush
mixing spoon/popsicle stick
microwave safe bowl

What you do:

There are 3 easy parts to the making

Part 1:

combine activated charcoal (1-4 opened capsules depending on how dark you want it)

to open: grab at each end, twist and pull apart over the bowl.

and arrow root powder (1/4 tsp). mix until completely blended. This can take time.

Add 6-8 drops argan oil, mix well.

Add water (1/2 tsp), mix well. Scrape sides of the bowl to ensure you get everything.

Add Vitamin E here, if you wish. If you use coconut oil, I strongly suggest you use Vitamin E to prevent spoiling. Mix it well.

Part 2:

In a microwave safe bowl, combine wax and remainder of argan oil (1/2 tsp). Stick them in the microwave. Melt in 10 seconds intervals until completely melted. Make sure you don't burn your oil. To be safe, you can put microwave on the defrost setting. This can also be done on the stove, but it is more likely the oil would burn.

Part 3:

Pour part 1 into part 2 and mix well. Move quickly because the wax hardens up really fast.

Put the mixed solution into your mascara container.

Put a paper towel over the mascara in the container and lightly press down. You don't need to apply much pressure because you are just simply trying to pack it down a little bit.

Let it cool completely before using

Putting your mascara in a tube:

Pour mixed solution into a plastic bag, cut the corner and squeeze it into the tube. Sorry I don't have any photos of this. I am trying to rid our house of unnecessary plastics and couldn't find a non plastic tube. If you find one, let me know! Ill but it and post pictures for you guys :)

Make sure you let it cool completely before using!

How to use your mascara:

lightly wet your mascara brush. Put your mascara brush lightly into the mascara. Rotate the brush in a circle so it has the mascara on it. Put it on your lashes. Apply more if needed!

Enjoy!