Combining eye care and skincare with Scope

Scope Eyecare & Healthcare has launched a new brand, bringing eye care and skincare together with the Optase Life Sensitive Eye Makeup Remover.

The preservative-free product has been designed to remove makeup quickly and effectively, without irritating or drying sensitive eyes.

A launch event on 5 July in Mayfair, London, brought together experts in eye care and skincare to discuss sensitive and dry eyes and the new product.

Edel Duffy, head of medical at Scope, delivered a presentation on the science behind the product and hosted a panel with Dr Elizabeth Hawkes, consultant ophthalmic and oculoplastic surgeon, and Bryony Blake, celebrity makeup artist and presenter on This Morning, to discuss the effect of makeup and skincare on the ocular surface and skin around the eyes.

Research suggests 46% in the population have sensitive eyes, Duffy highlighted, telling OT: “I think sensitive eyes are something that we are learning more and more about.”

She said: “Traditionally we formulated eye care to be preservative-free, sulphate-free, and phosphate-free, and with skincare the focus is on not stripping the lipids too much while adding nice, nourishing ingredients. It’s quite hard to get something that does all of that in one.”

The product has undergone traditional dermatology testing as well as testing more traditionally seen in eye care, including tear film breakup time, conjunctival irritation, redness, visual acuity, and general tolerance.

“What is unique about this will be what was done to make sure it respected the ocular surface in dry eye patients with sensitive eyes,” Duffy said.

Supporting the skin and respecting the eyes

Introducing the Optase Life Sensitive Eye Makeup Remover, Duffy explained: “The hero ingredient is the patented ionised water,” adding that the technology has taken more than 30 years to develop.

The ionised alkaline water surrounds makeup to lift it from the skin, requiring less rubbing, while hyaluronic acid, pro vitamin B5, and manuka honey, have been added to help nourish and hydrate the skin, she explained.

“The way this water works is that it does not disrupt the skin barrier or ocular surface, but it can still remove the dirt and cleanse really effectively,” she said.

At the launch event, Duffy provided a brief history of facial cleansers, explaining that while formulations have gradually become gentler on the skin over time, many cleansers feature surfactants which attach to fat and water to remove impurities such as dirt and makeup.

“When we’re working around the eye area and tear film, where the top layer is lipid – fats – and the top layer of your skin is made up of lipids, you have to be careful and make sure you are respecting the ocular area and skin around the eyes,” she told OT.

Making a recommendation

Consultant ophthalmic and oculoplastic surgeon, Hawkes, spoke to event attendees about her experiences in practice and the importance of properly removing makeup from around the eye.

Commenting on the new makeup remover, she told OT: “It’s really exciting to have a product that has been developed by a very strong brand that we’re already using a lot in ophthalmology in terms of the drop range for dry eyes.”

Discussing what the product might mean for her patients, Hawkes explained: “I see a lot of patients with uncomfortable eyes or blepharitis in clinic.”

“A lot of these patients still want to wear eye makeup and our advice as ophthalmologists is to always say – you can use eye makeup sparingly, but make sure you are doing your lid hygiene and taking your makeup off properly,” she added.

Considering how eye care practitioners in practice might discuss the topic of dry and sensitive eyes with makeup wearers, Duffy said: “In the past we may have shied away from tackling it straight on because it’s been hard to give a recommendation.”

“It’s hard to stand behind something, to know the science, to really know how it works and respects the ocular surface. I suppose that is why this is the right time now to bring the conversation up, because you can give a solution,” she said.