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Why You Shouldn't Use Petrolatum On The Waterline, From An Optometrist

Hannah Frye
Author:
October 11, 2024
Hannah Frye
Beauty & Health Editor
By Hannah Frye
Beauty & Health Editor
Hannah Frye is the Beauty & Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including beauty, women’s health, mental health, sustainability, social media trends, and more. She previously worked for Almost 30, a top-rated health and wellness podcast. In her current role, Hannah reports on the latest beauty trends and innovations, women’s health research, brain health news, and plenty more.
up close woman's eyes and eyebrows
Image by Aleksandra Jankovic / Stocksy
October 11, 2024
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Trudging through gusts of cold wind with endlessly teary eyes is a dreaded winter experience. If you wear makeup, then mascara streams are likely to follow suit—and stick around after your tears dry too. 

Is there any way to prevent this? Some users on TikTok suggest dabbing petrolatum (aka mineral oil) around the eyes to block the tears, but an optometrist begs to differ in the name of safety.

Below, find what you need to know about this iffy hack.

Why you shouldn't use petrolatum near the eyes

The user in the original video applies a petrolatum jelly (think Vaseline or Aquaphor) to a cotton swab, then rubs it along her bottom lash line. Because mineral oil is highly occlusive, it serves as a barrier for the tears, like a dam for a river. 

However, the jelly can block something else too: your oil glands, board-certified optometrist Jennifer Tsai, O.D., says in a reaction video

Tsai explained to me in a previous interview that blocked oil glands can lead to dark under-eye circles and dry eyes over time. So while the hack may work at the moment, it's not the safest method to use long term. 

Instead, Tsai recommends using gel-based eyedrops (like the Blink GelTears Eye Drops) five minutes before applying your makeup to hold tears back without clogging up your glands. These drops will also help keep your eyes lubricated when faced with dry wind, which is the innate function of that excess watering in the first place.

As a rule of thumb, you should always be careful when applying products to or around the eye area. The eyes are extremely sensitive and can easily trap bacteria and contaminants with a single touch.

Not to mention, petrolatum-based products, which contain mineral oil, have a notably heavy environmental impact (which you can read about here). So it's worth reconsidering the product from a sustainability standpoint too. 

If you're truly struggling with drippy eyes beyond the standard eye-meets-wind experience, it's worth asking your optometrist for advice. They may be able to provide you with prescription-grade eye drops or point out a cause for the eye-watering you may not have considered.

The takeaway

Tsai advises against using petrolatum-based balms near the eyes to prevent mascara smudging and overwatering, as it may block oil glands, leading to potential eye health issues down the line.

Instead, she recommends using gel-based eyedrops before makeup application for tear prevention without compromising eye health. Now, if your mascara just won't stop running regardless, you may want to reconsider the product itself—here's a list of our favorites to ease your search.

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