In the world of social media, eye-related “hacks” often gain popularity, promising quick solutions to common issues or makeup challenges.
However, Optometrist Neil Laird from Pure Optical sheds light on the hidden dangers lurking behind these seemingly innocent tips.
Social media platforms, including TikTok, are flooded with viral eye-related hacks that claim to offer quick fixes.
Despite their popularity, some of these hacks not only prove to be ineffective but also pose the risk of causing irreversible damage to your vision.
Laird, a leading optometrist, urges the public to prioritize health over convenience. The delicacy of the eye makes it susceptible to lasting consequences from seemingly harmless quick fixes.
Whether it’s speeding up your eyeliner application or preventing watery eyes, Laird emphasizes that these ‘life hacks’ might appear ingenious but carry risks far greater than the problems they aim to solve.
5 social media eye hacks to avoid:
1. Vaseline for Watery Eyes
Popping a small amount of Vaseline on the corner of your eyes has been touted all over social media as the go-to fix if you have watery eyes, with a video from TikTok user @sonyased5 promoting the hack garnering over 9.9million views.
@sonyased5 This trick and the migrane trick. Suprior and it works #fyp #viral #relatable ♬ الصوت الأصلي – انمار جاكسون
However, while this hack will work to keep your eyes tear-free and make-up intact, you run the risk of far more serious issues.
The Dangers: Vaseline is occlusive, meaning it doesn’t absorb into the skin but sits on top of it until it is wiped away.
This means that if it gets into your eye it can cause your vision to become blurry and cloudy, and due to its thick nature it can be difficult to remove.
Vaseline can also cause a build-up of milia or whiteheads around the eye that develop when dead skin or oils get trapped, leading to painful white or yellow bumps.
More concerning is the risk of clogging your tear ducts or developing styes which can quickly become infected and inflamed, leading to a higher risk of bacterial infection that can cause irreparable damage to your eyelids and the surface of your eye.
2. Lip Liner as Eyeliner
Make-up influencers are well-known for creating make-up, and they’ve recently been seen repurposing lip liners as eyeliners, with videos demonstrating how pigmented and versatile they can be around the eyes.
This hack is so popular as it promises an array of colours and textures not always available in traditional eyeliners, with videos like @josipellicano’s amassing over 23.6k views.
@josipellicano listen I’m clearly not a makeup artist, but I’m kind of into it
♬ original sound – josi
The Dangers: While it might seem harmless, lip liners are specifically formulated for use on the lips, not the sensitive area around the eyes which is thin and more susceptible to irritation.
Often the ingredients in lip liners, including certain pigments and waxes, won’t be safe for use around the eyes which can lead to adverse allergic reactions, such as itchiness, redness, and swelling.
In severe cases, it may even cause chemical conjunctivitis, a painful inflammation of the surface of the eye that can cause damage if not treated correctly.
3. Coconut Oil for Make-Up Removal
Coconut oil is being lauded by make-up artists and skincare gurus alike for its natural and gentle makeup-removing properties, with numerous beauty bloggers and social media posts advocating its use to dissolve eye makeup with @bigfatjenna’s video showing her removing her makeup with coconut oil racking up 2.7m views alone.
@bigfatjenna Replying to @Tiannalynn03 you know where i am if you want the reverse X #makeupremoval #removingmakeup #makeupreverse #coconutoilmakeupremover ♬ original sound – Big Fat Jenna
The Dangers: While coconut oil is great at breaking down makeup, its thick consistency can lead to clogged meibomian glands, the tiny glands on the eyelid margin responsible for secreting oil that lubricates our eyes.
Blockage of these glands can leave your eyes feeling dry and uncomfortable, and in the worst-case scenario, cause the development of styes— painful, swollen lumps on the eyelid often caused by an infection or blockage.
These can pass with time, but in some cases, styes can develop into larger cysts that risk a larger infection of your eye.
4. Sellotape for Eyeliner Perfection
This beauty hack involves using sellotape as a stencil to achieve flawless winged eyeliner every time.
As such, this method has become extremely popular for make-up influencers and has been widely shared across beauty forums and TikTok, with user @amandakhamkaew’s recent video clocking up an impressive 3.5m views.
@amandakhamkaew Are you looking for a New Years Eve makeup look? Try this! #smokeyliner #makeuphacks #makeuptutorial #eyeliner #eyemakeup ♬ you guys r such cuties – ˚ 🍓 ribbon ﾟ୭ৎ
The Dangers: The skin around the eyes is delicate, meaning it can become stretched and damaged over time if you use this method often, with the tugging of the adhesive on the skin contributing to premature wrinkles and sagging.
On top of this, the adhesives in sellotape are not made to be placed around the eyes, meaning regular application can severely irritate the skin, stripping away natural oils and leading to dryness and sensitivity. In some cases, this can even lead to allergic dermatitis which can lead to redness, swelling, and itchiness that can leave you with blurred vision.
5. Brightening Drops for ‘Whiter’ Eyes
Influencers have been promoting eye drops that claim to brighten and reduce redness in the eyes, helping users look less tired and their eyes ‘whiter’, with one make-up influencer @_alyssa_lorraine_’s video touting the product as a ‘must-have’ reaching a staggering 4.1m views.
@_alyssa_lorraine_ a content creator MUST-HAVE 🍃🤳 @LUMIFY Eye Drops #lumifyeyes #lumify #eyedrops ♬ original sound – Alyssa Lorraine 👄
The Dangers: These eye drops work as they contain vasoconstrictors, which temporarily reduce redness by constricting blood vessels in the eye.
While these drops will work in the short term, with regular use, eyes can become dependent on these drops, leading to a condition known as ‘rebound hyperemia’, where redness can become worse when the effects of the drops wear off.
What is most concerning is that overuse of these products can also mask underlying conditions that cause redness, such as infections or allergies, making you more prone to developing complications that can lead to damage to the eye’s surface.
You are also at risk of damaging the blood vessels in your eye permanently, leading to blurry vision and potentially vision loss if left untreated.
“In a world where viral trends come and go, the health of your eyes should not be compromised for the sake of convenience,” says Laird.
“So, I urge everyone to take these ‘hacks’ with a pinch of salt as many have not been safely researched.
What might work great on one person could lead to complications on another, and the risk of losing your sight to follow a trend is just not worth it.”
For more information on safe eye care practices, please visit Pure Optical’s website.