An expert explains why you may feel itchy after applying makeup—and how to prevent it from happening.
Board-certified optometrists Gurleen Dhanoa and Aysha Chaudhry run the TikTok account EYEsthetics (@eyestheticsofficial), where they often post content about their field.
In a video posted on Monday, Dhanoa stitches the video of another creator who asks why her face gets itchy after she applies makeup. “You’re going to be so grossed out by the answer I have for you,” Dhanoa says. “But I have a solution, too.”
What causes the itchiness?
Dhanoa says we all have tiny mites that live in our lash and eyebrow follicles. “Now, there’s a healthy amount that we need, but then when we’re applying makeup, we’re feeding them,” she says. “And then, so right after you apply makeup, they’re like, nam, nam, nam. You’re like, ‘Oh my god, it’s itchy.’”
Luckily, she says there’s a solution to this problem
“It’s such an annoying feeling because not only is it irritating, but you can’t even itch it like you want to. It’s going to ruin all the hard work you just did,” Dhanoa says. “So what you’re going to do is before you apply any of your skin care product, but after you’ve cleansed, you’re going to go in with an HOCL [hypochlorous acid] spray.”
According to Dhanoa, that will kill the bacteria on your face and your makeup brushes.
“And then at the end of the day, when you’re done taking all your makeup off, you’re gonna go [spray your face with HOCL] again. Go in with the spoolie; really comb through those lashes and eyebrows. And then start to notice that [the itch] is just going away,” she concludes.
The video has amassed 2.2 million views as of this writing. In the caption, Dhanoa writes, “Healthy amount of Mites aka demodex live in our hair follicles and in our skin. Avoid using expired makeup, dirty brushes, sponges and tools and use HOCL to keep them in check so they dont overpopulate.”
@eyestheticsofficial Healthy amount of Mites aka demodex live in our hair follicles and in our skin. Avoid using expired makeup, dirty brushes, sponges and tools and use HOCL to keep them in check so they dont overpopulate #creatorsearchinsights #makeuphack #skincare #hack #tip #itchymakeup #lashes #eyebrows #follicle #hair #cleanse #HOCL #hypochlorousacid #eyes #eyedoctor #optometrist #doctorsoftiktok ♬ original sound – EYEsthetics | Optometrists
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Dhanoa is correct. Demodex are face mites that live in the hair follicles of your face. “But Demodex can multiply too quickly in people who are immunocompromised or have other skin conditions. That causes an itchy, irritating condition called demodicosis,” the article states.
In the comments section, viewers cracked jokes and offered their thoughts on the video’s production quality.
One viewer wrote, “My face mites just watched this with me and now they’re scareddddd.”
A second viewer wrote, “That’s literally the scariest bedtime story I’ve ever heard … night.”
A third wrote, “The sound effects make this video 10x better.”
The Daily Dot reached out to EYEsthetics via TikTok comment and direct message for more information.
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