Beth inquires: I know this isn’t a question related to a specific product, but I just have to ask. I keep getting a stye in the same spot on my eyelid, and I am scared to go to the doctor because I don’t want them to tell me to stop wearing makeup! I know, that is terrible. But I wash my makeup brushes regularly, I change my mascara every 3 months, I don’t do the same for my eyeshadows or eyeliners, however. I always get all of my makeup off before I go to bed. I am just wondering if there is any evidence of makeup causing styes? It seems strange that it would always be in the same spot if it were something in my makeup, wouldn’t it get on the other eye as well? Thanks for any guidance you can provide, I really love your blog and respect your science.
The Right Brain responds: 
When Beth first posed this question, we urged her to overcome her fear and check with her doctor. That’s because we are cosmetic scientists NOT medical professionals and we would never want anyone to seek our advice in place of seeking help from their physician.
Thankfully Beth took our advice and asked a dermatologist. Even better, she was kind enough to write back and tell us what advice the doctor gave her. So, we thought we’d share her email with the rest of Beauty Brains community in case you ever have similar problems. Here’s what she said:
Hi Beauty Brains, I just thought you might like to know, that I did check with my dermatologist. She said some people are just prone to styes, and that it has absolutely nothing to do with makeup or products or anything. It’s just a “shell” that keeps filling and draining. If you really get them a lot, sometimes an ophthalmologist can remove the shell through surgery, but it can cause scarring. Just a hot compress is all you should use. Anyway, thanks for your reply, thought this might help if you get this question again!
Thank YOU Beth, for taking your time to share your learnings with the rest of the Beauty Brains community. It’s people like you that make doing this blog worth while. And we’re relieved to hear that you don’t have to worry about giving up your favorite eyeshadow! If you want to learn more, here’s a good article from Medline on the causes of styes.
Have you ever had a stye on your eye? Have you ever felt like you’re living in a pig sty
Be like Beth and leave a comment for the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
“dong this blog worth while”
Did you mean to type “doing” instead of “dong”…
Thanks for the spell check Joni. I fixed the error. (But heck, who doesn’t enjoy a little “dong” every so often!)
I’ve had a stye before and it is not fun. I was always worried that it was from makeup. Thanks for informing me with the truth!
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xoxo jaimie
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I used to get huge styes in middle school (a bad time for them), right after the time I started wearing eye makeup. I stopped wearing makeup after a while, and I stopped getting styes. Coincidence? Perhaps.
Actually, there is a “shell” I can feel in my lower eyelid right now – it’s been there for a few months, but hasn’t swelled up. It may very well be that eye makeup doesn’t cause styes, but aggrivates pre-existing styes. This is definitely something that should be looked into.
(But heck, who doesn’t enjoy a little “dong” every so often!)
Nice save!!
ROTFL
Hello..Re: Styes…..As a child, at the first sign of a stye staeting, my mother always rubbed her gold wedding ring on the stye, and then made the sign of the cross, along with the words “In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,Amen. The stye always went away virtually before it began! As an adult, and not being religious, I wondered if there wasn’t something happening at an atomic level and so decided to rub the gold ring over on the stye WITHOUT saying the words and as I suspected, the stye disappears! Is it something to do with the gold atoms perhaps? As soon as any of my family feel that first tingle we rub ANY gold ring and VOILA! Hope this might help others…Regards Karen
A stye is caused by a bacterial infection,not wearing make up!After all lots of people who never wear eye make up get styes.
I have a sty right now…been on my left eyelid for almost 6 months!! I initially got the sty first on my right eye due to sharing mascara then it kinda cross infected my other eye :S I’m getting the surgery done after my exams…not looking forward to it! so yes…initially makeup CAN give u stys if your not hygeinic so i’ve learnt never to share makeup anymore…u learn from your mistakes
stye is an infection of the sebaceous gland on the eyelid. Those glands have ducts that open on the eyelid margin and for many reasons there will be blockage of these ducts causing infection of the gland. One of these causes are eye makeup.To overcome this problem, you should daily remove those makeup and clean your eyelid and eye lashes careful and gently with shampoo and warm water
I think some dermatologists have a different interpretation of the causes of styes. For instance, in the emergency room-”Are you a diabetic? Do you have a thyroid problem? How about wearing makeup? Are you stressed? Because these things will trigger you to have a stye.” I’ve visited three dermatologists including an opthamologist who concluded that i had one stye on my left eye, and when styes are left untreated turns into a chailazon…had surgery and the opthamologist also put steroid drops in my eyes. *Remember, stay hygienic-unconsciously we rub our nose and then rub our eyes when sick=stye; Always wash your hands and never use anyone else’s products; Finally, warm compressions may relieve the stye completely or get it to go down.*
I hate to disagree, but my doctor told me just the opposite. I used to get styes back to back and did all the things Beth did with keeping my make-up fresh and removing nightly. My doctor asked questions and found out other people occasionally borrowed my make-up. Everyone has bacteria naturally and your body is used to your own bacteria, but someone else using your mascara can cause their bacteria to enter your mascara and cause styes. Styes are caused by bacteria. Since I found this out I have only had 2 styes in 20 years because I do not share my mascara with anyone. Both of those times I found out my daughter had used my mascara. This is not to say that Beth isn’t just prone to styes or that everyone who shares make-up will get one, but in my case that was the culprit and it took me probably 50 styes before I found out.