Back in the old days, makeup was full of ingredients like lead, arsenic, and mercury.

Thankfully we don’t have to worry whether or not we’re putting actual poison on our faces when we apply modern makeup, but we should still take a few precautions to protect our eyes from unnecessary injury and infection. There’s no reason the saying “beauty is pain” has to be true, especially when it comes to eye makeup!

Put a Little Distance Between the Makeup and Your Eye

We’re not here to tell our makeup-enthusiast patients to give up their eye makeup, but we do have serious concerns about types of eye makeup that gets too close to the actual eyeball for comfort, including false eyelashes, eyelash extensions, waterline eyeliner, and colored or costume contact lenses. These products can irritate the eyes on their own, and they can also provide a place for bacteria to build up and get into the eyes.

Mascara is another type of eye makeup that can be a vehicle for germs. All it takes is one use for the wand to become contaminated. Aside from the infection risk, sometimes even the steadiest hand can slip and we end up poking ourselves in the eye, potentially scratching the cornea.

How to Stay Safe While Looking Great

So how can we protect our eyes while continuing to use makeup to create the looks we want? Just follow the following basic safety tips:

• Like food and medicine, makeup can expire. Check the expiration dates on your eye makeup and replace your expired makeup. You’re more likely to get an infection or irritation from older makeup. If you’ve already experienced some irritation, this could be the cause. Eyes can actually become reinfected from germs in makeup after recovering!
• Apply makeup with clean brushes. It’ll be better for the end result, but it’s also more sanitary for working that close to your eyes.
• Steer clear of the waterline. No matter how amazing it looks or how expertly you’ve mastered the art of not poking your eye while applying it, makeup on the waterline is a lot of foreign material to place right next to the tear film.
• NEVER share eye makeup. Don’t share it with your friends, don’t share it with family members. You won’t just be sharing makeup, you’ll be sharing germs!
• Never purchase color contacts from a vendor who doesn’t ask you for a prescription. Whether or not you need contacts to correct your vision, you definitely want your contacts to fit your eyes! That’s a crucial part of a contact lens prescription.

Come to Us With Your Eye Makeup Questions

If you want to learn more about which makeup products are safer or if you’re interested in recommendations for costume contact lenses or regular color contacts, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We want to educate our patients as much as possible so that they can continue looking their best while making their eye health a priority!

Our patients have beautiful eyes!

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.