all about beauty
As someone who loves beauty and understands the science, I’ve taken a deep dive into the world of cosmetics—decoding ingredient lists and learning from top experts. Along the way, I’ve identified which ingredients can worsen dry eye symptoms and which are safer for sensitive eyes. Here, I’ll be sharing evidence-backed tips, my go-to dry eye-friendly products, and the key ingredients worth knowing about.
It's time for a beauty makeover. Understanding which cosmetic practices were exacerbating my dry eye brought me a sense of comfort and clarity.
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Awareness is key: follow my blog to learn more
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Remove Makeup Every Night
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Wash makeup brushes and tools weekly
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Take a Makeup Break
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Avoid Waterproof Makeup
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Never Share Makeup
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Lid Hygiene is Key
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Incorporate Hypochlorous Acid
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Stick to Cream and Gel Shadows
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Use a Primer
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Avoid Waterlining
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Throw out Mascara every 3 months- at a minimum
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Use Makeup that can be sharpened
What I'm loving right now for skincare.....
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Moisturizer: Hyaluronic Acid Daily Moisturizer AM/PM
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Eye Cream: Omega+ Cell Regenerating Eye Cream AM/PM
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Cleanser : Water Bank Cleanser
Click here to see a list of my favourite things
Green Light ingredients:
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aluminum powder
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aluminum silicate
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azelaic acid
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azulene (chamomile extract)
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biotin
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bismuth oxychloride
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hyaluronic acid
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Isoleucine
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palmitoyl pentapeptide-4
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pomegranate seed oil
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sodium glycerophosphate
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undecylenoyl phenylalanine
To learn more about the science behind these ingredients and how to beware of misinformation: read more.
01.
Benzalkonium Chloride
Found in:
Eyeliner, makeup remover, mascara, eye drops, eye wipes.
used for:
Preservative
look for on label:
BAK
02.
Chlorphenesin
found in:
Eye cream, eyeliner, eyeshadow, eyelash glue, makeup primer, makeup remover, mascara, moisturizer, serum.
used for:
Preservative
look for on label:
Chlorphenesin
03.
Formaldehyde releasing compounds
found in:
Serum, eyelash glue, blush, mascara, sunscreen, makeup remover, eyeshadow, shampoo, conditioner, nail polish.
used for:
Preservative
look for on label:
Formaldehyde, Quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin Imidazolidinyl urea, Diazolidinyl urea, Polyoxymethylene urea, Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol), glyoxal.
04.
Phthalates
found in:
Fragrances, makeup remover.
used for:
Makes plastics more flexible
look for on label:
Phthalates
05.
Prostaglandins
found in:
Lash growth serums.
used for:
Lash growth
look for on label:
Isopropyl Cloprostenate
06.
Salicylic acid
found in:
Eye cream, eyeliner, makeup primer, makeup remover, moisturizer, serum.
used for:
Acne
look for on label:
Salicyclic Acid
07.
Nylon fibers for lengthening
found in:
Mascara
used for:
Lengthening
look for on label:
Nylon66
08.
Parabens (safe at low dose)
found in:
Moisturizer, mascara, eyeshadow, eyeliner, eye cream, serum, glitter.
used for:
Preservative
look for on label:
Methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, isopropylparaben, isobtylparaben.
09.
Phenoxyethanol (safe at low dose)
found in:
Eyeshadow, moisturizer, mascara, serum, eyeliner, makeup primer eye cream, makeup remover , glitter, eyelash glue.
used for:
Preservative
look for on label:
Phenoxyethanol- more researching is showing safe at low concentrations
10.
Retinoids (safe at low dose)
found in:
Serum, eye cream, moisturizer, makeup primer, makeup remover, mascara, eyeliner.
used for:
Preservative
look for on label:
Retinoid
11.
Tea Tree oil (safe at low dose)
found in:
Eyelash cleaner, eye makeup remover, moisturizer, toner.
used for:
Cleaning agent
look for on label:
Tea tree oil