Question: I have read that if you put olive oil on your eyelashes with a Q-tip, it helps them to grow longer and thicker naturally. Can the olive oil damage my eyes?
Dr. Hibberd’s answer:
Olive oil does not belong on your lashes. If you want to grow longer lashes, buy Latisse. This is the only formulation proven to safely increase lash length, size, and number. The active drug in Latise was originally used for glaucoma treatment, and is called Lumagen.
Olive oil is not sterile, and I discourage the introduction of oil in the eye. The cornea has no circulation, and has no blood vessels in it. It receives nutrition and oxygen from our tears, so why would you want to displace the nutrient source designed to deliver oxygen to the cornea?
Isolated exposure to olive oil in the eye is usually uneventful except for temporary blurred vision, but its regular use is discouraged.