Eye shadow is one of our favorite ways to enhance our eyes while showing off our creativity — but unfortunately, most shadows on the market are doing more harm than good. It might surprise you to learn that one of the most perilous products in your makeup bag are loose and pressed powder shadows, which can cause a whole host of serious eye health issues, even blindness. But that doesn’t mean you don’t still have options to flatter one of your favorite features. Here, we’re outlining three reasons it’s time to ditch the powder shadows and switch to creams — and trust us when we say you’ll fall in love once you give them a try!

Powder shadows are prone to flaking and fallout, which can cause permanent damage.

Have you ever noticed that delicate “spray” of shimmer, glitter, or pigment on your upper cheekbones after applying your favorite eye shadow? That’s what’s called fallout — it’s a sign that your eye shadow has already flaked off your eyelids. Not only is it a bit frustrating (especially if you have to start over because you’d already applied foundation and blush), but it can end up being a lot dangerous.

With every blink, that eye shadow is going to get into your tear film, the layer of tears that protects and nourishes your eyes. (Eye doctors see this every day examining women who are wearing powder shadows.) A contaminated tear film is likely to cause irritation and redness as the toxic chemicals leach into the eye.  With time, these chemicals can cause damage and even death to the cells of the ocular surface and the surrounding meibomian glands that help keep your eyes moist, causing chronic dry eyes.  You can even get a corneal abrasion, which can easily be caused by a stray fleck of glitter that’s flaked off your lid into your eye. If a corneal abrasion isn’t properly treated by an ophthalmologist, you risk infection, vision loss, and blindness.

Powder shadows can permanently stain your eye.

Think about it: If you’ve been wearing eye shadow for years (decades even!) and it’s been flaking off into your eyes over time, there’s no way to “clean” out any of that pigment. This can actually leave permanent stains. The pigment can stain the lining of your eye (known as the conjunctiva) and can even go deeper than that to stain the subconjunctiva, leaving behind a mark that is almost like a tattoo. In rare cases, the subconjunctiva may purge the pigment buildup years later, causing irritation and corneal abrasions. Failure to properly remove your eye makeup every night can also lead to this permanent staining, so if you needed an incentive to commit to a nightly cleanse, here it is.

Our cream shadows are loaded with benefits.

Cream eye shadows are a much safer alternative as they can’t flake off into the eye. We designed our Visionary Eye Shadow Sticks to be especially eye friendly: They’re made with hydrating elements like castor oil, argan oil, hyaluronic acid and vitamin E to add moisture to your skin and eyes. Castor oil also has serious benefits: In addition to working with konjac root powder to deliver a smooth application (minimizing tugging that could cause wrinkling of the delicate eye area), castor oil helps infuse the lids and eyes with nourishing moisture. It’s actually been used by ophthalmologists for decades as a treatment for dry eye — and castor oil can also help promote healthier eyelash growth. With this formula, you’ll be able to enhance your eyes’ beauty while doing something good for them with every easy swipe.

Shop the Eye-Safe Makeup Collection