Is your Eye Makeup Making you Miserable?

18 May Is your Eye Makeup Making you Miserable?

If you wear makeup or lotion on your face and have allergies, sensitive eyes or sensitive skin, it’s easy to gauge the time of day by how badly your eyes are stinging. Over the course of the day, our cosmetics tend to run and make their way into our eyes.

Have you thought about what’s in those products?

With all of the attention given to the contents of what we eat and to the products we use to clean our homes, it is curious that many of us don’t consider the importance of the ingredients when choosing our makeup and/or lotion. Yes, it is very easy to get caught up in the designer name, color or pretty packaging, but you really should be taking out your trusty list of ingredients to avoid – and sticking to it no matter how tempting it is to stray. Just like any other products, you need to read through the fine print and make sure that you won’t be using something that is harmful or irritating to your eyes.

If you find that you are experiencing a reaction, discontinue use. If symptoms persist, call our office to schedule an appointment at 732-774-5566.

Try to Avoid These Ingredients:

• Aluminum – May be linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

• Coal tar colors – All FD&C and D&C colors are made from coal tar, and most have been shown to cause cancer.

• Parabens – Synthetic preservatives found to mimic estrogen and can be stored in body fat.

• Propylene glycol / Propanediol – An ingredient in antifreeze and brake fluid; it is also a widely-used, moisture-carrying ingredient in cosmetics.

• Phthalates – Long-term exposure may damage kidneys and liver and may cause birth defects.

• Talc – This powder has been shown to cause cancer in animals.

• BHA & BHT Preservatives – The oxidative characteristics and/or metabolites of BHA and BHT may contribute to carcinogenicity or tumorigenicity.

• Kohl – Contains lead and is often linked to adverse effects in humans.

In addition to keeping these ingredients in mind, it is always helpful to consider natural and/or organic makeup lines. The USDA Organic Seal or being a member of the Natural Products Association is also another way to be sure the products contain healthy ingredients.

Remember, even though foundation (cream or powder) and lotion are not placed directly on your eyes, that doesn’t mean that they won’t – at some point – make their way over to that area and cause irritation.

– Content of ingredients to Avoid taken from ewg.org and adapted in part from Drop-Dead Gorgeous by Kim Erickson (Contemporary Books, 2002)