Did you know that your eyelids, just like your hair, become oily and dirty if not cleaned regularly?  This can cause them to become sticky and crusty which can lead to inflammation of your eyelids such as blepharitis, styes, chalazions and most especially dry eyes.  One of the best ways to minimize getting these conditions is to maintain good eyelid hygiene with the use of eyelid scrubs or eyelid wipes. 

Eyelid scrubs are not, as you may imagine, a grainy facial scrub to be but a soapy/foamy solution that can be bought OTC or made yourself at home.  To make a home-made lid scrub, make a solution of 2 drops of baby shampoo (no tears formula) in 1/2 cup of warm water.  A new solution must be made for each use.  OTC lid scrub solutions are hypoallergenic and most contain up to 5% tea tree oil, a natural anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, that is highly recommended for people suffering with blepharitis.

Eyelid wipes are cotton pads already soaked with the solution and are individually wrapped for ease of use and convenience.  The wipes are commonly used to remove eye makeup but is very useful for general lid hygiene.

How to use lid scrubs and wipes?

Step 1:   Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Step 2:   If using a lid scrub, squirt a teaspoon of solution onto a cotton pad and wrap the 

               the pad around your index finger, or use a cotton tip (ear bud), or, the tips of your

               index and middle fingers.

               If using a lid wipe, the wipe will be used in the same manner as the cotton pad.

Step 3:  Close your eyes and gently but firmly wipe your upper eyelid margin and eyelash 

               roots from the nose-end to the ear-end, being careful not to touch the eyeball with

               the pad or your fingers.  Repeat several times.

Step 4:  Open your eyes, look up, pull your lower eyelid down and repeat step 3 on the

               lower eyelid, again being careful not to touch the eyeball.

Step 5:   Using a clean cotton pad, lid wipe, cotton tip or your fingers, repeat steps 2-4 on

               the other eye.

Step 6:  Close your eyes and rinse your eyelids well with warm water.

Step 7:  Dab your eyes dry to finish.

It is advisable to clean your eyelids in the above manner at least twice daily if you suffer with chronic blepharitis.  For any other eyelid inflammation, perform twice daily until symptoms improve then once daily to prevent symptoms from returning. For eye make-up wearers, lid scrub should be done nightly and for general lid hygiene, it should be performed at least thrice a week.

For further guidance on the best lid scrubs/wipes to use, please contact us or come in to any of our Spectacle Warehouse stores and we will be happy to assist you