Many of my patients struggle with wearing I make up all day. They put on make up in the morning,  but it starts to run down their faces by afternoon. The problem is redness, irritation, and watering.  It's the ingredients in the eye makeup: mascara, eye shadow, and eyeliner that are irritating to the eyes. 

Did you know that women use an average of nine personal care products every day?  And, the beauty industry in the United States is highly unregulated. There has not been a new law past in the United States since 1938. As of today, there are only 11 ingredients banned from beauty products made in the United States. Whereas in Europe, there are over 1100 ingredients banned from their ingredient lists.

When I discuss changing makeup products with my patients, I am often met with resist...

 Tip #1) Summer Proof your Beauty Routine

Summer fills most of us with happy memories of time spent outdoors.  Summer is filled with water activities and lots and lots of sunshine.  

When you have dry, sensitive eyes, there are a few more factors affecting your eyes in the summer than any other time of year.  Don't let your red, irritated eyes keep you from enjoying the great outdoors this summer.  Utilize these tips to keep your eyes and your face happy.

There are 3 keys to a successful beauty routine to keep your eyes happy all summer long.

No. 1) NEVER Sleep in your Eye Makeup

Great beauty always begins with a clean face.  Removing your makeup at the end of the day is as important to your eyes as brushing your teeth is to your mouth.  Removing all traces of your eye makeup removes the places where bacteria can live and th...

This past couple of weeks, I have been focusing on the risks of computer use in your eyes.  The first article covered the 7 ways to alleviate digital eye strain.  The second one talked about blinking and how important it is for our vision and to prevent long term dry eye.  And, the third article talked about digital devices causing sleep disruption and how that has long term effects.

In this article, I will cover the effects of prolonged computer use on the clarity of your vision in general.  Increases in nearsightedness have long been a concern (and a topic of research) amongst eye doctors.

I know this is a detour from my usual topics of all things related to dry eye.  Screen time does have significant effects on dry eyes.  But, I thought it would be remiss to leave out another importan...

Kids have been experiencing at-home learning for the last couple of months. Maybe your kiddos have spent more time on digital devices than they would have if they had been in the traditional classroom setting.

Now, school is out. The kids want to enjoy themselves again. Hopefully, they are spending more time outdoors and enjoying playtime and nature. However, these days, kids are spending more and more time on digital devices.  Download a Parent’s Guide to Screen Time here. 

Kids are spending time on their computers and iPads because they are using these devices for socializing, learning, and recreation.  Communication apps like FaceTime, Skype, WhatsApp,  and Zoom have become more popular.  And, many video games are multi-player interactive.  Kids are playing games with their friends...

Blinking Keeps Vision Clear

Springtime is a beautiful time of year with the birds chirping and flowers beginning to bloom.  However, it can be the worst time of year for dry eye sufferers.  Allergens on top of eyes that are already red and sore can be a nightmare.  

Eye allergy symptoms include itching, watering, redness, and swelling.  Those symptoms would be piled on top of the dry eye symptoms you are already feeling like irritation and fluctuating vision.  Use these tips to soothe your allergy symptoms this spring.

Eliminate the Pollen

Keeping the pollen out of your clothes, hair, skin, and eyes is a great first step in helping your symptoms.  I wrote a blog about this subject recently.  Review it here for some best practices to keep the pollen out of your home, your bed, your eyes, and off of your contact l...

For many of us, Spring not only brings sunshine, warmer weather, and beautiful new flowers, it also brings pollen.  This pollen can cause tons of symptoms like sneezing as well as red, watery, itchy eyes.  Allergens can make us feel miserable.  Here are 3 tips to alleviate your allergy symptoms this spring.

Tip 1: Keep the pollen out

Eliminating the amount of pollen indoors is important in controlling your allergy symptoms.  The fewer irritants you have around your eyes, the less irritated your eyes will be.  When there is so much pollen that it coats our cars with a yellow frost, how do we keep it out:

Wear an outer layer of clothes like a raincoat with a hood.  Leave it in the garage or laundry room.  Don't bring the pollen into your home.

Take a shower before going to bed at ni...

Spending extra time on our digital devices seems like a lifestyle we all share right now.  The technology that we have today to work remotely and even socialize remotely is incredible.  But, all this extra screen time can cause problems with both dry eyes and eye strain.  

Utilize this downloadable resource guide to alleviate your digital eye strain.  Download it now and follow along with the blog.

#1) Set up your work station to reduce visual strain

Adjust your chair, desk, and monitor for the optimal distances and settings. Use the Workstation Set-Up Guide on page 7 to customize your workstation for your needs. Also, keep preservative-free tears handy, and utilize a small humidifier to keep your eyes from drying out during extended screen time.

 #2) Modify your Screen Settings 

An H...