How To Use Oil To Revive A Dried Up Mascara

One of the most upsetting sights for any beauty lover is a dried-up makeup product. Whether it was full or almost gone, watching a good product go to waste is never fun. Apart from the fact that you're watching your money dry up, using a product that no longer works can be dangerous. If your mascara has expired, it can bring various eye infections and is generally harmful to your eye. However, if your mascara has simply dried up due to not closing it all the way, you still have a chance for a few more swipes.

Like any dried makeup item, ensure it has been kept safe and away from potential bacteria. Trying to fix dried makeup is not a new trend. For years, many hacks have helped to extend the life of some of your favorite products. Extending the life of your product is a financially and environmentally intelligent move. Save your money and time by using every last bit of your mascara product.

Thankfully, if your mascara has dried up, a little oil can bring it back to life. You can place a few drops of olive oil into the tube before stirring it with the mascara wand. Olive oil drops should be enough to cut through the dried-up product to give you that silky mascara color you love. If you don't have olive oil, use baby oil to cut through your mascara. Before adding drops of baby oil, stick it into the microwave to lightly heat it. Don't heat it for too long, though, as you only want to separate the product. Using a dropper, you can add the baby oil into the tube and stir it with the mascara wand.

Ultimately, only use one drop of oil at a time. Adding too much oil of any kind will make the mascara too liquidy and greasy. Simply add one drop of oil before testing it, and continue to add more until you get your usual consistency. If you have sensitive eyes or are prone to eye irritation, you want to avoid this hack, as oil can easily irritate sensitive eyes. You also want to avoid adding too much oil, given the proximity of mascara to your eyes.

If you don't have oil on hand or have sensitive eyes, there are other ways you can bring your mascara back to life. You can also use contact solution as an alternative to oil. Like oil, you don't want to add too much contact solution to your mascara since this can ruin the product. Simply add a few drops for your product to start liquifying again. Since contact solution has to live in your eye, there's less of a chance you will get any sort of irritation from it. 

As Sugar Cosmetics adds, there is also a way to bring back your mascara without adding any other product to your mascara. All you need to do is place your closed mascara into a mug filled with hot water for a few minutes. The hot water should be enough to soften up your mascara inside. Ensure you have closed your mascara tightly so no water can get inside the tube. Using this method, you can soften thickened mascara without having to risk any sort of eye irritation. Depending on the status of your mascara, you may need to repeat this step multiple times to get the right consistency.