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In the world of social media, we now have access to loads of makeup tutorials. As fun as it is to experiment with makeup, have you ever thought about when should you dispose of your old makeup? Read on to find out more! 

Mascara 

You should dispose of your mascara at least every 2 months. After many uses the mascara will dry out and become clumpy. The mascara container is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. If you are applying old crusty mascara, it can increase the risk of infection in the eye and around the base of your eyelashes. If you start to notice odors in your mascara then dispose of it sooner. Another quick tip is to never apply mascara while in a moving vehicle. A poke in the eye with a prickly mascara wand is definitely not something you want to experience! 

Eyeliner 

No matter the type of eyeliner (liquid/pencil), you should dispose of your eyeliner every 3 months. Liquid eyeliner has more water content which creates a nice moist environment for bacteria to grow (yuck!). You may need to dispose of this type sooner if you smell anything funky. Either way, both types of eyeliner are in a moist environment so they should be treated the same. Did you know our eyes are lined with little glands on the upper and lower lid margin to help keep our eyes hydrated? This is why we highly recommend that you avoid drawing on your water line as it will clog up the glands and put you at higher risk for dry eye disease and styes. If you’re guilty of drawing on your lid margin then make sure that you drop this habit and come in for an eye exam if you’re experiencing any eye issues! 

Eyeshadow 

You must be thinking well this is just powder, it should last forever! Unfortunately eyeshadow has a maximum lifespan of 6 months. To keep your eyeshadow as clean as possible do your best to use a completely clean brush each time you use your eyeshadow – don’t double dip! With eyeshadow be very careful with powders that have little flecks of glitter. If a bit of glitter ever gets into the eye make sure that you don’t rub your eyes. Glitter in the eye can cause pretty painful scratches on your cornea (the front of your eye), so the best thing to do is flush your eye out with water right away if that happens.   

Here are some general rules for makeup: 

1. Never ever share your makeup! Eye infections can be very contagious so don’t take the risk of any cross-contamination.  
2. When you are in makeup stores make sure that you are only trying make up that has been sampled with single use brushes or wands. Do not ever use the tester directly on your eyes! About 50% of makeup in stores is already contaminated – beware! 
3. If you (unfortunately) get an eye infection make sure that you dispose of all your eye makeup because bacteria can linger on your products causing re-occurence of infection. Don’t ever self treat your infections, have an optometrist diagnose the infection first. 
4. Always apply eye makeup after insertion of your contact lenses to prevent transfer of makeup onto the contact lenses. 
5. As always, make sure you completely remove your makeup every night! With a makeup remover make sure that you are not only removing any eyeshadow and liner but also stripping the mascara off the eyelashes as well. You don’t want build up of mascara under your eyelid (Recently a woman was featured in a medical journal due to build up of mascara. Don’t google this if you’re squeamish!). The early signs of irritation from sleeping in your makeup is red and itchy eyes. 

At MVC we have wonderful lid care products that remove makeup beautifully and they also contain lots of hyaluronic acid helping with the skin around the eyes. (bye-bye wrinkles, hello hydration!) Come by and ask us next time you come in for a visit! If you ever experience any irritation or redness from makeup always discontinue the product and if irritation persists, come in and see us for an evaluation! Happy glamming!