How to get your eyelids and eyelashes holiday ready! Have eyelash extensions but don't know how to keep them clean? Read on for the answer

Not sure how to maintain clean eyelids after you have those gorgeous eyelash extensions installed? You're not alone! Follow these 4 easy steps to maintain healthy eyes while reducing risk of infection.

Wash your eyelids every night with We Love Eyes Tea Tree Eyelid & Eyelash Foaming Cleanser. It's safe for eyelids with extensions installed, and has the bonus of tea tree oil to control infection-causing bacteria and demodex.

Step 1: Place a half pump of foaming cleanser onto a cleansing brush. 

Step 2: Keep your eyelid closed. With 5-10 firm strokes back and forth, use the brush to wash the entire upper eyelid with the eyelid foaming cleanser. Make sure you get the eyelid margin as this is where bacteria and demodex build up. Do not get the foaming cleanser inside the eye - it's a soap, so it will sting!

Step 3: Rinse the brush under lukewarm tap water and tap the brush on a towel to blot any excess water.

Step 4: With 2-5 gentle strokes back and forth, use the brush to rinse away any soapy residue. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until any soapy residue is completely removed. Remember you are cleaning the eyelids, not the inside of the eyes.

And she's clean! Dirty eyelids can be the start of ocular surface issues like blepharitis, keratitis, ocular allergies and dry eye syndrome. Start promoting healthy outcomes today that will alst through the new year. You can get your We Love Eyes Eyelid & Eyelash Foaming Cleanser pack at Optimum Vision and Eye Care.

Cataract Facts

The month of June shines a light on the prevalent problem of cataracts. More than half of Americans either have a cataract or have had surgery for it by age 80. Are you aware of the signs and symptoms of this seemingly omnipresent vision condition?

[Special thanks to the National Eye Institute (which has designated June as National Cataract Month), the National Institutes of Health, and the American Optometric Association for the information provided here.]

WHAT: A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision and is especially common in older Americans. In fact, a full 17% of Americans age 40 and over have cataracts in one or both eyes.

WHY: In a normal eye, light passes through a transparent lens to the retina (a light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye). Once there, light changes into nerve signals that are sent to the brain. For the retina to receive a sharp image, the lens must be clear. If it’s not, as with a cataract, what you see will be blurry.

SYMPTOMS: It’s time to schedule an appointment with an eyecare professional when a person experiences:

•  Cloudy or blurry vision
•  Fading of colors
•  Decreased night vision
•  Increased glare (sunlight, indoor lighting, or oncoming automobile headlights may feel too bright or you see a halo effect around lights)
•  Double or multiple images in one eye
•  More frequent prescription changes in glasses or contacts

HELP: Patient and optometrist should discuss any of these symptoms. While some can suggest a variety of vision problems, an eyecare practitioner will be able to tell whether the patient may have cataracts and—after a comprehensive eye exam—what is the best course of care.

THE GOOD NEWS: Cataracts are—in most cases—a natural part of aging. If a cataract does need to be removed, the result will be vastly improved vision.