Irritated and itchy eyes?

For years I have had the extreme unpleasant experiences of my eyes being itchy, irritated, and eventually watery. There was a pattern to this discomfort and that was that it usually started about two hours after I had washed my face.

Going to an ophthalmologist, dry eyes and eye drops did nothing to fix my issue.

It was breaking me apart thinking that how is no one else experiencing this? At one point I came to the conclusion that this must be something that I had to live with all of my life.

A few years ago I came across a blog post of a writer that was going through the same problem as me. I was furious and so excited only for the fact of knowing that there is someone else out there that is experiencing this, too.

In the post, which I am not certain whether the content was true and that it was verified by a dermatologist, it explained that the reason why her eyes were irritated and uncomfortable was that she had oily eyelids. Now, when our skin barrier function is broken and does not function normal due hormones, lack of water intake, weather, wrong or harsh skincare products and makeup, it produces more oil to the surface to combat dryness (called dehydrated skin). That overproduction of oil has a tendency to make the surface of skin more on the acidic side which explains the reason behind the irritation and discomfort and the relief that we get after washing and stripping the skin of the oils.

After reading this, it made total sense because my skin barrier is compromised on my face too and so my eyelids were no exclusions!

The writer then went ahead and included products that had helped with her with her issue. She mentioned eye-shadow primers.

Eye-shadow primers have been invented to prime the eyelids for a smooth application and long lasting makeup. At that time, I had heard of primers but didn’t have experience with any. As soon as I had finished reading, I went to the drug-store to purchase one to see if that is truly in fact what’s causing it. First time using it and my eyelids felt normal throughout my entire day at work. Please don’t hesitate to give it a try because these primers have literally changed my life.

Directions on using eye-shadow primers: Read the instructions on the products that you buy.

This is how I have been applying for years and has worked best for me. I first wash my face and eyelids with a very gentle cleanser in circular motion for about 2 minutes, being extra gentle around my eyes. I pat dry my face with a clean towel (my face towels are separate from hand/body towels and I only use them once then wash them). After my eyelids and eyelashes are completely dry, I apply a small amount of eye-shadow primer to my ring finger then rub both fingers together and gently press product onto my lids and pat instead of rubbing until it dries. I apply it all over my eyelids and under/around my eyes and on the lash lines.

My eyelids now are oil-free all day everyday! I just wanted to extend this to say that this issue does not only happen to women, if you are male and are experiencing similar symptoms, you may benefit from these products as well! The primers don’t have any color to them and dry to a matte finish.

Below is a list of my favorite primers that last all-day!

If you are experiencing irritations, itchiness, redness, and/or other eye issues, please consider seeing your ophthalmologist as they may be caused by a different reason than mentioned above. These symptoms may be the result of dry eyes, infections, allergies, and/or others.

Products:

(Not Sponsored)

Milani - Eyeshadow Primer $9.99

My first eye-shadow primer purchase!! I love this product as it does the job really well. Initially, the product has a a hint of color but as you apply, it will disappear.

Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion $24

Another great product! I went to an Ulta beauty store and was going to purchase the regular Primer Potion, and I will never forget the makeup artist telling me that it is never too late to purchase anti-aging products. This does have the all day staying power, no noticeable color, and is very smooth compared to other primers that I have used.

Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Eye Shadow Base $13.48

This primer is nice but does not have the all-day staying power for my really oily eyelids. If you have more of a normal or normal to oily skin, you would benefit from this product more.

Viseart Seamless Eye Primer $14-24

I’ve recently received this in my monthly beauty box subscription and have been loving it! The first time I squeezed the product onto the back of my hand to see the texture and color, I was very skeptical on whether I should even consider using it unless I’ll be staying at home all day in case it causes a major disaster. It has a silicone consistency and is clear and the reason why I was skeptical was because my skin has never done well with silicone type primers before so I thought this could be similar in terms of its effects. I was wrong! This made my lids matte with no creasing in the shadow for 12 hours straight! I loved that this primer didn’t cause build up of any kind and washed off very easy, too. I’ve used some primers that would get crusty and leave behind a thin layer on my lids even after washing multiple times; this one came right off! Great investment.

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