Thoroughly removing your makeup at the end of the day is extremely important for many reasons. Removing the makeup from our skin allows our skin to breathe; it allows our skin to rest; and it removes any potentially damaging chemicals that may be in our cosmetics that can age us faster. Because of the importance of removing makeup at the end of the day, it’s imperative that you invest in a good quality cosmetic remover, especially mascara remover.

Mascara and other eye makeup products (such as eye liner, which is often waxy and naturally resistant) can be rather difficult to remove when compared to other cosmetics, which makes choosing the best mascara remover all the more important.

Finding a good quality mascara remover is taking a fine balance into consideration. Not only do you need a cleaning agent that is strong enough to remove mascara, but you need to find one that is delicate enough to be used on the thin, tender skin around your eyes. Using a remover that is too harsh will cause micro-tearing of the skin and cause premature aging.

Here are some tips for you to find the best mascara remover possible:

Opt for an oil free mascara remover or eye makeup remover. You will want to choose a remover that will preferably remove not only eye shadow, but your eye liner and mascara as well. Reducing the amount of cleansing products that you apply to your eye will help keep the eye skin in the best condition possible. Using an oil free remover will also keep you from having to deal with greasy residue (which may not only be uncomfortable, but may make the eye makeup application process more difficult in the morning).

Several types of mascara remover include substances such as olive oil and aloe vera to both soothe your skin and to refresh your skin. These tend to leave your eye skin feeling smoother and more hydrated, something you definitely want.

Some other ingredients that are wonderful when it comes to mascara remover formulations are green tea extracts and cucumber (both moisturize your skin), mineral oil, and wheat germ oil (these two ingredients will leave your skin feeling soft and also help condition your eyelashes).

When ever possible, choose a mascara remover that is strong enough to wash off waterproof mascara – especially if you wear waterproof mascara every day! You may want to think about getting a dual action mascara remover that will simply break up the mascara you are wearing and easily wipe it away. This helps prevent you needing to tug and pull at your lashes, which may cause them to prematurely fall out and cause your lashes to look thin and sparse.

Ophthalmologist eye makeup removers and mascara removers are always best, and they are downright necessary if you wear contact lenses or if you have sensitive eyes. These products usually include ingredients that will actually dissolve the eye makeup and any oils, and they do not contain thimerosal (mercury) as several other eye makeup removers do.