Eye makeup removers are cosmetics, even when the bottle sounds more like something from the plumbing department. Some eye cosmetics are designed to stay on the skin, while others are applied and removed soon afterwards; follow your remover's own directions rather than assuming every micellar water has the same use.2

How to use it around your eyes

  1. 1Read the bottle first. Use the product near your eyes only if it is intended for that area, and follow its application and removal directions.
  2. 2Wash your hands before starting. Make sure any pad or applicator you use around the eyes is clean.
  3. 3Remove the makeup carefully, without scratching the eyeball or the surrounding sensitive area. Do this while stationary, never in a moving vehicle.
  4. 4Keep the container clean afterwards, and do not share the remover with someone else.
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Is micellar water safe for the eyes?

An eye makeup remover can be well tolerated, but irritation and sensitivity reactions can still happen. Eyelid skin is especially thin and delicate, and cosmetics applied around the eyes can reach the eye surface. If your eyes are already irritated, choosing a remover means more than finding a bottle that removes mascara.3

Lumify Eye Illuminations includes a micellar water eye makeup remover, giving a practical cleanser a name with theatrical ambitions. In an eight week clinical study, 80 women enrolled and 68 completed testing. No clinically relevant changes in vision or eye examination findings were reported, but one participant stopped because of swelling around both eyes linked to the remover.3

Those participants had no known allergies to facial skincare products and no acute or chronic eye disease, including dry eye. If you have dry eye or known cosmetic allergies, do not treat that result as a reason to ignore symptoms when using a remover.3

When should you stop?

Stop using the remover immediately if it causes irritation. See a doctor if irritation persists, and contact a healthcare provider for a bad reaction. Avoid eye cosmetics while you have an eye infection or inflamed skin around the eyes. Wait until the area heals, and discard eye cosmetics you were using when the infection developed.1

Where this answer comes from

  1. 1Eye Cosmetic Safetyfda.gov
  2. 2TFOS Lifestyle: Impact of cosmetics on the ocular surfacepmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. 3Evaluation of the Safety and Tolerability of Lumify Eye Illuminations Cosmetic Productspmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov