Would you like to switch to the accessible version of this site?

Go to accessible site Close modal window

Don't need the accessible version of this site?

Hide the accessibility button Close modal window
Accessibility View Close toolbar
Victoria Family Eyecare

6380 N. Navarro

Victoria, TX 77904 US

(361) 570-2010

Open mobile navigation
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Meet the Doctor
  • Patient Center
    • Online Forms
  • Eyecare Services
    • Contact Lens Exams
    • Eye & Vision Exams
    • Lasik Eye Surgery
  • Frame Selection
  • Products
    • Contacts
    • Frames
    • Latisse
  • Payment Options
  • Contact Us
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Community Content
    • Common Eye Conditions
      • Age-Related
      • Cognitive and Acquired
      • Vision Impairment
      • Injury & Irritation
      • Eye Lids
      • Changes in Appearance
    • Contact Lenses
    • Eye Diseases
    • Eyeglasses
      • Eyeglass Lenses
    • Eye Symptoms
    • How the Eyes Work
      • Basic Visual Skills
    • Pediatric Vision
    • Protecting Your Eyes
    • Visual Rehabilitation
    • Vision Problems
    • What is Vision Therapy
    • Vision Therapy Programs
    • We Can Help With
      • Cataracts
      • Corneal Disorders
        • Disorders
      • Glaucoma
      • Refractive Disorders
      • Adult Strabismus
      • Retinal Disorders
    • Newsletters
      • Glasses & Frames
      • Contacts
      • Tips for Healthy Eyes
      • Conditions That Affect Vision
      • Kid's Vision
      • Amazing, Interesting Eyes
      • Medical Perspectives
  • Promotions
  • Home >
  • Articles >
  • Newsletters >
  • Eye Makeup and Your Vision

Eye Makeup and Your Vision

  • Created in Newsletters

Woman applying eye makeup

How Eye Makeup Mistakes Can Affect Your Vision

Do you use makeup to accentuate your eyes? Whether your go-to style is a smoky eye or you prefer a more understated look, eye makeup mistakes could increase your risk of eye irritation, infection, or vision loss.

What Types of Eye Problems Can Be Caused by Makeup?

If you're like most people, you probably don't pay much attention to expiration dates on your eye makeup. Unfortunately, as soon as you open a new package of eyeshadow or uncap a tube of mascara, bacteria begin to grow in the product and on the applicator. Replacing makeup every few months is a simple way to avoid bacterial or fungal infections that could cause pain and temporary or permanent vision loss.

Infections can also occur if you don't wash your hands before handling eye makeup, or if an uncovered product becomes contaminated with bacteria, dirt, or dust.

Signs and symptoms of an infection can include pain, redness, discharge, and swollen eyelids. Get in touch with your optometrist right away if you notice any of these symptoms. Without prompt treatment, serious or permanent vision damage could be a possibility.

Have you ever poked yourself in the eye while applying makeup? A poke could cause minor irritation as well as scratch or damage the white part of your eye or your cornea, the clear, rounded tissue that covers your iris and pupil. Scratches can be quite painful, while more serious injuries could put your vision at risk.

The type of eye makeup you use may also cause issues. Eyeshadow that contains glitter or sparkling powder creates a dramatic look but tends to migrate into the eye easily, causing discomfort, irritation, or scratches. The problem can be worsened if you wear this type of makeup with contact lenses. The American Academy of Ophthalmology reports that corneal infections or irritations occur more often in contact lens wearers who wear glitter eye makeup.

What You Can Do to Protect Your Vision

These simple steps can help you avoid eye injuries, irritation, and infection:

  • Throw Away Eye Makeup After Three Months: Don't keep eye makeup longer than the expiration date, which is usually about three months. If you develop an eye infection, throw out all of your eye makeup immediately.
  • Don't Share Eye Makeup: Sharing your makeup increases your risk of bacterial infection.
  • Wash Up Before Applying Eye Makeup: Wash your hands, your eyelids, and your eyelashes before you put on your makeup.
  • Don't Continue to Use Eye Makeup That Irritates Your Eyes: You may be allergic to your eye makeup if redness and irritation develop soon after you apply the product. Stop using the makeup, and stay away from other brands of makeup that contain the same ingredients. The American Optometric Association reports that makeup that contains nickel, lead, thallium, selenium, arsenic, cadmium, carmine, and beryllium is more likely to cause allergic reactions.
  • Forget About Car Touchups: You're more likely to injure your eye if you apply makeup in a car, train, or another moving vehicle.
  • Take Off Eye Makeup Before Sleeping: Eye makeup is more likely to find its way into your eyes if it's worn overnight.
  • Keep Eyeliner Off Your Lash Line: Eyeliner applied directly to the lash line can block oil glands that moisturize your eyes, causing dry eye. Applying eyeliner too close to the eye may also increase your risk of irritation or bacterial infection. In a study published in Eye & Contact Lens, researchers discovered that applying glitter eyeliner inside the lash line rather than outside of it resulted in a 15 to 30 percent increase in glitter particles in the tear film.
  • Clean Brushes and Applicators Daily: Keeping brushes and applicators clean is a simple way to reduce your risk of infection. It's best to wash applicators and brushes used on or around the eyes after every use.
  • Sharpen Eyeliner Before Every Use: Sharpening removes bacteria that can coat the tip of the eyeliner.
  • Stay Away from Shared Eye Makeup Samples: Shared samples are overflowing with bacteria. Skip the sample area unless the store offers single-use samples.
  • Use Gentle Cleaning Products: Prevent eye irritation by choosing gentle, hypoallergenic makeup remover. Baby shampoo or petroleum jelly make excellent, low-cost cleaners.

Following these makeup safety tips and scheduling regular visits to your optometrist can help you safeguard your vision. Contact our office to make your next appointment.

Sources:

American Academy of Ophthalmology: How To Use Cosmetics Safely Around Your Eyes, 3/24/21

The Ohio State University, Werner Medical Center: Are Mascara and Eyeliner Bad for Your Eyes?, 8/30/18

Eye & Contact Lens: Migration of Cosmetic Products into the Tear Film, 9/15

University of Waterloo: Study Finds Eyeliner Application May Cause Eye Problems, 4/1/15

American Optometric Association: Academy Award in Makeup? Not for These Patient Gaffes, 2/9/20

  • Common Eye Conditions
    • Age-Related
    • Cognitive and Acquired
    • Vision Impairment
    • Injury & Irritation
    • Eye Lids
    • Changes in Appearance
  • Contact Lenses
  • Eye Diseases
  • Eyeglasses
    • Eyeglass Lenses
  • Eye Symptoms
  • How the Eyes Work
    • Basic Visual Skills
  • Pediatric Vision
  • Protecting Your Eyes
  • Visual Rehabilitation
  • Vision Problems
  • What is Vision Therapy
  • Vision Therapy Programs
  • We Can Help With
    • Cataracts
    • Corneal Disorders
      • Disorders
    • Glaucoma
    • Refractive Disorders
    • Adult Strabismus
    • Retinal Disorders
  • Newsletters
    • Glasses & Frames
    • Contacts
    • Tips for Healthy Eyes
    • Conditions That Affect Vision
    • Kid's Vision
    • Amazing, Interesting Eyes
    • Medical Perspectives

Contact Us

We look forward to hearing from you.

  • Our Services

    We strive to provide complete care for our patients/ learn more about all the services we provide.
    Learn More
  • Schedule Online

    We will do our best to accommodate your busy schedule. Schedule an appointment today!
  • Promotions

    CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL

Hours of Operation

Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

10:00am

6:00pm

Tuesday:

9:00am

5:00pm

Wednesday:

10:00am

6:00pm

Thursday:

9:00am

5:00pm

Friday:

9:00am

5:00pm

Saturday:

Closed

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Closed

No testimonials settings found. Please configure it

    October Newsletter: The Advantages of Prescription Sunglasses

    Could prescription sunglasses help you see better on bright day? ...

    Read More

    October Newsletter: What Are Ocular Migraines and How Can They Be Prevented?

    Seeing stars or flashing lights? An ocular migraine could be to blame. ...

    Read More

    Stress and Vision

    Did you know that your eyes are an extension of your brain? There are six muscles connected to each eye, and they receive signals from the brain. These signals direct the eyes movements and, thus, control their ability to focus. When you are stressed, your brain goes through a number of changes and signals ...

    Read More

    Pain Management

    We take a lot of aspects of our vision for granted. We expect to see nearby and faraway objects clearly, even if we require our eye care provider to prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses to do so. A huge degree of the information we take in about our world and our surroundings takes place visually, ...

    Read More

    Nutrition for Eye Health

    Eating right is essential for keeping your body healthy. This is as true for your eyes as it is for your heart. A diet that is rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and is low in saturated fat, can reduce your risk of heart disease. This will also keep your arteries healthy, so they can ...

    Read More

    Lifestyle Practices for Eye Health

    Protecting your eyesight is an important part of staying healthy overall. Maintaining sound eye health will also help you preserve your quality of life as you age. To keep your eyes as healthy as possible, follow these simple lifestyle practices. Get regular eye exams. Some eye problems — including ...

    Read More

    Glare and Halos

    Glare and halos are both eye symptoms that some people experience around bright lights. Halos show up as bright circles around a light source. Glare is light that interferes with your vision, making it difficult to see or sometimes making your eyes water. These symptoms can show up at any time of the ...

    Read More

    UV Radiation and Your Eyes

    Optometry warnings about the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation on our eyes have not yet reached the degree of public awareness of that of skin damage. Yet, the sun can be just as damaging upon our eyes with unprotected exposure. Short-term exposure to very bright sunlight can result in a type ...

    Read More

    Lazy Eye

    Lazy eye, also referred to as amblyopia, is a condition that develops in infancy or early childhood, and it typically starts when the focus in one eye is more enhanced than the other. The eye with less focus might be impaired due to a significant amount of farsightedness or astigmatism, or something ...

    Read More

    Pediatric Ophthalmology

    Ophthalmology addresses the physiology, anatomy and diseases of the eyes. Pediatric ophthalmology focuses on the eyes of children. Pediatric ophthalmologists examine children’s eyes to see if they need corrective lenses or other treatments to improve their vision. Training for Pediatric Ophthalmologists Pediatric ...

    Read More
No form settings found. Please configure it.
  • Copyright © 2023 MH Sub I, LLC dba iMatrix.
  • Admin Log In
  • Site Map