The eyes are a very delicate part of your body, not to mention many people’s favorite feature. Women tend to apply the most makeup to the eyes, to enhance their color and make them really pop. This is always a tricky task because the eyes are very sensitive. Whether you get in eyelash in there, or you’re having trouble with your contacts, the last thing you want to do is irritate your eye. You can’t cover a bloodshot eye with makeup after all!

When it comes to applying makeup to the eye, it’s important to take a lot of care when choosing what types of products and makeup’s to use. You should take the time to look for nontoxic eye shadows, eyeliners and mascaras. It’s crucial to make healthier choices about the kinds of cosmetics you use on your face, especially the ones that you use daily and apply directly to your skin, or around sensitive areas like your eyes. Different types of products work differently on various skin types and in different seasons. For example, mineral makeup works more effectively in the summer than in the winter.

The Food and Drug Administration suggests to always keeping your eye makeup clean to avoid infection. When you go out to look for natural and organic eye make up, look for Ecocert and USDA Organic certified products.  Be weary of products that make claims of being natural or hypoallergenic, by checking the ingredients.

Try to avoid the following ingredients, which lab or animal studies indicate may be harmful. The potential health risk from eye makeup has not been studied, but it’s worth being aware of. Check them out:

- Talc, which is a form of magnesium silicate that is common in eye shadows.

- Parabens, which may appear on ingredient lists as methylparaben, propylparaben, ethylparaben or butylparaben.

- BHA, which is butylated hydroxyanisole.

- Kohl, which is a color additive.

- Dimethicone, which is a silicon-based polymer also known as polymethylsiloxane.

Check out some natural eye makeup’s to try:

- Jane Iredale Mystikol Eyeliner, which is a set that includes 5 creamy powder eyeliners. They also make natural mascara.

- Gabriel Cosmetics Eyeliner, which contain no animal byproducts or parabens.

- Pure Ultra Lengthening Fruit Pigmented Mascara, which has a low hazard rating.

- Couleur Caramel Natural Mascara.

- Coastal Classic Creations Eye Shadow, which is highly concentrated and comes in a full range of shades. It has an almost unlimited shelf life and a low hazard rating. Not to mention, it can be used as a dry eyeliner or dry shadow.

- Zuii Organic Flora Eye Shadow, which is a USDA Organic certified brand.

- Zosimos Botanicals Mineral Eye Shadow Powder, which has a low hazard rating.