Why Daily Eyelid Hygiene is Essential

The Reasons Why Our Eyelids Are Important

Our eyelids, intricate and delicate, are pivotal to our eyesight and ocular health. The eyelid muscles tirelessly help us blink about 10,000 times per day, every day! The skin above the muscle is thin and highly vascularized to help support the critical anatomic structures that maintain ocular function and well-being. The lashes filter particles from the environment around the eyes. Several dozen oil glands called meibomian glands on the upper and lower eyelids secrete the oil needed for our tears to coat the surface of the eye and cornea. Our eyelids undergo daily stress, and with each passing minute, dirt, bacteria, and debris accumulate and form a layer of what’s called biofilm, like tartar on our teeth. This microscopic biofilm layer can accumulate to induce inflammation and infection to cause various eye problems such as blepharitis, meibomian gland dysfunction, corneal ulcers, and styes. Any of these conditions can lead to permanent damage and even loss of vision.

 

Unfortunately, very few of us properly “brush” or clean our eyelids properly or daily. Maintaining ocular health and clear vision takes BOTH Daily and Proper eyelid hygiene.

 

The Role of Regular Eyelid Cleansing

Like brushing our teeth or washing our faces, cleaning our eyelids should be part of our daily hygiene routine. Regular eyelid cleansing helps to remove any debris, oil, and bacteria that have accumulated on your eyelids throughout the day. As we age, our eyelids become prone to infestation with a mite called Demodex that can further harm our eyes.

 

Because our eyelids are fragile and delicate, using a gentle cleanser that does not cause redness, swelling, or burning is essential. We also need to avoid vigorous scrubbing that can mechanically damage our eyelids. The ideal cleanser should be able to penetrate through the biofilm to gently lift it away without causing damage or irritation to our eyes.

 

All Zocular products have the Zokrex technology with activated okra complex in micellar bodies that can break through the biofilm to lift it away from the lid margin gently. On top of this, okra has been shown to be just as effective as tea tree oil against Demodex mites but without the harshness or irritation associated with tea tree oil at the concentration necessary to address Demodex 1.

 

Proper eyelid cleaning starts at the correct location - at our eyelid margin and not on the skin of the eyelid. Use quick but light lateral motion across the lash line to “brush” the lid margin area for 10-15 seconds with a foam or a wipe. For our ZocuShield gel, use only a small dot of gel and spread the gel across the lash line with the eyelids closed. Scrub horizontally across the lash line for about 10 seconds, with several blinks in between, to allow the gel to coat the lower eyelid.

There’s no need to rinse off afterward with ZocuShield gel or ZocuWipe. For ZocuFoam, leave the foam on the closed eyelids for 30-45 seconds after the scrubbing to allow it to penetrate. 

 

Watch the video below to see how to apply ZocuFoam and ZocuShield:

 

How to Use ZocuFoam

How to Use ZocuShield

 

With Zocular, there’s no need to resort to harsh mechanical techniques or products to care for our lids daily. It takes less than a minute to optimize our ocular health and maintain clear, beautiful vision!

1.     Liu W, Gong L. Anti-demodectic effects of okra eyelid patch in Demodex blepharitis compared with tea tree oil. Exp Ther Med. 2021 Apr;21(4):338.