Merit Beauty Clean Lash Lengthening Tubing Mascara Versus L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Waterproof Mascara
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Copolymer
Acrylates Copolymer
Oryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters
Emulsion Stabilising
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPvp
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningEthyl Hexanediol
SolventSteareth-20
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Simethicone
Emollient
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Acrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Copolymer, Acrylates Copolymer, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters, Stearic Acid, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Acacia Senegal Gum, Pvp, Tromethamine, Alcohol, Panthenol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ethyl Hexanediol, Steareth-20, Cetyl Alcohol, Simethicone, Steareth-2, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffin
Perfuming
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingAcrylates Copolymer
Cera Alba
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingEthylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Methylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil
Abrasive
Hydrogenated Palm Oil
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientSodium Chondroitin Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Atelocollagen
Skin Conditioning
CI 77266
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Paraffin, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cera Alba, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Steareth-2, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acacia Senegal Gum, Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer, Methylparaben, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Disodium EDTA, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Ethylparaben, Pvp, Sodium Hyaluronate, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Panthenol, Soluble Collagen, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Atelocollagen, CI 77266
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acacia Senegal Gum has skin soothing, thickening, and formulation stabilizing properties. It comes from the Acacia tree that is native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.
After applied, Acrylates Copolymer forms a thin film cover that helps skin feel more soft. It can help sunscreens become more water-resistant.
It is also used to make a product more thick.
Learn more about Acrylates CopolymerCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcellulosePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Pvp is a water-soluble synthetic polymer and common hairstyling ingredient. It is a film-forming ingredient and used to "hold" specific shapes of hair.
In cosmetics, PVP helps products like sunscreens and color cosmetics last longer and wear more evenly.
It is less effective in high-humidity. It tends to draw moisture, but this moisture dismantles the structure and "hold".
PVP is generally well tolerated on skin and toxicity studies are negative for dermal irritation.
Learn more about PvpThis ingredient is a preservative with antimicrobial properties. It is the sodium salt of dehydroacetic acid.
It is especially effective at preventing bacterial and fungal growth in low concentrations.
Steareth-2 is a waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients. It is created from polyethylene glycol and stearyl alcohol. The 2 stands for the number of ethylene oxide units used to create this ingredient.
Due to the low degree of ethoxylation, the molecule stays mostly oil-loving. That's why you'll often see it paired with water-loving steareth-20 or steareth-21 to create elegant emulsions.
In testing, this ingredient was nontoxic in acute oral studies and not a skin irritant or sensitizer.
You might hear concerns about 1,4-dioxane as a byproduct of ethoxylation; this is well-known in the industry and is controlled through purification steps before the ingredient is blended into finished products.
Learn more about Steareth-2Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
