Your eyelashes frame your eyes, and mascara enhances their beauty. However, they also serve a very important function. Eyelashes protect the eyes from dust, debris and sand by trapping them. Therefore it is important to understand how mascara can damage your eyes, and eye lashes. Also, here are some recommendations for keeping your eyes safe when using eye makeup.
Eye Infections
All your cosmetic products can breed bacteria; leading to infections. Wet cosmetics, like mascaras especially, can thus damage the eyes. Poor makeup hygiene practices can be an invitation for eye infections like blepharitis, styes, Meibomian Gland disease, conjunctivitis and dry eye disease. This can lead to the following:
- Redness of eyes
- Soreness of eyes
- Dry, gritty or scratchy eyes
- Eyelid infections and swelling
- Boils on eyelids (styes)
- Blockage of tear secreting glands
- Eyelashes falling
Eye Irritation
Even though most eye irritation or allergy due to eye makeup is temporary, it can damage your eyes in the long run. Eye makeup, especially mascara, can also damage your eyes due to infections. Eye make up can be a growth medium for bacteria, causing frequent infections also.
How to prevent damage to eyes due to mascara use?
- Store all your liquid eye products in a cool dry place.
- Do not use your mascara after three months of opening the bottle.
- Do not use expired products.
- Do not share your eye makeup.
- Do not use water in your mascara in case its dries up or becomes clumpy.
- Always remove your eye make up at night.
- Do not use mascara (or any other eye makeup) for up to one month after you have had eye surgery (especially LASIK).
- Always use eye makeup after you have put on your contact lenses.
- In case of any eye infection, discard your mascara.
- In case of any irritation, stop using your mascara, and contact your eye doctor immediately.
