All black mascara bothers my eyes. In fact, just about all eye make-up (face, too) makes my eyes burn and sting. It has not always been this way, only for about the past 15 years or so. However, I find I am able to use Rachel Perry brown mascara. I also use the mascara as an eyeliner by using a tiny wet brush.

Sorry if this is of no help to you, since it is my eyes that are sensitive, not my skin.

Thimerosal is a preservative containing mercury. It has been commonly used in saline solution for contacts wearers for years. Check the ingredient list of your mascara for Thimerosal. It might be the ingredient that is bothering you. The customer service rep may not even know that Thimerosal = mercury by another name.

Thanks to you both. I'll be calling customer service again tomorrow to ask about thimerosal. Also, Toby, I've not heard of Rachel Perry - where do you buy it?

Before internet shopping, I would find it in health food stores. Now I order it on-line. Just do an internet search, if you decide to try it.

Rachel Perry, Kiss My Face, and Burt's Bees all do great natural makeup

but the problem with ¥sensitive mascaras is they're usually lousy mascaras Almay is my favorite example -hypo-allergenic doesn't do you any good when the stuff flakes off into your eyes - that's a direct irritant, not an allergic issue, eh?

Physician's Formula is one option - I used their mascara long after I stopped wearing contacts...

but if you have already tried that - admit that the Clinique is an indulgence that you richly deserve :)

Clinique is the problem - that's the one that's driving my skin crazy. I'll check out Physician's Formula, too - thanks for that name.

The good thing is - I don't wear contacts but I also don't have any interest in the stuff flaking into my eyes.

I'm on a mission now...I WILL find one that doesn't bother me!!

I stopped wearing mascara for years because it bothered me. However I recently tried Jane Iredale mascara and like
it.

Patser, if your skin is like mine, you might just save yourself lots of money and grief, and stop using eye make-up. I too started getting allergic reactions after using eye make-up for many years. I could not see myself without eye make-up and so had allergy tests done and they said it was the black (charcoal) that I was allergic to. I switch to brown, same problem. I tried Clinique, Physician's Formula and others that all claimed to be hypo-allergenic, same problem. One honest person told me that there was no such thing as hypo-allergenic stuff because there would always be someone who would be allergic to an ingredient, whether it was natural (like fruit) or chemical. I went into work one day with no eye make-up feeling so self-conscious and told whomever I encountered, "o.k., what do you think"? They didn't know what I was talking about. I really wish you good luck and hope you either find that one make-up that will be right for you or you just give it up.

Goodness! I just found out that I am allergic to thimerosal and had not idea that the mascara I was wearing was bothering me. The label says it is hypoallergenic but I am thinking of just giving up and move on with my life, free of itchy, swollen eyes.