Eyeliner: how to choose, apply and wear it safely

Choosing it for deep skin

Choose a NAFDAC-registered pencil, gel or liquid with a full ingredient list.
"Ophthalmologist-tested" and fragrance-free are good signs for sensitive eyes or contact lenses.
Smudge-proof formulas last in humidity but need an oil remover. Rubbing to remove them pulls out lashes.
Never use traditional kohl, tiro, kwalli or tozali powders. See the Kohl page.

How to apply

Wash your handsWash and dry your hands first. Germs on your fingers can cause eye infections.
Sharpen and wipe the tipSharpen pencils before each use and wipe the tip. For twist-ups, cut off the top layer.
Sit still, never in a moving vehicleA bump on the road can push an applicator into your eye. Apply only when you are still, even as a passenger.
Rest your elbowRest your elbow on a table to keep your hand steady.
Line outside the lashesDraw along the lash roots, from the outer corner inward, not on the inner waterline.
Set itPress a matching shadow over pencil liner so it lasts in heat.

How long to wear it

It lasts most of the day; heat and oily lids make it smudge. Clean smudges with a cotton bud.
Remove it every night with an oil or eye-makeup remover held on the closed eye.
Never sleep in eyeliner.

Don’t use it if

During a stye, conjunctivitis or any eye infection.
During eyelid eczema or swelling.
After eye surgery: usually at least 2 weeks, or as your eye surgeon advises.
On the inner waterline if your eyes are dry or sensitive, or you wear contact lenses.
Someone else's eyeliner.

Safety and the evidence

Liner on the inner waterline moved into the tear film 15–30% more than liner outside the lashes. It can irritate and may block the lid oil glands.
Evidence C — small study · University of Waterloo 2015 — eyeliner on the inner lash line
Some colour additives allowed in cosmetics are not allowed around the eyes.
Evidence D — regulator guidance · FDA — Eye cosmetic safety
Traditional kohl powders can be mostly lead. One tiro sample from Ilorin was 82.6% lead.
Evidence C — case report · CDC MMWR 2012 — lead poisoning from tiro

Evidence grades: A systematic reviews or several trials; B at least one trial or consistent controlled studies; C observational studies, surveys or case reports; D expert opinion.

Keep it clean

Never share eyeliner. Shop testers are often contaminated.
Liquid and gel liners keep about 3 months; pencils about 12 months if sharpened often.
Throw away eyeliner you used during an eye infection.
Heat melts pencils. Store them cool, cap on.

Important

See a doctor if

Go to an eye clinic or emergency the same day for eye pain, a change in vision or new sensitivity to light.
See a doctor for a lump on the lid edge, or a stye that keeps coming back.
See a doctor for an itchy, red or scaly eyelid rash that does not settle after stopping.

Emergency in Nigeria: call 112 or go to the nearest hospital.

Doctor review pending. Education only, not a diagnosis. Product types, not brands.

At a glance