15 Best Mascara for Sensitive Eyes to Glam Your Look

Mascara adds the perfect finishing touch to any look. By lengthening and thickening the lashes, the eyes will appear bigger and more open, freshening your face with very little effort. The problem with this seemingly simple product is that many of the formulas irritate sensitive eyes, so the pickings are slim when it comes to finding one that actually works and won’t cause red, watery eyes. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t find the best mascara for sensitive eyes out there.

Since a few of us are sensitive to cosmetic products and we have had our share of duds when it comes to mascara, we would like to share a list of the best mascara for sensitive eyes that we have tried thus far.

Join us as we compare some of the top products and learn more about what to look for when shopping for the right one.

Identify the Irritants

Do you know which ingredients irritate your eyes? Most people do not, but once you start becoming more familiar with the formula contents, then it will be much easier to avoid the problem-causing products.

Most often, these ingredients in mascara formulas irritate the eyes:

• Propylene glycol
• Aluminum powder
• Parabens
• Diazolidinyl urea
• Artificial fragrance

Have you considered as a gluten intolerance?  If you aren’t sure or have never been tested, then it might be a good idea to find out and get tested. There are gluten-free formulas out there, and it may do the trick for you.

Many drugstore brands use the ingredients above, which is why you probably haven’t had any luck with mascara from Maybelline, Cover Girl, L’Oréal, and so on.

If that is the case, then what do you want to see on the label?

Look for these terms to achieve lash success:

• Vegan
• Natural
• Hypoallergenic
• Paraben-free
• Organic
• Dye-free
• Fragrance-free

Don’t expect all of the eye-friendly mascaras to contain every single one of these words on the label, but instead, use them to help you eliminate the junk and focus more on the good stuff.

What to Expect from Eye-Friendly Mascara

We hate to admit it, but some of the junky ingredients in the drugstore brands do help the products perform better.

Many of the natural formulas that don’t use those ingredients have more problems with flaking, smudging, or rubbing off throughout the day, so these issues go hand and hand with healthy eyes and skin.

Another thing that you can expect is to pay more. These formulas are higher in quality, and their price clearly reflects that. However, they are worth the splurge if you can’t use drugstore products.

Color selection tends to be limited with these mascaras, but if you need options, then you might want to check out the selection offered by Beautify Beauties, 100% Pure, Stellar Gaze, or Ecco Bella.

We will be highlighting only the best mascara for sensitive eyes in our “Review” section to help make your final decision easier, but the other brands lower on the list are still worth trying if none of them work.

Best Mascara for Sensitive Eyes

1. EndlesslyBeautiful Natural Organic Mascara

buy here

Type: Volumizing, Lengthening, Nourishing

Endlessly Beautiful is one of the most popular products for those with sensitive eyes, since it has proven to be so effective for a vast number of users. Their ingredient list is rather interesting, with a bit of chamomile, vitamin E, sunflower seed oil and even a coffee powder! All of the them are natural, and of those, 85% of them are organic, which means that the odds are in your favor that it won’t cause any irritation. Plus, Ii is also gluten-free and a vegan-friendly product.

Pros:

• Nourishing
• Easy to remove
• Long-lasting
• Natural and organic ingredients

Cons:

• Dries out too quick

2. L’Oreal Paris Makeup Double Extend Beauty Tubes Lengthening Mascara

buy here

Type: Lengthening

Next, we have Double Extend Beauty Tubes Lengthening Mascara, which is a product that comes from a well-known company. The formula is free of the most common irritants that bother sensitive eyes. Moreover, it also helps you to create an 80% longer look on your lashes, which comes as true to its claim as a lengthening mascara. However, we do wish that it comes in more than one color; but still, we won’t complain too much because black is still one of the most popular mascara colors out there. 

Pros:

• Affordable
• Easy to remove
• Long-lasting
• Super lengthening

Cons:

• Can clump

3. Beautify Beauties Easy on the Eyes

buy here

Type: Volumizing

If you want a slightly more affordable mascara that is both natural and gentle, then try Easy on the Eyes from Beautify Beauties. They offer three colors, which include black, black/brown, and also navy. The formula is hypoallergenic and it’s also free of fragrance, so if artificial scents are your enemy, then you might have luck with this one. Since it is not a waterproof formula, you definitely can’t expect wonders, but it is gentle and noticeably lengthens lashes. 

Pros:

• Long-lasting
• Easy to apply
• Available in 3 colors
• Contact lens wearers friendly

Cons:

• Can clump

4. Mia Adora 3D Fiber Mascara

buy here

Type: Volumizing, Lengthening, Thickening

Mia Adora’s mascara is a good choice, especially if you have little to no eyelashes and need something that will help to add the length to it. Even better, the formula is hypoallergenic! You will see green tea, which helps stimulate lash growth and clean the lashes, but you won’t find any parabens or sodium lauryl sulfate! As a fiber mascara, you will achieve a lot of lengths, thanks to the combination of the gel base layer and the mascara itself that you apply separately. 

Pros:

• Easy to apply
• Easy to remove
• Offering false-lashes look

Cons:

• Can smudge

5. No7 Mascara Stay Perfect Waterproof Long Wear Tubular Black

buy here

Type: Volumizing, Curling, Thickening

This mascara offers a cheap price with good quality! Moreover, it is also waterproof, tear-proof, and sweat-proof, making it the perfect mascara that lasts for 24 hours, allowing you to through your days with confidence. The tubular technology will also wrap your lashes thoroughly, delivering the blackest pigment from roots to tips.  Plus, it is easy to remove! Thus, it won’t bother you with eyelash loss.

Pros: 

• Affordable
• 3-in-1 functions
• Long-lasting
• Easy to apply 
• Easy to remove

Cons:

• Dries out too quick

6. Clinique High Impact Mascara

buy here

Type: Volumizing, Lengthening, Defining

With its volumizing, lengthening, and defining formula, no wonder it is the best-seller mascara that Clinique has! The fluffy brush coats evenly your lashes with the blackest ink, creating a fuller, thicker, longer, and bolder eyelashes that you’ll ever have. Even cooler, the mascara is free of fragrance, parabens, oil, and phthalates, ensuring customers’ safety when wearing this product. 

Pros:

• Easy to apply
• Doesn’t clump
• Has a great applicator
• Easily adds volume

Cons:

• Can flake

7. Maybelline Full ‘N Soft Mascara

buy here

Type: Volumizing, Thickening

Having an affordable price with amazing features, we can say that this is the best mascara for sensitive eyes that you can easily find in your favorite drugstores! Besides giving you voluminous lashes, the vitamin E listed in the ingredients also helps to nourish the eyelashes, giving a softer and fuller look. Plus, its quick dissolve system also allows you to remove the pigment quickly and easily. 

Pros:

• Affordable
• Easy to remove
• Doesn’t clump

Cons:

• Dries out too quick

8. Tetyana Naturals 4D Fiber Lash Mascara

buy here

Type: Volumizing, Lengthening

Do you want to have false-looking lashes but don’t want to bother to deal with glues? Well, this mascara is a true game changer! Tetyana Naturals 4D Fiber Lash Mascara instantly adds length and volume to your lashes, but still gives you natural looks. Besides, this product is also pocket-friendly, so you can definitely save your money for other eye makeup products.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Easy to apply
• Easy to remove
• False-looking lashes
• Long-lasting

Cons:

• Can clump

9. Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara

buy here

Type: Volumizing, Lengthening, Curling

Sometimes, money speaks it all! The price of this mascara is quite expensive but equals its awesome quality that claims to be waterproof, smudge-proof, and flake-free for 24 hours. The short bristles also instantly hug and curl your lashes with highly-pigmented formula, adding length and volume in one swipe. In addition, natural ingredients like olive esters, provitamin B5, and mineral pigments also help to nourish and soothe the lashes.

Pros:

• Easy to apply
• Long-lasting
• Flake-free
• Smudge-proof
• Instantly volumize, lengthen, curl, and nourish the lashes

Cons:

• Quite expensive

10. Essence Bye Bye Panda Eyes! Mascara

buy here

Type: Volumizing, Defining

If you are in a saving mode but still want to have a good quality mascara, then this Essence Bye Bye Panda Eyes! Mascara can definitely become your ultimate pick. It is a smudge-proof and clump-free mascara that will add volume to your lashes, creating a more defined look. Despite staying put all day, it is also pretty easy to remove with warm water, keeping you away from bristle lashes. 

Pros:

• Super affordable
• Long-lasting
• Flake-free
• Easy to remove

Cons:

• Can clump

11. 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Ultra Lengthening Mascara

buy here

Type: Volumizing, Lengthening

100% Pure presents a fruit-pigmented ultra-lengthening mascara to cover your needs in finding the best mascara for sensitive eyes. It highlights a globally-patented, lush-lengthening eye wand enriched with luscious oil from passion fruits, to smoothly deliver pigment on your lashes without clumping and flaking. The natural ingredients of black tea, berries, and cocoa powder also help to hold the lashes to stay on point all day.

Pros:

• Long-lasting
• Pleasant smell 
• Available in 4 colors

Cons:

• Expensive

12. Lancôme Dèfinicils High Definition Lengthening Mascara

buy here

Type: Lengthening, Defining

For those who favor longer lashes without too much thickness, this one is the way to go! Bearing polymers formula, your lashes will be lifted and lengthened all day. The unique ‘hedgehog-like’ brush helps separate each lash and coats them with rich ingredients and pigmented mascara to have defined-looking eyes. 

Pros:

• Long-lasting
• Available in 3 colors
• Non-clumping formula

Cons:

• Expensive

13. ILIA Limitless Lash Mascara

buy here

Type: Lengthening

When it says natural, it doesn’t joke at all! ILIA Limitless Lash Mascara was formulated with natural ingredients, like arginine, shea butter, and beeswax to improve your lashes’ look and condition them. It also comes with a comb-like brush to separate the lashes, helping you coat them with a rich formula to create long, effortless-looking eyelashes.

Pros:

• Clean product
• Long-lasting
• Doesn’t clump or flake

Cons:

• Expensive

14. Honest Beauty Extreme Length Mascara

buy here

Type: Volumizing, Lengthening, Defining

This is a 2-in-1 mascara everyone will surely love, especially for those with sensitive eyes. It comes with a mascara and a primer to boost the volume, length, and staying power of your lashes, creating a sky-high look. Its double-sided wands also make it easy for you to apply both products since they have been well-designed to suit the lashes.

Pros:

• Easy to apply
• Easy to remove
• Long-lasting
• Double-sided mascara

Cons:

• Some reviewers say the wand is too narrow

15. Covergirl Professional Remarkable Mascara

buy here

Type: Volumizing, Lengthening

Last but not least, this one product will amaze you with its quality despite having an extremely affordable price! The blackest pigment seamlessly darkens, volumizing, and lengthening your lashes in just one swipe, creating a bold and dramatic lashes look. It is also smudge-proof and smear-free mascara that will leave you with no raccoon eyes. Plus, you can easily remove it by using facial wash and water.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Easy to remove
• Long-lasting

Cons:

• Dries out too quick

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Why do my eyes get irritated when I wear mascara?

It can happen if you are allergic to ingredients in your mascara. In addition, the irritation may be triggered by flakes of mascara that get into your eyes, especially if you are a contact lens wearer.

What ingredient in mascara causes an allergic reaction?

Even though there are not sufficient formal reports regarding allergies to mascara, some of these ingredients may trigger an allergic reaction, such as quaternion-22, shellac, colophony, yellow carnauba wax, black and yellow iron oxides, nickel, coathylene, and p- phenylenediamine. Parabens may also cause allergen but the case is extremely rare.

What does an allergic reaction to mascara look like?

Allergic reactions to mascara can be in the form of red areas, rash, scaling, itchy, dry, eczematous dermatitis, around the skin where you apply your mascara.