TIPS TO KEEP YOUR EYES HAPPY AND HEALTHY.

1. Clean clean clean!

This tip is the most important and basic one. It is a must to clean your eyes regularly to avoid allergens, dirt, and oils from sticking to eyes and lashes and causing irritation. 

Bad eye hygiene can cause a buildup of oils and dead skin which causes a buildup of bacteria which in turn invites nasty little mites to feed on the bacteria.  The solution? Maintain a daily ocular hygiene routine. Use an eyelid cleanser or eye wipe. 

2. Do not fall asleep in makeup! 

Remember the whole cycle that starts with bad eye hygiene? Remove your makeup every night and clean your eyes.

3. Cold or warm eye compress.

–Use a cold compress to shrink dilated blood vessels, slow down fluid movement preventing swelling, and cool irritation. This is better to use when irritation is caused by allergies.

–Use a warm compress to melt the oils that are trapped inside the oil glands of the eyelids, the meibomian glands.  This helps improve symptoms of dry eye disease, blepharitis, chalazions, and stye eyes.

4. Don’t itch your eyes – massage. 

Itching your eyes aggravates the response and makes things worse. Instead, massage your eyes in order to agitate the lashes. This causes the meibomian glands to secrete more oils and stabilize the tear film.

5. Use a hypochlorous acid eyelid spray daily.

Hypochlorous acid is an antiseptic which works by killing the microorganisms of the eye associated with bacteria. HOCI is naturally created by white blood cells as a defense system against bacteria and is safe to use. Daily use helps maintain healthy eyes free of bacteria. 

6. Take breaks from screen use.

Take breaks from your computer or phone to allow your eyes to rest, and yes, to blink. Blinking helps restore the natural moisture of the eyes and prevent dry eye and eye irritations.

7. Avoid products with preservatives. 

Studies show that preservatives can cause problems with the oil glands of your eyes, therefore worsening dry eye and blepharitis. 

Important! If you do not feel an improvement or have visual problems, visit your ophthalmologist.