WITH the Christmas party season in full swing, many of us are relishing the chance to get glammed up.

And after a long night, who hasn’t been guilty of falling asleep without taking off all our eye makeup?

More than one in ten of us do this – even though the results can be far from pretty – according to a September 2023 study from Vision Express.

Left on overnight, cosmetics containing chemicals, pigments and waxes can do serious damage to the surface of your eyes and the skin around them.

And with new long-lasting eye makeup formulations getting even harder to remove, it can build up over time, damage our eyesight and even our overall health.

That’s not all – the way you apply your makeup and your hygiene habits could also be putting you in harm's way. 

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Here, a range of eye experts explain when eye makeup can become dangerous, form common styes to blindness.

Failing to remove your makeup

Styes

You may be ready to drop off to sleep as soon as you fall into bed – with your makeup still on.

But while you’re out for the count, the bacteria which live along the rims of your eyes are just getting busy.

Mixed with the pigments, solid particles in makeup, as well as the moisture in your eyes, the bugs start to grow.

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They can then infect the follicles, or pores at the base of your eyelashes.

This can lead to painful pus-filled lumps, or spots, called styes.

If this happens, as well as taking time to take off your eye makeup, experts recommend holding a warm compress – like a folded-up flannel moistened with warm water – to ease the blockage in the follicle until it clears.

Chalazions

There’s another way eyeliner and mascara that’s not properly taken off can create health problems.

The meibomian glands – tiny openings along the upper and lower rims that secrete oils to lubricate your eyes and stop them drying out – can become blocked. 

If this happens, it stops the fluid flowing out onto the eye surface, making the eyelids swell up.

Over time and left untreated, these can solidify into lumps that can make it hard to see, called chalazions. 

It can also press on the eyeball, making your vision blurry.

Just as with a stye, experts advise taking off your eye makeup more carefully, and applying a warm compress to unblock the gland.

Dermatitis

At less than 1mm thick, the skin on your eyelids is the thinnest on your body.

This is to allow sunlight into your eyes to wake us up in the morning.

But the fact that eyelid skin is so delicate also makes it vulnerable to inflammation.

If eye shadows aren’t taken off properly, the ingredients can start to build up, irritating the skin, and triggering an allergic reaction or dermatitis – inflammation of the skin.

On top of that, eye makeup can also introduce more bacteria onto the eyelids, making dermatitis worse and causing swelling and crusting.

Eye expert Neil Laird from Pure Optical says: “Makeup can act as an irritant or allergen, leading to eyelid dermatitis.

“This can be aggravated by the build-up of makeup residue, leading to irritation and bacterial overgrowth.”

If you get a flare-up, use water and a gentle cleanser (like baby shampoo) to clean your eyelids and remove crusts every day.

Beware of green, blue or glittery eyeshadows, too. 

They may contain nickel or cobalt which can also all trigger eyelid irritation -and look out for hypoallergenic formulations, which are designed to cause less irritation.

Sandpaper scratching

If you don’t take off your mascara, particles can get trapped beneath the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers the inside of your eyelids, leading to irritation.

Over time, these can harden and get stuck, causing dark, cloudy patches on the inside eyelids.

This is called subconjunctival mascara deposition, and was described in a case report in 2017.

A 50-year-old woman went to doctors with “chronic foreign body sensation in both eyes”, which she reportedly said felt like sand.

Pictures showing dozens of black spots in her eyelids which was hardened mascara. 

The doctors wrote: “She admitted to more than 25 years of heavy mascara use on her lashes with inadequete removal.”

Applying too much under-eye concealer close to your rims can also lead it to collect in the skin under your eyes, interrupting the moist layer and making vision cloudy.

Fake eyelashes

Dry eyes

The chemicals and preservatives in eye makeup can interfere with the composition of the tear film that keeps the eyes moist so you can see clearly.

When this changes, your eyes can dry out more quickly, sparking itchiness and you blood-shot eyes.

Neil says: “This is particularly common with the use of eyeliner within the lash line, known as the waterline, which can block the meibomian glands' openings.”

And while attaching fake eyelashes might give you a few extra millimetres in length, they can also contribute to dry eyes.

According to a 2015 study at the Georgia Institute of Technology, unnaturally long eyelashes create a wind tunnel effect, directing more air to the eye surface, and drying out to the eyes more quickly.

Ruin eyelashes

Fake lashes, whether it be strip lashes or extensions applied in beauty salons, can also ruin your real lashes, says optometrist Dr Clare O’Donnell, Head of Eye Science at www.Optegra.com.

She says: “Longer, thicker eyelashes are heavier.

"Handling and removing them improperly can lead to you losing your natural lashes."

What's more, she says the glue can lead to allergic reactions.

And you're at risk of "potential eye injuries if the lashes scratch your eyes".

Poor or dirty application

Scratched corneas

Some of the most common and painful injuries to the eyes are from scratches to the corneas, which are the clear outer layer of the eye.

These can get scratched if your fingernail slips while applying mascara or eyeliner.

It may be Christmas but the hard particles from glittery eye shadows can fall into your eye, get stuck or scratch your cornea, which can cause severe pain for 24 to 48 hours until the abrasion starts to heal.

Dr Clare says: “A scratched cornea can cause sharp pain, watering of the eyes and blurred vision.

“It’s important to seek treatment right away to avoid infection taking hold in the abrasion or damage to your sight.”

What’s more, if your makeup is contaminated with bacteria, the graze can also get infected –  a condition known as keratitis – which may need antibiotic eye drops.

Eye expert Nimmi Mistry, of Vision Direct says: “If not treated promptly, these infections can encourage the growth of blood vessels in the cornea, leading to scarring. Untreated keratitis can lead to possible blindness.

“In fact, a recent study said that infectious keratitis is among the top five leading causes of blindness globally.”

To reduce the risk of grazing your cornea, avoid applying your makeup in a hurry, and certainly not on the move, so you have a steady hand.

Conjunctivitis

Bacteria love to hang out on makeup brushes.

However, a recent Vision Express survey found that one in 10 Brits admitted to not cleaning their makeup applicators enough.

This is even though research has found that they can get contaminated with the staphylococcus aureus bug, which triggers conjunctivitis, or pink eye.

This is when small blood vessels in the clear surface of the eyes get swollen and irritated by the bugs, making them look red and blood-shot.

Nimmi says: “It’s essential not to share makeup brushes, and to throw away makeup when it’s gone past its sell-by date.”

Eye makeup which contains moisture starts to grow bacteria as soon as they are opened and exposed to air.

Over time the preservatives they contain also stop working to keep bugs at bay.

So, stick to one mascara or liquid eyeliner at a time and throw it away when the use-by date arrives. 

Never add water to try and revive dried-out mascara or eyeliners either.

Makeup chemicals

Infertility or cancer

When you’re applying your eye makeup for a big night out, you probably don’t stop to think about what kind of substances you’re applying to such sensitive organs.

That’s despite the fact these eye cosmetics are chemical concoctions, designed to stay put.

One of the ingredients that help these products last and stay waterproof are a group of substances, known PFAS, for Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances.

These are also called ‘forever chemicals’ because they do not break down and over time, they build up in the human body.

They have been linked to health issues like hormone disruption, changes to periods, infertility, and breast cancer in some studies. 

Research by Dr Kim Harley, associate director of the UC Berkeley Centre for Environmental Research, says adolescent girls may be at particular risk of being exposed to these hormone-disrupting chemicals via eye makeup.

Although cosmetics containing these chemicals are supposed to be being phased out in the UK, a BBC News investigation in January this year (2023) found there are dozens of products still containing them on sale in the UK.

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The good news is that Dr Harley’s research has also found that switching to ‘cleaner’ makeup products, free of these chemicals, reduced the levels in women’s bodies’ by as much as 45 per cent in just three days.

Look out for beauty brands which are clearly marked as paraben-free.

How to keep your eyes safe

Give yourself a break from waterproof makeup

You may want your mascara to stay put the whole day.

But spare a thought for the long-term health of your eyes.  

Eye expert Neal says: “The trend of long-lasting and waterproof makeup can pose risks to eye health.

“These products are harder to remove, and often need to  be cleaned off vigorously.

“That can irritate the delicate skin around the eyes or damage the eyelashes."

Choose a good eye makeup remover

Most mascaras and eyeliners are a mix of colour pigments, mineral oils, and preservatives to stop bacteria from growing and causing eye infections.

Waterproof formulations have the same ingredients but also contain extra glues – or polymer films – to maintain colour and keep out water.

To take them off, choose a dedicated waterproof eye makeup remover for the task, and when you apply with a cotton pad, give it time to dissolve it all away.

Optometrist Dr Clare O’Donnell of  www.Optegra.com eye health care says: “Look out for fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, and dermatologically tested makeup removers.”

Watch out for panda and blood-shot eyes

If you wake up with panda eyes – traces of black makeup residue –  or blood-shot eyes, it’s a red flag you’re not taking enough time to remove your eye makeup properly.

Mums, tell your daughters

While older tweens and kids are excited about first starting to use eye makeup, they’re rarely told about the importance of removing it. 

If your girls are old enough to apply eye makeup, then they are old enough to learn to clean it off too. To get them into good habits, make it clear it’s as important as cleaning your teeth.   

Eye expert Nimmi says: “It’s vital younger age groups understand the potential risk and complications.”

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