Soothe Your Eyes: Three of the Best Eye Drops for Rosacea

Ocular rosacea drives you mad. On top of the redness, your eyes feel like you have an eyelash or grit in them. Most people develop sties easily. Sties being painful, pimple-like formations that form inside or outside of the eyelid, often near where eyelashes appear. There's no cure for ocular rosacea, but there are things you can do to ease the irritation. Omega-3 and flaxseed oil supplements are one recommendation, but the application of lubricating eye drops is even more important.

Tears contain a mixture of saline, mucus, and an oil secreted by glands in your eyelid. With ocular rosacea, those glands often become blocked. There's no more oil to help lubricate your eye, and saline tears are not enough. This is why ophthalmologists recommend regular use of these eye drops. Here are three of the best eye drops for rosacea.

GenTeal Lubricant Eye Gel

Designed for severe dry eyes, GenTeal Lubricant Eye Gel provides lasting relief for the discomfort caused by ocular rosacea. The main ingredient, hypromellose, is a lubricant that forms a film to help the eye retain moisture. Squeeze a little of the gel into your eye, blink a bit to distribute it, and then enjoy lasting relief.

I use it twice a day and don't need it more than that. Note that it does blur the vision for about a minute. It doesn't blur the vision as long as other gels, which is why I prefer it.

Refresh Liquigel Lubricant Eye Gel

One of the reasons Refresh was recommended to me is that most stores sell it in a box that contains two bottles. This does make it cost effective. The active lubricant is Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium, and that's supposed to provide long-lasting relief from the dryness. I do find the eye drops work well, but I have to apply them four times a day rather than the twice a day I need with GenTeal.

Systane Balance Lubricant Eye Drops

My ophthalmologist recommended Systane Balance Restorative Formula. Propylene Glycol is the main ingredient, and again it is a lubricant. The milky appearance of these drops is weird, though I have never found they blur my vision after application. The price has dropped some over the years, so while they were not the eye drop I use most often, they're becoming the best deal and worth purchasing regularly.

Eye drops for rosacea that work for me may not work as well for you, so be prepared for some trial and error. Members of rosacea groups I talked to highly recommended Refresh P.M. Lubricant Eye Ointment. I tried it and my vision would be blurry for hours after using it. Other than at bedtime, I simply can't use the eye ointment and be able to see.

You may have to do some trial and error to find the best lubricating eye drop for rosacea. I know I've tried a lot of drops over the years. GenTeal remains the product I use the most due to the frequency of coupons and how well they work. If you're looking for a place to start, I highly recommend GenTeal eye drops.