Do I need new makeup now?

September 28, 2009 3:48 PM

I was diagnosed today with a fever blister on my left eyeball. Do I need to get rid of my eye makeup?

I went to the eye doctor today because of a stabbing pain in my left eye. It felt like it was scratched or had a grain of sand in it. Turns out, there's a tiny fever blister there. (Last time I had an outbreak was in 1992, and it didn't get into my eye, but was very close.)

I assume I will need to toss my contacts (which I last wore yesterday) but should I throw away any makeup I've worn on my eyes recently?

The worst loss is a brand new tube of Lancome mascara, but I can deal with that. I just wanted some opinions before I have to start over buying makeup.

(And should it be just eye makeup? Or all makeup?)

(And yes, I could ask my doctor, but office hours are over for today and it's not something I feel the need to call about.)

posted by pyjammy to health & fitness (10 comments total)

I think I'd get rid of the mascara, sadly, because it can't be sanitized. Powders and pencils can be, though -- google sanitize makeup for some tips. Pencils, for example, can just be sharpened.
posted by sugarfish at 3:58 PM on September 28

Switch sponges on your powder/foundation and eye shadows but I don't think you need to replace the entire thing - maybe wipe the top layer off the compact.

I'd toss any mascara and liquid eyeliner.
posted by caveat at 4:49 PM on September 28

On the one hand, the herpes virus is already in your system, so it's not like you could re-infect yourself with the makeup.

On the other hand, have you been throwing out your eye makeup on a regular schedule, or is it time to purge it anyway? (You do know you're not supposed to keep makeup forever as it's a lovely breeding ground for bacteria, right?)

And on the third hand, you probably shouldn't wear any eye makeup until this fever blister goes away.

I guess that's "throw it out" by a slight lead. I wouldn't throw out the non-eye makeup, though, unless it's time to anyway (see "on the other hand" above).
posted by shiny blue object at 4:53 PM on September 28

Oh how awful! Those are bad enough on the mouth, I can't imagine it in the eye. I would personally throw out all of my makeup and think of it as a chance to go on a crazy shopping spree at Target or Macy's. But I am super-paranoid.
posted by radioamy at 6:23 PM on September 28

I would also be super-duper careful about touching anything after touching your eyes - you don't want the boys to get fever blisters!
posted by radioamy at 6:28 PM on September 28

Oooh, good point about it already being in my system.

On the other hand, it probably is time for new makeup. I'm embarrassed to admit that some of my makeup dates from my wedding, an occasion I bought very fancy makeup for. I won't say how long ago that was. Long enough that I should definitely toss everything.

Time for a shopping spree, yes indeed. That'll be fun.
posted by pyjammy at 6:29 PM on September 28

And Amy, I asked the doctor about it, and he said it probably wasn't super-contagious, but to still be careful. Ugh, I had it for days before I knew what it was. Ugh. Fingers crossed they don't get it...
posted by pyjammy at 6:30 PM on September 28

Mascara really only lasts for (about) three months; after that point it starts collecting bacteria and drying out, no matter how pricey it was originally. So you really really should have tossed that stuff a long time ago anyway. You'd be better off buying a drugstore brand and replacing it regularly than keeping expensive old stuff.
posted by you're a kitty! at 6:34 PM on September 28

Even though it's "already in your system", I think the way that virus works is that it's only in a certain part of your system. It can spread to other parts through contact, for instance that may be how it got in your eye when last time it was only near your eye. So, for example, keeping your eye makeup might spread the virus to your other (so-far uninfected) eye.

You might also want to avoid using any makeup on your eyes for a while, too, because even if you go buy a new tube of mascara tomorrow it's going to get just as contaminated as the old stuff if you use it on that eye. Heck, if it were me I might even ask the doctor whether I should use a different set of makeup for each eye from now on. Maybe that's overkill, but it can't hurt to ask.
posted by vytae at 7:10 PM on September 28

To clarify - the last time I had a fever blister, it was in the same area, it just didn't make it into my eye that time. So I don't think I'd be spreading "locations".

And the mascara is new, only a month old. But the other stuff...not so much.

But anyway, yeah. Time for a makeup shopping spree, when I'm all healed! Fun!
posted by pyjammy at 7:09 AM on September 29