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Many women could be lining themselves up for unnecessary - and unpleasant - eye problems simply by applying their make-up without following a common-sense routine warns the College of Optometrists.

Eyesight has been voted* the nation’s most valued sense and, to coincide with National Eye Health Week, the College of Optometrists has issued some practical advice to help ensure the millions of make-up wearers across the UK minimise the potential harm to their eyes.

Dr Susan Blakeney, clinical adviser to the College of Optometrists, says: “Talking about good make-up hygiene and habits may seem trivial, but we’re keen to encourage people to take some simple steps, such as hand-washing and taking notice of expiry information, that may help minimise potential risks to eye health. The human eye is pretty resilient, but poor hygiene can lead to unpleasant infections. And the modern-day phenomenon of applying make-up on the journey to work undoubtedly increases the risk of scratching your cornea. This may not only lead to discomfort, but may also put the cornea at greater risk of infection”.

Any product applied to the eyelids or lashes, including eye make-up and make-up remover or cleanser, can potentially affect the eyes. Here are Dr Blakeney’s top tips:

Get the basics right
Wash and dry your hands thoroughly before applying eye make-up or contact lenses. Avoid touching your eyes wherever possible.

Keep an eye on the expiry information
A survey of UK make-up users by the College of Optometrists** found that over half (53%) don’t check the instructions to see how long they should keep their mascara for, with almost a fifth (19%) admitting they didn’t even know that expiry information even existed on such products.

Have a look for this information, usually shown on the eye make-up packaging, and try not to use it beyond that period if possible. Throw it away immediately if it changes consistency or colour, or if you notice a strange smell coming from it.

Don’t apply on the go
Although we often see people expertly applying their makeup on their way to work, unfortunately optometrists see patients who have sustained a corneal abrasion or damaged their cornea (the clear, protective covering at the front of your eye) by accidentally poking themselves in the eye with a mascara wand during a sudden bump or jolt. This can be unpleasant and may leave your eye more vulnerable to infection because the surface is injured.

Keep it to yourself
You wouldn’t share your toothbrush with anyone else, yet over half (53%) of 16-24 year olds admitted to sharing their mascara with friends and family.

Make up and contact lenses
It’s best to put your contact lenses in before you put your make up on. Water-soluble - rather than waterproof – make-up is preferable as if it gets into your eye it will dissolve in your tears and not get trapped under your contact lens. You shouldn’t wear eyeliner on the ‘wet’ part of the edge of your eyelids, as it may block the glands that produce part of your tears. Instead, you should put it on the skin, outside your lashes.

Remove eye make-up at the end of the day
Ensure that all eye make-up is removed at the end of every day to minimise a build-up on your eyelid.

Dr Susan Blakeney concludes: “By following these simple steps and paying a bit more attention to the health of your eyes and eyelids, you stand a better chance of spotting any problems as early as possible. If your eyes or eyelids start to feel itchy or sore, or if their appearance (without make-up) changes to look red, swollen or watery, avoid using make-up and go to see your optometrist.”

*Survey was undertaken by Censuswide on behalf of the College of Optometrists, September 2014. 2,024 people were surveyed.

**Consumer survey undertaken by Censuswide on behalf of the College of Optometrists, May 2015. 1,039 women, who regularly wear mascara, were surveyed.

Published : 24 September 2015