This is the first of a series of shareposts examining the forms of eye makeup including eye shadow, mascara, and  eyeliner. Finding the right type of makeup for your eyes can be difficult, but you may also wonder if it is even safe for you.

The most serious problem related to the application of eye makeup is injury to the cornea (the clear surface in the front of the eye) from either scratching the eye with a fingernail or eyeliner device. Additionally, allergic reactions from preservatives that stop bacterial growth on makeup can also cause tearing, itching, swelling, and redness to the eyes - more commonly then you'd imagine.

The below tips will help prevent any potential injuries, infections, or allergic reactions to make up applied around your eyes.

Eye makeup removers are designed to be used near and around the eye. Makeup removers can cause dryness, itching, and swelling if they get into your eyes so apply with ease and slowly to avoid any from entering the eye.

Keep your eyeliner pencils sharpened: This prevents the wood casing from scratching the eye. An old pencil tends to get stiff requiring more pressure. If this happens, replace the pencil with a new one.

Give your makeup a break: If you have an eye infection such as pink eye or conjunctivitis, avoid wearing makeup until the condition abates. And importantly, make sure to throw away existing makeup and start anew since older products may still contain bacteria.

Out with old, in with the new! It is important to replace old cosmetics every six months to avoid excess contamination and bacteria growth. Old cosmetics are a major cause of eye infections.

Never share eye makeup!! -- Because everyone's skin bacteria is different, sharing cosmetics is a sure fire way to cause cross contamination which leads to eye infections, and never use sample products at cosmetic counters without making sure they are using a fresh sample on you.

In the subsequent  shareposts we will look at the best and worst ingredients in eye makeup. Rosin, nickel and lanolin can cause allergic reaction. Preservatives in the makeup, which prevent bacteria growth, can sometimes cause irritation. An allergic reaction to your eye makeup would have symptoms like tearing up, swelling, itching, redness, and sometimes flaking of the lids. If you think you have an eye infection or allergic reaction to your eye makeup, it is important to seek medical help by contacting your ophthalmologists.

Check out various brands of eye makeup on www.cosmeticdatabase.com to find the safest makeup and learn about the various ingredients . Remember your eyes are the windows to the world !