What should I do?
If you accidentally get some cleanser in your eye and it causes pain, rinse your eye out immediately with cool, clean water. Hold your eyelid open and allow running water to flow over it. To flush out both eyes, standing under the shower head will be most efficient. If this doesn’t resolve your pain and restore comfort, call us for eye emergency care.
These guidelines are also helpful for when kids’ eyes come into contact with any foreign substance. At YESnick Vision Center in Las Vegas, we provide treatment for children’s eye emergencies; call immediately for assistance and tell us exactly which solution caused the irritation.
How to Keep Your Eyes Safe When Washing Your Face
Throughout the day, your face comes into contact with a range of dirt, foreign substances, chemicals, and bacteria. Many everyday materials that you touch regularly can irritate, injure or infect your eyes. While eyelids certainly offer protection, they cannot prevent every foreign particle from coming in contact with the surface of your eyes. One of the best ways to limit ocular exposure to these irritants is through keeping your face clean.
However, face washing must be done correctly and with appropriate cleansers in order to avoid an eye emergency. Dr. David Yesnick, your expert eye doctor in Las Vegas, recommends following these guidelines for keeping your eyes safe while keeping your face clean.
- Wash Your Hands: It is critical to wash your hands thoroughly before cleaning your face. This rule is especially important for avoiding children’s eye emergencies in Las Vegas, as kids are not always particular about hand hygiene throughout the day (and with young children, they tend to put their hands in everything!). For example, residue from an art project or outdoor gardening work can be transferred easily from fingers to eyes, and they may contain harmful chemicals that may require eye emergency treatment.
- Remove Eye Makeup at Night: No matter how tired you are, going to sleep with eye makeup isn’t smart. It can clog pores and tear ducts, lead to infections, and contribute to dry eye syndrome. To remove eye makeup properly, we recommend using a hypoallergenic, oil-free, fragrance-free cleaner and wiping gently.Apply cleanser to a damp cotton pad, press it on the eye area lightly and wait for it to wet the area. Then rub very gently over your eyelashes and eyelid. This method will prevent mascara flakes and other eye makeup from getting into your eyes. Repeat as many times as needed, always wiping downwards over the lashes of your closed eyes. Open your eyes and clean along the line under your eye. Rinse off your makeup remover with a facial sponge or damp washcloth soaked in lukewarm water to get rid of any cleanser residue.
- Wash Your Face in the Morning: Even if you washed your face before hitting the pillow, we recommend washing again in the morning. As you sleep, sebum builds up and debris from night lotions also remains. Both of these substances can get in your eyes and cause irritation. Again, take care not to get facial cleansers in your eyes. For the sake of your eye health, avoid very foamy facial soaps that create lots of bubbles. When these bubbles pop near your eyes, they often get into eyes and cause discomfort or an eye emergency.
Why Are Microbead Facial Cleansers Banned?
There used to be a range of cosmetic cleansers with tiny plastic beads on the market, such as skin exfoliators and toothpastes. However, in 2015, President Barack Obama passed the Microbead-Free Waters Act, banning the manufacture of these colorful plastics and phasing them out of all consumer products.
Why were microbeads banned? Because research uncovered a high concentration of these microplastics in the marine environment, much of which was due to the cosmetic products getting rinsed down the drain. Due to their small size, microbeads were not filtered out at standard sewage treatment plants. Sadly, marine life was feeding on these toxic plastic pellets.
Along with posing a lethal threat to fish, microbeads led to a number of children’s eye emergencies in Las Vegas, due to the popularity of these trendy facial products amongst kids and teenagers. Eye doctors reported cases of patients seeking eye emergency care for redness and pain in their eye. An eye exam then led to the discovery of a microbead stuck under the eyelid.
Eyes and eyelids are delicate and must be treated with the care they deserve! In the event that you suffer eye injury or irritation from a cleanser or other foreign substance, please contact us for urgent care. Patients from Summerlin & Spring Valley are welcome!
If you are unsure if you have a stye, click here.
