Leaving your eye makeup on overnight can lead to eye infection and irritation. Just as bad, a stye can form from mascara clogging glands connected to your eyelashes. Your eyelids are extremely thin and sensitive, so make sure to treat them with care. The bottom line is removing your makeup is very important.
As soon as you use a makeup brush on the eyelash or eyelid, the brush is contaminated, according to experts. Over time, the infected brush leads to a buildup of bacteria in the cosmetics container. This increases the chance for an eye infection or an allergic reaction with each use of the product.
Not cleansing or removing your makeup allows a buildup of pollutants, microbes, dirt, and other debris like oils, sweat, dead skin cells and unhealthy cosmetic ingredients to lay on the surface of the skin and clog pores. This causes a dry, rough and dull complexion and can result in irritation and breakouts.
Bacteria, viruses or fungi that are present elsewhere on the body or picked up from another person who is infected cause eye infections. They can be highly contagious, so it's important to take precautions to avoid catching eye infections.
Always (always!) remove all makeup before going to sleep. It's that simple. If not removed, eye makeup can cause follicular conjunctivitis and styes, eyelid cysts, and blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid that affects eyelashes and tear production).
Causes of conjunctivitis
The 3 most common causes of this inflammation are: infection (infective conjunctivitis) an allergic reaction (allergic conjunctivitis) something irritating the conjunctiva, like a loose eyelash (irritant conjunctivitis)
The most important thing about removing eye makeup, and it's easy to let it slide when tired after a long day, is to do it before going to bed. Makeup like mascara can easily get into your eyes if left on overnight, with the potential to clog up tear ducts and irritate the cornea and the risk of eye infection.
Bacterial Conjunctivitis normally causes a yellow or green sticky discharge throughout the day. They will feel itchy, and the eyelids may become swollen. Viral Conjunctivitis normally causes a watery discharge during the day and present with sticky discharge in the morning. The eyelids may become very swollen.
You usually don't need antibiotic drops or ointments to treat pink eye. They don't help alleviate the symptoms or make you less contagious. It's difficult to distinguish between viral and bacterial conjunctivitis, but both typically are self-limiting, meaning the illness will go away on its own.
Sleeping in makeup interferes with the natural shedding or exfoliation process of the skin. All that dirt and debris trap dead skin cells on the surface overnight, leaving skin rough, dull, and lackluster.
Remove makeup before sleeping
Sleeping with your makeup on can cause severe damage to your eyes. It can clog your pores, lead to breakouts, and irritate your eyes. Always remove your eye makeup before sleeping to prevent eye infections and other eye-related problems.
"Just going overnight without washing your face isn't going to age you five years," Polis says. "It's more of a missed opportunity. There's great blood supply to the skin and a number of different metabolic processes going on at night. So you're losing out on a chance to target problems."
Replace makeup regularly. Old and contaminated mascara, eyeliner, and eyeshadow can lead to blepharitis. It also increases the risk of conjunctivitis.
Baby shampoo is an inexpensive and ophthalmologist-recommended product for washing eyelids and the area around the eyes.
If people have persistent allergic conjunctivitis, they may need treatment with topical steroid eye drops, such as loteprednol etabonate (Alrex/Lotemax).
If you are experiencing symptoms of an eye infection, see an eye doctor. They will examine your eyes and may take a sample of any discharge to help determine the cause of the infection. Depending on what your eye doctor finds, treatment may consist of prescription eye drops, steroid drops and/or oral antibiotics.
Antibiotic eye drops used for bacterial eye infections include Besivance (besifloxacin), Zymaxid (gatifloxacin), Vigamox, Moxeza (moxifloxacin), ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, ofloxacin, tobramycin, gentamicin, Neosporin, Neo-Polycin, azithromycin, erythromycin, and bacitracin.
Salt water: Salt water is a popular natural home remedy used to treat certain eye issues such as eye infections. Turmeric: Turmeric is a multifaceted herb that contains curcumin that may have medicinal properties such as antioxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory.
Studies have shown that most adults and children with eye infections will get better without an antibiotic in a few days.
You cannot obtain antibiotic eye drops over the counter. They require a doctor's prescription. However, you can use some over-the-counter medications to treat symptoms of various eye infections, including chalazion and styes.
The chances of eye irritation, itchiness, and infection increase when you sleep with your makeup on. Makeup particles can rub off onto the pillowcase and get into your eyes. In worst cases, leaving mascara overnight can cause eyelid cysts.
Expired Products
The preservatives in makeup break down over time, making it easier for bacteria to grow. Once the dermatologically approved formula of makeup changes, that poses serious risks for allergic reactions and severe eye infections from makeup.