Women spend a lot of time on their eyes – picking different eye shadows for day and evening; selecting mascaras to lengthen lashes; and carefully applying eye liner for the most dramatic effect. Equally important as nicely made up eyes is the health of your eyes as it relates to your cosmetics.
- Never share your eye makeup with someone else – even if it’s your mom or best girlfriend. It’s also a good tip to avoid using store samples as they may be contaminated after multiple uses by different people.
- Throw out your eye makeup after three months. Bacteria tend to grow in liquid eye makeup so don’t it the chance. If you tend to forget when you bought the makeup, write on the container with a marker or tape a small piece of paper to the container with an “expiration date.”
- Wash your hands before applying makeup and make sure you regularly clean or replace the sponges or applicators.
- Don’t apply mascara while you’re in the car. You could easily hit a bump or stop suddenly and scratch your cornea with the mascara wand.
- Be sure to remove all your eye makeup before going to bed. It can become clumped and build up on your eye. This is especially important if you wear contact lenses.
Here are some other good resources about keeping your safe: EverydayHealth.com and GetEyeSmart.org.