How To Remove Mascara: 3 Best Ways

Is there anything better than a few coats of the blackest, glossiest mascara to add volume to your lashes and make your eyes the standout feature on your face? We think not.

Mascara is one of our favorite products, but if you have a great formula, it can sometimes be a challenge to remove. Just when you think it’s completely gone, you wake up with rings under your eyes from the leftover product that you thought you had gotten rid of the night before.

Here’s how to remove your mascara safely without damaging your lashes (or losing your patience).

The Best Ways To Remove Mascara

The best way to remove mascara is with an oil-based remover and a gentle, downward swipe, because oil breaks mascara down so you don’t have to scrub it off. We’ve got three great ways for you to remove your mascara, but before we get started, let’s cover a few of the basic rules you should follow no matter which method you choose.

Work in the direction of the lashes. You’ll likely be using a cotton pad to remove your mascara (we’ll talk about why later). When using your cotton pad, wipe downward in the direction of your lashes, not upward and against the direction of their growth. Wiping upward can damage your lashes and pull them out.
Be gentle. The skin on your eyes is extremely delicate and thin, and your lashes are very delicate, too. Even though mascara can be a tough product to remove, remember to be very gentle when working on this area of your skin. Avoid rubbing, pulling, and scrubbing. It isn’t necessary, and will only cause damage. At the very least, it can cause you to develop redness and dryness in your eye area.
Keep eyes closed when removing mascara. Some mascaras contain ingredients that are actually harmful to your eyes (which doesn’t make much sense for an eye product). RMS mascaras contain natural ingredients which won’t harm your eyes, but it’s still best to keep your eyes closed while you remove your makeup. Even the cleanest products can irritate your eyes and cause discomfort, so keep each eye shut while removing your mascara.

Now that you know the basics, let’s get down to business. Here are the three best ways to remove mascara.

1: Gentle Makeup Remover Wipes

We all love a great makeup remover wipe to help us take our makeup off quickly at the end of a particularly long day, and they’re great for removing mascara. However, some of the ingredients found in makeup wipes can be undesirable for your skin.

Many makeup wipes contain water, which requires them to have added preservatives to make them shelf stable. Some preservatives are capable of releasing formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.

The addition of water in a makeup remover wipe also means it will contain an emulsifier to make sure the oil cleanser and water do not separate. Emulsifiers can also be irritating and harsh on your skin.

RMS Ultimate Makeup Remover Wipes don’t contain water, which means they also don’t contain preservatives or emulsifiers. Our makeup wipes are made of compostable rayon infused with only one ingredient: certified organic coconut oil.

Ultimate Makeup Remover Wipes can be used alone or can be wetted like a traditional wipe. Either way, these wipes will slide mascara off your lashes without damaging them, irritating your skin, or exposing you to harmful chemicals.

2: Raw Coconut Cream and Cotton Pads

It’s pretty hard to find a better makeup remover (or cleanser) than pure coconut oil. Rich in skin healthy fats, acids, and nutrients, coconut oil is a natural solvent that won’t irritate your skin or expose it to harsh chemicals.

Raw coconut cream is one of our favorite ways to remove mascara. In fact, it’s hands down the best product for removing waterproof formulas naturally, without irritating chemicals. Raw coconut cream can melt away even the toughest formulas. It’s also the simplest way to remove waterproof mascara without makeup remover, because it’s just one pure plant oil.

Does the quality of the coconut oil matter? Absolutely. Not all coconut oil is extracted equally, and the best is raw, unrefined, and cold centrifuged. RMS Beauty’s Raw Coconut Cream is so incredibly clean and pure it’s literally edible.

Pro tip: You can use raw coconut cream on your lids and brows (and really anywhere else!) to remove makeup in those areas, too.

3: Cleansing Oil

Using a cleansing oil to remove your makeup is a great solution, especially if the skin around your eyes tends to lack moisture more than the rest of your skin (which it typically does).

Cleansing oils work much in the same way that coconut oil does; by sliding your mascara off your lashes.

There’s an important caveat here: make sure the oil you choose doesn’t contain mineral oil. Mineral oil is a petroleum-derived product, which makes it a bad option for your skin. Does baby oil remove waterproof mascara? It can, since any oil will break down a waterproof formula, but baby oil is mineral oil, which is why we reach for plant oils instead.

Our Beauty Oil is a multi-purpose oil that helps soften and condition the skin while enhancing its natural radiance. It's great to use as a primer before applying makeup and can even help remove stubborn mascara from your lashes.

Our Beauty Oil combines organic oils and wildcrafted botanicals that work together to nourish the skin, leaving it looking healthier and more radiant.

Mascara Mistakes To Avoid

Just as there are universal rules to follow when removing your mascara, there are some universal rules about the products you use to remove it. Here’s what you should avoid.

Alcohol based products. Alcohol is a drying ingredient. It’s not only bad for your lashes, it’s bad for your skin. When you use alcohol based solvents on your lashes, you can make them brittle, which can cause them to fall out sooner than they should. Additionally, you’ll dry out the skin surrounding your lashes, which is thin and drier than the rest of your skin.
Cotton balls. The reason you’ll want to avoid cotton balls when removing your mascara is because the individual bits of cotton can tangle in your lashes and end up in your eyes. Cotton or rayon pads are a much better option, especially since they have a larger surface area which allows them to remove more product.
Synthetic fragrance-based products. Synthetic fragrance doesn’t have a place near your eyes. In fact, we’d argue there’s no place for it on your skin. Even essential oils can be irritating to sensitive skin and cause the skin to be drier and look older over time. The other problem with synthetic fragrance is that it’s proprietary. You never know what you’re getting if you simply see “fragrance” on the label.
Petroleum-based products. Petroleum-based products like mineral oil and baby oil are also poor choices for removing mascara. These ingredients are known skin sensitizers and leave a film on the lashes that can build up over time.
Setting spray. Can setting spray remove mascara? Not really. Setting spray is made to lock makeup in place, not dissolve it, and many formulas contain alcohol that can sting your eyes and dry out your lashes.

Steps To Remove Mascara Without Damaging Your Lashes

Whether you choose a makeup remover wipe, coconut cream, or a cleansing oil, you’ll need to know how to get the mascara off your lashes safely, without damaging your lashes or the surrounding skin.

Here’s our foolproof, step-by-step guide to removing your mascara.

Remove your mascara first, before the remainder of your makeup. This way, you won’t need to use your skin cleanser more than once.
If using a cotton pad with cleansing oil or coconut cream, soak it in warm water until it is thoroughly moistened. You can also soak a makeup remover wipe, however you can also use these dry as they already contain coconut oil and are capable of removing some mascaras without water.
Apply your product (coconut cream or oil) to the cotton pad. You can also put coconut cream directly onto your lashes if you prefer that method.
Wipe downward along your lashes away from your eye until the mascara is completely removed.
Follow up with a skin cleanser to remove the rest of your makeup and ensure the remainder of your mascara and mascara remover are cleansed from your skin.

Be sure not to tug or pull on your lashes as this can make them weak and cause them to fall out. Be as gentle as possible and take your time; it will save your lashes in the long run.

What Happens If You Don’t Remove Your Mascara?

Removing mascara is an added step to your beauty routine, and some days, you just don’t feel like the hassle. We understand it’s tempting to leave your mascara on, but you should know that leaving your mascara on your lashes isn’t healthy for your eyes or lashes.

Eye Irritation. Leaving mascara on your eyes overnight can cause it to flake off and end up inside your eyes, causing irritation.
Thin Lashes. Leaving mascara on your lashes for long periods of time can cause them to become brittle and break, leaving you with thinning lashes.

Plus, have you looked at the ingredients on your mascara tube lately? Parabens, coal tar dyes, questionable fragrances, and BHT’s are just a few of the unsavory chemicals added to mascara to give you the volumized and lifted look you love. Unfortunately, these chemicals are also terrible for your lashes, skin, and overall health.

RMS mascaras don’t contain harsh chemical ingredients. Our mascaras contain the cleanest greenest ingredients available to volumize and lift better than most traditional chemical-laden products you’ve tried. And if you want an easy to remove mascara, skip waterproof formulas. Our Straight Up Volumizing Peptide Mascara isn’t waterproof, so it slides right off with a little coconut oil.

Conclusion

Removing your mascara can be done quickly and easily with a little help from some great, natural products and a little effort. The most important rule when removing your mascara is to be gentle and take your time to protect your lashes and your delicate eye skin.

RMS Beauty has the products you need to easily remove mascara without exposing your skin to harsh chemical ingredients.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I use to remove mascara if I don’t have makeup remover?

Any pure plant oil from your kitchen works, like coconut, olive, sunflower or jojoba oil. Put a few drops on a damp cotton pad, hold it on your closed eye for about 30 seconds, then wipe downward. Avoid soap, scrubbing with water, and anything containing alcohol, and follow with your usual cleanser.

What is the best natural mascara remover?

Pure, unrefined coconut oil is one of the best natural mascara removers because it dissolves even waterproof formulas without stinging. RMS Raw Coconut Cream is 100% organic coconut oil, and our Ultimate Makeup Remover Wipes put the same oil in a portable wipe. Browse all our makeup removers. If you’re prone to bumps around the eyes, rinse well afterward.

How do you remove waterproof mascara without damaging lashes?

Give the oil time to work instead of using force. Soak a cotton pad with oil, press it on your closed eye for 30 to 60 seconds so the formula breaks down, then slide it downward along your lashes. Repeat instead of scrubbing, never pick or peel mascara off, and finish with a gentle cleanser like our Double Clean Cleanser Duo.

How do you remove waterproof mascara without rubbing?

Use the press-and-hold method. Saturate a cotton pad with coconut oil, hold it against your closed eye for up to a minute, then gently slide it down and off. For any leftover mascara at the lash roots, roll a cotton swab dipped in oil along the lash line.

What is the best homemade eye makeup remover?

The simplest homemade eye makeup remover is one pure plant oil, such as coconut or jojoba, used on its own. Skip DIY recipes with essential oils, lemon juice, witch hazel or baking soda near your eyes, since these can sting and irritate. Keep it in a clean container and wash your hands before you use it.