Eye make-up driving you to tears?

They clog the small openings along the edge of your eyelids called meibomian gland openings and prevent the oily layer of the tear film to be properly excreted into the tears. The oily layer prevents premature evaporation of the tears.⁵  Particles of makeup, especially those in glitter and powder-based shadows and foundations, can move onto the surface of your eye where they act as an irritant but also disrupt the tear film leading to a faster tear breakup and evaporation time. Cream-based shadows, highlighters, and foundations are less likely to have this problem. ^{1, 5, 6}

Poor application techniques, accidentally getting make-up in your eye, and rubbing your eyes may also lead to changes in the tear film. ⁶  The preservatives and fragrances used in cosmetics may also change the pH and concentration of the tear film, affecting tear film stability. ⁷  These changes may occur soon after you have applied your eye make-up and may cause symptoms of Dry Eye. ^{1, 6} 

Although cosmetic cleansers and removal products are applied to the skin with closed eyes, they can still affect the tear film and its stability. ¹

Cosmetic remover applied to closed eyes may still migrate inside the eye and worsen Dry Eye by decreasing tear film stability, thinning the tear film, and increasing evaporation. ⁵  Long-wear cosmetics and those designed to tolerate challenging environments such as perspiration, require oil-based cleansers to be removed properly. These appear to have the greatest negative effect on tear film stability. ¹

Tips for proper eye makeup use: 
 

Application

• Avoid applying eye makeup to the inner eyelash line. ^{5, 6} 

• Apply mascara to the tips of the lashes instead of starting at the roots and preferably to the top lashes only. ⁵

   

Removal

• Remove your makeup before going to bed to avoid clogging the meibomian glands. ⁵

• Remove contact lenses before removing the makeup. Makeup debris and remover may bind to the surface of contact lenses, making them uncomfortable to wear. ⁵

• Use gel based makeup removal products that are oil and paraben free and avoid irritants such as mineral oil, sodium lauryl sulfate, and diazolidinyl urea.⁵

• Use a gentle eyelid scrub after the makeup is removed to remove excess makeup and the makeup removal solution. ⁵