Ilia Mascara
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Ilia Limitless Lash mascara uses safe preservatives and does not contain any synthetic pigments. I love the fact that it does not shed or leak – no raccoon eyes! Ilia mascara adds sufficient length and volume to my eyelashes. In terms of safety, it is next to the best choice, in my opinion. For more information, read below.
More info
The preservatives used in Ilia mascara are some of the safest: phenethyl alcohol, potassium sorbate, and ethylhexylglycerin. Some manufacturers do not list preservatives in their water-based products. Preservatives are super important, though, especially when it comes to mascaras because having an eye infection is not fun. Learn more in my blog post Is Waterproof Mascara Bad For You?.
Ilia mascara does not contain any synthetic petroleum dyes/pigments, which is great. Note, though, that Ilia uses some synthetic dyes in some other makeup products. Therefore, I do not approve of all Ilia makeup products.
After I study the ingredients of makeup products, I look into heavy metal contaminants. It is best when a company 3rd party tests for heavy metals, which not many small businesses can afford to do.
In the absence of 3rd party testing, I make sure that the makeup company does not source their pigments from China. Since the background levels of pollution are high and regulations are lenient, mineral pigments from China may contain disproportionally high levels of heavy metals.
Ilia informed me that the mineral pigments used in their beauty products are sourced worldwide. They also told me that they do not test their products for heavy metals. That is why my first choice in terms of safety is Crunchi mascara.
Recently, two studies showed that makeup products might be contaminated with PFAS that are linked to infertility, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, diabetes, impaired immunity, and cancers. The most recent study showed that Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara had no detectable levels of organic fluorine (a proxy for PFAS). However, Ilia Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil Saint had 35 ppm of organic fluorine.
To learn more about heavy metals in makeup and mineral pigments vs synthetic dyes, read my Heavy Metals in Makeup blog post.
