7 ways make-up can harm your eyes

As an eye surgeon and ophthalmologist, I’ve noticed that many who wear eye make-up are unaware of some of the potential negative effects. Here are some ways to ensure make-up doesn’t affect your eye health Check how long you can keep it for

According to research by the College of Optometrists over half of make-up users do not check the instructions to see how long they should keep their mascara on for, with almost a fifth admitting they didn’t even know that expiry information existed.

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Mascara was first used by the ancient Egyptians over 4000 years ago and was basically made as a mixture of crushed charcoal or soot, crocodile stool, honey, and water. Today’s products are produced in much cleaner environments, but basically the concoction is similar.

As you’d expect the “eye” includes the globe, but also the eyelids, and is vulnerable to infection; as many contact lens wearers will know the more you touch the eye the more likely it is to be infected. Therefore applying make-up to the eyelids daily, particularly if the kit is not clean

or past due date, can lead to problems with the eyelids, the tear film and the eye itself.

Soot particles in mascara can also get into the small oil producing pores along the length of the eyelid margin and block them. These Meibomian gland pores produce the essential oil required for a stable tear film. Blocking these pores causes a chronic inflammatory reaction in the eyelid called posterior meibomitis which is the most common cause of red eyes, dry eyes and irritated eyes.

Make-up brushes, in particular, will gather bacteria and dirt over time. This means every time you go to apply make-up using that brush you may be spreading that bacteria and dirt onto your eyelashes, eyelid margins and therefore tear film and possibly onto your cornea. Eyelash curlers can also build up bacteria, so the more you use them the more you chance you have of re-applying potentially harmful bacteria - all eyelash curlers need to be thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis.