Smokey Eye Mascara vs 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown: which is safer?

Burt's Bees 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown is the clear pick. Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara

Bobbi Brown

Smokey Eye Mascara

PFAS grade

Poor 30/100

Overall grade

Bad 12/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

wax, film-forming polymers, waterproof coating

Confidence

45%

Possible1,4-dioxane (manufacturing byproduct)

PossibleFragrance allergens and undisclosed compounds

ReportedBacterial growth from product handling

Our pick

Burt's Bees 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown

Burt's Bees

100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 67/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Wax, pigments, natural oils (typical mascara base)

Confidence

78%

PossibleFragrance allergens and undisclosed sensitizers

PossibleBacterial growth and contamination in wax formula

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag 1,4-dioxane (manufacturing byproduct), Fragrance allergens and undisclosed compounds and Bacterial growth from product handling on the Bobbi Brown and not on the Burt's Bees.
  • We flag Fragrance allergens and undisclosed sensitizers and Bacterial growth and contamination in wax formula on the Burt's Bees and not on the Bobbi Brown.
  • The Bobbi Brown is wax, film-forming polymers, waterproof coating where the Burt's Bees is Wax, pigments, natural oils (typical mascara base), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Burt's Bees is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Bobbi Brown grade, at 45% confidence against 78%, because it discloses less.

Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

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