My Eye Care Cleaning Routine

My doctor advised me of some steps to take in cleaning my dry eyes.

First, he said to wash my face with room-temperature water. I have a mild case of rosacea, so hot water could exacerbate this condition. Cold water would not be productive in keeping the oil in my meibomian glands flowing, so room-temperature water is best for me. Then, he suggested I use Soothe Wipes, which are made by the Toyos Clinic, on my eyelids and lashes.

Needing to clean my lids well

After seeing my doctor for three different intense pulse light (IPL) treatments, my left eye, which is always my worse eye, was feeling very puffy on my top lid – almost like it was still full and clogged with oil.

I explained this to him, and he spent a good amount of time cleaning my lids and lashes very gently. He said that I should make sure all of the dead skin and debris is out of my eye lashes, because demodex mites like to feed on this material, resulting in blepharitis. He even plucked one of my lashes that was caked with debris and showed me under a magnifying glass.

He did mention that the IPL procedure would kill any demodex mites; however, to keep them away, I would need to clean my lids well.

Removing debris

I had been using the Soothe Wipes at home but not thoroughly enough. I needed to get closer to be able to see any debris. He suggested I use a magnification mirror and go between each lash with the wipes to make sure nothing is in my lashes. I found a mirror with a light on it at Bed, Bath, and Beyond that works well for this.

My Xiidra drops often produce a gunky discharge in the inside corners of my eyes, so I make sure to clean my lashes and lids both in the morning and in the evening after using Xiidra. My lashes can also accumulate buildup from using drops throughout the day, so I make sure to clean this away as well.

The wipes are 100% fragrance-, glycol- and paraben-free, and they feel, as the name suggests, soothing to my eyes when I use them. They are somewhat expensive, so I like to cut them in half to get more use out of each single wipe. A half of a wipe is plenty for cleaning just my eyes.

Noticeable improvement

At my next visit a couple of weeks after my improved cleaning routine, my left eye was feeling a lot better: about the same as my right eye. I no longer had a feeling of puffiness in my left lid, and my lashes continue to look clear under my magnification mirror.

Hopefully, this cleaning routine will continue to improve my dry eyes.

What routine do you use for cleaning your eyes?