A new trend has emerged from the beauty side of TikTok, with influencers claiming that using petroleum jelly in the corners of the eyes can prevent watery eyes in cold weather and prevent makeup from smudging.
Creator Ayaatmishaal praised the “hack,” calling it “THE BEST thing TikTok has ever taught me” in a video with 2.2 million likes. And creator Yazmooremakeup, who has more than 70,000 followers, joked “try not to poke yourself in the eye” as she applied Vaseline to the corners of her eyes in a video with more than 230,000 views.
But while it might save your makeup, it could potentially harm your eyes – if you put it on your waterline or tear duct.
Putting it on the skin under the eyes, however, “is perfectly fine,” Dr. Ilana Forchheimer, an ophthalmologist at Northwell Eye Institute, tells PEOPLE.
Skip your fingers and use a sterile cotton ball if you’re applying petroleum jelly near your eyes.
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“Vaseline is a very hydrophobic compound, meaning it doesn’t mix well with water,” explains Dr. Forchheimer. “It actually creates a barrier and kind of catches the tears and probably does a little bit of a deterrent that limits makeup runoff.”
“[It’s] it’s not dangerous as long as they do it in a hygienic way, without dipping their finger in Vaseline. I would use a sterile Q-tip to dip and apply and then throw it away.”
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However, “putting it on the waterline will worsen your vision and possibly cause irritation.”
She adds, “the idea that putting it on your waterline will reduce the amount of tears you produce is a complete misconception.”
When using Vaseline under the eye, he says you also want to use a product that isn’t already contaminated with bacteria from a previous use.
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“Someone dips [their hands] in, rub their feet, put their hands back, and then you go and put it in your eye? [That] is a terribly horrible idea,” Dr. Forchheimer tells PEOPLE. “But if you have a little sterile tube that you put on top of a cotton ball and you put that just under the eye, there’s absolutely no problem with that.”
And petroleum jelly is not the only way to treat runny eyes.
“This is the worst season for dry eye. It’s cold, it’s windy, the air is dry and the heat is on,” she explains. “The things I encourage my patients to do is wear sunglasses, even a hat with a brim, just to limit the amount of air and anything that hits your face when you’re outside”
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“And when you’re driving in a car, I tell my patients to make sure their vents are facing away from them, because having that air blowing in your face can also make tearing worse.”
And if you notice that your eyes are constantly watering, she suggests making an appointment with an ophthalmologist.
“If you have a lot of tears, find out why,” she says, “instead of just trying to minimize the symptoms.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education