I want to talk to you about a very important topic.  It's called "Falling Off the Wagon".  Surely, it's happened to all of us. We've all fallen off the wagon from doing something from time to time. 

Whether we're talking about treating our dry eye, being on a diet, or even making our bed in the morning, we've all stopped doing something even though we know it is in our best interest to keep doing it.  Sometimes, we just want to eat the Oreos.  We know that we shouldn't, but we do it anyway. 

The Down Fall:

Maybe you've been doing great with you dry eye treatment.  Your eyes feel so great  that you stopped doing it.  Maybe you stopped for a couple of days, and your eyes didn't feel bad.  Nothing really bad happened.  You start thinking to yourself:

• Do I really need to do my lid scrubs
...

Many of my patients have started asking me about using something using castor oil on their eyelashes.  They want to know if it is safe to use and if it is okay for dry eyes?  Castor oil is used to condition the lashes.  Eyelashes are like other hairs on your body.  They do better when they are conditioned just like the hair on your head.

We coat our eyelashes with mascara all day.  Many mascara brands, especially waterproof formulas, are drying to the lashes.  Then, we remove the mascara, but rarely do we put anything on the lashes to nourish and strengthen them.  This would be like washing your hair without ever using conditioner.  You can imagine how your hair would get dry and brittle.

The same thing happens to our eyelashes.  Coating the lashes with mascara and removing the mascara w...

Sometimes, we get eye infections.  They can seem to come out of no where.  Last week, I had one myself.  I want to tell you five tips to do if you think you've got an eye infection.  These rules apply whether your eyes are dry or not.

Symptoms of an eye infection include: redness, irritation, scratchy sensation, light sensitivity, tearing, and mucus discharge.  In addition, your eye lids may be swollen and painful to the touch.

Infections can be in both eyes at the same time, or just in one eye.  But, be careful, infections can quickly travel from one eye to the other as well.

If you think that there's something going on with your eyes, these five things are going to work for you to help your eye feel better and get relief quick. Here we go.

No. 1) Take your Contact Lenses out

If yo...

I hope that most Americans have gotten into the habit of having their eyes checked once a year.  No matter your age or stage of life, you should be having an annual eye exam.  And, if you are having a problem with your eyes, schedule an appointment to see your eye doctor.

A lot of times, patients come to see me for a very specific reason instead of for their annual eye exam.  They come to see me specifically because they have eyelashes that are turned around and are poking their eyes.

What is Trichiasis?

Trichiasis is the medical term for eyelashes that are misdirected or growing in the wrong direction.  It's a problem that can be annoying at best, is usually painful, and can lead to devastating eye infections in the worst cases.  

When eyelashes grow inward or towards the eye, they ca...

If you suffer from dry eyes, summer can be a tough time of the year because you want to be outdoors.  You want to be enjoying all the things you love about summer, but your eyes are red, irritated, and watering.  Don't let your eyes hold you back this summer.  I've got a couple of great tips for you to ditch that dry eye drama.

1) Protect your Peepers

Protect your eyes.  No matter what time of year it is, always wear sunglasses when you spend time outdoors.   Sunglasses protect the eyes from UV light.  My patients with dry eyes are usually really sensitive to the light as well.  So, it is best to wear sunglasses anytime you are outdoors to decrease the irritation.  For more details about the best sunglasses for dry eyes, check out this blog.

Along with protecting your eyes with sungl...

WooHoo!  We made it to 100 Blogs!  I am so grateful that you are here with me.  We couldn't have done it without you, the readers.  Join me as we review the best posts of the past 100.  Let's dive in...

Most Referenced Blog: 4-Step Dry Eye Relief Plan

There is a 4-step treatment process that I recommended my patients to do at home for the maintenance of healthy eyes and eyelids.  Utilizing these 4 steps is a daily regimen to give your body the support it needs to function properly.  Taking these steps daily will help you to restore and maintain healthy, comfortable eyes and clear vision.

Hydrate, Harmonize, Heat, and Heal: Performing all 4 steps on a daily basis will go a long way in healing your eyes and helping them to stay healthy, happy, and hydrated.  Check out the full post here...

Clean makeup is defined as beauty products that are made without ingredients that will harm human health. I'm sure that over the last couple of weeks, discussing clean makeup has made you curious about it. Because I know you want to have those whiter, brighter-looking eyes.

You're tired of hiding your eyes because they're so red all the time. Plus, you'll do just about anything to diminish wrinkles around your eyes. Now that you're ready to make the switch to using clean makeup, don't fall for these bad habits. 

Even when you're using clean makeup, practicing poor hygiene and poor beauty application techniques can still cause harm to your eyes. There are a few rules to follow that will ensure your eyes remain healthy and wrinkle-free. When using your new clean makeup products. 

#1) No ...

In the last blog, I covered why CLEAN makeup is so important for your eyes and body.  Check out the blog here, if you missed it.   You probably realized the importance of wearing clean makeup.  And, you know that by switching to CLEAN makeup you can prevent both eye irritation and wrinkles!!! 

Now that you're fired up about the importance of using Clean Makeup, let's review the three best clean makeup products for sensitive eyes.  If you feel like your makeup makes your eyes red and irritated, then switching out a few products will be well worth your time. 

I certainly understand how you feel.  Just a few years ago, I was in your shoes too. I was embarrassed that my eye makeup would run down my face by the end of the workday.  I thought, "Who would listen to me as an expert in eye care w...

Most of my patients ask me lots of questions about how to make their eyes look younger.  How can we turn back the clocks and make ourselves look years younger?  Well, if I knew how to do that, I would be lounging on a private island by now.  I don't have a magic wand to wave to erase the effects all those years have had on our bodies.

But, I do know that using Clean Makeup will help decrease the signs of aging around your eyes.  Now I've caught your attention.  It's true, using the average makeup found at the drug store or at the department store counter is filled with toxic ingredients that will increase inflammation of your tissues and increase the signs of aging.

What is CLEAN Makeup?

Clean makeup is defined as beauty products that are made without ingredients shown to harm human hea...

I love taking care of my eyes.  it makes them feel great when I do my daily treatment to them.  Then, I feel great knowing I've done something to help myself look and see my best.  I bet someone in your life loves to do that too.

My holiday gift guide contains all of my favorite products that I use to take care of my eyes on a daily basis. So, you can think about giving them as a gift to a loved one. The first two are brand new products that were just launched this year in 2020.  You can no longer say nothing good came out of this year.

#1) Optase Dry Eye Intense Drops 

I love this artificial tear. It's not like any other artificial tears on the market.  With most artificial tears it feels great at first, but then you feel just as dry as you did before you put it in.  Optase is differe...