I’ve been asked by some of my readers about my eye care and makeup routine. As part of managing my dry eyes and Sjogren’s, I follow a strict regimen outside of seeing a trustworthy optometrist and ophthalmologist every 4 months. I only use certain products on my face on a daily basis.

My daily eye and face care routine for dry eyes and skin

Surprisingly, I don’t wash my face that often. If I do, I only use Dr. Bronner’s unscented baby soap. When I need to moisturize, I use a tiny amount of coconut oil. To remove my eye makeup, I use unscented Micellar wipes with argan oil. For sunscreen, I now use Proven skincare or Vanicream, which you can find at just about any drugstore.

The power of RESTASIS for dry eyes

About 4 years ago, I was really struggling with chronic blepharitis. If you’ve experienced eyelid inflammation then you know how debilitating it is. You can’t open your eyes to see anything and you’ll find yourself writhing in pain and tears all day. It took at least 6 months to a year before I noticed positive results with using RESTASIS daily. If you were to examine my eyes now, you wouldn’t even know that I suffered from dry eye thanks to RESTASIS. It’s made THAT much of an improvement in my life. I no longer have to take a variety of steroids or allergy medications to stop blepharitis. I’m also no longer afraid to travel to arid climates for short periods of time.

If you’re going to wear makeup, invest in high quality brands

While I don’t wear foundation, I have always loved eye makeup. I don’t put cheap makeup near my eyes anymore. If I’m using a pencil eyeliner, I use Jones Road or W3LL PEOPLE’s. I avoid applying eyeliner to my waterline. Instead, I draw the line through my bottom lashes and smudge it for effect.

I only wear Jones Road or Jane Iredale eyeshadow on a daily basis. I try to avoid anything that’s marketed as “waterproof.” It only dries out my eyes.

I’ve tried Blinc’s tubing mascara, but I actually prefer Trish McEvoy’s mascara because I think the results are better and the mascara still comes off easily.

If you get an infection, dispose of any current makeup products

Get into the habit of washing your makeup brushes after applying makeup. This makes it easier for you to use them the next day. That way, you know they’re clean and there’s less chance of irritants getting in your eyes.

If at any point you suffer from an eye infection, it’s best to discard your current products and replace your makeup. Sterilize any brushes for future use.