This World Sight Day, learn 5 common beauty habits that can damage your eyes. Find out how to keep your eyes healthy while improving your beauty routine.
On World Sight Day 2025, let’s take a moment to reflect on the importance of protecting our eye health, particularly in our daily beauty routines. Our eyes are a beautiful feature that enhances our appearance. However, they are also delicate organs that need careful attention. While enjoying beauty treatments, we often forget about safety. It is important to keep safety in mind. The Health Shots team spoke with an ophthalmologist to share important information about potential dangers in our daily habits. Some everyday beauty habits, which many people think are safe, can harm our eyesight.
1. Excessive use of cosmetic contact lenses
Cosmetic contact lenses are very popular because they can change the colour of your eyes or highlight certain features. While they can be a fun beauty accessory, wearing them excessively or failing to take proper care of them can cause serious eye problems.
- Irritation and discomfort: Dr Shambhavi G K, an ophthalmologist at Aster CMI Hospital, warns that prolonged contact lens use can lead to irritation, redness, and even itching or burning. Contact lenses block oxygen from reaching your cornea, which can lead to dry eyes. This also raises the risk of serious problems, such as corneal ulcers, which can harm your vision.
- Recommended practices: Always wear your lenses as directed and clean them regularly. Visit your eye doctor for regular check-ups to prevent problems caused by lenses that don’t fit well or are contaminated.
2. Wearing non-prescribed colour lenses
Coloured lenses are very appealing, especially since you can purchase them online without needing a prescription. However, this convenience comes with serious risks.
- Corneal damage: Using lenses that are not correctly fitted can lead to severe problems, including corneal damage and allergic reactions. Some lenses may contain toxic dyes or chemicals that can cause permanent harm.
- Expert guidance: Dr Shambhavi advises people to obtain a prescription and a proper fitting from an eye specialist. It is essential to buy lenses only from trusted and reputable sources to protect your eyesight.
3. Poor hygiene while handling lenses
Even well-prescribed lenses can be risky if you don’t handle them carefully. Poor hygiene can lead to the growth of bacteria and fungi.
- Hygiene practices: Touching contact lenses with dirty hands, not storing them in clean solution, or wearing them longer than recommended can cause eye infections and irritation. To prevent these issues, it is important to follow good hygiene practices. Always wash your hands well and use clean storage solutions.
- The importance of compliance: To maintain healthy eyes and prevent infections, follow your eye doctor’s instructions for storing and handling your contact lenses. Never share your lenses or makeup tools, as this raises the risk of infection.
4. Neglect of makeup hygiene
Makeup can enhance your look, but if you do not keep your tools clean, you might risk irritation or infections that could harm your eyes.
- Application hygiene: Always wash your hands before putting on eye makeup. Clean your brushes and applicators regularly. Do not use expired products. Avoid applying kajal or eyeliner too deeply into your waterline, as this can irritate and harm the sensitive area.
- Makeup removal: At the end of the day, removing eye makeup properly is just as important as applying it. Be sure to replace products like mascara every 3 to 6 months. This helps reduce the risk of bacterial contamination, keeping the products safe for use.
5. Sharing eye makeup products
It may be tempting to share your favourite makeup with friends, but this can lead to serious health issues.
- Cross-contamination risks: Eye makeup products, such as mascara and eyeliner, can spread germs from one person to another. Dr Shambhavi warns that sharing these items can cause infections such as conjunctivitis, styes, or keratitis. These conditions can cause blurred vision and pain.
- Best practices: Do not share eye makeup. Always clean your makeup tools and applicators. Replace them often to lower the risk of infection.
What are 5 ways to take care of your eyes?
This World Sight Day, let’s focus on how our beauty routines can impact our eye health. It’s important to feel good and look great, but we must also take steps to protect our vision.
- Educate yourself: Learn about the best ways to take care of your eyes, especially when using cosmetic products.
- Consult an expert: If you are worried about your eye health or need a thorough eye exam, talk to an eye care professional.
- Practice proper hygiene: How you care for your lenses and the makeup you use are necessary for eye health. Maintaining a regular hygiene routine is important for maintaining eye health.
- Invest in high-quality products: Opt for premium beauty products and tools. Cheaper options can lead to problems.
- Raise awareness: Discuss eye health with your friends and family. This helps everyone understand the importance of taking care of our vision. The more we raise awareness, the better we can look after our eyes.
Disclaimer: At Health Shots, we are committed to providing accurate, reliable, and authentic information to support your health and well-being. However, the content on this website is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised advice regarding your specific medical condition or concerns.
