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Most mascaras pollute oceans with microplastics; 90 percent of options still contain them. But, increasingly, clean, refillable alternatives are reshaping the category.
With a single swipe, mascara can thicken, darken, and lengthen lashes—but it often deposits something else too: plastic. According to testing conducted by Greenpeace Italy, an overwhelming 90 percent of mascaras contain solid microplastics, commonly added to boost volume or staying power. These ingredients, often listed as nylon, polyethylene, or PMMA, don’t biodegrade. Instead, they can persist in waterways for decades, eventually drifting into oceans where they contribute to a global pollution crisis.
Microplastics, defined as particles under five millimeters, have been detected in every marine ecosystem on Earth. One 2022 study found concentrations as high as 4.98 particles per cubic meter in the Atlantic Ocean, with similar findings in the Pacific, Arctic, and Mediterranean. Though they comprise a fraction of the ocean’s plastic by volume, their size makes them especially insidious. They are readily consumed by fish and plankton, move easily up the food chain, and are now being found in human lungs, placentas, and bloodstreams.
Greenpeace’s analysis of 672 cosmetics showed mascara was the most microplastic-contaminated product category, ahead of foundation, lip products, and face powders. Nearly nine out of ten mascaras tested contained solid plastic particles designed to improve formula performance — particles that wash off into the sink or shed from packaging, contributing directly to aquatic microplastic load.
Yet despite growing awareness, most global microplastic bans fail to address mascara and other leave-on products. The U.S. Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 focused solely on exfoliating scrubs and body washes. The European Union’s recently adopted REACH restriction includes leave-on cosmetics, but its rollout is staggered, with grace periods allowing continued use of microplastic ingredients in many formulations for several years. Italy’s 2020 law targets rinse-off microbeads but also leaves mascara untouched. Even in the United States, the Microbead‑Free Waters Act focuses on exfoliating products — again, mascara is untouched by regulation. Meanwhile, the European Union recently restricted intentionally added microplastics under REACH. However, enforcement depends on national adoption and includes greatest challenge for leave‑on items.
Public demand is pushing traditional brands, too. Vogue reported in early 2023 that marketers increasingly prioritize “circular” packaging, refillable systems, and even purpose‑driven sustainability, citing brands like REN, Chanel, and Tarte. REN’s Infinite Recycling program claims to have repurposed more than 16 tons of plastic destined for landfills in one year. Meanwhile, Tarte’s refillable packaging initiative incorporates sustainable cooperatives into ingredient sourcing. But even as clean alternatives emerge, the mass market remains dominated by plastic-laden formulations.
Ocean-safe mascara
A growing number of mascara brands are now innovating with ocean safety in mind.
Kjaer Weis Im-Possible Mascara
Luxury meets low-waste in Kjaer Weis’ Im-Possible Mascara, a certified-organic, refillable formula designed to deliver lift, volume, and definition, with a dual-sided brush for buildable application.
Lush Naked Mascara
Fair‑trade cocoa butter, castor oil, and carnauba wax condition lashes while eliminating plastic waste. As Helen Ambrosen, Lush co‑founder, told Byrdie, “Turning liquids into solids can be quite powerful … you can create something very visual that doesn’t require conventional packaging”.
Elate Beauty Essential Mascara
Housed in a bamboo tube with recyclable plastic and refillable inserts, this vegan, cruelty‑free, mascara is free of nano‑sized ingredients.
RMS Beauty Straight Up Mascara
MS Beauty’s Straight Up Volumizing Peptide Mascara delivers bold, buildable volume using a clean formula that skips the plastic fillers. Its creamy texture is powered by organic shea butter and plant-derived waxes, with added peptides to help strengthen and condition lashes over time.
100% Pure Fruit‑Pigmented Ultra Lengthening Mascara
True to its name, 100% Pure’s cult-favorite mascara gets its deep black pigment from black tea, berries, and cocoa. The biodegradable formula is free from microplastics, synthetic polymers, and coal tar pigments.
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