False eyelashes are a popular beauty accessory that can instantly transform your look. But what are they made of? Many people assume that false eyelashes are made from synthetic materials, but the truth is that some of them are actually made from mink fur. Yes, mink fur – the same fur used to make coats and other fashion items. This means that the animals used to produce these eyelashes are likely kept in miserable and dirty fur farms.
Synthetic eyelashes are made with a plastic fiber called PBT or polybutylene terephthalate. This material is heated and molded into the desired shape, making them thicker than normal eyelashes and heavier due to the stiffer band. Synthetic eyelashes are designed for single use only. Horse hair eyelashes can also be expensive and, due to their natural shape, can mimic the look of human hair eyelashes.
The problem with mink lashes is that they come from an animal and there is no way to know if the animal suffered any damage in the manufacturing process. False eyelashes are a basic necessity on movie sets and on the small screen, but nobody knows what activities take place at each level of the supply chain before fur becomes fur coats and false eyelashes. Although horse hair is still used to some extent, there are now three main materials currently used for false eyelashes: mink fur, synthetic materials, and human hair. If you lead a cruelty-free lifestyle and stay away from animal products, then mink lashes wouldn't be the right choice for you.
Once you know this information, it's hard to justify exploiting these animals just to produce toiletries such as false eyelashes. It's important to be aware of what materials your beauty products are made of so that you can make informed decisions about what you buy.
