If you find it challenging to shop for the best mascaras as your lashes change with age, you're not alone. While it's a known fact that the strands of hair on your head grow increasingly dry, brittle, and sparse as they mature, it's easy to forget the same thing applies to the hair on the rest of your body, including your eyelashes. From year to year, a mascara you once depended on to keep your lashes looking long and luscious may need to be traded for a newer model to address new concerns.
Below, two experts on the subject—an ophthalmologist and a makeup artist—are sharing their tips for keeping mature lashes healthy and the best and worst ingredients to keep an eye out for. They even spilled a few of their product favourites.
Taking Care of Your Lashes as They Age
Before starting your hunt for a mascara that will look and feel amazing on aging lashes, it's helpful to know how to care for and protect them. As your lashes age, estrogen levels dip, which reduces the hair-growth rate. This leads to everything from thinning and brittleness to loss of pigment and irregular density. Michele Probst, celebrity makeup artist and founder of Worth Beauty Company, tells us that you can keep your natural lashes thriving long after you've reached a particular age by taking time to remove product from your eyes and lashes nightly, using a lash serum, being careful while using metal lash curlers, and avoiding astringent glue with fake lashes.
Finding Your Perfect Mascara Match
When it comes to deciding which mascara will work the best for your mature lashes, pay special attention to the ingredients. "I like hydrating ingredients like argan oil—a fatty acid–rich plant oil [that's] rich in linoleic acid, which is extremely hydrating," says Diane Hilal-Campo, MD, board-certified ophthalmologist and founder of Twenty/Twenty Beauty. She also shares that vitamin E offers nourishing benefits for the lashes and defends against damaging free radicals, and the addition of panthenol (vitamin B5) in a formula can work overtime to condition the lashes from inside out.
"I'd also recommend looking for hyaluronic acid or glycerin, both of which are humectants that can draw water into dehydrated lashes. That water will then be locked into the lash by the aforementioned nourishing ingredients," Hilal-Campo adds. When it comes to which ingredients would cause more harm, she tells us to steer clear of allergens like beeswax. Additionally, she warns against mascaras with strong preservatives and alcohols that can cause damage to the lashes and eyes. It's smart to avoid prostaglandin analogues since they're known to trigger unnaturally long lash growth.
Keep scrolling to see the mascaras beauty editors and experts love for aging lashes underlined by hundreds of glowing reviews from customers.
The Best Mascaras for Ageing Eyelashes, Listed
- Best Overall: UKLash Lengthening Mascara
- Best Lengthening: Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara
- Best Volumising: Beauty Pie Über Volume Boost Velvet Formula Mascara
- Best Defining: Dr. Hauschka Defining Mascara
- Best Tubing: Milk Makeup Kush High Roll Defining & Volumizing Tubing Mascara
- Best Waterproof: Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara
- Best Clean Formula: Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara
- Best Value: Maybelline Falsies Lash Lift Volumizing and Lengthening Mascara
- Best Luxury: YSL Beauty Lash Clash Mascara
Best Overall: UKLash Lengthening Mascara
UKLASH
Lengthening Mascara
This mascara is formulated with carnauba and candelilla waxes (which help to curl and hold lashes throughout the day), while glycerin helps to nourish the lashes. The comb-like wand helps to lengthen and separate lashes for a fanned-out effect.
Customer Review: "I thought I’d give this mascara a go after reading the reviews. Wow, it really does lengthen lashes. Unlike other mascaras it firms up and holds lashes in place. I find the mascara on the tip of the lashes usually rubs off quickly but not this mascara. It stays put and makes lashes look long all day long. Also washes off with no black tell tale under eye marks. Definitely a new favourite."
Pros: Carnauba and candelilla waxes offer curl and hold, glycerin helps to hydrate and moisturise the lashes. Cruelty-free and vegan formula
Cons: None
Specs: 7ml tube
Best Lengthening: Hourlgass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara
Hourglass
Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara Black 10g
If you want a mascara that gives a lengthening effect while holding a curl all day long—and be easy to take off—then you need to try this mascara. It's more expensive than your typical drugstore mascara, but, it delivers incredible fanned-out lashes as the comb brush captures even the smallest eyelashes. Plus, this mascara doesn't smudge or flake throughout the day, and can easily be removed with warm water, making it great for sensitive eyes too.
Customer Review: "My lashes are already naturally long, but this mascara enhances my lashes even more! Love the extra length I get when using it, and how defined my lashes look. I get so many compliments every time I wear this mascara. Also it’s super easy to remove. I highly recommend."
Pros: Has a buildable formula that adds length and volume to the lashes, vegan and cruelty-free formula, ophthalmologist tested
Cons: More expensive than other mascaras
Specs: 10g tube
Best Volumising: Beauty Pie Über Volume Boost Velvet Formula Mascara
Beauty Pie
Über Volume Boost Velvet Formula Mascara
Price shown is member price.
Want volume? The spiral bristled brush of Beauty Pie's mascara coats lashes in a velvety black (or brown, if that's more your cup of tea), leaving even the finest lashes volumised with plenty of length and a long-lasting curl too.
Customer Review: "Make up at my age (76) can be problematic and I only wear lipstick and mascara. This mascara is superb and really enhances my eyes without clogging. Also easy to remove."
Pros: easy removal, no smudging, contains shea butter, vitamin E and natural waxes to condition lashes, also comes in brown
Cons: formula becomes clumpy with two or more layers
Specs: 7ml tube
Best Defining: Dr. Hauschka Defining Mascara
Dr. Hauschka
Defining Mascara
If definition is what you're after, look no further than the Defining Mascara. It's formulated with a calming and protecting blend that effectively separates and coats the lashes for definition. It also has no parabens or synthetic fragrances—making this a must-have for anyone with sensitive eyes.
Customer Review: "I'm able to wear this mascara every day because it's very gentle on the eyes. It doesn't clump at all and gives a natural shine and wet look to my lashes. It also washes off very easily just with water."
Pros: glides onto the lashes effortlessly while also delivering shine
Cons: thin, watery formula is not buildable or ideal for bold eye looks
Specs: 6ml tube
Best Tubing: Milk Makeup Kush High Roll Defining & Volumizing Tubing Mascara
Milk Makeup
Kush High Roll Defining & Volumizing Tubing Mascara
The Milk Makeup Kush High Roll Defining & Volumizing Tubing Mascara separates and defines every lash for added definition, volume, and length without smudging or flaking. With a wear time of up to 24 hours, it uses High Roll Tubing Technology combined with a blend of nourishing oils and volume-boosting waxes.
Customer Review: "This is by far the best mascara I've used in a long time. Checks all my boxes: doesn't transfer/smear above my deep-set eyes even after sweating hard, doesn't flake, easily removes with just water, and makes my lashes look great in one coat. Will repurchase this for the foreseeable future."
Pros: gives the lashes a high volume, fanned-out finish
Cons: can look clumpy despite its creamy texture
Specs: 6g tube
Best Waterproof: Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara
Clinique
High Impact Waterproof Mascara
For a waterproof mascara you can rely on, try the Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara. The 12-hour, non-smudging formula adds volume and length to short, brittle lashes while resisting clumping, sweat, and humidity. The brand recommends using this mascara by placing its brush at the roots of your lashes and wiggling it up to the lips, then repeating for build.
Customer Review: "I've always had a problem keeping mascara on, mostly rubs off below bottom lashes. This seems to go on smooth and stays on the best I've found in a long time. I'm over 60 and my skin seems to be changing a lot. I'm buying this as long as it still works on me."
Pros: allergy tested and 100% fragrance-free
Cons: none
Specs: 10g tube
Best Clean Formula: Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara
Ilia
Limitless Lash Mascara
The Limitless Lash Mascara has a buildable, flake-free formula infused with arginine (keratin) to fortify and reinforce the lashes from within, shea butter to condition the lashes for a soft feel, and more. Now, the best-selling mascara comes in a lighter mono-material tube for planet-friendly packaging.
Customer Review: "Buying mascara has always felt like a necessity for me to finish my makeup and not something I've reused happily. But this one is amazing! No clumping, lightweight, but bold! It's perfect!"
Pros: dual-sided wand for eye-opening length and definition
Cons: tends to lightly flake and smear
Specs: 8ml tube
Best Value: Maybelline Falsies Lash Lift Volumizing and Lengthening Mascara
Maybelline
Falsies Lash Lift Volumizing and Lengthening Mascara
Probst highlights this Maybelline mascara for its drugstore price point and falsie-like finish. This mascara is infused with fibres that deliver dramatic volume, length, and lift with a clump-free, ophthalmologist-tested formula. It also has a double-curved separator brush to grab lashes at the root for the false-eyelash effect.
Customer Review: "This waterproof lash lift is unmatched. Gives the most fluffy, long, volumised, separated, curled gorgeous lashes imaginable. I will never buy another mascara—this is the BEST Maybelline has to offer!"
Pros: does not clump, smear, or flake; all-day wear
Cons: none
Specs: 8.6ml tube
Best Luxury: YSL Beauty Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara
YSL Beauty
Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara
For a department-store option that works well for aging lashes, Probst favors the best-selling Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara by YSL Beauty. This one makes her list because it offers 200% more lash volume, a double-brush wand to lengthen the lashes, and intense color and extreme volume for 24 hours without smudging.
Customer Review: "Such a fun product, love the colour, length, and volume it adds to my lashes! Mascara lasted all day and hardly transferred. Also easy to remove and beautiful packaging!"
Pros: vegan, free of parabens, and contains less than 1% synthetic fragrance
Cons: luxury price point
Specs: 8ml tube
More Mascaras for Mature Lashes
Clinique
High Impact High-Fi Full Volume Mascara
Customer Review: "This amazing mascara is always my favorite go-to in my makeup bag. It creates beautiful lashes... So good I never need to put on the false ones."
Trish McEvoy
Lash Curling Mascara
Customer Review: "This mascara does not smudge! It is the best. Comes off easily with water without making 'raccoon' eyes. I wear it all day without any smears or smudges."
Sisley-Paris
Phyto-Noir Mascara
Customer Review: "I love Sisley mascaras overall, but this one is definitely my favorite. It really opens up the eyes, does not smudge (which is a big one for me), and stays fresh all day long."
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