The Best of 2020
I know what a lot of you are thinking. How could anything good have come out of 2020? And, I totally get where you are coming from. But, I am a glass-half-full kind of gal, and I implore you to take a hard look back at the year and find what you can truly be grateful for.
It has been a difficult year for everyone on the planet. No one was spared heartache this year. I would like to take a moment to recollect the best things that have happened in the world of Dry Eye this year.
Best New Products
This year, two companies brought new products to the U.S. Dry Eye market. Their products are amazing. I couldn't be happier to be able to get my hands on them here.
This company was founded by a small group of dry eye experts who are active in dry eye research and education. They are committed to building awareness for next-generation eye wellness. Their products are clinically tested and formulated based on hard science. They have eliminated all toxic ingredients found in mainstream cosmetics and skincare.
I particularly love their mascara for 3 main reasons:
1) It is nice and dark. It looks great on my lashes, and the mascara lasts all day. It doesn't flake off or melt away.
2) It is formulated with oils that nourish the hair follicles. And, it does not contain fragrance, phthalates, parabens, gluten, or GMOs. The formulation is creamy and does not clump. Feel free to apply extra coats for more volume. This mascara does not flake off or dry the lash itself.
3) It is packaged as a set of three mini mascaras. This packaging is intentionally designed to help minimize contamination and bacteria build-up. With traditional mascara, bacteria can contaminate the tube by overuse of the same mascara wand over long periods of time.
Throwing out the mini mascara each month assures you are always using a clean and uncontaminated product. Trust me, your eyes will thank you.
Is a family-run business with offices in New York, London, and Dublin. Their mission is to provide high quality, innovative products that deliver the best outcomes for both patients and Eye Doctors. They launched the OPTASE® brand and the HEAT - CLEANSE - HYDRATE dry eye regimen to the United States.
You can see why I love Optase. Their HEAT - CLEANSE - HYDRATE dry eye regimen is in alignment with the 4-Simple Steps I advocate for daily dry eye relief. If you don't remember the system I'm referring to, be sure to check out this blog for a step-by-step run-through of the best daily system to alleviate your dry eye symptoms.
The product that Scope has brought to the United States that I am so in love with is Optase Dry Eye INTENSE Drops. This advanced formula drop creates a water-rich shield that protects the surface of the eye.
The drop works with your natural tears by binding the water in your tears to the surface of your eye. This reduces the number of tears that evaporate into your environment and increases your comfort.
Finally, the artificial-tear is dispensed from a bottle but does not contain preservatives. It is easy to carry with you on the go and can be used as often as you desire.
Best New Medications
There were two medications that made their appearance on the market this year. One had already been available but is now available without a prescription. The second is totally new to the dry eye treatment armamentarium.
Like I said, this one you may have already heard of. However, in February of 2020, this allergy medication made its way to the pharmacy shelves as an over the counter treatment.
Pataday is a once a day drop that contains both an anti-histamine and a mast-cell stabilizer. It has been around as a prescription medication for many years. It is definitely a patient favorite not only because of its convenient dosing but also because it works quickly and effectively.
The drop alleviates symptoms of itching and watering in about 3 minutes time. It only needs to be dosed once a day because the medication works for 16 hours. I recommend using Pataday in the mornings during your allergy season.
The drop works quickly to reduce your allergy symptoms using the antihistamine. and, it continues to work long-term with the mast cell-stabilizer to calm the release of histamines over a longer period of time. Be sure to wait at least 10 minutes after using this drop before inserting contact lenses.
Eysuvis is a prescription medication that just made it to the dry eye space this month. A few offices around the country have been given samples of this medication to treat our patients.
This drop is to be used as needed to treat dry eye flares. This may be the case for you if you normally do well with your dry eye treatment but every now and then get an increase in symptoms.
Maybe your dry eye symptoms worsen during the winter when the air is particularly dry. Maybe they get worse when you wear your contact lenses too many hours a day or too many days in a row. These are the times when Eysuvis may be the best drop to soothe your eyes again.
This drop is a prescription medication. It will not be available over the counter. I feel that it will be a great addition to the products we currently have to treat dry eyes.
Best Guides for Dry Eyes
The shifts in our daily lives caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many disruptions in our life. From wearing masks any time we leave our homes to spending more time on our digital devices than we have ever spent before.
From ordering groceries to virtual school to socializing with friends, everything is done online these days. This means most of us are spending extra hours on our digital devices. Not knowing how to set up your computer workstation for your best eye health can wreak havoc on your eyes and your body long term.
At the beginning of our mandatory shelter in place orders, I put together a guide to help my patients manage this increase in digital device use. I hope you find it helpful as well. Check it out here.
Once we were back at work and interacting in public more, we all needed to wear masks. These masks have caused a new problem for those of us who already struggle with dry eyes.
Symptoms of eye dryness and irritation while wearing a mask became so prevalent, that there were scientific papers written about it. Thus MADE, Mask Associated Dry Eye, was born. You can read about it and how to reduce your symptoms in this guide here.
Best Articles
This year, I aimed to give my readers clear step-by-step instructions on how to alleviate their dry eye symptoms. I think these 3 articles really walked you through some important treatments for dry eye.
- 3 Pillars of a Holistic Dry Eye Relief Plan
- 4 Steps to Dry Eye Relief
- 7 Ways to Alleviate Digital Eye Strain
CONCLUSION
I know this year has been hard for most of us. But, let's not hasten to forget it. Take this time to reflect on the good things that happened this year too. Maybe you used some of the tips I have shared with you this year and your dry eyes are feeling better. I'd love to hear all about it.
Happy New Year!! Let's see what we can do in 2021!
