The Intersection of Film, Beauty Rituals, and Vegan Mascara
Transformation
The transformative aspect of makeup had brought me to film – helping to create characters in the context of an overall story was my first dream job Below is an example of a makeup Mia Kirshner in a dream sequence on The L word. And yes you often do makeup around someone on their phone! 
My experience in film doing makeups ran the gamut from beauty to special effects makeups and eventually brought me to The L Word . It turns out that Mia, pictured above, was in fact, the very first person to tell me about parabens and how the EU was banning 1300 toxins - this was in 2006/7. That conversation brought me to SAPPHO and creating a line for my film work and then eventually wanting everyone to be able to experience these rituals safely.
Below we have Roger Rees with a bald cap, prosthetic nose, prosthetic cheeks, lates ageing and moustache - his character went into the future as a vagabond.
Mascara indeed can be a transformative tool - enhancing our features, bringing attention to and adding a touch of allure to our eyes.
The daily ritual of mascara is one that I love - especially with our water based formula. I love that it makes such a difference to a look - how it makes you feel ready for the day - and with SAPPHO's water-based formula, if you let it completely dry between coats... you will never get tired of the transformation!
But this blog is not about the mascara or transformation itself but about how all good things have an expiry date!
This blog is about why replenishing your mascara regularly and using PFAS Non Detect plastic is good for our world and you!
Hygiene - The reason for this is that the moist environment within the mascara tube itself with the repeated exposure to air and lashes makes it a breeding ground for bacteria and other microorganisms. Using your mascara for too long or past it’s expiration date can lead to eye infections, skin irritations and even allergic reactions.
Checking to see if your mascara is showing any signs of change in colour, smell, or consistency is a good habit to develop. As well, keeping the mascara tightly closed after use, will help to minimize the risk of infection. Never ever share your mascara with others!
Effective performance – An expired product will lose not only it’s performance – many dry out and become clumpy whereas a healthy product will coat lashes evenly giving you the desired voluminous or long lash look. It also can become dry and brittle creating specs of mascara dropping on to your clothes.
Our earth –This is a tough one - many mascaras and their plastic containers contain organic fluorine (PFAS)
We may not know which PFAS make up that organic fluorine yet, but scientists all over the world are saying they need to be banned as a class, hence the need for PFAS tested plastics that house product directly (to prevent leaching) but also all plastic containers should be tested because when you throw them out, they can leach into our world for up to 10 years. The thing is however it is nearly impossible to find PFAS free makeup as we can only test to 10ppm and water is tested at parts per trillion!
The Significance of PFAS- Tested Packaging
Environmental Responsibility: PFAS are powerful toxins the cause everything from sexual deformities in baby boys to obesity and diabetes. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a substance at a faster rate than it can eliminate, leading to a buildup of the substance in the organism's tissues. Over time, this accumulation can adversely affect the health of the organism and the overall ecosystem.PFAS bio-accumulate. There is a movie called Dark Waters - it is the story of how PFAs can affect our animals, our water, our land and our bodies. It is the story of a courageous lawyer Robert Billot vs dupont.
Consumer Safety: PFAS can migrate from packaging into the products they contain and also into the earth, for up to 10 years. Choosing Organic Fluorine testing products and packaging will help to ensure you are getting the safest products available. Of the 12,000 PFAS only 250 have been studied and all have had red flags for concern. Our philosophy has always to err on the safest side we can.
Consumer Power: The consumer can really affect change. These are the questions to ask:
- Are you testing your formulas for organic fluorine?
- Can you tell me the numbers?
- Are you testing your packaging for organic fluorine?
- Can you tell me the numbers?
The Challenge
Mascaras need to be replenished frequently but they are the cause of much pollution – they also must be encased in virgin plastic due to the risk of contamination from PLA’ and well – it’s plastic.
The goal will be to someday have a refillable system that will not require plastic but until then for our health and the planet, choosing PFAS (organic fluorine) tested products is the best choice all round.
WE also want to remind you that in 2024 the incredible mascara has won yet another even more prestigious award!
TRY OUR VEGAN BEST SELLING MASCARA HERE!