In 1953, when America’s beguiling bombshell Marylin Monroe sang that famous line in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” she seduced generations of men into running to their local jeweler. And by all measures, our love affair with diamonds has endured (even if the marriages do not). Indeed the coveted carbon bling has found its way into every part of popular culture and science, from haute couture to medical technology to solar panels.

But one use where the wisdom of this hard mineral compound should be questioned is beauty. Crushed diamonds are found in luxury beau­ty products and the trend shows no sign of stopping. Imagine, those brilliant baubles are so strong, they’re used as an industrial abrasive for cutting hard materials. So why would we use on our face. Well, experts claim, when brushed on your face, diamond dust acts like a magic wand, eras­ing or ‘blurring’ years of sun damage, scars, blotchiness, and fine lines.  A diamond dust facial can set you back about $300 and serums as much as $500. But it is safe?

For your eyes, not so much. Application of beauty products touting crushed diamonds—especially those applied closest to your eyes, such as eye shadow or anti-aging eye cream—can exacerbate dry eye symptoms. Crushed diamonds are most often found in luxury eye cosmet­ics, with a price point that’s out of reach for the majority of Gen-Z and Millennial consumers (phew). So catch 22, that the women most attracted to diamond-infused products (and most heavily marketed to) are the over-35 demographic, Gen-X—the age when many women begin to develop ocu­lar surface disease (e.g. dry eye)!

Eyeing the hot trend for earthly organic ingredients*, many so called ‘clean luxury’ cosmetic brands are expanding their natural mineral lines to include not only diamond dust, but also hematite and tourmaline. These products are likely adding flame to this inflammatory fire.

Bottom line: Adorn yourself with precious rocks, YES! But limit to your fingers, ears, and throats, not near your eyelids or eye contours!

* Some ingredients are hidden or listed by different names.