Can You Wear Makeup To An Eye Exam

Cosmetics are a leading cause of eye diseases and injuries. Prefer these simple eye-care habits to protect yourself.

Your eyes accept an enemy, and it'south hiding in your purse: your cosmetics bag.

Eye care may non exist acme of listen when applying makeup, merely information technology should be. Mascara wands can scratch with an accidental jab. Glitter bits and flakes of centre shadow can irritate and inflame. And dangerous ingredients or contaminated products can cause bacterial or fungal infections.

"The pursuit of dazzler tin can come with serious health costs if you're not careful," says Julie Schaefer, O.D., an optometrist at South Florida Regional Eye Associates, located in an America's Best Contacts and Eyeglasses in Miami.

Use this handy checklist to make clean upwards your makeup habits—and safeguard your vision.

Eye Care Practise: Replace Your Makeup Every 3 Months

Virtually cosmetics contain preservatives, just bacteria and other germs make it the mix the kickoff time you open the instance.

Not all germs pose a problem, but consider this: When Polish researchers ran lab tests on 55 cosmetics from women'south makeup numberless in a 2017 written report, they found staph leaner in twenty percent of the items and fungi in 7 percent. Yuck!

Ready a reminder on your smartphone to make the swap, or go former-school and write the ballpark replacement date on the containers.

Eye Care Don't: Let In-Store Testers Get Almost You

Anyone who's always worked in retail knows how crazy-busy the staff can be. Who knows if, when, or how often the testers are sanitized?

Even if the staff is diligent, we have ii words for y'all: double dippers. Yep, your swain shoppers might be reusing those disposable wands and swabs. E'er ask for a fresh tester, and only test shadows and liners on your hands.

Consider bringing alcohol spray or wipes to make clean items yourself, or store at stores with solid return policies and try new products at domicile instead.

Getting an in-store makeover? Make certain the makeup artist sanitizes their easily first—and inspect the brushes and wands they apply. If the space doesn't sparkle, keep walking.

Center Care Do: Keep Your Easily and Brushes Squeaky Clean

Washing your hands before applying makeup, and cleaning your brushes and applicators weekly, should be your first lines of defense confronting nasty germs that tin irritate eyes or lead to annoying infections like pink eye.

Formally known equally conjunctivitis, mild cases of pinkish heart don't usually cause any long-term damage to your eyes, says Dr. Schaefer, just the burning, swelling, redness, and sticky discharge may sideline you for a few days.

Another reason to clean your brushes: You'll remove pollen and dust that can cause allergic reactions.

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Eye Intendance Don't: Rub Your Eyes to Clear Debris

In the morning blitz, it'south piece of cake to miss your target and accidentally get makeup in your optics. Resist the urge to rub it off. That increases your chances of making the irritation worse—or of scratching your cornea, the clear outermost layer of your eye that helps you lot focus.

Instead, flush your optics with lubricating drops and give them a few minutes to rest and recover before starting over. Or, skip the eye makeup for the day and brand your lips and cheeks sparkle instead.

Center Care Do: Have a Makeup Hiatus After Any Centre Infection

Keep middle makeup stashed while y'all're healing from an middle infection, and so ease back in slowly, says Dr. Schaefer.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology suggests waiting ii weeks before returning to centre makeup, in case you have any lingering "silent" symptoms.

And brand sure you restart with fresh products, so that yous don't infect yourself all once again.

Eye Care Don't: Fall Asleep with Your Face On

It'southward tardily. You're tired. You lot think, "There'southward no real harm sleeping in my makeup."

Resist that temptation, says Dr. Schaefer. It's well worth rallying yourself for the minute or two that the removal takes. That'due south because routinely hitting the pillow with makeup on can irritate your eyes and lead to chronic dry out eye.

Makeup buildup tin also impact eyelash roots, potentially leading to redness and ingrown lashes. A rare case of corneal scarring and vision harm has even been reported subsequently years of improper middle makeup removal.

Here's how to safely clean the surface area:

Soak a fresh cotton pad or swab in a gentle-formula, unscented center-makeup remover.
Use a light touch (don't scrub!) to swipe the pad over your eyelids and lash line, taking intendance to proceed your optics closed.
Follow with a quick rinse.

Eye Care Do: Exam One New Product at a Time

It'due south natural to want to attempt the latest trends and brands, but your best bet is to only add together one new makeup production to your routine at a time, Dr. Schaefer says. This is peculiarly true if you have allergies or sensitive peel.

No flare-ups after a few days? Become ahead and try some other new production. But if you do have a reaction, ditch the detail and save the packaging with the ingredient listing to show your doctor or optometrist. He or she can help you place the culprit chemical, and so you can steer clear of it in the future.

Eye Care Don't: Employ and Bulldoze

Moving cars and makeup don't mix, fifty-fifty if you're a passenger. The inevitable starts, stops, bumps, and turns could lead to a poke in the center with your mascara wand or makeup applicator.

Hither's a surprising fact: Putting on makeup while driving is actually riskier than making a cellphone phone call from behind the bike, co-ordinate to the National Highway Traffic Safe Administration. That so-chosen fourth dimension-saving step triples your risk of an accident.