Can I Wear Makeup With Dry Eye?in Boston, MA

Do you suffer from dry, itchy, or irritated eyes? Are you concerned every time you put on mascara that your dry eye will make it run?

If you have dry eye syndrome, makeup can make things a little more complicated. The good news is you can wear makeup even if you have dry eyes. Keep reading to learn more!

Don’t Keep Old, Crumbly Mascaras

For makeup wearers, it can seem counterintuitive to throw out makeup if it still works. This is especially true if you wear mascara.

Here’s the thing though: dry eye and mascara don’t always go well together. If your eyes are dry and you are not getting relief, try throwing away your old mascaras and buying some new ones.

Crumbly mascaras are more likely to get into your eyes, causing irritation or redness. A good
rule of thumb with all makeup is to throw it out every 6 months.

Put In Eye Drops Or Artificial Tears Before Putting On Makeup

If you have to wear eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara, you need to do some prep in advance. For dry eye sufferers, this means putting in eye drops or artificial tears before your makeup.

Leave yourself about 30 minutes for the eye drops to get absorbed into your eyes. This helps decrease the likelihood that your mascara or eye makeup will run down your face.

Be Careful When Taking Eye Makeup Off

Putting makeup on can be a chore, but taking it off can be even worse with dry eye. First, remember to be gentle!

If you have dry eye, your eyes aren’t going to be feeling their best after a night out on the town. If you know that you have several coats of mascara on, or thick eyeliner, consider using baby shampoo to remove it.

Baby shampoo is gentle and shouldn’t cause irritation when using a soft washcloth. Second, remember to take your makeup off at the end of the night.

If you have dry eye, don’t sleep in your makeup! Wearing your mascara or eye shadow to bed is asking for an infection or particles in your eyes.

Avoid these problems and do your best to get your makeup off when you get home.

Sharpen Pencils and Clean Your Makeup Brushes Regularly

Anyone who wears makeup should do these things, but it’s especially important if you have dry eye. Wear a lot of eyeliner? You should be sharpening these pencils on a regular basis.

Ideally, this means sharpening them before each use. It only takes a few seconds and it’s the best way to make sure your pencils are sharp. Dull pencils can lead to particles of your eyeliner pencil ending up in your eyes.

Ideally, you should also be cleaning your makeup brushes. This includes your eye shadow brushes, lip brushes, foundation brushes, and more.

Makeup brushes are the perfect place for bacteria to gather, which may lead to an eye infection. Shoot for doing this at least once a week to keep your brushes sanitary.

Looking for dry eye relief? Schedule an appointment at Nielsen Eye Center in greater Boston, MA today!