If you’re like most women, you prefer not to leave the house without first putting on your makeup. And when it comes to makeup necessities, 37% of women rank mascara as the one cosmetic item they’d never leave the house without putting on. It’s no secret that eye makeup can be a great way to make your eyes stand out, but if you’re wearing it regularly, there are some things you need to know to protect your eye health.

Use a gentle makeup remover to take off your eye makeup before you go to bed. Not only will this help you keep mascara and eyeliner smears off your pillows, but it’ll also protect your eyes from irritation.
When you apply eyeliner, remember that it should always go on the eyelid. Eyeliner (or any cosmetic product) should never be applied below the eyelid or along the waterline of the eye, as this puts the product directly in contact with your eye and can lead to serious irritation.
Over time, those eye shadow and brow brushes can get pretty nasty and can even harbor some dangerous bacteria. Invest in a quality makeup brush cleaner and take the time to use it at least once a week on all your brushes. Doing so will help protect your eyes from possible infection and ensure the best eye makeup application.
Before you bust out your makeup bag, it’s always a good idea to wash your hands. This is especially important if you’ll be applying any makeup directly with your hands (such as a BB cream or even fake eyelashes). Otherwise, who knows what kinds of bacteria you’ll be spreading to your face and eyes by not washing your hands.
Glittery and shimmery eye shadows can be appealing, especially when you want to pull off a dramatic look that’ll draw attention to your eyes. Unfortunately, products with glitter and shimmer in them can also be the most dangerous to have around your eyes. Small pieces of glitter found in these eye shadows can easily get into the eye and scratch the corneas or cause other eye injuries that can be quite serious. Instead, stick to matte eye shadows, many of which can have a glimmery appearance when applied correctly.
Best friend forgot her eyeliner and wants to borrow yours? It might seem harmless enough, but it doesn’t take much to spread a bacterial infection by sharing eye makeup or even eye makeup brushes. If you decide to let your friend use your makeup, let her keep it and pick up a new one instead. Or better yet, keep backup supplies on-hand for these exact situations.
Many women feel like they can’t even leave the house without at least putting on some eyeliner and/or mascara, but it’s good to give your eyes a break every once in awhile. If you’ve got even one day a week where you (mostly) lounge at home and don’t spend a lot of time out in public, consider going the day without wearing any makeup at all. Instead, use this day to:

• Give yourself an at-home facial
• Moisturize and exfoliate
• Perform other self-care activities

Your body will thank you, and it’ll be nice to get a break from applying makeup!
Keep these tips in mind when it comes to applying eye makeup and you can keep your eyes healthy. For more tips on taking care of your body, check out Revere Health’s Live Better Blog.

Revere Health Ophthalmology offers patients the best in eye care from the treatment of eye-related diseases and conditions to prescribing glasses and contacts.