Versus

Merit Beauty Clean Lash Lengthening Tubing Mascara Versus L'Oreal Voluminous Original Washable Mascara - Blackest Black

Mascara
Mascara
American Brand United States
French Brand France

Updated on April 23, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe mascaras. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin, sensitive skin and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain oils and silicones

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. 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. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Acacia Senegal Gum has skin soothing, thickening, and formulation stabilizing properties. It comes from the Acacia tree that is native to sub-Saharan Africa.

Skin Conditioning

Panthenol 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 Panthenol
Emulsion Stabilising, Stabilising

Hydroxyethylcellulose 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 Hydroxyethylcellulose
Cleansing, Emulsifying

Steareth-20 is a waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients. It is created from stearyl alcohol.

It possesses surfactant properties. This means it reduces surface tension and helps oils, dirt, and pollutants to be washed away.

The 20 stands for the number of ethylene oxide used to create this ingredient.

Learn more about Steareth-20
Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising

Cetyl 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 Alcohol
Preservative

Phenoxyethanol 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.

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

When to use

12 Routines
100% use in am
0% use in pm
75% use every day
8 Routines
88% use in am
13% use in pm
100% use every day

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Merit Beauty Clean Lash Lengthening Tubing Mascara 24 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 2 ratings
Good Color (2) Long Lasting (2) Buildable (1)
michelle18's avatar

Michelle

7 months ago
Review

I often have transfer on my cheeks due to my face shape. Zero transfer with this!

#long-lasting
#good color
Wren1358's avatar

Wren P

6 months ago
Review

New favorite mascara!! I’ve worn this all day, many days, including while biking or working out and only once or twice got a tiny bit of transfer. The other mascaras Ive used usually start coming off under my eyes after a while. I’ve never had any mascara work this well before. It also looks great, is relatively easy to wash off, and doesn’t sting, or irritate my eyes, which a lot of mascaras Show more

#long-lasting
#buildable
#good color

L'Oreal Voluminous Original Washable Mascara 23 ingredients

1.0 /5
from 1 rating
Buildable (1) Good Color (1)
sumedhasharma's avatar

Sumedha Sharma

27 days ago
Review

While the colors are great, green or burgundy, it flakes so easily even with primer. Started to feel heavy when I had it on and turns out I’m allergic to formula. Very irritating and it’s exacerbated by the flakiness.

#buildable
#good color