Eye Allergies/Infections...Symptoms, Causes & Management.

Hi lovelies!

Wow, two posts from me in as many days, we are on a roll this week! I'd like to talk about something a bit different today, eye allergies/infections. The reason this has been on my mind is because a friend of mine recently reacted quite badly to some new makeup, waking up with red, swollen and teary eyes the day after wearing it. In addition, I went over to spend some time with my baby nephews the other day only to find out that they had conjunctivitis (fortunately, I don't seem to have caught it), but it made me think about the possibility of eye allergies and the implications on our beauty regimes.

Symptoms

So, what are the symptoms of eye allergies? You suddenly find your eyes are watering, red, itchy or burning, and you may not even know why. The problem is that the causes are varied and could be one of many things, or even a combination of several things!

Causes

Some common causes include catching an infection from someone else, an allergic reaction to makeup/dust/chemicals; the list is endless. I once picked up an eye infection from excess dust that was in the air as a result of construction work on house next door. What's even more frustrating is that allergies can be triggered from using new products, but can also happen literally overnight from using products that you've used for a long time too. I don't just mean from using products that you've had for a long time (but please do keep an eye on expiration dates and try to throw out what you've had for a while) but also, products that you've repurchased and kept using over an extended period of time. Pay especially close attention to mascara because it's the best breeding ground for bacteria that can then easily get into your eyes and cause an infection.

Management/treatment

Please keep in mind that I'm in no means an expert on the topic, but here are some things that I find beneficial.

1) Always make sure your makeup brushes are clean.
I can't stress enough how important it is to sanitise your makeup brushes, because it's the best way to spread an infection. I know it can be a bit of a pain to constantly wash your brushes but invest in a good cleaning spray (I use the Inglot brush cleanser) to clean between uses and deep clean my brushes every so often.

2) Use a sanitising spray on your makeup every so often.
I give my eyeshadow palettes and lipstick a spray with Isocol every so often. I bought mine from Priceline for just under $10, and decanted it into a cute spray bottle I picked up from Daiso.

Isocol Antiseptic Spray.

3) Switch to spectacles if you have an infection.
If, like me, you're a religious contact lenses wearer, do yourself a favour and stay off the lenses until your eyes have recovered.

4) Use medicated products like allergy eye drops.
I've used the Optrex medicated eye drops in the past to alleviate soreness and soothe my eyes.

If all else fails and your eyes aren't getting any better, please make an appointment to see your doctor! You don't want to suffer for too long and run the risk of damaging your eyes!

Have you had eye allergies/infections lately, lovelies? What do you do when you're faced with one? If you have any tips, please share them in the comments!

Much love,
MM.
x


*This post was written in collaboration with Optrex.