What make-up hasn’t irritated your eyes?

As a dry eye patient myself and an aesthetics enthusiast, I had to find ways around it so I can still enjoy wearing eye make-up without sacrificing comfort.

I came up with a few tips to help you pick the right makeup.

1. It starts with skin care products: Moisturizing your eyelids is crucial, but many moisturizers and skin care products contain irritants that shouldn’t come in contact with your eyes. Any face wash or skin care product that’s for acne should never come in contact with the eye area (salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, etc.), as they contain drying ingredients.

Another product that is specifically marketed for eyelids that is an irritant to dry eye patients is retinols. Instead, use a rich yet mild, non-scented moisturizer around the eyes. You should feel the difference within 1 week of using such products correctly.

2. Our perception of beauty: Have you ever considered why we glorify long lashes or why we obsess about full coverage concealer? Why do we fill in the eyebrows? Because contrast is perceived as beautiful. Our brains subconsciously contrast smooth, bright eyelids and dark, thick eyelashes, then bright white eyes and well-defined eye brows.

Knowing that, you can safely skip colorful eyeshadows for daily use, reserve mascara for short days or special occasions, opt for eyeliner, and focus on a hydrating concealer and full eyebrows for your daily look.

3. Read the ingredients:
They are common ingredients that affect the health and function of the meibomian glands, such as:

Preservatives: BAK (benzalkonium chloride) is a sneaky one; it's present in eye make-up and sometimes in lubricating drops. Formaldehyde-donating preservatives are often listed as DMDM-hydantoin, quaternium-15, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, and 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol. Lastly, avoid parabens and phenoloxyethanol.  All of these preservatives can cause ocular irritation or negatively affect the function of the meibomian glands.

Waxes: that eyeliner that is smooth as butter probably contains wax, which can block the opening of the meibomian glands along the eyelid margin. Not only would it make your eyes dry, it also makes you prone to styes.

4: Could it be a user error? Yes, sometimes it’s the way we apply our makeup (or remove it) that affects dryness. Here are some tips to help:

Eyeliner: never line your “water line” or your lid margin. The eyeliner will clog up the meibomian glands; it can scratch your cornea, flare up an inflammatory response, cause styes, and can make your contact lenses dirty.

Instead, use smudge-proof eyeliner on the top eyelid.

Mascara: water-proof mascara is for social occasions as it’s very hard to remove and can affect the eyelashes; consider hypoallergenic and tubing mascara; and never ever share mascara. Remove thoroughly before bedtime.

Eyeshadow: the little particles from powder makeup (think eyeshadow, blush, foundation, setting powder, etc.) Stick to the surface of the eye and blur the vision, cloud up the contact lenses, and over time form a thick layer of dead cells and make-up that clogs up the meibomian glands. Consider using a sponge to apply powdered make-up and apply it slowly. Keep your eyes closed as you apply powdered make-up and avoid large (kabuki) brushes on the face.

Make-up remover: Soak your cotton rounds in eye make-up remover and leave them on your closed eyelids for a few seconds before you start rubbing. Let the makeup remover saturate the eyelashes and do the work.

5: Acceptable substitutes: 

• Consider single-use magnetic eyelashes instead of lash extensions to avoid exposure to glues. 

• Consider a drop of Lumify to brighten the eyes if you want to skip eye makeup. 

• Consider a stylish pair of glasses to skip eye makeup and contact lenses occasionally. 
   

Talk to your eye doctor about your eye makeup; it could be a contributing factor to your dry eyes.