From just a touch of mascara to darken your lashes to the full treatment to create a smoky elegant look for an evening out, eye makeup is for many women the final touch to their overall cosmetic look. When applied safely you can avoid the various dangers cosmetics cause to your eyes.
1. Wash your hands before applying makeup
You should never touch your eyes with unwashed hands, but it is especially imperative to have clean hands when applying makeup. This is the best way to prevent transfer of bacteria and germs. Clean hands also ensure that your makeup doesn’t become contaminated.
2. Contact Lens wearers need to be extra cautious
Contact lens wearers must be especially aware as they are more susceptible to eye makeup-related eye problems. Products may contaminate your lenses accidentally when even the smallest particle of makeup attaches to them. Use artificial tears to get rid of tiny particles that are irritating the eyes. Avoid applying heavy eye cosmetics closest to the eye and always put your lenses in before you apply makeup to protect yourself.
3. Check what’s in your falsies
Formaldehyde is one of the ingredients used in many of the glues for false eyelashes and extensions. Allergic reactions, swelling, inflammation, infections and even the loss of natural lashes are some of the issues that can arise from the use of extensions and false eyelashes. Careful consideration and research should be done before using false eyelashes or eyelash extensions. Reviewing the list of ingredients in the adhesive for potential red flags could help evade eye injury. Going to a reputable establishment is highly recommended.
4. Throw away old makeup
Cream eye shadow will have a shelf life of about 12-18 months, mascara lasts 2-3 months, and liquid eyeliner should be replaced every 2 months. Bacteria can grow in liquid makeup as time passes and cause infection.
5. Makeup remover
If you’re considering getting contact lenses soon there are a few do’s and don’ts you should know. There is no age limit on being eligible to wear contact lenses: babies can wear them, and so can seniors. Many eye care professionals begin to encourage contact lens wear at age 11 to 14.
DOs
a.) Visit a Doctor
Before anything else, you should have a complete eye exam for contact lenses. During this contact lens exam, your eye doctor will check your vision and write a prescription for corrective lenses. This is the same type of prescription you would get for eyeglasses. He or she will also check for any eye health problems or other issues that may cause problems with contact lens wear.
b.) Handle With Care
Contact lenses should be cleaned and disinfected after each use with a cleaning solution that has been recommended for your type of lens. Poor lens hygiene is one of the common causes of problems with contact lenses and can cause eye infections. Different lenses need different chemicals. Using the wrong cleaning solution can damage the lens and may cause lasting damage to your eyesight. Follow your eye care practitioner’s instructions for taking care of your lenses, including the appropriate cleaning solutions and eye care schedule.
c.) Have a Backup Pair of Glasses
Having a pair of backup glasses is strongly recommended if you wear contact lenses. The fact is that situations may arise in which it may not be a bad idea to have a backup pair of eyeglasses for example, during an eye infection. Eye infections actually occur less often with people who have backup glasses because they are more likely to wear their backup glasses instead of contact lenses when they have an irritation in their eye. Doctors usually recommend not wearing your contact lenses during an eye infection.
Backup eyeglasses are also useful if you travel for work. If something goes wrong and you’re away from your eye doctor and additional supplies of contact lenses, and solution you may be in trouble without a backup plan (and pair of glasses).
DON’Ts
a.) Borrow Contact Lenses
Never wear someone else’s contacts. If they have been in someone else’s eyes, they can carry bacteria and other particles that can spread disease or cause harm to your eye. Even if they are fresh out of the box, contact lenses are prescribed exclusively to your eyes, and even the slightest variation may mean you cannot see your best out of them.
Handle Lenses without Washing Your Hands
Hand washing is the most important step in keeping your contact lenses and eyes healthy. Think about all the unclean things you touch throughout the day – countertops, door handles, keyboards. Their microbes will transfer from your fingers to your contact lens and then to your eye. This can cause huge problems for your eyes, like nasty infections that may damage your sight.
b.) Sleep While Wearing Contact Lenses
Unless you are wearing lenses specifically approved for overnight wear and are wearing them to the schedule prescribed by your eye-doctor, it is not safe to wear lenses while sleeping. The fundamental problem is that contact lenses restrict the flow of oxygen to the surface of your eye (the cornea), and the longer you wear the lenses, the longer the flow of oxygen is restricted. In extreme cases of over-wearing lenses, new veins grow out into the cornea as the body attempts to correct for the oxygen deficit.
Contacts have come a long way since they came into regular use in the 1970’s. Depending on your eye structure and vision, most people have a choice of several diverse kinds of lenses to wear. These choices may be based on ease and price. When prescribed properly and taken care of properly, they will provide you with great vision and give you the glasses-free look that you desire.
If you wear water-resistant makeup, then opt for an oil-free makeup remover. Dab it on a piece of cotton ball and gently wipe the makeup off your eyes. Do not rub in a vigorous manner. You can even buy eye pads which do not require any solution to remove makeup (similar to wet wipes) but made especially for eye makeup removal.
6. Don’t share makeup
Avoid sharing or exchanging your eye products with anyone. This could easily lead to an infection as you’ll basically be exchanging bacteria with the other person. When sampling at a retail store apply eye makeup with single-use applicator. If you need to check an eye shadow, test it on the back of your hand instead of your eye.
7. Avoid Glitter
Adding a bit of shimmer to your eyes can make you look good, but some glitter isn’t safe for the eyes. It may look the same, but it isn’t. Normal glitter is cut larger than the kind meant for cosmetics use. It’s also sharper, which can be really dangerous for the cornea. Once inside the eye, a fleck of glitter can scratch and possibly damage your eye or the sensitive skin under the lid. Using eye drops will help relieve the eyes of any small particles and soothe the eyes by moisturizing them.
Cosmetic glitter is usually rounded around the edges and much smaller. This way, if it falls into your eye it isn’t harmful. Always remember to read the packaging to make sure the glitter is not harmful to use around the eyes. Some labels will say the glitter not safe for the immediate eye area, so avoid these.
Following these tips can ensure that while you have fun with eye makeup, it doesn’t end up hurting your eyes. Better to be safe than sorry.
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