WHETHER you're looking for fluttery lashes or extra volume, mascara is the perfect way to make your eyes pop.
But while many beauty fans will reach for the makeup staple every morning, very few people know how it's actually made – and it's totally blowing their minds.
In a short video from How It's Made, which was re-posted on YouTube, the narrator explains how mascara is comprised of four basic ingredients: Wax, water, pigment and binders.
But while mascara formulations vary depending on the manufacturer, almost every formulation is comprised of an oil soluble phase and a water soluble phase.
The oil soluble phase
To prepare the oil phase, a technician combines four different types of wax: carnauba wax, candelilla wax, beeswax, and glycerol stearate -an emulsifier which "helps ingredients blend well."
Next up, liquid vitamin E is added, which conditions the lashes and gives mascara its smooth texture.
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Then it's time for a chemical compound called Pelemol D-2000 to be added, which makes the mascara water-resistant.
The mixture is heated and once the waxes start to melt, the ingredients are then blended together.
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"Wax is a thickener," the narrator explains.
"This calculated combination of four different waxes produces a semi-liquid gel that coats lashes with a shiny film."
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The water soluble phase
The technician then proceeds to prepare the water-soluble phase of the formulation separately.
This is achieved by first heating up cold water, before adding an emulsifier.
"This will bind the water and oil phases when they're combined later on," the narrator notes.
"Without an emulsifier, oil and water-solubles would naturally separate."
A cosmetic-grade pigment of black iron oxide is then added to the hot water and the mixture is blended until the colour is uniform.
Then, the technician adds an organic compound to help balance the mascara’s pH level, so that it’s not too acidic or alkaline.
Next, she adds a cosmetic powder to make the mascara silky, and a chemical to provide further water resistance.
Combining the two
The technician finishes the formulation by adding the oil phase to the water soluble phase.
"Heating the mixture while blending prevents the waxes from solidifying," the narrator points out.
Testing
Before being packaged, the mascara must pass a series of quality control tests.
First up, a machine called a viscometer is used to measure the thickness to make sure the beauty staple isn't too runny or gooey.
The pH levels are then tested to check the formula meets certain specifications.
Once given the green light, the technicians will begin to package up the mascara.
Packaging
The packaging process begins with an employee pouring the batch into a filling machine, which continuously mixes the mascara and keeps it hot.
This ensures it remains liquid and doesn't jellify and clog the nozzles.
"A mascara bottle typically contains about two ounces of mascara," the narrator explains.
"As it cools in the bottle, it transforms into a semi liquid gel."
He goes onto say how the employee seals the bottle with a rubber stopped and a cap is screwed on which has the built-in applicator brush.
Finally, the bottles are labelled, sealed and then packaged up, ready to hit the shelves of beauty counters across the globe.
The video of how mascara is made has since been viewed a whopping 317k times – and beauty fans have been left horrified by the process involved.
"I had no idea it was so sophisticated," wrote one.
A second quipped: "This is one hell of a chemical soup!"
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A third commented: "Wow I'm pretty sure most of the fluids in my car are less processed and synthetic."
Meanwhile, a fourth joked: "Nothing like that healthy Iron Oxide look all over your skin!"
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