Allergic reaction can occur anywhere in the body depending on the sensitivity of the individual.

The eyes in most people react to certain chemicals and, unfortunately for some,  there are some types of eye makeup, especially mascara which come into close contact with the eyes, and can do the damage, resulting in conjunctivitis, styes, swollen lids or even just runny eyes.
If you find that after using certain makes of mascara you get an unpleasant reaction, try and find a non allergic brand. There are plenty on the market.

Its just basically trial and error, but if you suffer from a severe attack you must stop using any eye makeup products immediately and consult with your physician

If you constantly find that you have a reaction to certain brands of eye makeup you should check here and see if there are any hypoallergenic products that may help.

The US Foods and Drug Administration recommend the following safety tips when using eye cosmetics :-

• If any eye cosmetic causes irritation, stop using it immediately. If irritation persists, see a doctor.
• Avoid using eye cosmetics if you have an eye infection or the skin around the eye is inflamed. Wait until the area is healed. Discard any eye cosmetics you were using when you got the infection.
• Be aware that there are bacteria on your hands that, if placed in the eye, could cause infections. Wash your hands before applying eye cosmetics.
• Make sure that any instrument you place in the eye area is clean.
• Don’t share your cosmetics. Another person’s bacteria may be hazardous to you.
• Don’t allow cosmetics to become covered with dust or contaminated with dirt or soil. Keep containers clean.
• Don’t use old containers of eye cosmetics. Discard mascara three months after purchase.
• Discard dried-up mascara. Don’t add saliva or water to moisten it. The bacteria from your mouth may grow in the mascara and cause infection. Adding water may introduce bacteria and will dilute the preservative that is intended to protect against microbial growth.
• Don’t store cosmetics at temperatures above 85 degrees F. Cosmetics held for long periods in hot cars, for example, are more susceptible to deterioration of the preservative.
• When applying or removing eye cosmetics, be careful not to scratch the eyeball or other sensitive area. Never apply or remove eye cosmetics in a moving vehicle.
• Don’t use any cosmetics near your eyes unless they are intended specifically for that use. For instance, don’t use a lip liner as eyeliner. You may be exposing your eyes to contamination from your mouth, or to color additives that are not approved for use in the area of the eye.
• Avoid color additives that are not approved for use in the area of the eye, such as “permanent” eyelash tints and kohl. Be especially careful to keep kohl away from children, since reports have linked it to lead poisoning.
• Avoid using eye cosmetics if you have an eye infection or the skin around the eye is inflamed. Wait until the area is healed. Discard any eye cosmetics you were using when you got the infection.
• Be aware that there are bacteria on your hands that, if placed in the eye, could cause infections. Wash your hands before applying eye cosmetics.
• Make sure that any instrument you place in the eye area is clean.
• Don’t share your cosmetics. Another person’s bacteria may be hazardous to you.
• Don’t allow cosmetics to become covered with dust or contaminated with dirt or soil. Keep containers clean.
• Don’t use old containers of eye cosmetics. Discard mascara three months after purchase.

By following the simple steps below you can determine what type of eye makeup would be best for you and your skin, reduce allergic reactions, and avoid eye injuries.

Possible Allergic Reactions

If you have sensitive skin you could be prone to allergic reactions with your makeup.

On the other hand, even if you do not have sensitive skin you could have an allergic reaction to an ingredient in your eye makeup

Ingredients like Rosin, nickel and lanolin can cause allergic reaction. Preservatives in the makeup, which prevent bacteria growth, can sometimes cause irritation. An allergic reaction to your eye makeup would have symptoms like tearing up, swelling, itching, redness, and sometimes flaking of the lids.

If you have sensitive skin you should stay away from liquid liners and liquid eye shadows. Try different hypoallergenic eye makeup products until you find one that your skin doesn’t have a reaction to.

Try to get small samples (some brands sell smaller sets to try out) and try a different one every week until you find one that has no reactions. Keep track of the symptoms you experience so you can look at it later.

Wearing Eye Makeup With Contact Lens

If you are a contact lens wearer, then you know if you get anything underneath your contact it hurts and you need to wash it away.

You can easily get a scratch on your eye if something gets under your contact. This goes double if you are wearing contacts and eye makeup. Eye makeup could contain bacteria, oils and residue that could hurt your eyes.

• Wash your hands before putting your contacts in and before taking them out.
• Put your contacts in before you apply your makeup.
• Keep mascara away from the base of the eye.
• Try to avoid metallic eye shadow and lash building mascaras as they have small particles in them that can get into your eyes.
• Don’t wear any eye makeup when you go to see the eye doctor.

If your eye gets scratched or injured when you are applying make up you need to go see your eye doctor to get examined.

Tips For Safety –

You can get injured or get an infection from eye makeup, but if you follow some basic safety tips for wearing eye makeup you could avoid them.

• If you get an eye infection, such as conjunctivitis, throw away all of your makeup and replace it.

• Replace all eye makeup every 6 months as bacteria builds up.

• Keep your eyeliner pencils freshly sharpened to avoid those straggly sharp points.

• Be careful not to get eye makeup remover directly in your eyes.

• Don’t share your makeup with anyone else as this is an easy way to pass on contamination.

• Don’t use saliva to moisten dried up mascara or cake eye shadow as saliva contains bacteria.

If you suffer with a reaction to your makeup and it continues after changing brands, you should consult your eye doctor as the problem could be caused by blepharitis, a chronic inflammation of the eyelids.

Above all hygiene is essential to prevent the spread of bacteria.

The US Foods and Drug Administration recommend these safety tips when using eye cosmetics