Color is not just about looks. It matters what it’s made of.

If you are allowed to wear make-up, it’s important to know not just how it looks on you, but also what’s in it. All make-up you buy should have the ingredients listed.

• Color additives (what gives make-up color) have to be approved for use near the eye area by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The dark color additive “kohl” is not allowed in the U.S. because it may cause lead poisoning. Make sure that your make-up does not have kohl in it, but it is okay if the word “kohl” is in the name of a product or used to describe the color or shade.

• If you are worried about animal safety, it’s good to know about labels. If a product says “cruelty free,” it is still possible that the ingredients of some products may have been tested on animals in the past. They just may not be testing on animals now. You can always call the company that makes the products to find out what their testing methods are.

• What’s the deal with “hypoallergenic” make-up? Hypoallergenic means that a product is less likely to cause an allergic reaction, but it is not a guarantee that you won’t have one. Even if it says “all natural” or “organic,” it is still possible that you may be allergic to the ingredients. The same is true for products that are “dermatologist tested.”

You were taught to share well, but when it comes to mascara, sharing can be dangerous.

It is easy for germs to make their way into your mascara and other make-up. Do not share your mascara with other people – you will just be swapping germs and increasing your risk of infection! You should also never add water or your own spit to dried out mascara. Why? More germs. It is best to throw mascara away after three months, and make sure you remove yours before you go to bed at night. Mascara flakes can fall into your eyes while you sleep and cause an infection.

You may think you are saving time in the morning, but a bump or quick stop could hurt your eye.

Life is busy, and you may be tempted to put your make-up on in the car or on the school bus. But putting mascara and other eye make-up on in a moving vehicle can put you at risk for injury and infection from germs. It’s easy for your hand to slip and cause the wand, eye shadow brush or tweezers to scratch your eye or put germs in there. So, be careful!

Longing for long, curly lashes? Dyes are not the way to go.

Using dyes on your eyebrows and eyelashes can cause blindness. While the colors used for mascara and eyebrow pencils are approved and safe to use, there are no hair dyes that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for tinting or coloring eyebrows and eyelashes. What’s also not approved? Color additives for injection into the skin. Color additives are often used to tattoo permanent make-up, such as eyebrow liner. You also have the chance of getting an infection or having an allergic reaction when you get a tattoo.