Sorry to ruin your girlfriend’s sexy cat costume: Non-prescription contact lenses can permanently damage your vision—or leave you blind, warns the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
Many of the inks, paints, and dyes used to craft novelty contacts are toxic and unregulated, and can cause infections or corneal ulcers, explains Thomas Steinemann, M.D., an ophthalmologist and clinical spokesperson for the AAO. Costume contacts are also constructed with materials that aren’t oxygen-permeable, meaning your eyes could suffocate, leading to vision loss or blindness, Dr. Steinemann adds. That’s why they’ve been illegal since 2005—even though it’s still easy to find them online or in some convenience stores.
Hitting up a Halloween party this weekend? Here are three more frightening products you may want to avoid.
Contaminated makeup. A test of 31 types of Halloween makeup revealed toxic metals like cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic in every sample, according to the non-profit, Michigan-based Ecology Center. Possible risks of skin exposure include allergic reactions, brain damage, or cancer.
Flammable costumes. Lots of Halloween wigs, capes, and costumes are made with extremely combustible materials—meaning a close brush with a spooky candle or jack o’lantern could really ignite your holiday. Look for outfits made from non-flammable fabrics like nylon or polyester, or those labeled “flame resistant”, advises the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Last year’s treats. Milk chocolate spoils in 8 to 10 months, according to the National Confectioners Association (NCA). And there have been cases of salmonella poisoning from expired chocolate, say researchers from Kansas State University. If the chocolate looks sticky, off-color, or grainy, toss it, the NCA recommends.
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