Eyecare Business: Eye for Beauty
Beauty, Meet Ocular Health.
When it comes to beauty and cosmetic products, a new landscape is coming into focus, one where eye health and aesthetic enhancement align. Beauty products are often obscured in a complex web of unknown ingredients and formulations, potentially leaving consumers in the dark about the negative impact these products may have on their ocular well-being.
In recent years, consumers have undergone a significant change in awareness, seeking products that enhance their beauty while using safe ingredients that prioritize the health of their eyes and skin.
Today, a handful of forward-thinking, entrepreneurial ophthalmologists and optometrists have emerged to create revolutionary brands of beauty products that harmonize the pursuit of beauty with the preservation of ocular health—leading the way for fellow ECPs to offer ocular-friendly beauty products in their offices for patients.
Daily Practice
Ophthalmologist Dr. Ashley Brissette’s dissatisfaction with what was on the market sparked her partnership with a U.S.-based skin care lab to found Daily Practice and create Eye Revive.
“What sets us apart is that we have the highest of certifications called COSMOS, which refers to ingredients grown without the involvement of pesticides, artificial fertilizers, and any other synthetic ingredient, using only sustainable materials,” says Dr. Brissette.
Eye Revive by Daily Practice is a 3-in-1 foaming cleanser to cleanse, hydrate, and remove dust, bacteria, pollution, debris, allergens, and makeup residue. The product, designed for everyone in a household to use, was formulated to soothe and protect against eye irritation and is recommended for daily use to keep eyes feeling bright, healthy, and refreshed.
Èyes Are The Story
A “wellness-meets-beauty” brand, Èyes Are The Story was launched by Amy Gallant Sullivan, CEO of Èssiri Labs and executive director and co-creator of the Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society. Rooted in science and focused on ocular hygiene, the collection features vegan and cruelty-free opto-cosmetics, such as felt-tip liquid liner and mascara.
To help redefine wearer behavior, Èyes Are The Story mascara is cleverly packaged in three mini-tubes—increasing the frequency with which a user starts a fresh tube, helping to minimize contamination and reduce bacteria buildup.
Since the launch of Èyes Are The Story’s Eye Proof Refreshing Towelettes in 2020, more than 400,000 have been purchased. The soft towelettes are infused with hyaluronic acid, calendula, and aloe; the company says they are designed to safely, gently, and thoroughly remove eye makeup and refresh strained eyes without leaving deposits of tissue fibers or greasy residue.
Twenty/Twenty Beauty
Twenty/Twenty Beauty offers eye-safe makeup and beauty products spearheaded by board-certified ophthalmologist Dr. Diane Hilal-Campo.
“Through the years, there has been a dramatic increase in women coming into my practice suffering from eye conditions caused by harmful beauty practices and chemicals in eye makeup,” says Dr. Hilal-Campo. “[Some] women were using over-the-counter lash growth serums that they thought only contained vitamins but actually contain dangerous laboratory-made analogs of PGF2 alpha, which do grow lashes but also cause dangerous side effects.”
This sparked the creation of Get Growing Lash and Brow Serum, which is crafted with castor, argan, and coconut oils. Twenty/Twenty Beauty also offers makeup products designed for eye safety, including mascara, eye shadow sticks, and tinted brow gel.
One example: The Visionary Eye Shadow sticks offer an alternative to traditional powder eye shadow. “I saw how powder products significantly contaminate the tear film with fallout from application and with every blink leaching chemicals into the eye and pigment scarring the conjunctiva,” says Dr. Hilal-Campo.
We Love Eyes
All of We Love Eyes’ products are made with a goal to solve everyday eye problems, according to founder Tanya Gill, O.D., who applies her clinical knowledge of eye conditions to finding a solution with healthy ingredients.
We Love Eyes’ Tea Tree Eyelid and Eyelash Makeup Remover Oil was designed to remove stubborn waterproof eye makeup, and its Tea Tree Eyelid and Eyelash Foaming Cleanser was inspired by one of Dr. Gill’s patients. “She was having problems with contact lens comfort,” she says. “When I asked her to start removing her eye makeup, she gave me a few logical reasons why she didn’t. It seemed like such an easy eye problem to fix. That night was the start of We Love Eyes.”
We Love Eyes offers a.m. Eyelid Gel—to treat dark circles and puffy eyes—and p.m. Eyelid Butter to improve fine lines, dark circles, and puffy eyes. The Lashfull Thinking with Widelash Mascara contains pharmaceutical-grade castor oil, which aids in longer and stronger lashes.
Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb has entered a new product category with a line of beauty products, the Lumify Eye Illuminations collection, designed to care for the delicate area around the eyes. The assortment was developed with both ophthalmologists and dermatologists.
The Micellar Cleansing Water & Eye Makeup Remover is a no-rinse, pH-balanced formula that is gentle and nonirritating to the eyes, shares Bausch + Lomb. The Hydra-Gel Brightening Eye Cream contains a blend of optic brighteners and firming ingredients to help skin look brighter and smoother, and the company shares that the Nourishing Lash & Brow Serum nourishes, softens, and conditions lashes and brows overnight sans harsh or irritating chemicals.
