A sight for sore eyes! (Optrex Eye Lotion)

Member Name: Sue Hoskinson

Product:	Optrex Eye Lotion
Date:	11/06/02 (1025 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Simple to use, works quickly

Disadvantages: none really

Summer colds and sinus problems can be so difficult to deal with, can't they?
I woke up last Bank Holiday Monday with what I thought was the worst eye infection I'd had since my teens. My doctor was unavailable and so was the optician, which left me in a very uncomfortable state.
After a few hours of suffering my husband decided that we ought to go to Tescos and see if we could get something that would at least relieve my discomfort and that's how I ended up trying Optrex eye lotion.

Optrex is an associate company of Crookes Healthcare and is based in Nottingham, just in case you wondered!

The packaging is blue and white with the Optrex logo being quite prominently printed on three sides of the box. All the usage instructions are printed quite clearly here too.
The bottle itself is made from clear glass and looks quite dumpy in shape (I know, bad description but I can't think of any other word to describe it). There is also a blue eye bath supplied with the lotion.

Okay, so did I have any problem using it? Well no, actually, it's incredibly easy!

The most important instruction is to sterilize the eye bath before using it by boiling it first. Once the bath is cooled, fill it until its one third full and follow the instructions!

Oh, you'd like me to tell you about the instructions?

Well if you tip your head forward slightly and place the eye bath over your eye - remembering to keep the eye open - then tip your head back a little and gently rock your head from side to side so that the whole eye area is washed. Throw out the lotion once you've completely washed your eye. I found it best to do over the sink just in case it spilled but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it didn't. The eye bath is shaped so that it fits quite well around the whole area.
After you've done one eye you must remember to sterilize the eye bath again before doing the seco
nd one - you don't want to transfer anything nasty, do you!

So what are the ingredients?

The active ingredient is Hamamelis Virginiana, which is Distilled Witch Hazel BPC 13% v/v. This has a mildly astringent effect to bring fast effective relief to minor eye irritations.
The other ingredients are:
Purified Water
Boric Acid
Borax
Benzalkonium Chloride

According to the packaging some people may have allergic reactions to some of the ingredients and if you're concerned about the effects of the lotion then you should consult your doctor, pharmacist or optician.

It does have an expiry date that is printed on the lid of the box although I had to look very carefully to find it! They also recommend that you discard any unused lotion after three months once the bottle has been opened.

There are all the usual warnings about accidental swallowing and what to do but the bit I found most useful was the warning about contact lenses. You shouldn't use the lotion whilst or shortly before wearing soft contact lenses. I found it best to use just before bed so that my eyes had plenty of time to rest!

So, did it work?

A resounding yes it did, for me anyway! It turned out that my 'eye infection' was in fact a prelude to a nasty summer sinus attack accompanied by a cold too.
After just three days the lotion made my eyes felt cool and refreshed and it really helped clear up the stickiness.
It's nice to know that some products really do what they say on the box and from now onwards I'll make sure that I always have a fresh bottle on hand.

Ooh, I almost forgot, the Optrex comes in a 110ml bottle and I paid 3.49 in Tescos although I'm sure the price will vary depending on where you shop.

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