Mascara (UK:/məˈskɑːrə/,US:/mæˈskærə/)[1][2] is acosmetic commonly used to enhance the upper and lowereyelashes. It is used to darken, thicken, lengthen, and/or define the eyelashes. Normally in one of three forms—liquid, powder, or cream—the modern mascara product has various formulas; however, most contain the same basic components of pigments, oils, waxes, and preservatives. The most common form of mascara is a liquid in a tube with an application brush.
TheCollins English Dictionary definesmascara as "a cosmetic substance for darkening, lengthening, curling, coloring, and thickening theeyelashes, applied with a brush or rod." TheOxford English Dictionary (OED) adds that mascara is occasionally used on the eyebrows as well.
TheOED also referencesmascaro from works published in the late 19th century. In 1886, thePeck & Snyder Catalogue advertises, "Mascaro or Water Cosmetique... For darkening the eyebrow and moustaches without greasing them and making them prominent." In 1890, theCentury Dictionary defined mascara as "a kind of paint used for the eyebrows and eyelashes by actors." And in 1894, N. Lynn advises inLynn's Practical Hints for Making-up, "to darken eyelashes, paint with mascara, or black paint, with a small brush."
The source of the wordmascara is unclear. It was possibly derived from the Spanish wordmáscara meaning 'mask' or 'stain', and the Italian wordmaschera meaning 'mask' is a possible origin.[3] A relatedCatalan word describes soot or a black smear, and thePortuguese wordmáscara means 'mask' andmascarra means dark stain or smut.[4] There is even strong support for a possible source from theArabic wordmaskharah or 'buffoon'.[5][6] TheHebrew word משקרות (in the phrase mesaqqeroth `eynayim) relating to women's eyes is found in Isaiah 3:16.[7] It may mean flirting or ogling with the eyes, or painting them with red pigment.[8]
Latin treatises sometimes used the word mascara when referring to witches.[9]
The name Mascara was likely given in reference to the city which bears the same name, since in the mid-19th century theFrench discovered antimony powder during their conquest in the old city ofMascara inAlgeria.[10] Thenomadictribes used it as a beauty product but also to protect themselves from various trachomas andeye diseases.[citation needed]
Aesthetic adornment is acultural universal and mascara can be documented inancient Egypt. Records from around 4000 BC refer to a substance calledkohl that was used to darken eyelashes, eyelids, and eyebrows.[11] Kohl was used to mask the eyes, believed to ward off evil spirits and protect the soul, by both men and women. Often composed ofgalena;malachite; and charcoal or soot, crocodile stool; honey; and water was added to keep the kohl from running.[12] Through Egypt's influence, kohl usage persisted in the subsequent Babylonian, Greek and Roman empires. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, kohl fell into disuse on the European continent, where it had been considered solely a cosmetic; conversely, it continued to be widely used in the Middle East for religious purposes.[11]
During the Victorian era, social opinion shifted radically towards the promotion of cosmetics, and women were known to spend a majority of their day occupied with beauty regimens. Great efforts were made to create the illusion of long, dark eyelashes.[citation needed] Attempting this, Victorian women made a type of mascara in their own homes.[12] They would heat a mixture of ash or lampblack and elderberry juice on a plate and apply the heated mixture to their eyelashes.[13]
The product that people would recognize as mascara today did not develop until the 19th century. A chemist namedEugène Rimmel developed a cosmetic using the newly inventedpetroleum jelly. The nameRimmel became synonymous with the substance and still translates to "mascara" in the Portuguese, Spanish, Greek, Turkish, Romanian, and Persian languages today.[14]
Across the Atlantic Ocean and at roughly the same time, in 1915,Thomas Lyle Williams created a remarkably similar substance for his sister Mabel.[14] In 1917 he started a mail-order business from the product that grew to become the companyMaybelline.[12]
The mascara developed by these two men consisted of petroleum jelly and coal in a set ratio.[14] It was undeniably messy, and a better alternative was soon developed. A dampened brush was rubbed against a cake containing soap and black dye in equal proportions and applied to the lashes.[11] Still it was extremely messy. No significant improvement occurred until 1957 with an innovation byHelena Rubinstein.
The events leading to Rubinstein's improvement began in Paris in the early 20th century. There, at the fashion capital of the world, mascara was quickly gaining popularity and common usage.[15]Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, two giants in the American beauty industry, watched and kept abreast of its development. After theFirst World War, American consumers became eager for new products.[16] Sensing an opportunity, both Rubinstein and Arden launched their own brands of cosmetics that included mascara. Through the efforts of these two rivals and public temperament, mascara finally gained respectability and favor in American society.[17]
The invention of thephotograph andmotion picture launched mascara's popularity and usage further forward in America. Motion pictures especially advertised a new standard of beauty andsex appeal.[18] Famous actresses of the classic cinema era, such asTheda Bara,Pola Negri,Clara Bow,Greta Garbo,Marlene Dietrich,Bette Davis, andJean Harlow, depended heavily upon mascara for their glamorized appearances, which the average woman sought to mimic.[19]: 8–9, 11–12
In 1933, a woman known on court records as Mrs. Brown consented to have her eyelashes permanently dyed.[19]: 20 Unfortunately, the product, Lash Lure, usedpara-phenylenediamine, a chemical extremely toxic to the body, as the dyeing agent.[19]: 23 At the time, cosmetics were unregulated by the Federal Drug Administration, and the dangers of paraphenylenediamine were unknown.[20] Within hours of the treatment, Mrs. Brown began experiencing severe symptoms of stinging and burning eyes. By the next morning, Mrs. Brown's eyes had developed ulcers which oozed and had swollen shut.[19]: 22 Use of Lash Lure resulted in blindness in Mrs. Brown and fifteen other women and also caused the death of another through abacterial infection.[21] It was only after the Lash Lure incident and several others like it, documented inRuth deForest Lamb's book entitledAmerican Chamber of Horrors, that Congress granted theFood and Drug Administration (FDA) the right to regulate cosmetics in 1938.[19]: 24
Years later in 1957, Rubinstein created a formula that evolved mascara from a hard cake into a lotion-based cream. She packaged the new mascara in a tube to be sold with a brush. For use, the cream was squeezed onto the brush and applied to lashes.[16] Although still messy, it was a step towards the modern mascara product.
Soon, a grooved rod was patented. This device picked up the same amount of mascara for each use. Then the grooved rod was altered to the brush similar to the ones used today. The change in applicator led mascara to be even easier to use, and its popularity increased.[11]
Mascara is now[when?] trending towards multi-functional usage, with many mascaras including lash-boosting serums, botanicals, and pro-vitamin-enriched formulas. Korean technology is at the forefront of the development,[citation needed] and a number of brands use tubing formulas to coat the lash.
All formulations containpigments, oils, and waxes.
The pigmentation for black mascara is similar to that used by the Egyptians and Victorian women. Black and brown mascaras typically are colored by use of iron oxides.[22] Some mascaras containultramarine blue.[11]
Mascara is composed of a base mixture of pigments, waxes, and oils with varying supporting components. Mascara pigments most commonly includeiron oxides andtitanium dioxide which provide mascara with its desired color.[23] Titanium dioxide (TiO2) accounts for over 65% of inorganic pigments sales volume.[24] TiO2 gives the pigment a white color while different iron oxides provide a variety of colors such as red, yellow, brown, and black.[23] The particle size of opaque pigments ranges from 0.2 to 0.3 μm.[23]
Among the many oils used,linseed oil,castor oil,eucalyptus oil,lanolin, and oil ofturpentine are found frequently.Sesame oil is also commonly used.[11] Waxes usually found in mascara areparaffin wax,carnauba wax, andbeeswax.[11]
The desired effects of the mascara account for most variations of ingredients. Water-resistant mascaras require hydrophobic ingredients, likedodecane. Non water-resistant mascaras have base ingredients that are water-soluble.[25] Mascaras designed to lengthen or curl the eyelashes often containnylon orrayon microfibers.[26] Additionally,ceresin,gum tragacanth, andmethyl cellulose are regular ingredients and serve as stiffeners.[11]
Mascara is often used on a daily basis around the world. In 2016 alone, U.S. consumers spent US$335.6 million on the top 10 leading mascara brands.[27]
In one method of production, referred to asanhydrous, all waxes, oils, and pigments are mixed, heated, and agitated simultaneously. The alternative method, termedemulsion, starts by combining water and thickeners. Separately, waxes and emulsifiers are combined. Pigment is then added individually to both mixtures. Finally all is combined in ahomogenizer, which acts as a high-speed agitator in order to thoroughly mix the oils, water, waxes, and emulsifiers—ingredients that naturally repulse each other.[11]
Mascara has a shelf life of two to four months.[28]
Smudged mascara has also become a symbolic way to show depression in photographs, such as thefamous "Bleeding Mascara"[clarification needed] or "crying mascara" trend on social media. These references can carry deep emotional resonance and significance.
Eye cosmetics containingkohl,kajal,al-kahal,surma,tiro,tozali, orkwalli often pose alead poisoning risk.[29] Products containingkohl,kajal,surma, and similar materials are illegal color additives in the United States as defined by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, section 201(t).
Mercury, asthiomersal, is widely used in the manufacture of mascara. In 2008, Minnesota became the first state in the United States to ban intentionally added mercury in cosmetics, giving it a tougher standard than the federal government.[30]
It is more common to develop astye, or commoner still, swollen eyelids.[25] Styes and swollen eyelids are better classified as allergic reactions. The allergic reactions can be stimulated by any of the components of mascara but is usually attributed tomethylparaben,aluminum powder,ceteareth-20,butylparaben, orbenzyl alcohol.[25]
If not cleaned properly, mascara can deposit itself under theconjunctiva in form of black lumps.[31] Eyelashes naturally have microbial organisms; applying mascara may expose microbes to incubate in the mascara.[32]
A 2021 study tested 231 makeup andpersonal care products and found organic fluorine, an indicator ofPFAS, in more than half of the samples. High levels of fluorine were most commonly identified in waterproof mascara (82% of brands tested), foundations (63%), and liquid lipstick (62%).[33][34] As many as 13 types of individual PFAS compounds were found in each product.[33] Since PFAS compounds are highly mobile, they are readily absorbed throughhuman skin and throughtear ducts, and such products onlips are often unwittingly ingested. Manufacturers often fail to label their products as containing PFAS, which makes it difficult for cosmetics consumers to avoid products containing PFAS.[35]
{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)Probably < Spanishmáscara or Italianmaschera, Italian regionalmascara, all in sense 'mask'; or perhaps alternatively < Catalanmascara 'soot, black smear', or Portuguesemascarra 'stain, smut'.
late 19th cent.: from Italian, literally 'mask', from Arabic masḵara 'buffoon'.
Kohl, kajal, al-Kahal, surma, tiro, tozali, and kwalli often contain high levels of lead. For example, lead, usually in the form of lead sulfide, sometimes accounts for more than half the weight of kohl products. Kohl products may also contain a variety of other materials, such as aluminum, antimony, carbon, iron, and zinc compounds, as well as camphor and menthol.
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