Is This 'Clean' Mascara Actually Clean? A Greenwashing Investigation

Greenwashing Check

We dug into the cult-favorite ‘clean’ mascara’s claims to see if they hold up.

Expert Analysis · Honest Reviews · Real Results

1.🔍The Clean Mascara Question

Everyone loves Glossier‘s Lash Slick. But is its ‘clean’ label just marketing?

I checked the fine print. The brand’s own ‘clean’ definition is suspiciously vague.

2.🌿The Pitch

A $20 tubing mascara. Promises a clean, natural look that washes off with just water.

Uses tiny fibers to lengthen, not thicken.

Smudge-resistant, but not for a sweaty day.

It’s in Sephora’s ‘Clean’ section. That’s the main claim.

Photo: Clearcut Derby / Unsplash

3.⚠️The Ingredient Reality

The hero ingredient is Japanese fiber. It’s a plastic polymer. Not exactly a ‘green’ superfood.

It’s free of parabens and mineral oil. But so are most mascaras now.

Photo: Content Pixie / Unsplash

4.📜The Wear Test

The wand is skinny. The formula is thin — feels like painting with ink. Zero clumps on first swipe.

By week two, the tube dried out faster than my other mascaras. A common complaint I finally believed.

💡

One Thing: Wiggle the wand at the *base* of your lashes first. That’s where the magic happens.

Photo: Fleur Kaan / Unsplash

5.💄Who It’s For

It gives defined, separated lashes. My lashes looked longer, not fuller. It did not survive a 3pm yaunt.

✅

Buy if

You want a no-makeup makeup look and hate mascara removal.

⏭️

Skip if

You crave volume, have oily lids, or need all-day wear.

💰

Worth it?

For the look, maybe. For the ‘clean’ promise, no.

Photo: Harper Sunday / Unsplash

6.✅The Final Call

A great natural-look mascara. But the ‘clean’ branding? Total greenwashing. It’s a polymer in a tube.

6.5/10

Pretty, but the claim is flimsy.

🛍️

Where to Buy: Get it at Sephora to test in person. Don’t buy it for the ‘clean’ halo.