There have been a few comments recently about mascara – especially around the risk of eye infection from using old mascara. I’ve no expertise on the matter, but am always at odds with obeying the “chuck out your mascara after three months to avoid infection” rule and the “but I paid fifty bucks for this” grumble.
Well, just for you my dearest friends, I have done a bit of research. I went to the public library and did a bunch of photocopying – something I haven’t done since my Uni days.
NZ consumer magazine (No.470, June 2007) says that their medical-literature search found little evidence that modern-day mascaras cause eye infections. But for those of you who have suffered from eye infections before, I’m sure you want to be extra cautious to avoid bung eyes in the future. So Consumer has these tips to avoid the possibility of infection:
- Don’t leave your mascara in a hot place (like the glove box of your car or oven)
- Don’t share your make-up
- Don’t use you eyes feel irritated
- Don’t dilute your mascara with another substance
- Don’t leave the wand out of the bottle
- If your mascara changes in smell or appearance throw it out immediately!!!
Consumer tested 13 brands of ‘volumising’ mascaras. Australis, Clarins, Elizabeth Arden, Estee Lauder, Lancome, Max Factor, Maybelline, Napoleon Perdis, Revlon, Rimmel, Shiseido, The Body Shop, YSL. Their pick was the Clarins Wonder Volume ($49). Leave a comment if you want more info on Consumer’s best buys.
Interestingly, of these brands, only Australis is on the Choose Cruelty Free (CCF) Preferred Products List for not having ingredients tested on animals (including by suppliers and anyone on their behalf) for at least the five years before it applied for accreditation with CCF. The Body Shop is no longer on the CCF list.
rimmel don’t test on animals
or they didn’t used to
maybe that list is not up to date?
The thing with the list is that they have to have ‘not tested on animals’ for five years prior to application to be on the list. That includes not having suppliers who tested on animals & not getting anyone else to test for you. It’s one of the strictist lists. A lot of cosmetic companies do appear on the less strict lists, like the PETA one. So it all depends on what a company or list means by ‘not tested on animals’. Rimmel may not test on animals, but not in the way the CCF list demands.
It’s interesting that the Body Shop was booted off the list given it’s their main marketing line.
Being owned by the world’s largest cosmetic company – L’Oreal – does the Body Shop no favours.
Yeah, what on earth was Anita Roddick thinking?! The main selling point of Body Shop is their social responsibility.
Whoah, I had no idea that the body shop had changed hands!
And their slogan is now “Natural products inspired by Nature and ethically made” instead of “Against animal testing”. Has been for a couple of years now.