Is Your Makeup Causing Your Dry Eye?

A 38-year-old woman came into my clinic with red, irritated eyes that felt dry no matter what she did. She was using artificial tears every couple of hours, taking omega-3s, and still miserable. When I examined her, I noticed two things — eyeliner right on her waterline and retinol in her eye cream. That combo was quietly damaging the tiny glands that keep her eyes comfortable. As someone who loves makeup myself, I get it. But eye health and beauty don’t have to be at odds — you just need to know what to look out for.