Best Eye Makeup Remover for Contact Lens Wearers

I love cosmetics and use foundation, concealer, eye makeup, eye shadow, mascara, blush and powder. I also faithfully remove it all before going to bed. That means, in addition to my facial cream, I use eye makeup remover to gently get everything off. I once believed the greasier the eye makeup remover the better. Wrong!

When I began wearing soft contacts I noticed by midday they had a film on them. The world looked blurry. I thought my eyeliner or mascara were to blame so I kept changing them.

The only way I could see clearly again was to remove my contacts, clean them well with solution and reinsert them. This was a huge ordeal in the bathroom at my job plus I always had to have my lens case and solution with me. If I didn't clean my lenses during the day, and found myself having to drive after dark, it was downright dangerous because all the lights (headlights, store lights, freeway lights etc.) had "halos" around them due to the oil film on my lenses. I struggled like that for years!

Another annoying midday occurrence concerned my mascara which I love to put on my bottom lashes. It drifted onto my skin giving me a "black eye" appearance. I would need a Q-tip to resolve that problem. My eye makeup was becoming too high maintenance!

Then Mary Kay Cosmetics came to my rescue with the answer to my problems: Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover!

First off, this product doesn't sting or burn if it gets in or around the eye. Most importantly, for a person who wears soft contacts and regularly takes off eyeliner and mascara, it doesn't leave any residue on the skin or penetrate a soft lens and cause a film. It even whisks off the most stubborn makeup around the eye such as concealer.

Here's the technique that works best for me:

• Remove and store contacts.

• Apply facial cleanser to wet or dry face. Add water and clean as usual.

• Do not remove eye makeup first!

• Let the water from your cleansing routine wet the eye area.

• Have ready a cotton pad moistened with Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover and wipe it gently over one (wet) eye working it into lashes as needed, then turn pad over and do the same to the other eye. This pad method makes your Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover last longer because you easily get both eyes free of makeup from one pad. I like doing this much better than using a cotton ball which I find too thick and has less surface for wiping.

The directions on the box don't say a thing about wetting the eye area but I find it works better. You can try wiping a dry eye area versus a wet eye area and determine for yourself. I simply happened on the technique because I apply cream to my dry face, and then remove it with a wet washcloth. One night I ended up wiping my eye area when wet and decided it took less rubbing and went more smoothly and quickly.

FYI The Mary Kay Company states on the box that Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover is: Suitable for sensitive skin. Fragrance-free. Oil-free. Suitable for contact lens wearers. Ophthalmologist tested. Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover is a unique two-phase product that gently removes even waterproof eye makeup without rubbing, pulling or tugging.

There is a money-back guarantee on this and all Mary Kay products.

The directions on the box say: Shake until blended (due to the two-phase product) which, in my opinion, is one or two quick shakes. Then it says apply a small amount to cotton ball or pad (that's what the directions say but you know my opinion of cotton balls with this product). Gently wipe away all traces of eye makeup.

The only drawback (which isn't a drawback to me) is you must locate a Mary Kay consultant to purchase this product. You can easily do this by going to marykay.com and putting in your zip code. That will give you access to nearby consultants. You can email or phone a consultant and ask if she will mail product to you if you give her a credit card or send a check first. I've been using Mary Kay for almost 20 years and have never had difficulty obtaining products. If you don't like the first consultant you find, change to another one. There are literally over a million consultants out there.

So go put on all the eye makeup you want, use waterproof if you prefer it, with no worries about getting it off at night. You'll have no smudges on your pillowcase, a clean surface to start over on in the morning and your eye makeup will stay put all day.