Women, already the worst sufferers of dry eye, make it worse with makeup

Attention women! Open your eyes to the eye health risks that come from improper makeup use. Women already have more than their fair share of eye problems. They suffer from dry eye syndrome more commonly then men and some women make it worse on themselves by using makeup improperly which causes additional eye health problems.

Wearing makeup can dry out your eyes or make your dry eye syndrome worse. There are many reasons for this. Mascara can block your tear ducts, eye shadow can get into your eyes causing a sandy sensation that dry eye sufferers are all too familiar with. The list goes on.

Here is what you can and should do for the sake of your eyes.

Check for product validity or expiry date
Makeup contains certain ingredients that will not last forever. Most makeup products last between 6 months to a year unless printed otherwise.

Be extra careful with eye shadow and mascara.

These two products get contaminated easily and once contaminated they introduce fungal and bacterial infections into your eyes. Mascara is particularly susceptible to this type of contamination because it is is water based and the wand goes into your eye and back in the tube many times giving bacteria many chances to grow in the cozy environment of the mascara tube only to be gently transported into your eyes with the wand.

Avoid the inside of your eye

When makeup accumulates around the eye and is not properly removed, it can get into the eye and cause damage the cornea and cause eye infections.

If you have noticed that big chunks of makeup tend to accumulate in the corners of your eyes, you are at risk. Bits of makeup can make their way into your eye overnight. It is a hassle and can be time consuming to remove makeup - and no one wants to do it after a night out when all you want is sleep - but not removing makeup properly can lead to a trip to the optometrist for treatment.

Don't share your makeup

Every person has different skin bacteria and germs and sharing makeup is a way for germs to go from one person to another, causing infection. For this reason, it's a good idea to be careful when you try makeup at cosmetic stores. Make sure that fresh applicators are used.

Diluting makeup?

Do not add water or saliva to dilute your makeup because water and saliva carry bacteria that can get into your eye and give you problems.

Dry Eye Disease

Makeup precautions are useful for all women but especially for those who suffer from dry eye syndrome because infections caused by improper makeup use can greatly worsen your dry eye symptoms.


The image accompanying this post is from the "Open your Eyes" public awareness campaign put on by the Canadian Association of Optometrists. Click here to learn more.