100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown vs High Impact Zero Gravity Mascara: which is safer?

Burt's Bees 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown is the clear pick. Clinique High Impact Zero Gravity 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

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

Clinique High Impact Zero Gravity Mascara

Clinique

High Impact Zero Gravity Mascara

PFAS grade

Poor 30/100

Overall grade

Bad 8/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 4

Material

Polymer film, silicones, waterproofing agents (unspecified)

Confidence

45%

ReportedUndisclosed waterproofing agents (presumed fluorinated)

PossibleFragrance allergens (if present in formulation)

PossibleBacterial contamination during use

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 Undisclosed waterproofing agents (presumed fluorinated), Fragrance allergens (if present in formulation), Bacterial contamination during use and Polymer film coating irritation on sensitive eyes 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 Polymer film, silicones, 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 45% 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