The European Union (EU) scientific committee on consumer safety has warned of the risks of applying dyes and hydrogen peroxide to eyelashes. It has highlighted 10 dyes that could cause eye irritation if consumers apply them at concentrations above levels recommended by manufacturers – they are dyes A5, A12, A16, A17, A44, A53, A79, A80, A94 and A132.
Usually beauty professionals apply these products. The committee also warned that using hydrogen peroxide to change eyelash colour in concentrations of up to 2% “is considered safe for the consumer”, but any more “may be slightly irritant to the eye.”