Best Practices When Talking Beauty and Eye Health
For many women, putting on make up can be a part of their daily routine. Ever wonder if what gets painted on the eyes is ugly for eye health? Eye makeup, such as mascara and eye shadow may cause more harm than good, but with these best practices, your eyes can look fabulous while staying healthy.
1. Toss out old make up! After three months, the make up begins to collect excessive bacteria, which can lead to eye infections.
2. Never share eye make up, as it can also lead to the spreading of serious eye infections.
3. Avoid putting makeup too close to the eye, as it may block oil glands.
4. Avoid flakey mascara or glitter shadows. These can cause irritation and potentially tear the film of the eyes. If you tend to have dry eyes, avoid glitter or other makeup that flakes.
5. Remove eye makeup before sleeping, especially mascara. Keeping eye make up can lead to clogged tear ducts, infections and irritation.
In addition to hygiene best practices, it’s also important to check out the ingredients in your beauty products. Many brands can also contain harmful chemicals that can cause long-term damage or allergic reactions. It is best to try to avoid products containing the following toxic ingredients:
Carbon black– This ingredient has been linked to cancer and organ system toxicity. It may show up on the label as carbon black, D & C Black No. 2, acetylene black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black and thermal black.
Prime yellow carnauba wax– Found in most water-proof mascaras, prime yellow carnauba wax clogs the oil glands in the eyes and can lead to Dry Eye Disease.
Parabens– Parabens can also make dry eye worse since they, too, block oil glands.
Aluminum powder– This ingredient has been linked to organ system toxicity. Makeup labels may say it contains “aluminum, LB Pigment 5 or pigment metal.”
