If our oil glands around the eye stop working properly, they can’t keep the water sealed on the eye. “Have you ever heard anyone complain about having ‘dry eyes’ but still tearing up? What’s happening there is the eye likely doesn’t have enough oil to keep the water in,” says Chelnis. And mascara can actually clog the pores in the area, leading to less oil production—especially when not washed off nightly. “This not only leads to dryness but styes and eyelid inflammation,” he says. “It gets clumped, you layer it, the tension from curling, all of those things can put strain on the hair, especially if you are doing it every day. That’s how you lose lashes. It’s all about being mindful of how you’re putting it on and taking it off and making sure you’re being gentle,” says holistic dermatologist Keira Barr, M.D., founder of Resilient Health Institute. Also: Taking off mascara. “Removing mascara on a daily basis is extremely important to minimize irritation and inflammation” says Barr. But it’s a task notoriously harder than with other makeup and can cause you to shed a few strands. This is due to the rubbing many people do while washing their face. Your best bet is to remove your eye makeup prior to washing the rest of your face, so you can be extra gentle and use products (like olive oil) that are tailored to break down the formula. Other than that, there’s no indication whether a thickening mascara does more damage than a lengthening or curling. However, anecdotally from Chelnis, a more liquid formula might be better. “In doing exams or surgery, I’ve actually found mascara debris trapped under the eyelid, often causing inflammation,” he says. “And this is a total hypothesis, but if I had to guess, I would say that a more liquid formula wouldn’t cause as much—it’s probably the ones that are more fibrous.”
