Problem:
A friend of mine gets her eyelashes and eyebrows dyed at
the hair salon she goes to. The effect is really rather
impressive and I'm tempted to try this myself. Her
blonde lashes look dark and long, even without mascara.
What do you think?
Solution: Unfortunately, my solution isn't much
of a solution, because all I can do is strongly say "Don't
do it!" The only safe solution for making lashes and
brows more visible is to use mascara on the eyelashes
and shade your eyebrows, either with an eyeshadow that
matches your hair color, an eyebrow pencil, or a brow
mascara like Bobbi Brown's Natural Brow Shaper. But
first let me give you a little history on why my answer
is such an emphatic "no." Back in 1933, a congressional
controversy was brewing over the need for new and
stronger food, cosmetic, and drug laws. At the time, the
FDA had no authority to move against a cosmetic product
called Lash Lure that was causing allergic reactions in
many women. Two women, in fact, suffered severe
reactions to the product; one woman became blind and the
second woman died. When the new Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act was passed in 1938, Lash Lure was the first product
seized under its authority. A lot of time has passed
since then, and although hair and lash dyes have changed
a great deal, they are still formulated with peroxide
and ammonia or ammonia-like ingredients. If a dye doesn't
contain those ingredients, it can't affect hair color.
No one should ever dye her eyelashes or eyebrows. An
allergic reaction to the dye could prompt swelling,
inflammation, and susceptibility to infection in the eye
area. These reactions can severely harm the eye and even
cause blindness. The FDA absolutely prohibits the use of
hair dyes for eyebrow and eyelash tinting or dyeing,
even in beauty salons and other establishments. The FDA
has also continuously warned the public about the use of
coal-tar dyes on the eyebrows and eyelashes, stating
that using them could cause permanent injury to the eyes,
including blindness.
There are no natural or synthetic color additives (or
coloring agents) approved by the FDA for dyeing or
tinting eyelashes and eyebrows—either in beauty salons
or in the home. In fact, the law requires all hair-dye
products to include instructions for performing patch
tests before use, to identify possible allergic
reactions, and to carry warnings about the dangers of
applying these products to eyebrows and eyelashes. The
health hazards of permanent eyelash and eyebrow dyes
have been known for more than 60 years. These dyes have
repeatedly been cited in scientific literature as
capable of causing serious reactions when placed in
direct contact with the eye.
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