★★★★★
I was reading about this condition and it seems like it is in the eczema "family" of ailments, some people call it "eyelid eczema". I remember this pine tar shampoo I have used in the past that advertises that it is for dandruff, psoriasis, etc. and it helped me to come up with a good chemical-free protocol for this condition, I believe. I have also upped my intake of omega 3's internally.
This has been working really well: I do this at least 3x per day. Once upon waking, sometime in the middle of the day or after work, and once before bed. I wash my hands really well before doing this. I keep all of these items in a small plastic tub and just pull it out when I need it.
Item list:
pine tar shampoo, shot glass, washcloth, sterile gauze pads or cotton balls, 10 or 15ppm colloidal silver, coconut honey balm(equal parts manuka honey and virgin coconut oil heated gently and mixed thoroughly together, they come together as they cool)
-I first dilute a bit of pine tar shampoo in hot water in a shot glass and use one corner of a washcloth to gently scrub my eyelids with it, keeping them tightly closed. (sometimes the crusty skin will flake off, this is good.)
-I then use another corner of the washcloth to rinse with warm water and gently scrub them. I pat them dry with a dry part of the cloth.
-I use sterile cotton balls or gauze to dab them gently with 10ppm colloidal silver. I let them air dry.
-Then I treat them with a thin layer of a mix of equal parts manuka honey and virgin coconut oil (I tried manuka honey on its own, but my eyelids felt too sticky. I tried coconut oil on its own, but it would drip into my eye and it felt uncomfortable for all day. The combo seems to keep the stuff right where you need it, and not as sticky.)
I have never had this condition before and I send blessings to anyone who has it. I hope you find relief using something on this site, whether it is my remedy or another one. I am so thankful for this forum! Love and peace to all of you.
Baby Shampoo
Another easy solution instead of baby shampoo and a lot cheaper than climates products.
Purchase Garnier Micellar water from drugstore, you cannot remove the top FYI. Add two drops of lavender essential oil, two drops tea tea oil at the top dispensing hole. Close top and shake to disperse. Use with cotton pads several times a day and especially at night time.
This will cleanse the eyelids and lash line and it's easier than baby shampoo.
Older people get demodex mites. Everyone has them by the way!
You must be religious keeping eye are clean with above for at least 6 weeks as there is a life cycle with the eye mites.
See post regarding washing laundry with borax.
Diet! Eliminate dairy. I was using heavy cream for coffee and this made the eye mites happy.
Sea Salt and Coconut Oil
★★★★★
I'd been thinking about real, natural salt without additives being a great cure-all, and I wanted to try this on my condition. At this point, I was willing to try anything.
I dissolved a teaspoon of Sea Salt in a cup of lukewarm distilled water, and used this as an eye bath. At first, I did it 3 times a day. After about 5 days, I reduced that to twice a day, and then after several more days I noticed I'd forgotten to do the eye bath in the morning. My eyes were 90% itch-, redness-, and tear-free! The eye bath burns a little, but not bad. It's just like swimming in the ocean. ;)
This morning I did the eye bath again 'cause I felt some itching, and it quickly made it go away. By the way, this is important: after the salt water eye bath, I let my eyes dry for a few minutes and then apply VIRGIN COCONUT OIL to my upper and lower inner eyelids. I simply dip a Q-tip in the coconut oil, let the excess drip, and swab my lids gently. I only use 1 Q-tip for both eyes (one end per eye). It makes your vision blurred for about 15 minutes, and then you see clearly again.
As a side effect, I also found that my eyelashes had become freakishly long! I believe it's the coconut oil that's responsible for this.
At present, I would say my blepharitis is under control with the salt water eye bath and coconut oil method. Try it--it might work for you!
★★★★★
Honey
★★★★★
★★★★★
Do you have allergies to dust, outdoors, grass, pollen etc.-- meaning airborne allergies? You should see if that is the cause. I have had airborne allergies all my life and then about 3 years ago I developed blepharitis in both eyes, which was due to my allergies. My eyes were burning, peeling, crusty, wrinkly and made my eyes droop. It was horrible! I tried castor oil, that made it worse for me. I kept changing out washcloths and even put frozen foods on them hoping it would help the burning, but it didn't. I also used an eyewash they sell at the drugstore, but that didn't matter either. Somehow I finally stumbled on MSM pills and after 3 days I was better. I bought MSM pills (it's the sulfur content) from CVS (1000mg per capsule), took 2 capsules 3 times a day, and that helped completely-- no more burning eyes! And then for the crusty, flaky, droopy part, I just used Cetaphil face lotion, just something really moisturizing, and really piled it on at night, and that took care of that. After about a month or two, I reduced my dosage to 2 capsules 1 time a day. I still take this dose today everyday on an empty stomach in the morning with some water and it keeps my blepharitis away. If for some reason I don't take it for a few days, my eyes start to feel the burn. Also, I had read that MSM and Vitamin C works well when taken together, but this wasn't so for me. For some reason for me, the Vitamin C canceled out the effects of the MSM, and made my eyes burn again. So I suggest that you take the MSM on an empty stomach with water, and not with orange juice or any kind of Vitamin C. Good luck!
Demodex Mites
★★★★★
Here is a good article on the matter:
https://eyesoneyecare.com/resources/the-ultimate-guide-to-demodex-blepharitis/
Solution:
Dessert Essense Tea Tree Oil Fish Wash 1-2x a day on face around eyelashes (keep eyes closed) and other hair places on face like eye brows. Mites will live there too!
For the first few weeks - wipe eyes 3-4 x a day with Wet ones wipes - YOU MUST GET THE ONES WITH Benzalkonium Chloride - dont use long term, but will help kill the mites (the red pack wet ones have as not all wet ones have this in them)
Another wipe to use on the daily and great to travel with is - NOVEHA tea tree oil eyelid and lash wipes https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0912S6DXW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I use these 2-3 x a day and again easy to take to work, travel and use anywhere
Change out pillow cover every 2-3 days
Wash your dog with Mite shampoo killer 1-2x a week
Do a search on the internet on Blepharitis, Demodex mites and you will see some forums that really go into it and more solutions. If you dont kill the mites (or subdue them as we all have the mites) you will keep getting itchy eyes, crust when you wake up and worse, ... styes!!!
Tea Tree Oil, Baby Shampoo
★★★★★
I made this for my Aunt (86) to treat her blepharitis and got great results. I have also used pine turpentine gum spirits (Diamond G Brand) diluted down to 1% on myself with good results too.
You will need:
- Tea tree oil (USP grade)
- Baby shampoo (hypoallergenic, no tears)
- Travel-size bottle
Instructions:
* Rinse and clean travel-size bottle
* Insert 1 part tea tree oil to 3 parts baby shampoo
* Gently shake the bottle to blend the oil and shampoo
* Scrub affected eyelid margins for 20 seconds
* Rinse eyelids with warm water. Please ensure the treatment is completely rinsed from lids
* Repeat treatment every day (I do it in the shower) for the next 30 days for good results.
Hand Wipes
You will feel itchy most often at same time at night. Close eyes and wipe. Apply diluted tea tree oil 30 70 along eyelash base. Just a little is effective. Test dilution as tea tree oil is strong. Tea tree, lavender are good for mites. Peppermint is too strong!
Apple Cider Vinegar
.
Borax and Peroxide
Borax and Peroxide
Update after many years I moved through Zinc Pyrithione as an adjunct realizing that my Rosacea was also Dermatisis of sorts.
However now I have discovered the ultimate maintenence Treatment: Zinc Oxide applied at night as a Face Cream. I get the most 'natural' without any addition ingredients that you can find highest SPF Sun Screen. I discovered this accidentally during tha pandemic when the Mask would cover my face so I left a layer of Beach Clown Zinc Oxide on my Face all day. I find this so amazingly soothing for my Skin. I haven't used Cortisone even as an emergency in years. I do try to get it out of my eyes though. IT does tend to migrate while sleeping!
Borax and Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is commonly used for eyelid trauma debridement and can effectively inhibit bacteria, especially anaerobic bacteria. Contaminated and infected wounds should be flushed using 3% hydrogen peroxide solution before eluting with saline to thoroughly remove dirt and foreign bodies from the wound. Hydrogen peroxide can cause keratoconjunctival injury; thus, it should be avoided on entering the ocular surface during use.
Eyelid cleaning: Methods, tools, and clinical applications Indian Journal of Ophthalmology 71(12):p 3607-3614, December 2023.
Source: https://journals.lww.com/ijo/fulltext/2023/71120/eyelid_cleaning__methods, _tools, _and_clinical.7.aspx
Multiple Remedies
★★★★★
Okay first up,
I would like to say, if you have dry eye symptoms - check them out with a optometrist asap! (it could prevent a whole host of issues from developing - I didn't because I live remotely so couldn't and the doctors said "it was nothing", so I trusted, but I dearly wish I had acted then, now!)
About me: 45, female, genrally very healthy. I experienced dry eyes on occasion through out my life- then I moved to a climate where aircon is required almost all the time and started seriously getting dry eyes after a few years, then came the lumps and now the blepharitis...
Secondly I have not used this Warm Compress method yet, but as someone experiencing all the listed issues I have tried many many types of compresses and treatments with little success and really felt very in the in the dark about how to make a compress effective.
Then I came across this link from an optometry site and just had to share!
Lastly I have also just started using this product which feels amazing and is natural! (yes it will sting - but as I have been putting straight honey in my eyes prior, it is fine to me ;)
Manuka Honey Antibacterial Gel (you can find it on ebay)
I have also discovered there could be a hormonal link that isn't being addressed - so here is the info in case it can help you.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12114274
Kindest regards,
G
Manuka Honey
★★★★★
Honey
Histamine Allergies
★★★★★
Castor Oil
Antifungal
thank you,
Patsy
Eucalyptus and Lemongrass
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
Chenapodium or Epazote, one capsule in the morning on an empty stomach, or as a tea, for five days of the month.
The second is Cistus Incanus tea or Rockrose tea. Taken as a tea or iced tea, it is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti mold and yeast and a biofilm breaker. It's working for me so thought I would share.
God bless.
I guess it isn't known if the baby shampoo or tea tree oil are causing the reaction. It could be the chemicals in the baby shampoo. My daughter has skin outbreaks if she uses the wrong shampoo. For that reason, I would hesitate to use baby wipes which often have chemicals in them which can cause skin reactions. (I had to make home made baby wipes for one of my children because of sensitive skin issues.)
Perhaps you would consider the honey? It is healing to skin and 100% pure. A local honey in a glass jar would be ideal.
I also really like castor oil for skin issues. It is quite nourishing to dry skin.
You might check out Earth Clinic's pages on perioral dermatitis, as perhaps that is what you are dealing with and the remedies may be helpful either way.
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/perioral-dermatitis.html
~Mama to Many~
Baby Shampoo
Also, I use baby shampoo and not the typical brand. I make sure it is free of red dye. BB's.
Borax and Peroxide
★★★★★
I added borax to peroxide until saturated and added to a spray bottle.
I kept my eyes closed when misting and, after waiting a minute or two, blinked to just let the tiniest amount into my eyes. It stung a lot! Even more than diluted tea tree oil or ACV. I repeated the misting several times on the first day.
By the second day the red, rough eczema I had around my eyes was healing. It was lighter in color and no longer scaly. My eyes didn't itch, so I used the Borax & Peroxide spray 2 or 3 times but avoided getting any in my eyes.
Today is the third day since I started the Borax & Peroxide spray and I haven't felt the need to use it at all today. There is no itching and my skin is continuing to heal. I'm using a salve (cocoa butter & beeswax) to help heal my skin and wiping my lash line with micellar water with a few drops of tea tree oil added.
So, I would say this is very effective but if your blepharitis is severe like mine was, it is also very intense! It stung my skin where I had eczema and it stung my eyes so much that I made sure I was sitting down and had a towel handy in case I couldn't handle it.
I wonder if it would work just as well if you could keep your eye closed tight or add a lesser amount of borax to peroxide. I would recommend being gentle and taking it slow, especially if your blepharitis is severe.
Multiple Remedies
★★★★★
I first tried vinegar and water, nasal salt rinses etc and nothing was soothing my eye lids. Then I tried honey and due to its natural antibacterial properties as well as being very nourishing and healing, I got relief. But here's ultimately what worked -
Get cystane eye wipes and cystane high performance eye drops from the pharmacy.
Also get baby wipes that are (and this is key) parfum or scent free, sensitive, non-alcohol, non-chlorine. Wipe and cleanse the eyes. Then take medical grade vitamin A & E oil that you can find in a health food store.
Combine that oil with a couple of drops of tea tree oil. Massage all over face. Watch as your skin thanks you and you finally find ultimate relief and a preventive measure that will keep another reoccuring infection at bay. Continue even after the rash is gone to add the vitamin A&E oil into your moisturizer to build up the eye lids and keep them strong.
Finally, keep a bottle of nizoral on hand. Most people get this because they have a slight to major dandruff issue by producing too much cebum and the flakes are actually fungus and can cause infection. Even now and then, you have to cleanse your scalp if you're prone to this. As it is a fungus and not a bacteria based infection, please do not get prescriptions of antibiotics from your doctor. All you are doing is killing the good and bad bacteria in your gut and compromising your immune system further.
Get your rest. Go to bed early. And another thing I did was I threw out all my makeup and washed and cleansed all my makeup brushes. Bacteria and fungus can linger in those products and brushes wish can also cause this. Do a thorough clean-up.
Multiple Remedies
I've had great results using a tea tree pad along the lid margins ever so gently, but I also use this pad on my entire face giving extra attention to the brows and nasal creases. I always do a final rinse with saline water around the eyes as chlorinated water is not good with this condition and may even be the cause by damaging the oil glands. I use a clean bath cloth on which I squirt saline water and nuke for twenty seconds twice daily. Over top of this I place an eye mask. But please make sure you are not reinfecting by considering the above suggestions. I hope someone is helped by this.
Doxycycline
Doxycycline
Manuka Honey
★★★★★
Honey
I've had blepharitis for a few years now. When I was first diagnosed the symptoms were bad and of course my nurse wanted to put me on medication. I don't believe in conventional medicine unless necessary and prefer natural remedies. So I never really tried doing anything about it other than polysporin. It didn't work but I didn't realize it can be a chronic condition. It seemed to improve on it's own.
The only thing I do is use sunflower oil to remove make-up. Maybe it helps. But when it flares up it's embarassing, so I wanted to find natural cures. You guys have a lot of good tips! It's great to share info and your own success stories. I'm definately trying some raw honey. I don't know if I can get the other honey mentioned.
Also just one tip- my mom thinks it's better to heal your body from the inside out. I've seen another tip about taking omega 3 fatty acid supplement. I would say it's better to simply include more food in your diet that's rich in this nutrient. I hope this may help.
Shea Butter
★★★★★
I began using the oil cleansing method (look it up - it's awesome) to wash my face at night. I have a few different mixtures that I use. Mostly my cleansers are comprised of 20% cold-pressed castor oil to 80% other oil (I interchange almond oil, olive oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, etc). Contrary to what you may think, this really cleanses the face well (the blackheads on my nose are no longer visible to me), but it didn't do anything for my blepharitis.
I then began experimenting with different moisturizers to use after oil-cleansing my face. I started with one type of oil like coconut or olive and while they were good for my overall facial skin - they weren't healing my dry patch which by this point had actually extended into the corner of my eye and was causing a painful little split in my skin (not fun! ). Then one day a friend gave me a moisturizer that she had made. She had whipped together (literally, in a bowl with a mixer) shea butter, coconut oil, and almond oil. The texture of this stuff is AMAZING. I actually even use it as my oil cleanser sometimes. For the first time I could tell that although the patch wasn't healing - it was being soothed. This was the first time I've ever used shea butter and because I'm insanely inquisitive - I decided to do some research. I found tons of info where people vouched that shea really helped many of their flaky, irritated, dry skin issues. I decided to give it a try and I am so glad that I did!! I got online and ordered 100% unrefined organic shea butter; grade A; ivory color. I was able to get 1 pound (16 ounces) of the stuff for $15.99 (and I got a free ebook with body butter recipes which is handy trying to go all natural). I began using the shea butter immediately. I didn't mix or whip it with anything else - just the pure shea! I used a spoon to scrape some off of the block (mine came in a 1lb bar) and then I rubbed it between my forefinger and thumb for a minute just to make it more malleable, then I massaged it into the scaly spot on my eyelid and all around my eye. I did this several times throughout the day. By the 4th day of my new routine with the shea - my blepharitis is gone again!!! The sore crack in the corner of my eye is completely healed and my eyelid looks normal again! I am so happy to have found something that works again and I hope this helps someone else find relief as well.
