My mother is 80 and has dementia, and it’s unfortunately time to take away her makeup, which is (not surprisingly) one daily routine that she remembers to do on her own. But she can’t apply mascara, eyeliner, or use brow pencils well on her own, and I’m not with her daily to do it for her (and I rarely wear anything, so I barely know what I’m doing). The mascara especially is applied too thick, it’s just a drugstore brand, and she’s constantly picking at and rubbing her eyes.
She’s lost some eyelashes, and she plucked her eyebrows to very fine lines when she was young, so she also doesn’t have much to work with there either. I’m wondering if we could do something semi-permanent like lash or brow tinting to help her feel like she’s got some modicum of makeup on, but I’m not sure if it’s a safe procedure for a much older woman? I’m not even sure she could get through the procedure without someone (me) there to keep her comfortable and to help her understand what they are doing. She’s fine when getting her hair done, or getting massages, but the lash tinting looks a little scary to me, in terms of bandages and tape, etc.
Whenever I search for makeup advice for seniors, it’s for people who are still… fully functional. Any advice or resources? Is there a ultra-lightweight mascara that she could wear that won’t build up and clump in her eyes?
It’s very hard to navigate preserving her health vs preserving her sense of self and femininity. Thanks in advance.
I’d steer clear of lash tinting, it really, really can’t get in your eyes during the process. Brow tinting should be just fine though, I do mine at home and it takes me maybe 5 minutes. If I’m not waxing them after to clean up any extra I use Vaseline painted on around where I don’t want the tint to go (my application skills suck). Just be aware that brow tint tends to look quite dark, like way darker than you’d expect, the first few days, but it will lighten after a few days. Just do a patch test first since skin can get more sensitive with age.
She might really like the process of doing her makeup though, so I’d try to find some she can safely use that isn’t irritating her eyes, even if she isn’t doing the greatest job with it.
Clear mascara gel?
See, I didn’t know that existed! That might help. Thanks!
Yay! It makes lashes look more defined, but there’s no color to clump or irritate
or smudge
There’s also tinted lash primer and brow tint that comes with a mascara brush. No clumps or fibers.
also, you can try eyelash serum in mascara tube.
Yes do a patch test!!! Don’t be like me.
Hmm ok. Thanks for the info!!
I don’t know if she “loves” doing her makeup, there’s a lot of cursing and muttering involved these days, but since it’s still part of her routine, I agree that she should still do whatever feels right to her.
I wonder if getting her an empty mascara bottle would help her maintain her routine without damaging her eyes? Amazon has many very cheap options!
She’s cognizant enough to know if the tube is empty, it’s more that she has a really heavy/unsteady hand in applying it. She can’t tell when to stop.
Hi not sure how much help this would be. But there’s this make up brand called Guide Beauty that makes makeup up for people with disabilities. They design the products for those with shaky hands. They have a mascara there tool. Not sure if it would be worth it for your mother to try.
That might be, thank you for the suggestion.
Great suggestion!
Have you had her vision checked? It could part of the problem.
I will be the same way at that age 😀. Love my beauty rituals. My mom had to have her eyebrows and lipstick on. I’m the same way now. It’s a sign that they are pretty healthy (other than dementia, of course).