Commuters take note: Applying make-up on-the-go can damage your eyes

If you commute to work in the morning, chances are you see this happening every day. Unless you're too busy doing it yourself, of course (guilty as charged). Whether it gives you a few extra glorious minutes in bed, or you barely have time to get everyone else ready and out the door in the morning let alone yourself, applying makeup on the go is just something that busy mums need to do, right? Unless you opt for the bare-faced approach, which I am definitely not brave (or fresh-faced) enough to do. But according to one of Britain's leading eye experts, applying eyeliner and mascara when you're on the train or bus could damage your eyesight. Clinical adviser to the College of Optometrists, Dr Susan Blakeney said that a sudden jolt during the journey could lead to women scratching their corneas with a makeup brush or pencil; explaining that the painful scratches could leave the eyes more vulnerable to 'unpleasant infections'.

She said, "Talking about good makeup hygiene and habits may seem trivial, but we're keen to encourage people to take some simple steps, such as hand-washing and taking notice of expiry information, that may help minimise potential risks to eye health.

"The human eye is pretty resilient, but poor hygiene can lead to unpleasant infections.

"And the modern-day phenomenon of applying makeup on the journey to work undoubtedly increases the risk of scratching your cornea," she added.

Taking simple steps to ensure good makeup hygiene and habits is something we can all manage I'm sure, but when it comes to applying makeup on the go, I can't promise to stop multitasking.

Do you have any time-poor makeup tips? We would LOVE to hear them. Email jennifer.riddall@herfamily.ie