Choosing Better Products?

Choosing better make up and personal care products can make a big difference in how your eyes feel and function, now and in the future. Switching products to ones that contain eye safe ingredients when possible can make a big difference. 

While the research is constantly evolving, there are some key ingredients in make up and personal care products that you should try and avoid if you want to keep your eyes comfortable and healthy. Get reading your packaging!

• Isopropyl Alcohol

  Alcohol can often be found in in makeup removers and lotions and can be very drying for the eyes

• Benzalkonium Chloride (BAK)

  This common preservative that dry eye sufferers should avoid in eye drops. It can be found in much higher quantities in makeup and can contribute to corneal irritation as well as meibomian glands damage. You may unfortunately find it in eye makeup removers “for sensitive eyes”.

• Parabens

  Many parabens are carcinogens but they’re also hormone disruptors and neurotoxins, and bad news for our tears and ocular surface

• Phenoxyethanol

  Another preservative, there is also concern for this chemical harming the meibomian glands.

• Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-3) 

  In eye creams and concealers this can do an amazing job of removing fine lines and under eye bags in the short term, but it’s a neurotoxin that really should be avoided.

• Formaldehyde / Quaternium-15

  This is a preservative but there is research that links it to meibomian glands damage and hair loss (think, lash drop out!)

• Isopropyl Cloprostenate

  This chemical is a synthetic prostaglandin, which can be found in lash serums BUT it’s pro-inflammatory and bad news for dry eye disease. It can cause red eyes and eyelids, pigment changes to the eyelid skin, decrease in fat around the eyes and meibomian gland damage.

• Retinol

  The topical form of vitamin A is a great anti-ager but put this near your eyes can be harmful to the meibomian glands causing them to shorten. High doses of Vitamin A can also be devastating to the meibomian glands.

• Sodium Laureth Sulfates

  Often in in face wash, this doesn’t agree with the tear film.