Good eyelid and lash hygiene is important for all of us. 

Eyelid and lash hygiene removes debris, make-up, lipid by-products, bacterial load & bacterial toxins and biofilms which reduces irritation and inflammation both now and into the future. This leaves your eyes more comfortable, clearer and healthier. It also means less lash loss. 

How do you clean your lids and lashes each day?

Depending on if you need just routine care products or management of Blepharitis, Demodex Mites or MGD, there are a range of products available. Most involve gentle cleaning along the lash area and may be recommended from twice daily use to once per week. 

Lid & Lash Hygiene plays a key role in keeping the eyes clear, comfortable and healthy. What you needed to do does vary on how your eyes are at the moment.

We should all ensure we remove make up each day and clean around our eyes when washing our face. An eye friendly face wash or eye make up remover is key here. An additional benefit is less lash loss.

If you have Blepharitis your eye care professonal may recommend a specific formula to help manage your condition. This is important as varying ingredients have better cleansing and anti-inflammatory effects. If you have Demodex, a formula with Tea Tree Oil will often be recommended. In both these instances, a premoisted wipe or foam formula may be recommended. 

For Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, a pre-moisted wipe or foam may be recommended. A hypochlorous spray may also be all that’s needed. These solutions mimic the human body’s response to pathological organisms. Neutorophils naturally release hypochlorous acid when insulted by bacteria. These products not only remove debris, but they also relieve chronic irritation and decrease the body’s own inflammatory mediators.

Ever been told to use baby shampoo???

Step away from that bottle!!! While using baby shampoo to clean around your eyes wont cause stinging and will get them clean it also has been shown to have harmful effects. 

Wait?? If it's safe enough for a baby, it's has to be safe enough for the eyes! Right? 

Baby Shampoo can have ingredients that rank as a 'moderate to high hazards' on www.ewg.org and can actually cause eye allergies. It can also make the eyes drier as they can damage the goblet cells on the eye surface, which make part of our tears. A 2022 randomised control trial also found longer and more effective relief of blepharitis symptoms when using lid hygiene products over baby shampoo.