Download ArticleDownload ArticleX
This article was co-authored by Ben Whitehair. Ben Whitehair is a Social Media Expert and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of TSMA Consulting. With over a decade of experience in the social media space, he specializes in leveraging social media for business and building relationships. He also focuses on social media’s impact on the entertainment industry. Ben graduated summa cum laude from The University of Colorado at Boulder with BAs in Theatre and Political Science as well as a Leadership Certificate. In addition to his work as CIO, Ben is a certified business and mindset coach and National Board Member of SAG-AFTRA. He is also a successful entrepreneur as the Co-Founder of Working.Actor, the premier business academy and coaching community for actors.
There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 377,650 times.
When your eyes water, fluid comes from your tear glands, which are also called lacrimal glands, to help protect your eyes from the elements and irritants.[1] Your eyes can also tear up as a result of intense emotion or physical distress. Knowing how to make your eyes water can be useful if you're an actor or simply want the ability to turn on the waterworks whenever you please. If you need to make your eyes water, whatever your reason, you don’t have to cry - you only need some knowhow on your side.
Steps
Cut some onions. Onions soak up sulfur from the soil when growing, and when you chop them up, you break open cells in the onion and release enzymes that mix with the sulfur. This creates an invisible gas that causes a burning sensation in your eyes, causing you to tear up without crying.- Chop some onions and linger over them. Some people are more sensitive than others; you may only need to cut a little bit of the onion, or you may need to really linger.
- Cooked onions do not produce this effect.
- Refrigerated onions and onions doused with water as you cut them will also fail to make your eyes water.
- Sweet onions, like Vidalia onions, often don’t produce as strong a watering effect in your eyes as stronger white or yellow onions.[2]
Smear some toothpaste beneath your eyes. You should be careful when doing this; getting toothpaste directly in your eye will sting. However, if you rub a small amount on your lower eyelid, your eyes will try to flush the toothpaste with watering eyes.- You may have to wait a few moments before your eyes respond to your application of toothpaste.
- Most common toothpastes should work for the purposes of making your eyes water as most toothpastes contain sodium lauryl sulfate, a known eye irritant.
- All natural toothpastes, or toothpastes missing the ingredient sodium lauryl sulfate, may not work as well for making your eyes water.[3]
Advertisement
Trigger an eye-watering response with peppermint oil. Products that contain peppermint can cause a stinging sensation in the eyes, resulting in you tearing up. Take a small amount and apply it beneath your eye to create a watering effect.- You’ll have to experiment with how much peppermint oil you use. Some individuals will be more sensitive to it than others.
- Avoid getting the oil in your eyes, as it can create stinging, redness, and discomfort.[4]
Apply a menthol cream or wax. Menthol, or compounds that contain menthol, are widely available at drug stores and are generally inexpensive. You can dab small amount of menthol cream below your eyes to cause your eyes to tear up.- You might also make use of a tear stick, which is much like lip balm infused with menthol and camphor to make you tear up. Simply smear a small amount under each eye, and you should feel its effects.[5]
Use eucalyptus to get your eyes watering. The compounds in eucalyptus have an invigorating effect on your body, opening sinuses, refreshing the lungs, and even flushing the eyes. A common stage trick some actors use for watery eyes needed at the beginning of a scene involves other actors blowing eucalyptus vapor gently into their eyes. This might work for you as well![6]
Use eye drops or saline solution. While this technique won’t make your eyes water for very long, it’s a very effective short term measure. If you can disguise the motion of inserting eye drops or saline solution into your eye from onlookers, when you turn back, the excess solution will make it appear as though your eyes are watering.- Saline solution is a liquid solution formulated to be about the same as the tears that wet your eye making this a safe and practical way of making your eyes look teary.
- Saline solution and eye drops can be found at most drug stores.[7]
Advertisement
Rub the area beneath your eyes gently. Be sure you don’t overdo this eye-watering technique. Your eye is made up of many delicate parts, and rubbing too hard can cause damage, especially if done over a long period of time.- Be aware that this trick sets up a chain reaction that can lead to stinging eyes, creating a bloodshot appearance.
- You should only do this with clean hands to prevent the introduction of germs into your eyes.
Dry out your eyes by staring. Your eyes’ natural response to dryness is to water to rehydrate and protect each eye. By keeping your eyes open for an extended period of time, your eye will become dry and start to water. You might even turn this into a game with a friend and have a staring contest.
Grasp your upper eyelid and your lower eyelid by the lashes and pull. The stinging sensation caused by pulling on your lashes or pulling out your lashes should make your eyes water nicely. Though you shouldn’t intentionally pull out your lashes, you don’t have to worry if you do. Eyelashes, contrary to common belief, do grow back.[8]
Yawn. When you yawn, the tension of the muscles in your eyes and face cause your tear ducts to close off for its duration. This causes a slight surge of fluid (tears) once you are finished and your yawning muscles relax. If you can make yourself yawn, your eyes should water.[9]
Look into the lights. Though you shouldn’t stare into bright lights for long periods of time, as this can be harmful to your vision, some actors have used bright lights to trigger their eyes water. A famous example of this is actor Henry Fonda, who would often stare into bright lights when he needed to water up on stage.[10][11]
Advertisement
Imagine things you find sad. If your goal is to get your waterworks started, you may have to go over the top in your imagining. Usually, there is at least one thing, like mistreated animals or impoverished children, that you can’t help getting sad over. Use these to water up! Some other ideas that might get you teary-eyed include:- War
- Starvation
- Disease
- Death[12]
Use muscle memory to trigger teary eyes. Try to assume the position you were in at a time when you were teary-eyed for some reason. Then, as closely as you are able, mimic the motions, rate of breathing, and noises you made at that time. Though this might seem a little awkward, with practice your body’s muscle memory can be trained to activate your tear glands to water your eyes.[13]
Assume a teary-eyed persona. You don’t have to be an actor to make use of actor’s tricks. By identifying with a character, either an imaginary one or a live-action one you’ve seen on TV, you can make yourself misty eyed.- Try to choose a character whose situation you can relate to. Relatable characters will make it easier for you to slip into their mindset, and from there, get the watering response going.[14]
Find your power phrase. Some phrases may have the ability to really upset you. Professional actors and acting teachers refer to this as a “power phrase” due to the fact that it can be used to give you power over your emotions. Simply repeat the phrase to yourself until you feel your eyes begin to moisten. Some examples of power phrases include:- ”I’m not good enough.”
- ”No one will ever love me.”
- ”I can’t do anything right.”
- ”Why does everybody leave me?”[15]
Think about sad music. Music can evoke a powerful emotion response inside of you, both in negative and positive ways. Think of a song that you find particularly depressing, and loop it in your head. You may also want to think about things you find sad or depressing as the music plays in your head.- To help yourself get into the mood to cue your eye watering, you might want to bring some headphones and a music player so you can listen to the sad song before you need your eyes to water.
- When it’s time to water up, take off the headphones and continue playing the song in your head until your tear glands begin to water.[16]
Advertisement
Expert Q&A
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
SubmitAdvertisement
Tips
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
Warnings
- Sand or dust should be avoided, as both can cause damage to your eye. Abrasive, sharp, or prodding devices/items should never be used.Thanks
- Don't do this too often; you never know when your eyes may get infected.Thanks
- Don’t directly irritate the eye or you may cause harm to its delicate parts.Thanks
Advertisement
References
- ↑ http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/eyes-water.html
- ↑ http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/11/why-onions-make-your-eyes-water/
- ↑ https://smartklean.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/top-10-reasons-to-avoid-sodium-lauryl-sulfate/
- ↑ http://roberttisserand.com/2013/02/essential-oils-and-eye-safety/
- ↑ http://plays.about.com/od/basics/ht/How-To-Cry-An-Actors-Guide-To-Crying-And-Tears.htm
- ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/cry-cue-1-6469/
- ↑ http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/eyedrops-an-ocean-of-uses
- ↑ http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/g2338/eyelashes-falling-out/?
- ↑ http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/questions/question/1118/
- ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/cry-cue-1-6469/
- ↑ https://patient.info/eye-care/visual-problems
- ↑ http://plays.about.com/od/basics/ht/How-To-Cry-An-Actors-Guide-To-Crying-And-Tears.htm
- ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/cry-cue-1-6469/
- ↑ http://plays.about.com/od/basics/ht/How-To-Cry-An-Actors-Guide-To-Crying-And-Tears.htm
- ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/cry-cue-1-6469/
- ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/cry-cue-1-6469/
About This Article
Acting Coach
This article was co-authored by Ben Whitehair. Ben Whitehair is a Social Media Expert and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of TSMA Consulting. With over a decade of experience in the social media space, he specializes in leveraging social media for business and building relationships. He also focuses on social media’s impact on the entertainment industry. Ben graduated summa cum laude from The University of Colorado at Boulder with BAs in Theatre and Political Science as well as a Leadership Certificate. In addition to his work as CIO, Ben is a certified business and mindset coach and National Board Member of SAG-AFTRA. He is also a successful entrepreneur as the Co-Founder of Working.Actor, the premier business academy and coaching community for actors. This article has been viewed 377,650 times.
Co-authors: 40
Updated: January 24, 2024
Views: 377,650
Categories: Crying
Article SummaryX
To make your eyes water, try gently rubbing the area underneath your eyes. Alternatively, stare at 1 point for a while, since your eyes will produce tears to stop them drying out. You can also stare at bright lights, which can make your eyes water. However, avoid doing this for long periods of time, since this can damage your eyes. If you can make yourself yawn, this is another easy way to make your eyes water. If you have access to toothpaste or menthol cream, dab a small amount underneath your eyes to make them water. Just be careful you don't get any in your eye, as this can sting. For more tips, including how to make yourself cry on cue by thinking about sad things, read on!
Did this summary help you?
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 377,650 times.
Reader Success Stories
"This helped me making my little sister clean up her room. I pretended to cry because she didn't clean her room yet."..." more
Did this article help you?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.
Advertisement
