Makeup Removers

Removing our makeup every night is the first step in keeping a beautiful complexion.  We all want to have beautiful clear skin and we know that we must remove our makeup nightly to keep it clear.

 

Removing your eye makeup nightly is truly the best way to getting and keeping our eyes clear and bright.  It can make a big difference in how your eyes feel, especially the next morning.  You won't wake up with your eyelashes glued together with yesterday's mascara.  Ugh, that's just gross.

 

Patients ask me, on a daily basis, what the best makeup removers are for those of us with sensitive eyes or who wear contact lenses.  I have done a lot of research looking into makeup removers that I could wholeheartedly recommend to my patients. 

 

All of the makeup removers on the list are free of the toxins which worsen dry eye symptoms.  Did you know that the last time a law was passed to regulate ingredients allowed in makeup in the United States was 1938?  Therefore, we must be our own advocates for healthy eye care.  Read the labels on your makeup and eliminate these 26 ingredients which are known eye irritants.  You can download the list of toxic ingredients to avoid here.

 

I broke the makeup removers into 4 categories: Micellar water, oil-based, wipes, and cloths.  There are pros and cons to using each type.  And, you may want to have all four types of removers handy based on different situations.

 

 

Micellar water is very gentle on the skin.  The water is infused with tiny micelles, or droplets, of oil which surrounds the makeup and dirt and pulls them away from your skin.  This leaves the skin feeling clean without stripping the oils from the surface.

 

Your eyes have oil glands in them which need to work properly in order to keep the front surface moistened.  The oil glands release oil into the tears with each blink.  This is an important step in having clear vision.  Thus, we don't want our makeup remover to clean off these important oils with our makeup.

 

Micellar water cleans gently and effectively.  This would be a good choice for anyone with sensitive or breakout prone skin.

 

 

 

Makeup remover oils are usually a little thicker than micellar water.  They work in the same way to surround the makeup and dirt and pull it away from the skin and pores. 

 

An oil-based remover does a great job of melting away mascara and eyeliner which tend to be stickier.  Also, because it is an oil, the remover can get in between the lashes and between the lashes and lid and pull the makeup away easily.

 

It is important here to go with a remover from the recommended list.  If these oils are penetrating into the pores of your skin and eyes, you don't want toxins to build up here.   Look for natural ingredients like coconut, almond and avocado oils.  

 

 

 

Makeup remover wipes are the ultimate in convenience.  These clothes can be placed in a ziplock bag and taken on the go.  If you are using the brand on my recommended list, they stay moist and don't need to be rinsed with water after removal.   

 

Again, here you will need to be a label reader.  Don't grab any remover wipe on the market, and don't use a baby wipe on your eyes.  Many of the brands out there contain alcohol.  That is definitely toxic to your eyes and tear film.  

 

 

 

Makeup remover cloths are all natural and do not contain any chemicals in them at all.  They use the power of microfibers to trap makeup and dirt and pull it away from your skin.  Just moisten the cloth with water and wipe all traces of your makeup away.  Easy to do.  

 

The cloths can then be washed and dried like any other towel.  Giving these little beauties an added benefit of being "green" since they are reusable.  

 

 

You may be wondering what I use in my own beauty routine.  Since I have dry eyes, I don't just use the makeup remover oil from We Love Eyes, I use the Eye Makeup Remover Kit because it also contains the Tea Tree Eyelid Foaming Cleanser as well.  My dry eyes love the foaming cleanser.  Then, I use my Norwex Makeup remover cloth if I am on a short trip.  I don't want to risk my remover oil leaking in my bag.  

 

 

 

So there you have it.  A complete list of good for you makeup removers.  Each of these has been researched and gone through with a fine-toothed combed to ensure all the ingredients are good for your dry or sensitive eyes.  Don't forget to download your copy of the Ultimate Guide to Makeup Removers for Sensitive Eyes here.

 

Written by: Pam Theriot, OD  Author of Alleviate Dry Eye