the best products for dry eye, blepharitis and MGD
Sharing the best products for dry eye, blepharitis, MGD (I’ve tried it all!)
+ the Great Eye Saga
Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re enjoying the morning so far. The girls are at a half-day camp and I’m here doing discovery coaching calls, podcast editing, and getting a quick workout before pickup.
For today’s post, I have the post no one asked for, and the post I DEFINITELY didn’t ask for:
my Great Eye Saga, finding out I have severe blepharatis, and mild MGD (meibomian gland dysfunction)… and all of the products, strategies, and treatments I’ve tried, along with my routine.
the best products for dry eye, blepharitis and MGD
OG readers of the blog (Hiiii and thank you so much for being so awesome and for your constant support) know that my eyes are delicate petunias. I’ve written about my woes with previous infections, eyelash extension nightmares, and finding out the hard way that certain eye makeup will ruin my life lol.
The latest eye misadventure has been the longest and most inconvenient experience yet, but in my determination to look at the bright side, now I know more about my eyes, WHY I struggled so much with certain things over the years, have a routine and care plan, and my eyes are the whitest and happiest they’ve been in years.
So, buckle up, and I’ll tell ya a story.
The Great Eye Saga
In April, I got the worst pink eye that I’ve ever seen or experienced. I’d been out gardening the day before, and woke up with neon red eyes that were covered in mucus (I’m sorry, it’s true) and almost swollen shut. I rushed to urgent care, where they prescribed me antibiotic drops, and was sent home. It didn’t get better within a few days, so I went to a new eye doctor. (My previous eye doctor had retired.) He said the infection was viral and prescribed a steroid drop, which calmed down the inflammation. The following week, he said I could go back to my contacts, so I did. Within a few weeks, the redness and goo was back.
*It’s worth mentioning here that I washed my pillowcase and any towels I used every single day, threw away all of my expensive makeup and skincare (WAH), and washed my hands so often all of my knuckles were cracked and bleeding. I was so frustrated that somehow, I had pink eye again.*
I started the antibiotic drops again (the same ones, since it had only been about a month), they did nothing, and I went back to the eye doctor’s office.
I saw different eye doctor since my previous doctor was booked – she was horrible, talked the entire time about nonsense and didn’t answer my questions – and she said I had extremely blocked glands, severe MGD, no infection, bad allergies, and threw the kitchen sink at me. She wanted me to go back on the steroid for two months, 4x a day, along with an antihistamine drop, artificial tears, antibiotic drops, a prescription drop for dry eyes, and a supplement (that had corn oil and sunflower oil in it).
After that, I ended up seeing three other eye doctors + my primary care provider, because I wasn’t confident in the info she gave me.. I felt like I didn’t have any answers as to why this happened so suddenly.
In the meantime, I started my own research and read articles, blogs, watched YouTube videos, and decided to try a combination of the most common tools that were recommended for red, inflamed eyes that weren’t infected: warm or cold compresses, eyelid cleansers, eyelid massage, supplements, and artificial tears.
(This was maybe half of it. Our bathroom counter looked like the eye section at your local Walgreen’s. Initially I was concerned about ingredients and tried to scour the safest options, but as nothing improved, my care meter decreased exponentially. I was like, “Just give me whatever chemical soup will make this go away.”)
I also had to stop wearing my contacts – my eyes were way too red and inflamed- which has been extremely difficult for me. I’ve worn contacts without many problems since I was 11 years old and have a hard time functioning in the real world without them. For the second time, I also tossed all of my skincare and makeup (I started buying cheaper stuff), and was still washing my pillowcase and towels every night.
In between seeing doctors and trying all of the strategies, I also wasn’t sleeping through the night. I’d have to wake up at least once to clean out my eyes for many weeks, and my eyes felt thick and gummy during the night. In the morning, they were red, swollen, and would eventually look fairly normal for the rest of the day. This was a pretty low point for me; I was so sleep-deprived and frustrated, and since I have no foresight whatsoever, I was convinced that my eyes would never go back to normal.
TBH I was horrified to go on our cruise. My eyes had gotten much better by that point, and I knew the infection was gone, but I was really worried they were going to flare, especially with the air travel and time change. Thankfully it was all ok.
Finding a dry eye specialist
Here’s what the doctors said:
Eye doc #2 (the office said she was an ophthalmologist when I booked the appt, but she was an optometrist):
It was probably something in the environment that triggered the response. No infection. Go back to wearing contacts and use the steroid drop on as needed. I really liked her and thought she was knowledgeable, but I didn’t like the idea of depending on the steroid as a crutch when we didn’t really know why my eyes were so inflamed and dry all night, and ok during the day.
Eye doc #3 (medical optometrist, my new regular eye doc):
it was likely isolated virus in my cornea. No contacts until the redness and inflammation was gone. Stick with artificial tears, compresses, and wean off the steroid drops.
He got me off the the steroid drops right away and has been monitoring my progress this entire time. I’ve seen him three times so he could make sure my eyes were indeed healing and the inflammation was going down. I also like that he didn’t rush to prescriptions when he wasn’t fully certain what was causing it, since functionally, my eye looked healthy. He’s also shown a lot of care in my situation and has made consistent appointments to monitor my progress.
Primary care:
Did an exam to make sure nothing else was awry. Ran a bunch of labs for me to check inflammation, hormones, A1C, Sjogren’s, thyroid, etc., since so many different things can affect eye health. Thankfully, all of the labs came back with good markers. Edit: we actually got an autoimmune-based lab back last night that was a bit of a surprise. I’ll share more when I have more info.
Eye doc #4 (dry eye specialist):
By the time I saw the dry eye specialist, my eyes were already looking so much better. I was FINALLY sleeping through the night, had almost no redness during the day, and just a little bit of dryness. I was just looking for answers, an action plan to get back to my contacts, and she told me, “I will get you to the finish line.” I wanted to cry. She knew RIGHT AWAY what was going on with my eyes, and did a thorough exam with tons of photos to show me.
The verdict:
severe blepharitis, which explained why my eyes were so red and gross in the morning. They had improved with the lid cleansers and compresses, but it absolutely made sense. I also have mild to moderate MGD (meibomian gland dysfunction), which means that some of my glands are clogged with oil. I also have mild to moderate dry eye from the blepharitis and gland dysfunction.
It explains SO, so much, especially when my eyes have been more susceptible to infections over the years, why I can’t tolerate eyelash extensions or wear certain eye makeup, and why my eyelids would sometimes be red and swollen in the morning. When we lived in San Diego, I’d get tiny oil balls on my lower lash line and the eye dr simply told me my eyes were oily and to do a better job washing my eyelids and lashes. I wish I would have known it was a first indication of gland dysfunction.
What I’ve learned about dry eye
So as you guys can imagine, I’ve been learning as much as possible. Dry eye can be caused by a variety of factors, including age, gender (it’s more common in women), contact use, and hormone fluctuations. Certain autoimmune conditions can affect eyes, as well as thyroid disorders, menopause, and diabetes. Dry eye can be either evaporative or inflammatory; meaning that your tears may not be correctly balanced, or they evaporate too quickly. Usually it’s a combination of these two things. (The dry eye specialist took a tear sample to check if my tears were inflammatory and her machine also checked how quickly they evaporated, as well as which spots evaporated first!)
Dry eye can be exacerbated by blepharitis, which is inflammation of the eyelids. It can cause redness, crusting, and dryness. It’s an overgrowth of bacteria (usually Demodex mites.. I know) feasting on the biofilm of your eyelids and lashes, and they can get overrun and make the problem worse. As they crowd the base of your lashes and work their way out, they can also clog the meibomian glands, leading to Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
We have these Meibomian glands that run perpendicular to our eyes, inside our upper and lower eyelids, which secrete oil that coats our eyes and comprises our tear film. If they become blocked or clogged, this affects the tear film, and can cause dry eyes. Glands can also atrophy and die, which is why it’s important to get treatment and do warm compresses if these glands are compromised and keep healthy oil flowing!
You can see how all of these work together!
It’s also worth mentioning that there’s no cure for these things, but you can find a routine to HALT their progress, especially since dry eye and MGD are progressive diseases. If you suspect you have any of these, I would see a medical optometrist or ophthalmologist to make sure that there’s nothing functionally awry, and a dry eye specialist to get the ball rolling on your treatment plan.
My blepharitis and dry eye routine (for now!)
*NOT medical advice, just sharing my routine!
– Eye health supplement. This is the one I use!
– Lots of water, minimal processed foods, sugar, and alcohol (<— the alcohol part has been pretty easy, but after our cruise, I’ve been a bit of a sugar monster).
– Eyelid wipes and cleanser with tea tree oil: these are a GAMECHANGER and I noticed a huge difference when I first started using these. I’ve tried so many brands, but my favorites for my unique situation are Ocusoft Allergy (before bed) and Cliradex (in the morning)
– Hypochlorous Acid: it sounds scary, but it’a naturally-occurring acid. I use the Thera Tears brand. This one also has excellent reviews so I might switch to this brand.
– Warm compresses: the Rest Cornea Care mask (It’s disposable, which makes it ideal for travel) and the Bruder mask. 7 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes before bed.
– Artificial tears: I’ve tried EVERYTHING and it’s worth mentioning that different drops work better for different types of dry eye. I like a lipid-based one, like Refresh Mega-3 before bed and in the morning, as well as Boiron Optique1 (order from Thrive Market) or Refresh Relieva PF if I need something during the day. The dry eye specialist told me that these are band-aids and eventually you want to get to the point where you only need them in the am and once at night; not all day.
– Treatments: The dry eye specialist used a treatment called Zocuzest to clean all of the biofilm off my lids and lashes. TBH, I HATED it. It was so uncomfortable, but I needed it. My eyes looked awesome afterwards and she’ll check them again in a couple of weeks. I’m also getting a MiboFlo treatment, where she’ll heat up my eyes using a wand and gentle massage to get the oil flowing, and then manually express the clogged glands. It’s a series of three treatments and she says I’ll notice a huge difference after these.
She also offer LipifFlow but it looks a little more intense, so I figured I’d try MiboFLo first. TearCare and IPL are also common dry eye treatments; see what your doctor recommends.
(RX sunnies since I’m in this for the long haul and they’ve been a little boost)
Daily routine:
I wake up, clean my face and eyes, and add two Refresh Mega-3 eye drops to each eye. After being awake for a little while, I’ll do a Rest compress while I meditate and pray on my PEMF GO Mat. Next I do a quick eyelid massage, and clean with Cliradex wipes. (Note: I’ll prob swap to the Bruder mask in the am. I LOVE the Rest one but since it’s disposable, I’ll just use these for travel going forward.)
During the day: A Boiron Optique1 drop or Refresh Relieva PF drop if I feel like I need it mid-day.
Before bed: wash face and do a Bruder mask (with an eyelid sheet to keep it clean) for 10 minutes. Clean with SteriLid on a cotton pad and let dry. Read for about 30 minutes, then clean with OcuSoft Allergy and add two drops of Mega-3 before bed.
It seems like a lot when I write it out, but it used to be so much more!! There’s a sheet in my Notes app with the date for the past 8 weeks, and everything I’ve tried, along with the results (how many times I woke up, how my eyes felt in the middle of the night, how they felt in the morning, and level of redness). It’s been a giant experiment.
The good news is that my regular eye doctor (the one who has been monitoring me this whole time) checked my eyes and said they look the best they have this entire time. He said I could start to wear my contacts again 2-3 times a week for 6 hours and see how they feel. I wore them for the first time on Saturday and they felt great while I was wearing them. I also felt like a human again. When I removed them, the lenses were pretty dry, so I’m going to try a rewetting drop next time before I remove them.
So there’s my eye story for now! If you’re going through this, you’re not alone!!!!!! There are tons of options out there and apparently they have some new treatments on the way, too. Hang in there <3
xo
Gina
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I feel for you – I have the autoimmune disorder Sjogrens Syndrome which causes my dry eyes.
I too wear contact lenses – Acuvue Moist Dailies works well for me – and I can wear them for the day and switch to my glasses early evening.
I really don’t like wearing glasses either – I wish I could laser surgery but too risky with my dry eye.
I am not sure if you experience this – but I find with dry eyes my eyes reach a certain level of soreness by night time (worse during our winters when drier) and the only thing that feels good is closing my eyes….which means sleeping! The warm compress feels good but temporary.
I never really know if I am tired or my eyes are just sore. I joke that I have lost years off my life due to going to sleep! I used to be a night owl – not so much anymore.
I am glad you found a routine that works for you and have noticed improvement.
I hope this continues for you!
you’re totally right – sleeping feels even better than normal.
i’m sorry you’ve dealt with this, too, but glad you’ve found ways to manage it. i’d love to get laser surgery too but too scared with the dry eye and complication risk
xo
I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate this post! I could’ve written that myself. I have been going through almost all of the same things since March – was first told I had blepharitis and to scrub my eyelids with baby shampoo, had to go back to the eye doctor a week later, was put on steroid eyedrops, seemed to get better for a while then started to act up again, completely red in both eyes and was then told I had dry eye. I have been so frustrated as well and feel like I have spent so much money on ALL the eyedrops, just desperate for anything to help. I also felt so embarrassed with how my eyes looked and felt I needed to explain to people like don’t worry it’s not pink eye! haha Anyway thank you for this post and I am going to look into all of your suggestions!!
ughh i’m so sorry you’re going through this too but hope you can find some answers!
YES thank you! fellow contact addict lol and if this happened to me, I would be a mess w/out my contacts! I am going to start some of the drops for prevention! I feel for ya and so glad you’re on the right path to daily wear where the world is bright again ! Who knew a dry eye Dr. existed!
i seriously miss them SO MUCH. it’s nice to know you understand!!
I’m so happy you finally got answers about the root cause! I’m so sorry you had to go through this but hopefully your experience will help others with the same condition, or even something entirely different, but showing how important it is to get to the root cause to truly get on the right path for healing❤️
yes! you just have to be an advocate and a little bit of a pleasant squeaky wheel sometimes
xo
Hey Gina,
I completely feel for you and have experienced similar issues with dry eyes. Like you, it took a TON of research and it’s scary. I spent Christmas week one year in bed with my eyes closed and had an appointment for the Mayo Clinic on New Year’s Day because I was desperate. BTW – that was worthless. I had the LipiFlow treatment done and I think that helped a lot and then I developed my own treatment plan. Here’s how mine goes:
First, I haven’t worn contacts or eye makeup since this happened. I really miss eye makeup. Is there any that you wear now?
Second, I got a tip and I LOVE it – I put Argan oil on a cotton pad during my bedtime routine. Just the Whole Foods brand and I it’s super soothing. Then I brush my teeth, wash my face, and do a moist heat compress to keep the glands open.
Then I do one drop of Restasis and get in bed and close my eyes and let that soak in. After 15 minutes I do the Blink Gel Tears which feels amazing. I put a sleep mask on and that’s it.
Oh, and I take Tuna Omega pills, Blackberry Currant pills (Standard Process Brand), Lutein and Zeaxanthin.
This has all worked well for me – plus moving from Denver to Houston helps too, but it’s a daily process.
I’m a little bummed because I have these little circles under my eyes that I’d love to get plastic surgery to fix, but the plastic surgeons say if you have dry eye they don’t recommend it.
If anyone has dry eye and has had plastic surgery please let me know how that turned out.
I know you’ve got your routine and I have mine, but I might try some of yours to see if that makes a difference. I swear by the Blink Tears and the Argan Oil.
thank you so much for sharing your routine!! i will definitely try the argan oil- do you use that one your eyelids or just your face?
i haven’t worn any eye makeup since this happened and i miss it. i just ordered replacement tarte eyeliner and a palette, so i’m going to try a little bit once we figure out the contact situation.
One more question: Are your disposable masks moist or just completely dry?
they’re dry but they kind of steam while you’re using it. they feel amazing
I’m sorry you have gone through this and I’m glad you stayed persistent in your research and eye care routine. Glad you are feeling like yourself again. I wore contacts 100% of the time until covid. The timing was right to take a break and switch to glasses because my eyes were very dry and tired at the end of the day. Now I wear contacts 2 – 3 times a week and switched to dailies. (Having Rx sunnies helped too.) I believe I have mild dry eyes and love the refresh drops. Your research helps in case I need to look into this in the future. Thank you!
thank you so much <3 which dailies do you use if you don't mind me asking? i might try switching brands to see if it helps!
Thank you for this post. I don’t wear contacts, so my eyes themselves don’t seem to have issues, but I’ve been dealing with red, flaky, itchy, swollen eyelids off and on for a couple years now. It’s to the point I can hardly wear any makeup ever – and I typically don’t. I thought it was just a reaction before, but wondering if it’s more this since it’s been going on so long. I do have a question. This all started after I started using BeautyCounter products. Like a few weeks after. I have ceased that completely now, but issues remain. Do you have any idea what was the catalyst for you? I know you used BC as well, and didn’t know if you’ve heard of any connection or issues? I have sensitive skin, but never had any issues like this before, especially around my eyes. Just curious!
I’m so sorry you’re going through something similar!! It’s wild because this happened completely out of no where – I’m still trying to figure out what triggered it. I did photos earlier that week and I know I didn’t get the eyelash glue off, I was fighting a virus, we were outside gardening the day before and it was dry, hot, and windy. It could have been viral or environmental to set it off, or the buildup of the glue/makeup.
I’m definitely NOT an eye doctor, but it sounds like blepharitis to me. You might notice a huge difference in just getting your eyelashes and lids cleaned. Do you use any eyelash wipes or eye cleanser? I’d make an appt with a dry eye specialist. It doesn’t seem like regular eye doctors are super knowledgeable about this stuff and for my experience, typically just want to prescribe drops
i haven’t used a lot of the beautycounter eye products because I’ve always loved tarte and know it works for my eyes. I can use a couple of the palettes, but that’s it.
keep me updated on how you’re doing!
I also feel like you just wrote my own story! I was diagnosed with dry eye in March 2023, and I also had to cycle through a few docs before I found one that was great! I also love the corneacare rest mask and it has saved me in my car a few times on really busy work days! but I use my microwave one most of the time b/c it feels terrible to throw out the disposable ones all the time. But they are the best. I love the systane eyelid wipes but now I’m going to try the wipes you mentioned and see! I also have been using Avenoa spray rather than tea tree oil b/c I have super sensitive skin and my doc recommended that. its been helping. I am also on restasis drops, which might help if you do have autoimmune markers. Pro tip from my doctor: you dont have to throw out each PF dropper every time! you can re-cap it and then you can use it throughout the day. I have been feeling so bad about throwing all of the plastic (i like refresh optive, very similar to mega-3 i think) and this has helped make less waste.
I really can’t believe so many of us are experiencing this at the time time….makes you wonder. Re makeup, i found a brand called twenty twenty that is made specifically for dry eye sufferers! very limited products but i’ve tried it a few times. like you…I went cold turkey on makeup after wearing eyeliner daily for like my whole adult life (i’m 45). that probably contributed to this whole thing….
i’m sorry for the delay in getting back to you, and also so sorry to hear you’ve had a similar struggle. you’re right – it seems way more common these days and absolutely makes you wonder why. mine happened completely out of nowhere; one day my eyes were find
e, and the next day, they were NOT. i’m so scared to try to wean myself off any of the products because i hate all of the waste it creates. i’ve heard you can reuse the PF drops, but i haven’t wanted to risk it. maybe i will finally go for it!!
i’ve gotten so much better at actually removing my makeup. it’s crazy to think about how many years i spent with eyeliner remnants on my lash line.
i hope you continue to do well. please keep me updated, and let me know if you find anything new that you love!!
Hi there,
I was recently diagnosed with Dry Eye, MGD and Blepharitis and found your post so incredibly helpful! I am using a heat mask twice daily, the wipes and spray you have recommended (a variety of different kinds of wipes) and have ordered the disposable masks you use as well. I also use Optase drops several times a day and before bed as well. Questions for you – do you wear any eye makeup at all? If so, what kind? (I have refrained and am trying not to put anything else on or around my eyes or on my lids such as pressed powder or bronzer.) My other question is under eye cream for wrinkles, circles and puffiness…is there anything you use that you would recommend? At this point, I have stopped using that as well in an effort to put the least amount of anything on or around my eyes not associated with the treatment, but my eyes looks so worn and tired and I really don’t want to stop using my eye cream, at least under my eyes. Any suggestions or products you might recommend?
Thanks so much!
Tracy
Hi Tracy, I got your email and will write back now. I’m so sorry you’re going through this, too! I’d love to use this question for a blog post if that’s ok with you <3
Thank you so much for sharing your routine and experience! I have the same problem and have had the Lipiflow procedure done once. I started all other treatments at the same time, so it’s hard to say if it helped. (similar routine with the mask, HypoChlor spray and wipes, Refresh Omega 3 drops). I cannot take the eye vitamins because of allergy to some of the ingredients. I have increased Omega 3’s and began using Restasis as well. Even with all that, I have started to lose some eyelashes. I am searching for more natural, safer types of eye makeup for MGD and blepharitis. So far, no real luck. All I have found in research is to use creams instead of powders. I had dry eyes for a few years before being diagnosed so I was disappointed as I think mine could have been diagnosed and treated earlier. Good luck with your routine and I hope it keeps yours from getting worse. Take care!
I have blepharitis and got so much great information from your post. I really appreciate it. I want to be able to continue using an eye cream for moisturizing and anti-aging. Do you happen to have any recommendations for products that won’t make the conditions worse?
Thank you,
Kristen
hi! I’m so sorry you’re going through this, but happy it was helpful for you! for the longest time, I just used NOW serum on my face and the NOW 2-in-1 eye cream on my eyes (not close to my eyelashes). the NOW products are super gentle – my code is FITNESSISTA. I was finally able to layer back in Beautycounter supreme cream.
xo
Thanks for all your information. What eye makeup remover do you use? I have MGD and I can’t find a remover that works well. I hardly wear eye makeup anymore since it bothers my eyes so much. I’m going to try a Blephex procedure next week. Thank you.
let me know how blephex goes for you!!
I use a makeup remover towel to get off most of my eye makeup, and then use fresh soy face cleanser, and then clean my eyelids.
I hope this helps a little!