Why You'll Want To Use Waterproof Eyeliner If You Have Older Eyes

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As you get older, everything in your body changes. It's not just a matter of fine lines, wrinkles, and learning to rock gray hair with confidence. Little things that probably never crossed your mind before suddenly rear their ugly head. For example, we hear a lot about the big problems that come with older eyes, like increased chances of glaucoma and cataracts — but not many people address the less serious but still problematic issue of increasingly watery eyes.

As you age, your eyes can become more watery because of underlying health issues, medication, or the narrowing or blockage of tear ducts, which can lead to excessive tears. Watery eyes could also be the result of improper drainage of the tears due to sagging skin around the eyes. 

That's why, once you've reached a certain age, wearing eyeliner that's waterproof is paramount to prevent smudging. Waterproof eyeliner also prevents your makeup from finding its way into fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes because of excessive watering. While we can all agree that raccoons are among the cutest animals on the planet, we can all also agree that it's a look that works best on them.

If you want to stay chic into your 60s and beyond, you need to change your makeup routine to suit your changing facial features. This means staying away from dark eyeliner, finally giving up the cat eye, and using softer hues that still draw attention to your eyes, but not in an overly aggressive way — unless it's a special occasion. "For a daily natural look, it's best to stick with the softer shades of gray, and all shades of browns to bronze," celebrity makeup artist Jo Strettell tells People. "But don't be afraid to use black or bright colors for fun — you can soften and blend eyeshadow powders over the liner if it all looks a little too much."

As you switch up your eye makeup to meet the needs of older eyes, it's imperative to know the difference between waterproof and water-resistant eyeliner. Although both can tolerate water, the degree differs. Waterproof eye makeup generally isn't going anywhere, even if you spend a day swimming at the beach (though even that has its limits). Water-resistant eyeliner can hold down the fort against things like sweating and crying, but rubbing and wiping while doing so may prove too much. 

Going with waterproof eyeliner is your best bet, unless you're looking for a less expensive product or trying to avoid certain ingredients. Clinique's High Impact Easy Liquid Eyeliner is a great choice, not just because it's moderately priced, but because it is made for sensitive eyes. If you prefer non-liquid eyeliner, or want something just as reliable but for less, then give Revlon ColorStay Pencil Eyeliner a try.