The 10 Best Natural & Organic Mascaras in 2026

Mascara is an important beauty staple, but we don’t pay much attention to it. It deserves a second look! It sits right up against our sensitive eyes for hours-on-end, so isn’t it important to know what’s inside it? To know that it’s safe?

Mainstream mascaras are often made with controversial pigments and preservatives that may cause harm to the body or the environment. Beauty products should only do good for our body and the planet, which is where natural & organic mascaras come into play. Made with plant-based ingredients and no harsh chemicals, they enhance the lashes without causing harm!

What Makes a Great Natural & Organic Mascara?

Dodging nasty chemicals while actually achieving glamorous lashes is no easy feat, but we’ve figured it out! These are the features we make sure to consider when selecting natural and organic mascaras.

Safe Formula

The most important feature in a natural mascara is that it has a safe formula that is free of potentially harmful chemicals. We often call this concept “clean,” and we discuss it in more detail here. We used safety ratings from the Environmental Working Group to verify the safety of each mascara. We list them in each review — the lower the rating, the better, with 4 as the maximum we were willing to allow. We also excluded formulas containing parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, and coal-tar dyes. Check out our list of banned ingredients to learn more about what to avoid.

Lash-Enhancing Effects

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When you wear mascara you want it to have an impact! Some shoppers might want long and voluminous lashes while others might prefer a more natural look. That’s why we included an “Effects at A Glance” section. You can quickly learn what kind of effect each mascara has, and grab the one that fits your style. If you’re not sure what kind of effects you want out of your mascara, check out our explanation below.

Natural Ingredients

For a mascara to count as natural, most of its ingredients have to come from nature. Small amounts of safe synthetic film-formers and preservatives are sometimes needed, but we’ll still let you know if a mascara contains more synthetic ingredients than others on our list. Another detail you might want to consider is whether a mascara includes organic ingredients, so we cover that as well. If you’re not sure about the difference between organic, natural, and other terms, we explain it all below.

Longevity

Natural mascaras aren’t as intensely long-lasting or waterproof as mainstream ones, and that’s okay! We still prefer that they hold up well throughout the day, without flaking or smudging too easily. We’ll let you know how each mascara on our list performs over time and in different situations, so you can choose the one that’ll fit your lifestyle. We also give some tips on how you can apply mascara in a way that’ll prevent smudging.

Cruelty-Free and Vegan

We’re thrilled to declare that every single mascara on our list is cruelty-free and vegetarian friendly! Because beeswax is an important ingredient in many natural mascaras, not all of them are vegan. If you adhere to a vegan diet, we make it easy for you to find some great mascaras with the “Quick Facts” section in each review.

Nourishing Effects

A mascara, especially when it’s made with natural ingredients, can actually help nourish the lashes! Oils, proteins, peptides, and plant extracts can condition, protect, or strengthen the hairs and maintain their health. While not all of the mascaras on our list have lash-boosting ingredients, most do, so we’ll let you know exactly what they are in each review.

Now that you know what you should look for in a natural mascara, let’s get into the reviews. These are the best natural and organic mascaras we’ve discovered for every need, aesthetic, and lifestyle!