Nail Polish- culprit for irritated eyelids

It's quite commonplace to put the blame on your eye makeup when you end up with irritated, swollen, and itchy eyelids, while the real culprit could be the least suspected one, a nail polish.  

 

While it's true that cosmetics for the eyes can cause irritation, even if a person has used the same product for a long time, irritated eyelids and  rash can also happen when you accidentally touch your eyelids with stained or unsanitized fingers. 

 

The skin on your hands is quite tough and can endure the harshest of chemicals, but not so in the case of eyelid skin. 

 

Even a tiny speck of an irritant can bother the delicate  skin on the eyelids, be it your eyedrops, your contact lens solution, tiny droplets of hair spray, hair dye, shampoo, conditioner or a tiny speck of wet nail polish. 

Dr Schultz of DermTV explains.:  

"Believe it or not, one of the most common causes of swollen red eyelids is fresh, wet (not dry) nail polish. This happens because of  the change in chemical structure that nail polish undergoes as it dries. 

In the first four to six hours after nail polish is applied (i.e., when it's still wet but drying), if it touches the eyelids (or area around them), its chemical structure which is highly sensitizing can cause an allergic reaction in some people which results in red, itchy, and swollen eyelids. 

However, as the nail polish dries, it undergoes a chemical change which makes it water and smudge proof, and also non-allergic. 

So if you often find yourself with red, swollen, and itchy eyelids, try keeping your hands away from your face for the first four to six hours after you apply nail polish, and you just might find that your problem goes away."

You could also cut down on nail polish drying time with some of the products listed here:

OPI Rapidry Spray

Spray RapiDry Polish Dryer on freshly applied polish to cut down drying time and prevent smearing. It is suppposed to dry the polish in 60 seconds to a smooth hard finish. It contains Avoplex Oil to add shine and condition cuticles. Also great for restoring shine to nails between manicures

Conair Beauty Essentials Nail Dryer V00084

Features

• nails dry in minutes, flawless salon finish
• pressure activated on/off rest stand
• side compartment holds nail polish
• uses 4 AA batteries.

Thermal Spa Automatic Gel UV Light Nail Dryer / Double Size

Use this UV light appliance to reduce nail curing time for professional U/V top coat and gel applications
Features

• Maximum UV reflection design
• Comfortably accommodates two hands or feet
• Auto-off function for 1, 2 or 3 minutes
• Powerful - Now 45 watts (NEW)

 Qtica 1/2 Time Polish Drying Accelerator

Your nail polish will never smudge, dent or streak your nails again if you start using Qtica Half Time Polish Drying Accelerator. Qtica 1/2 Time Polish Drying Accelerator is a colorless, odorless liquid which uses an organic crystal compound to thoroughly dry polish in 5-7 minutes on natural and artificial nails - So dry that you can hit it with a pencil! 1/2 Time applies with its own eye dropper over the last coat of polish, spreading evenly on the nail and coating and protecting the cuticles. Its safe, non-toxic and odor free.

Also read this Nail-Drying Tricks article from Total Beauty and do check out some of the surefire ways mentioned in the article to make sure you don't smudge your perfectly painted nails.

Ease eyelid irritation with these tips:

If the nail polish had already done  its job of irritating the eyelids, soothing the irritation should be your first priority. Here's what to do. 

1) If your eyelids are feeling itchy, do not try to  rub your eyes or scratch the itch. If you claw at your eyelids, you'll only irritate them further. Your sharp nails may even find their way to cornea and scratch it leading to scarring or vision loss.
2) Try a cold compress. Wet a a clean washcloth with cold water from the refrigerator and apply to your eyes. Repeat it several times or till the irritation subsides.
3) Or you could also apply cold, wet tea bags. The tannic acid in tea bags helps soothe and cool down the itch. However, wrap the tea bags with in a clean tissue paper to avoid any staining of the eyelid.