#114: Summer Tips to Leave your Dry Eye Drama Behind
If you suffer from dry eyes, summer can be a tough time of the year because you want to be outdoors. You want to be enjoying all the things you love about summer, but your eyes are red, irritated, and watering. Don't let your eyes hold you back this summer. I've got a couple of great tips for you to ditch that dry eye drama.
1) Protect your Peepers
Protect your eyes. No matter what time of year it is, always wear sunglasses when you spend time outdoors. Sunglasses protect the eyes from UV light. My patients with dry eyes are usually really sensitive to the light as well. So, it is best to wear sunglasses anytime you are outdoors to decrease the irritation. For more details about the best sunglasses for dry eyes, check out this blog.
Along with protecting your eyes with sunglasses, you want to protect your eyelids with sunscreen. Opulence MD beauty L.I.D.S. Eye Safe Sunscreen is the perfect option for protecting your eyelids this summer. It's thicker like a lip balm. Apply it using your clean finger tip right to your upper and lower eyelids. It's not waterproof, but it will stay on while you are out and about for the day.
And, even when you're wearing your sunglasses, that sun is getting in right over the top of the glasses. It's important to take this extra step to block harmful UV rays from reaching your precious lids. Remember UV light causes wrinkles in our skin. So, let's put sunscreen on our lids and they will stay looking youthful longer.
2) Keep it Clean
Remove your eye makeup nightly. You never want to go to sleep with your makeup on. My favorite is Eyes Are The Story. This eye makeup remover is individually wrapped. So, it's great for travel or just being on the go. If you don't have a favorite eye makeup remover yet, check out this guide to makeup remover for sensitive eyes.
You just tear open the packet. You get a whole sheet of eye makeup remover. You should never sleep in your eye makeup. Leaving traces of your makeup behind will cause bacteria to flourish in your eyelashes. These bacteria around your eyes cause redness, irritation, watering, stinging, and burning.
Always avoid waterproof mascara and eyeliner. Many of my patients with dry eyes will switch to using waterproof makeup because their eyes are already tearing. Sometimes they begin using waterproof makeup because they are constantly putting eyedrops in their eyes during the day, so they feel that the waterproof makeup will just be easier and prevent their makeup from running.
Waterproof makeup is harder to get all of the traces of that makeup off your eyes. You will have to do more rubbing to remove it all, and it will be more irritating in the long run.
Also, waterproof makeup contains waxes and PFAS (Polufluoroalkyl Substances). These PFAS are ingredients specifically placed in makeup like lipstick and mascara to make them last longer and be more water resistant.
These chemicals are also known as the Forever Chemicals because they do not break down in the body or in the environment. The accumulation of these chemicals in the body has been linked to cancer, thyroid disease, liver damage, decreased fertility, and hormone disruption. On June 15, 2021, a bill was introduced to the US Senate to ban PFAS from our personal care products.
3) Stay Hydrated
This summer step number three is to keep hydrated. You want to keep your body hydrated as well as your eyes hydrated. Carry a water bottle with you wherever you go. Especially in the summer when the weather is warmer it is important to stay hydrated. If your body is dehydrated, it will be unable to make the proper amount of quality of tears.
To stay sufficiently hydrated the rule of thumb is take your weight in pounds and divide that by two. This will give you the number of ounces of water you'd want to drink each day.
And, to keep the eyes hydrated you can use artificial tears or even this dry eye spray by Optase. This particular artificial tear is a mist that you can spray directly to your open eyes. If you're out and about in the summer, and you're not wearing any eye makeup, then you can just spray it right directly into your eyes. You don't have to have as good aim as you would with an eye drop.
I love using this dry eye spray from Optase especially right after I've been swimming. It is an easy way to rinse out any chlorine from in and around my eyes. The spray leaves your eyes feeling hydrated and refreshed.
CONCLUSION
Don't let your dry eyes hold you back from enjoying the great outdoors this summer. You can follow these 3 simple tips to keep your eyes happy. First, protect your eyes with sunglasses and your eyelids with sunscreen. This cuts back on irritation and wrinkles.
Next, be sure to keep your eyes clean by avoiding waterproof makeup and removing all traces of your eye makeup before bedtime. Remember that left over makeup leads to redness, inflammation and irritation in your eyes. You can avoid all of that by using Eyes Are The Story makeup remover wipes before your head hits the pillow. Find your favorite eye makeup remover, check out this guide to makeup remover for sensitive eyes.
And finally, stay hydrated. It takes a little extra effort in the summer time to keep the moisture levels up in the body and eyes when the outdoor temperature is high. Combat dehydration by carrying a water bottle with you and using a dry eye spray instead of the tear. The spray won't slow down the active lifestyle that you're living.
