Contact Lenses and MakeUp

I remember years ago when someone would get a new pair of contact lenses, the doctor would definitely tell them two things: Do NOT wear eye makeup and do NOT keep long nails. We have come quite far from those times and both contact lenses and makeup have evolved much since then.

If you wear soft contact lenses (I don't know anybody who still wears the old conventional hard lenses), you can definitely wear eye make-up. Just make sure to follow these basic tips and rules for the most comfortable and healthy experience with eye makeup:

THE DOs:

• Wear your contact lenses BEFORE you start applying makeup and remove them BEFORE you start removing makeup. Most contact lens advertisements show models with heavy eye-makeup inserting lenses, which is a wrong representation. Lenses: FIRST IN FIRST OUT.
• If you like to wear makeup on your waterline, please do some good research before buying your eye-makeup. Use only opthalmologically tested eye makeup on waterline.
• Do not use liquid eyeliner on waterline as it may get into the eye when wet and may also get under the lens if it flakes on drying.
• Use oil-free and fragrance-free eye makeup. Do NOT use eye pencils/Kajals that emit fumes and make your eyes water.
• Avoid wooden eye pencils that require sharpening. The sharp wooden edges may tear your lenses while applying makeup and you won't even come to know. Use twist up pencils (Eg Chambor stay on waterproof eyeliner pencil) or makeup brushes to apply makeup.
• Use waterproof mascara and eyeliner even though it requires extra time to remove and also a makeup remover. I personally prefer waterproof eye makeup as it does not get into your eyes even if you happen to get wet or if you are the emotional kinds who cries a lot;)
• Apply eye shadow and liner gently, so you don't put pressure on your eyelid ending up damaging your lenses.
• Try applying mascara, starting from a little far from the base of lashes. Avoid mascaras with lash-building formula as they contain nylon fibres which may wither and fall into the eyes, scratching both the eye and the lenses.
• Use a good eye shadow primer to make your eye shadow stay longer and to prevent eye shadow particles from falling into the eyes.
• Replace eyeliner and mascara every three months. Most eye makeup is anyways meant to be used within 3-6 months of opening but people usually keep using it for longer, which is not good.
• Always use clean hands to apply eye makeup to prevent eye infections and store makeup in a cool, dark place away from dust.
• If you wear contact lenses first thing in the morning till very late in the night, don't use oil based makeup remover as the oil remains in the eye and eyelids and may cause blurry vision and also deposit on lenses.
• Remove all eye makeup every day using a hypoallergenic and oil-free makeup remover, no matter how tired you are.
• Try to place your dressing table/ makeup mirror in a well-lit area so you do not have to widen your eyes to be able to see clearly while applying eye makeup.
• Never ever touch the tip of the lens solution bottle while doing makeup or otherwise as this may contaminate the solution.

MAKEUP DON'Ts

• Don't wear eye lenses and eye makeup if your eyes are red, swollen, watering or infected.
• Don't share eye makeup.
• Don't share contact lenses.
• Avoid powder makeup or non-opthalmologically tested products on your waterline.
• Do NOT wear your lenses when you go to a hair salon. Any fumes from the sprays used there can damage your lenses.
• Do NOT wear your lenses when getting your hair colored, permed or any other chemical treatment.
• Do NOT use aerosols (hairspray, deodorants etc.) with your eyes open, when wearing lenses. Just close your eyes when spraying and immediately move away from that room as the aerosol particles will remain in the air for some time after the spray.
• Do NOT wear lenses with freshly applied nailpaint on your fingers, if your nail paint smells highly of chemical fumes. Or apply nailpaint after wearing lenses.

What to do if you experience redness/irritation?

Take off your lenses immediately. Causes of irritation could be:

• Torn or broken lens
• Make-up or eyelashes trapped under your lens
• High level of protein deposits or makeup debris on your lenses
• Prolonged wear beyond the recommended hours (particularly for conventional yearly lenses and not for disposable lenses)
• Dryness in the eyes because of working in dry weather conditions or sitting long hours in front of computer.

Feel free to go to a doctor if problem still persists.

GOOD NEWS FOR CONTACT LENS WEARERS: 

Do you know that people who wear contact lenses can actually do their eye makeup more confidently and comfortably, since they will have a very steady hand at that as compared to people who don't wear lenses?

Human body is designed such that when an object or your hand approaches near your eyes, the eyes send signals to the brain that a 'foreign' body is approaching and brain tells the eyelids to shut and protect the eyes. This is why hands shake and eyelids flutter when you try to apply eyeliner and many women are not able to apply neat eyeliner because of this.

When people are trained to wear contact lenses, the eyes slowly adapt to the hand coming near the eyes and putting the lenses inside. So they stop seeing your hand as a 'foreign' body and no longer 'react' when you bring your hand near your eyes to do eye makeup :)

WHAT TO DO IF EYELINER OR EYE MAKEUP GETS INTO EYES?

If ever eyeliner or eye makeup gets into your eyes and under the lens, and also smears your lens, remove the lens immediately. Wipe clean the eye with a cloth/towel dipped in clean water. Do not dash water into the eye to avoid the rest of the makeup getting into eyes. 

Clean the lens with lens solution. If the eye is still watering a lot, try wearing the lens again only after some time gap.

Call your eye care professional if you have any redness, pain, swelling or irritation.

CONTACT LENSES AND LONG NAILS:

Contact lens wearers are asked NOT to keep long Nails though I do NOT know a single woman who would like to agree to that :) If you like to keep long nails, please take extra care and patience while cleaning, rinsing and wearing/removing your lenses. Nails can damage/cut your soft lenses. Sometimes there is such a minute damage in the outer circumference of the lens that you can't even figure out but it stings like needles in the eyes. So please be careful even if it is like second nature to you.

OPTHALMOLOGICALLY SAFE EYE MAKEUP:

Maybelline eye-makeup is good and cheaper, but it is not opthalmologically tested and also stings on the waterline, therefore unsafe for contact lens wearers. A few Revlon products also sting eyes badly (Eg Revlon Fabuliner). 

Many good brands (L'Oreal, Chambor etc.) make opthalmologically tested eye makeup which is safe for contact lens wearers, just do your research. Read many product reviews before buying eye makeup. It definitely pays.

Please share any other valuable points you know of. Thanks for reading!

For more information on contact lens care and handling, please read the previous article HERE.

Contact Lens Handling & Care and some DOs and DON'Ts

Over the past 8 years, I have observed different lens care handling habits (good and bad) in different people and have also seen some colleagues battle with continuous eye infections. So I am going to share my knowledge and observations on the subject, based on real life experiences (my own and others'). Hope this post helps in making your contact lens-wearing experience more comfortable. Do not miss the DOs and Don'ts at the end!

Read my post on contact lenses and makeup HERE.

CLEANING CONTACT LENS CASE:

Clean your lens case thoroughly every 2-3 days using a baby toothbrush and a non-oily non-moisturizing soap. Make sure to clean the case, the caps, the bridge joining the left and right lens pots and the rings on the case and cap too.

Rinse clean with warm water (or clean with normal water and soak in warm water for a few minutes). Leave on any clean surface to dry in air (dries in 5 minutes or so). This will help remove any bacteria film buildup on your lens care (suggested to me by a Bausch and Lomb officer many years ago).

Keep your lens case in a place away from dust.

CONTACT LENS CARE ROUTINE:

When you buy a pair of contact lenses, the medical practitioner is supposed to train and educate you thoroughly on contact lens handling and care. Your contact lens care routine includes Cleaning, Rinsing, Disinfecting and Storing your lenses. You just need one multipurpose lens solution to do all these for you. On your part, all YOU need to take care of is HYGIENE.

Videos on How to Wear, how to Remove and how to clean your contact lenses.

CONTACT LENS MULTIPURPOSE SOLUTIONS:

The most popular multipurpose lens solution brand is Renu from Bausch and Lomb. Renu Fresh is for yearly lenses as it contains Hydranate to clean protein build up, which is a main problem with long-wear/yearly lenses. Renu Sensitive is recommended for people who use disposable lenses. The less the wear time of lenses, the less the protein buildup. Renu sensitive does not contain anything for protein cleaning and is gentler than Renu Fresh. To know more about the common ingredients in these two, see THIS article.

The latest addition to the family is Bio True, which is actually extremely gentle. I feel some irritation when I use Renu Fresh, but bio true contains ingredients that soften your eye lenses making them more comfortable to wear. Contact lenses can be stored in Biotrue multi-purpose solution for up to 30 days in an unopened lens case. If stored longer than 30 days between two wears, lenses will again need to be cleaned and disinfected prior to use.

There are more brands in the market like Silklens, Puresoft, Optifree REPLENISH and Complete. I have used 'Complete' many many years ago but so far Bio True is the best for me.

A small percentage of lens wearers may be allergic to the chemicals present in contact lens solutions. If that is the case, check with your doctor for preservative-free lens solutions.

EYE WETTING DROPS

Based on your eyes' tear production capability or your work habits (people who work long hours in front of the computer), your doctor may suggest you to use moisturizing eye drops, which are specifically available for people who wear contact lenses. If your eyes dry out very often making you uncomfortable within a few hours of wearing lenses, check with your doctor for such lubricating drops.

CONTACT LENS HANDLING

DOs:

• Always Wash your hands before you start wearing your soft lenses as dirt, germs, moisturizer or even sunscreen can cause stinging or other problems.
• Use a normal non-oily/non-moisturizing soap.
• Wipe hands with a lint-free towel. Find a couple of lint-free small hand towels that you can keep separately for this purpose only.
• Rinse your lenses every time before you wear them and also when you put them back in the lens case.
• Every time you wear lenses, discard the solution in the lens case. Pour in fresh solution when you put the lenses back in the case at night. Do NOT "top-up" by pouring some fresh solution in the old used solution in the case.
• If you are not going to wear your lenses for a few days, make sure to change the solution every 2-3 days (recommended time is everyday), Exception: Bio True Solution. I have seen most girls use the same solution for days on even when they are wearing the lenses daily. Poor hygiene is the main reason behind serious eye infection from lenses. I even know a colleague who always had an eye infection every couple of days and still won't bother to rinse her lenses or wash her hands before wearing them. But if you value your eyes, so can spend an extra minute here.
• If you have long nails, please take extra care while handling your lenses since nails can damage/cut your soft lenses. Sometimes there is such a minute damage in the outer circumference of the lens that you can't even figure out but it stings like needles in the eyes. So please devote an extra minute there.
• When travelling, always keep an extra pair of lenses (if you wear disposable lenses) or keep your eye glasses (if you wear yearly lenses) for emergency.
• Always carry your lens case and a small lens solution bottle in your handbag wherever you go. At any hint of itching or irritation, feel free to remove and store your lenses in the lens case and switch to glasses (your preference). Your vision is more important than your looks.

SOME IMPORTANT DON'Ts:

1. Do NOT wear contact lenses and makeup if your eyes are swollen, red or infected.
2. Do NOT store away your lenses in plain or salty water at night just out of laziness.
3. Do NOT share contact lenses or contact lens solution.
4. Never touch the tip of your contact lens solution bottle.
5. I have known many girls who pop in contact lenses in the eyes, the moment they wake up, without caring to wash their hands. This is another bad habit that often leads to redness and irritation. Wearing your glasses for a few minutes won't harm, till you clean up to wear lenses.
6. Do NOT wear lenses during swimming, bathing, sauna, spa or hot tub treatments and also in the rain, in short avoid bringing your lenses in contact with water. Also, the chlorine in swimming pool water may permeate through your lenses causing extreme discomfort, besides the risk of bacterial or microbial infections from pool water.
7. Do NOT share eye-makeup. Very very important. At times people take it personally when you refuse to share your makeup. I have faced it many times. Just tell them firmly yet politely "Sorry, I don't share my makeup or comb".
8. Do NOT apply normal eyeliner to your eye's waterline. Always use good quality, waterproof and opthalmologically tested eye makeup.
9. Do NOT wear your lenses when you go to a hair salon. Any fumes from the sprays used there can damage your lenses.
10. Do NOT wear your lenses when getting your hair colored, permed or getting any other chemical treatment.
11. Do NOT use aerosols (hairspray, deodorants, room freshener sprays, strong perfumes etc.) with your eyes open, when wearing lenses. Spray and move away from that place for a few minutes till aerosol particles in the air have dispersed. Or wear your lenses quite some time after applying a hair spray or perfume.
12. Do NOT wear lenses with freshly applied nail paint. In short, do NOT wear lenses in any place where they may be exposed to chemical fumes/gases (Eg. A room with freshly painted walls or furniture, with stinging paint fumes)
13. Do NOT wear contact lenses (especially tinted or colored ones) when undergoing any treatment or surgery that involves radiations like laser etc. Such radiations can pass through the lenses and transfer the color pigments from the lenses to your retina leading to complications.
14. This last one is out of experience :) Do NOT wear lenses after chopping green chillies as the 'sting' remains on your fingertips hours after you had chopped chillies and even washed your hands several times. If you do, your lenses will sting and water your eyes for 2-3 days once this thing gets to the surface of your lenses.

Hope the information above is helpful. Any value adds to this are welcome in the comments below.

Live Happy! Live Comfortably!