100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown vs High Impact Waterproof Mascara: which is safer?
Burt's Bees 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown is the clear pick. Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Our pick
Burt's Bees
100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFragrance allergens and undisclosed sensitizers
PossibleBacterial growth and contamination in wax formula
Clinique
High Impact Waterproof Mascara
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleHeavy metals in pigments (lead, cadmium, chromium)
Possible1,4-dioxane (manufacturing contaminant)
PossibleFragrance allergens (undisclosed ingredients)
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Fragrance allergens and undisclosed sensitizers and Bacterial growth and contamination in wax formula on the Burt's Bees and not on the Clinique.
- We flag Heavy metals in pigments (lead, cadmium, chromium), 1,4-dioxane (manufacturing contaminant), Fragrance allergens (undisclosed ingredients) and Bacterial or fungal growth if unmaintained on the Clinique and not on the Burt's Bees.
- The Burt's Bees is Wax, pigments, natural oils (typical mascara base) where the Clinique is pigments, resins, waxes, waterproofing agents unspecified, 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 Clinique grade, at 35% confidence against 78%, because it discloses less.
Both products run through the same public rubric: 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 →
More waterproof mascara: see the full ranking