Imidazolidinyl urea, quaternium 15.
Methylisothiazolinone (MI) -- do you know what these products are? You
are likely smearing them on your face every day when you put on your makeup and
again when you are removing it at night. These chemicals are preservatives
or formaldehyde-releasing agents meant to keep bacteria out of your makeup, but
they are known skin irritants and common culprits behind allergic irritation
and dry, red patches of skin around your face and eyes. And about 85%
of makeup products contain paraben preservatives which a 2004 study
linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, though critics of the study cite
that parabens have only a small effect on our body's estrogen levels. Parabens
and phthalates (another common make-up preservative that is also found in
shampoos and shaving creams) both have been associated in humans with side effects ranging from insulin resistance, endometriosis, decreased sperm count, and
even endocrine system disruption (like increased risk of thyroid disorders).
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| Our eyelid skin is some of the thinnest and most delicate of the entire body, so it is easily irritated by chemicals and preservatives image via |
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| Dr. Gill via |
As optometrists, our
patients look to us to solve the culprit for their dry eyes, but we are often
limited by the products available on the marketplace. Optometrist Dr. Tanya Gill noticed the
common complaints of redness, dryness, and irritated eyes in her practice, Oakland Vision Center, and
decided to take action. With undergrad coursework in chemistry and biology at
University of California, Berkley before getting her optometric doctorate, she understood the biochemical process of how to
make her own product. She knew she needed an all-natural, irritant-free product
to remove makeup for her patients, but with makeup removers you also need a way
to fight bacteria and prevent infections around the eyelid margin -- the reason
that common makeup removers have those harsh preservatives in the first place. Tea
tree oil was her solution, a natural way to fight bacteria and also common skin
parasites like demodex
mites that are commonly found on the eyelid margin in people with
rosacea and chronic styes. She brewed up the We
Love Eyes Makeup Removing Oil with
just 3 products: grape seed oil and jojoba seed oil to break down even
waterproof mascara and also hydrate the delicate skin around the eye, and tea
tree oil to bust inflammation and kill bacteria and parasites. Since then her
all natural cleansing product line has added a foaming
cleanser and a deeper
cleansing oil for patients
with blepharitis to bust demodex mites.
My Review
Both the We Love Eyes cleansing oil and the pump foam eyelid cleanser work incredibly well; with just a few swipes my makeup was entirely removed, and my skin felt hydrated and irritant free. The cleansing oil especially left my eyelid area feeling extremely hyrdrated, and I could readily imagine my patients with chronic dry skin, rosacea, or eczema along their eyelids benefiting from regular use. And because this cleanser is so gentle, I had no irritation or discomfort cleaning right into my eyelash roots to remove mascara and eyeliner away from the waterline where our tear film glands (Meibomian glands) reside.
Let the picture do the talking. I put 5 drops of the We Love Eyes Tea Tree Eyelid Makeup Remover Oil on a cotton pad and gently swiped across my eyelid. Makeup gone, no irritation, no burning, and the tea tree oil will fight inflammation and reduce skin bacteria counts the rest of the night!
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