Waterproof mascara should be removed before bed, experts warn

Optometrists say this makeup product may not be optimal.

An eye doctor, who often posts tips on TikTok and Instagram as @eyestheticsofficial, discovered a dangerous — and disgusting — side effect of wearing waterproof mascara to bed.

Dr. Gurleen Dhanoa shocked her followers on social media when she appeared to suggest that failing to remove the popular beauty product could lead to a severe side effect.

“If you sleep with waterproof mascara, curl your eyelids,” she challenged viewers in the video. “I dare you.”

After advising viewers to get their eyes checked, she moved to the side of her screen to reveal a photo of the inside of a woman’s eyelid with what looked like mold or mascara stains.

She recommended that instead of waterproof makeup, people should switch to waterproof mascara.

Dr.

The photo appears to have been taken from an earlier issue of Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), reported by BuzzFeed News in 2018.

According to the study, a 50-year-old Australian woman developed the severe eye condition after “25 years of heavy mascara use with inadequate removal” before bed.

“The mascara had formed small hard deposits that were embedded in the skin under her eyelids — some were coming out and scratching her eyeballs,” BuzzFeed News explained.

The woman also developed follicular conjunctivitis – an infection in the mucous membrane that covers the eye and eyelid.

The study did not appear to specify what type of mascara the unidentified woman was wearing.

The “rare” condition can be worsened by using waterproof mascara, as it is usually more difficult to remove.

User beware, said Dr. Rebecca Taylor, clinical spokesperson for the AAO and an ophthalmologist.

“Your eyelashes need to be clean because they protect the eyes … they’re fed by oil glands, and if those glands or follicles are blocked, that can be a problem,” Taylor told BuzzFeed News.

Not removing all eye makeup before bed can also lead to pink eye or other bacterial and viral infections, experts warn.