Dr. Hilal-Campo echoes this point. “It never ceases to alarm me how people will discount their health and safety in the pursuit of a cosmetic benefit,” she says. “Not all risks incurred when trying a beauty trend are the same. Trying a new hair color DIY technique and damaging your hair might be embarrassing, but it’s not dangerous. If you use something you shouldn’t in or near your eyes, you could go blind—or even die.”
Because these products have not been tested for safety, Ashley Brissette, MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, says there’s no way to know if they are safe in the short or long term. “We also don’t know how the drops are produced and they could carry risk of infection if not produced with extremely high standards to prevent contamination,” she says.
In February, the FDA issued a warning letter to LightEyez Limited, another brand producing color-changing and eye-lightening eye drops. In the letter, the FDA noted that a number of products produced by the brand were not generally recognized as safe and effective.
After Allure reached out for comment on the drops’ safety, the American Optometric Association (AOA) issued an alert to consumers regarding over-the-counter eye drops that claim to alter eye color and noted the organization does not recommend the use of these products.
Eye drops—the regular, non-eye color-changing ones—causing serious health issues isn’t unheard of, either. Just last year, the FDA issued a recall of 27 over-the-counter eye drop products due to the risk of infections that could cause partial vision loss and even blindness. “Given the recent surge in blinding infections caused by unregulated eye drops, I have serious concerns regarding their use,” adds Dr. Prescott.
Can you safely change your eye color?
If you really want to alter your eye color, experts say your safest option is colored contact lenses. Even those should be worn with a prescription and under the guidance of an eye-health professional, Dr. Brissette says. “Don’t buy over-the-counter colored contacts,” she says. “They’re a one-size-fits-all product that can cause serious, sometimes blinding, eye infections.”
Dr. Prescott has even seen severe infections and vision loss due to the use of “poorly made” contact lenses purchased on the internet. “Every year, around Halloween, the American Academy of Ophthalmology sponsors public safety announcements to warn people of the dangers of these lenses,” she says. “And every year, we see several patients in the emergency room with damage from Halloween contact lenses.”
