Remember when you were a kid and your parents blocked you from the forbidden cabinetry: the bathroom cabinet filled with medicines and the kitchen cabinet packed with cleaning supplies? They warned you of these dangerous products that were “bad” for children.

Well, today you’re hopefully smart enough to not pop prescription pills like TicTacs nor imbibe the toilet bowl cleaner, but this time the danger is lurking right in front of your eyes. That’s right. Every time you use cosmetics, you are potentially introducing toxic chemicals and pharmaceuticals to your body. Culprits include alcohol, anti-freeze, acids, and a range of seemingly innocuous ingredients that act as endocrine disruptors.

Our team uncovered massive exposure to chemicals in popular skin care products, including those expensive lines at department store beauty counters. As eye care specialists, we try to ferret out the “bad guys” in a patient’s daily cosmetic or skincare routine in order to educate them about dry eye-exacerbating ingredients.

The battle never ends, but information is your best weapon. Start by​​ looking at the label before you buy products. Even if you’re not a dry eye sufferer, you may wind up becoming one with continued exposure to these ingredients.

Here is a list of 10 ocular surface-offending ingredients* to avoid in your eye makeup: