Cataract Surgery and elevating my skincare
I wanted to share this post with you as I found that whilst there is plenty of information about what a cataract is and how to treat it in terms of surgery, I found that there was very little written about skincare, make-up for women and how to navigate skincare during the recovery process.
About the surgery – I am very short sighted and as I mentioned in my previous article I relied on multifocal contact lenses and varifocal glasses. But recently, the prescription kept changing so after some appointments with the consultant and optician, I decided to have Multifocal cataract lenses (intraocular lenses or IOLs) paying a premium and going through the surgery through health insurance instead of the NHS in the UK. The procedure would be about a month apart, fist the left eye then right.
Navigating the weeks following cataract surgery meant being careful to follow the advice, antibiotic eye drops that tapered from four times a day down to one.
Navigating hygiene, healing, skincare after Multifocal Lens Surgery
I had given a lot of thought during the lead-up to the operation in terms of how I would need to update my skincare routine. I didn’t want to take any chances during recovery, so I searched for an effective cleanser that did not need water. I found individually wrapped Neutrogena wipes.
The surgeon said standard care was fine, but in my marketing career, I’ve learned to mitigate any risk is the key to a successful launch—or in this case, a successful recovery.
In fact the recovery in terms of my sight returning was rapid, by the following morning, I could see rom the eye that I had the surgery and within a week, my sight was better than the eye (with contact lens).
It was however a challenge in terms of skincare, because I needed to maintain hygiene by ensuring no water would get into my left eye, having been told for years during my time wearing contact
lenses that tap water included water borne bacteria, I wasn’t going to take any chances until my eye had fully heald. The surgeon avoid getting water in my eye for a week, but I decided I would keep my eyes away from water for at least 2 weeks. And by the final week of my eye-drop schedule, I attempted to return to my “normal” routine.
It was January, and my skin was vulnerable, the cold air outdoors would leave my face feeling taut red and stinging, I realized that returning to my previous routine with water was making my skin taught and uncomfortable. I could start wearing make-up by week 2, but I worried about removing make-up especially any make-up around the eye.
Cleaning without water: Why I Switched to Curel during recovery
This is where my recovery journey turned into a discovery for my daily life. I realised that if my skin was this sensitive during a medical “stress test,” it deserved a more sophisticated, less aggressive approach every single day.
The Mature Skin Revelation On my return from work one evening, I made a quick stop at Boots drug store on my way home and looked for a cleanser that would be gentle and need no water. I had previously used the foaming Curel cleanser, which is very gentle but needed water. I found the brand also has a waterless product called Curel Makeup Cleansing Gel. Instead of water and rubbing, this gel uses Ceramides, which would help to repair the skin barrier while swiping away heavy sunscreen make-up and impurities. The gel is highly effective, and felt like “comforting” sigh of relief to my stressed skin.
A Bee-Powered secret: Using IUNIK propolis for Mature Eye Care
To compliment this, I focussed on the most delicate area: the eyes. I traded my old creams for IUNIK, a Korean brand featuring Propolis. This “bee powered” ingredient isn’t just for healing; it has anti-aging properties. Proplis acts as a natural antimicrobial shield while deeply hydrating to prevent fine lines, a perfect cream to use during the immediate days after surgery.
What started as a necessary skincare routine after surgery has become my go-to for aging gracefully. By treating my mature skin with the gentlest of products, “zero-rub” care required for medical recovery, I’ve found a routine that doesn’t just clean—it restores.