Raccoon Eyes: The Horror

Many women experience the horrific results of wearing either an eyeliner or mascara and having it melt down giving them raccoon eyes. It can be midday at work and you step into the bathroom and behold, you magically stepped into a costume and are now a raccoon or bandit. A quick cleanup may do the trick, but how long before it comes off again?

Because of this many are plagued between using regular liner or mascara or opting to use the waterproof kind. What exactly are the differences between these products? And how does it affect your skin or lashes?

Let’s first address the differences. The packaging is the same, the look can be the same, and even the results can be similar. What makes it waterproof? Waterproof mascara and liners have different main ingredients that makes them hydrophobic, or water resistant.

These can include a mixture of fats, oils, or waxes. In essence they use lipids to make the products waterproof. Lipids are organic compounds that store energy and are insoluble in water but soluble in other solvents. These can include beeswax, carnauba wax, and many other forms.

Now that we know what makes these products water proof we can see what the best way to remove them is. Regular liners and mascaras that are not waterproof can easily be budged or moved with the presence of moisture. If we sweat, splash our faces with water (swimming), or just our natural oils the product can begin to move and create those unwanted raccoon eyes.

The waterproof products provide another level of protection against those situations, however, what happens when you want to remove them? With traditional products it can easily be removed with a cleanser and water. Waterproof products require an oil based makeup remover to be able to fully remove the product. A negative I see is that because it is harder to remove you are more prone to be tugging at your eye area and lashes. Our eye area is the most delicate skin and if we can avoid any tugging or pulling we can save ourselves from wrinkle formations or any other irritations that can occur.

I wouldn't suggest using waterproof products on a daily basis. Special occasions are definitely a situation where you can use these products. Use a smudge proof liner or mascara that can be easily removed and is not oil based. You can get the best of both worlds without compromising your eye area. We suggest using XtremeLash Length and Volume Mascara and their GlideLiner shades. They both are not waterproof but are smudge proof and water resistant. It’s a great way to get assurance that the bandit won't be making any cameos during the day!