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Back in college, I woke up one winter morning with dry eyelids for the first time. It was the year we started using the term polar vortex (meaning it was suuuper cold), and throughout the winter, the skin around my eyes got progressively dryer and flakier.
The flaking made all my eye makeup look cracked and messy, so I stopped wearing it. Eventually, I developed tiny, bleeding cracks in my eyelid creases, which were sensitive and painful. My eyes stung all the time; the skin was raw from trying to gently exfoliate.
I was able to calm it down when the weather got warmer, but still, every December or January, like clockwork, my eyelids erode into flakes right around the time we’re seeing flakes for the first time of the year.
What causes dry, flaking lids?
Everyone gets dry skin from time to time. But if your dry, flaking eyelids are especially severe and triggered by certain things, they might be considered a type of eczema, like atopic dermatitis or contact dermatitis. These conditions often cause patches of dry, red, itchy, flaky skin in response to triggers like allergens, changes in temperature, or humidity.
Eczema is a general term that’s used to refer to several different types of rashes “caused by disruption of the outer skin layer, loss of hydration, and inflammation,” Joshua Zeichner, M.D., Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research in the Department of Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, tells SELF. These rashes can really happen anywhere on your skin, but eyelid skin is thinner than the skin on other parts of your body and face. That means “the skin barrier [on the eyelids] is more easily disrupted than in other parts of the body,” which makes the eye area especially vulnerable to eczema, Dr. Zeichner says.
Allergens and irritants are some of the most common triggers for eczema and often affect the delicate skin of our eyelids before causing trouble anywhere else on the skin, Amy Kassouf, M.D., a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF. “There are many airborne allergens in our environment—think of the perfume droplets at the mall after someone has used a tester, or the pollen in the air in spring—and they often react with the very sensitive eyelid skin first, causing redness, itching, flaking, and even swelling,” she says. “Many things that we touch get transferred to our eyelid skin, like the nickel from handling money or touching doorknobs, the acrylates or formaldehyde in our nail polish.”
And, as is the case with my own lid issue, Dr. Zeichner, changing weather is also a very common trigger for dry eyelids. “Cold, dry weather during the winter strips the skin of oils, which ultimately leads to dryness,” he says. Other potential irritants that may bring on flakes are eye makeup (the pigments in eyeshadow can be a trigger), hairspray, chemicals, and rubbing your eyes.
Occasionally, dry, flaking eyelids signal a larger health problem, which is why it’s important to seek the advice of a dermatologist should your skin condition last more than a few weeks. Dry, flaky eyelids can be a symptom of many systemic health conditions, Dr. Kassouf says, including thyroid disorders and psoriasis.
If the flaking is accompanied by red, puffy, or purple discoloration around the eyes, Dr. Zeichner says this “may rarely signify an underlying medical condition,” particularly autoimmune conditions like lupus or dermatomyositis,” which also usually comes with muscle weakness and pain. These are rare but serious. So if you’re not sure what’s causing your dry eyelids or you have other symptoms along with the dryness, check in with your doctor or dermatologist.
How to treat dry, flaking eyelids:
If you’re not sure what’s causing your dry eyelids, the first step will be to check in with a dermatologist. They may want to conduct some patch testing to see if you have an undiagnosed allergy, Dr. Kassouf says. However, there are a few measures you can take on your own if you’re having eyelid eczema and dealing with an excess of flakes.
1. First, simplify your skin-care and makeup routines.
Start by avoiding as many products as possible, keeping eyelids clean and dry and using just a bit of moisturizer, Dr. Kassouf advises. “Once your eyes have improved, then you can restart one product every few days,” she says. “If irritation occurs, then you should be able to identify which product you are sensitive to and remove that from your routine.”
It’s also important to streamline your eye-makeup routine. Reassess whether or not you need to use all of those products, like primer, shadow, liner, and mascara, all of which have preservatives or even fragrance than can cause a reaction—sometimes weeks, months, or years after beginning to use a product. All of these contain ingredients with potential irritants or allergens.
Taking the makeup off can also cause irritation in the eye area if you need to rub excessively, and makeup-removing products are yet another potential source of irritants. It may be best to opt for makeup that can be removed with just water and/or a gentle cleanser, Dr. Kassouf says. You also shouldn’t rub your eyelids with a towel post-cleansing, which can disrupt the fragile outer layer of skin.
2. Swap eye creams for simple ointments for the time being.
I tried an eye cream when I was dealing with my first bout of eyelid flaking, and, boy, did it make my skin inflamed. “Some eye creams have strong active ingredients such as retinol in them,” Dr. Kassouf says. Ingredients like these are helpful for managing fine lines and wrinkles, but they can also aggravate the sensitive eye areas in some people.
Instead, opt for “a simple emollient” such as Aquaphor Healing Ointment ($12, Amazon) or Vaseline ($15 for a pack of 3, Amazon) (my personal go-to) during a flare-up, which Dr. Kassouf says can be easier on the eyes during periods of irritation. Something like Vaseline All-Over Body Balm Stick ($6, Target) may be easier to take on-the-go, Dr. Zeichner says.
Additionally, Dr. Zeichner recommends trying an over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone ointment twice daily for a week. If it’s not helping, check in with a doctor or dermatologist. “When it comes to rashes, sometimes the simplest treatments are the best,” he says.
3. Once your eyes are feeling better, be cautious about the products you use in that area.
Often we’re not aware of what might irritate our eyelids or spur an allergic reaction, and this is where your dermatologist, or patch testing, can come in handy. But there are some ingredients that are known to be irritating that you can try to avoid using in this vulnerable area right now. Depending on your skin type, that might include ingredients like retinoids and chemical exfoliants, Dr. Ziechner says.
Focus instead on using hydrating, calming, and moisturizing ingredients around your eyes. Try Neutrogena Hydroboost Eye Gel-Cream ($24, Ulta) or Aquaphor, which dermatologists recommended to SELF previously. You can also check out the ultra-hydrating (and SELF Healthy Beauty Award-winning!) Clinique Moisture Surge Eye 96-Hour Hydro Filler Concentrate ($34, Ulta).
Also double-check the expiration dates on your skin-care products and makeup because those that are past their expiration dates may be more likely to cause irritation or contain contaminants, Dr. Zeichner says. Reminder: If an eye product—or any product, really—does not look, feel, or smell the way it did when you first purchased it, or if you notice any visible contamination, toss it. Better to rebuy than risk a flake outbreak (or other form of irritation).
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