Cost of beauty: case of harmful effects of makeup on the eyes

By Winston Muleba JR 

Seventh Day Adventist women are just awesome: they appreciate God's creation, natural beauty and look neat to say the least. Don't get it twisted, SDA is among other Churches that promote natural beauty. 

Well! I have observed that majority of women wear makeup and eye lashes so as to look more beautiful I guess. But in trying to look beautiful, those who wear eyes lashes look panic when blinking: they blink like a 'ticker tape timer' and their eyes are always red as a result of pain they incur at the expense of beauty. And those who like eye liner and makeup in general, don't even think of the effect it has on their eyes. 

When the day is sunny, both men and women usually cover their faces with expensive shades to protect their eyes. But for cosmetic enthusiast, are their eyes protected? Another question is, can makeup really cause damage to ones eyes? How harmful is it and can prolonged use of makeup lead to any eye problems later? Such questions need to be tackled before applying the next coat of mascara or liner on their face. 

The truth is, some women look so good with makeup on. However, others instead of looking nice and clean, they look dirty and as if they've not taken a shower for 2weeks. Don't mind this though! As it were, my focus and interest is on the eyes. 

Eyes are one of the most delicate and sensitive organs of the body and protecting them from harmful external factors is important. 

The area around the eyes is extremely sensitive and therefore, most vulnerable to poor makeup habits. Haven't you observed that there are some women who used to have clear white eyes but now their eyes look reddish or brownish as if they smoke weed mixed with Royco, Tea leaves and Surf lol? Some have even started wearing spectacles. Well, if they wear too much make-up it could be a contributing factor to their eye problems. 

The reality is that eye makeup is worn my millions of women around the world. Without even thinking about it, women put on makeup every morning just like they put on pants. But, could their eye makeup be detrimental to their eyes? Eye makeup in particular can be very detrimental if it has exceeded its expiration date or if the brushes used aren’t clean. 

As such, makeup enthusiasts who wear contact lenses should be extra careful as residue from mascaras, liners and eye shadows can settle on the lens and cause it to go bad, once again leading to infections or thinning of the lashes. 

Some studies suggest yes, that eye makeup can cause serious harm to ones vision. However, most optometrists agree that if the makeup is worn safely, it has less effect on eyes. But the fact is, some women simply cannot avoid using makeup. A dash of face powder, a streak of lip-gloss and the perfect sweep of eyeliner are part of their daily morning wakeup routines, without which, they look and feel incomplete. This dependency on makeup is perhaps the root of all problems: the idea is one cannot look good if they missed out on certain cosmetic or ran out of it. It is obvious that all makeup comprises of artificial substances and a large number of chemicals which can harm the skin. Skin irritation, allergies and even skin cancer as some of the possible outcomes of excessive makeup consumption. The chemicals in makeup can seep into bloodstream via skin absorption. From there, they can enter the bloodstream and ultimately, damage internal organs over time. 

Unfortunately, the harmful effects of makeup aren’t just limited to eyes or skin-related issues only, there is a variety of health problems that can occur as a result of excessive usage. Lipsticks and eye-shadows, for example, are known to contain lead, a carcinogen and neurotoxin that can affect the nervous system adversely, leading to high blood-pressure, allergies, behavioural abnormalities and even decreased rates of fertility! Mercury and parabens, a chemical preservative used in many cosmetics, are some other hazardous substances common to beauty products. 

Although the purpose of parabens is to inhibit bacteria, the chemical itself is known to trigger the growth of cancer cells in the body.