AD – GIFTED | As a blogger and freelancer I spend the majority of my day working from home and glued to my laptop. This is far from a healthy lifestyle, both in terms of sitting down for hours at a time, and staring at a screen. And an unwelcome side effect of too much screen work is dry eyes. So when OPTASE * asked if I’d like to try their new range of eye care products, I said “yes, please” immediately. So, how did I get on?
OPTASE
OPTASE, managed by Scope Ophthalmics, have a range of products designed to provide relief from ‘gritty’, dry and irritated eyes. They’ve recently developed an innovative three-step Heat, Cleanse, Hydrate regime which is recommended for twice daily use, and it’s this that I’ve been trialling.
Heat – OPTASE Eye Mask
The OPTASE MoistHeat Mask – how to use it? The OPTASE eye mask* is designed to give effective relief from dry eyes and other eye disorders. It features HydroBead™ Technology, which apparently both absorbs moisture from the air and releases a natural, constant moist heat.
The OPTASE eye mask instructions say to take your mask out of its protective pouch and heat it in the microwave for 25 seconds (or 15 seconds in our 900-watt microwave). Then sit back and relax with the mask on your closed eyes for 10 minutes. The Moist Heat Therapy stimulates the production of the eye’s natural oils and helps prevent the evaporation of natural tear film.
I rarely – if ever – just sit and do nothing for any length of time so I was looking forward to this. The mask was pleasantly warm but I did find it a little heavy on my closed lids and had to keep repositioning it for comfort.
When I took it off after 10 minutes, in line with other OPTASE heat mask reviews, I found my vision was extremely blurry, but this only lasted for a couple of minutes. (I experience the same when I go for my LVL lash treatments and pads are placed over my eyelids to keep them closed, so I wasn’t too worried).
Click here to buy the OPTASE Moist Heat Mask right now on Amazon*
Cleanse – OPTASE Lid Wipes
The next step is to use the OPTASE Lid Wipes* which are preservative free and contain Tea Tree Oil, Camomile, Aloe Vera, and Hyaluronic Acid. Tea Tree Oil is a natural ingredient with known anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Camomile and Aloe Vera both help to hydrate and soothe, and the Hyaluronic Acid moisturises the eyelids to help improve eyelid elasticity.
You use one wipe per eye and wrap them around your finger, sweeping them gently over each lid and under the lower rims. I loved everything about these eyelid wipes. They smell wonderful and feel so soothing and moisturising. I’d happily use them twice a day every day just for how they feel, never mind how beneficial they are.
Read real reviews about the OPTASE Lid Wipes right now on Amazon*
Hydrate – OPTASE Eye Spray
The last step in the regime is to spray the OPTASE Eye Spray* on closed lids to help prevent dry eyes. It contains Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil and Hyaluronic Acid to moisturise and soothe the eyes and eyelids. The good news is that it’s suitable for contact lens wearers and it’s both alcohol and preservative free too. The dispenser keeps the spray sterile and it should last for up to three months, depending on how often you use it.
I’ve used eye sprays before but they’ve never worked particularly well for me. But this OPTASE dry eye spray delivered great refreshment which seemed to last quite a while, so I’m impressed. That said, it does come out in a burst rather than a gentle spray so be warned if you want to keep it in your make up bag for use throughout the day – I’d say waterproof make up would be a must!
See the latest pricing for the OPTASE Eye Spray on Amazon*
OPTASE review – are they all worth it?
I’ve enjoyed trialling these products, especially the OPTASE lid wipes and the OPTASE dry eye spray. The OPTASE hydrobead eye mask was a little too heavy for me though. Although OPTASE recommend using their regime twice daily, in practice I think once a day has worked better for me.
But they’ve been a welcome addition to my eye care routine, which has been sadly neglected of late. I’ve even had to swap my contact lenses for glasses when I work because my eyes get so sore otherwise. My optician says it’s something to do with a reduced blink rate when you stare at a screen, which in turn results in a less lipid tear film and moisture generation. Or, in layman’s terms, dry, gritty, sore eyes.
Tip: if you suffer from hayfever-related sore eyes, then the OPTASE products would be fabulous!
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my job and the flexibility it affords me. But knowing the amount of time so many bloggers and freelancers spend in front of a screen, it makes sense to adopt healthy habits and practice proper eye care, don’t you think? Rather alarmingly, over 2 million people are affected by sight loss in the UK (according to the RNIB). With that in mind, what steps do you take for the wellbeing of your eyes on a day to day basis?
* This post features gifted items and affiliate links (please see my Disclaimer), but all opinions are my own.
I feel like these products gave you a good excuse to practice a bit of self-care ? Which I love! They sound really good, though, and it’s true more of us need to take better care of our eyes. It’s actually not really an area I give much thought to in terms of care. Need to work on that! Great post and gorgeous pictures, Lisa! xx
You are absolutely right, I did have to practice some self-care, all in the name of my blog, haha! Seriously though, I did enjoy using the wipes and the spray, I think they have made a difference, especially when I’m in front of my screen xx
These sound great. I also have sensitive eyes and the PC doesn’t help.
Jennifer
Screen work is the worst, it’s so drying!
These sound really good. I work in a office where I’m at a computer for around 7 hours a day then I come home and look at a screen some more! I dread to think what it’s doing to my eyes. I’ll have to give this a try.
Thay are really good, I was very impressed. Well worth a try! Xx
This is a really interesting post Lisa! I never even knew these kinda products were available. The Moist Heat Therapy sounds very smart and a nice way to sit back and relax for 10 minutes. I’m glad the blurry vision didn’t last long! Ooh the Lid Wipes sounds so cooling and refreshing, perfect after a day staring at the screen. The burst of spray sounds like it’s both refreshing and a great way to wake yourself up if you are sleepy. Thanks for sharing lovely, need to keep an eye out for these (pun very much intended) <3 xx
Oh, I LOVE your puns, haha! I didn’t know about this treatment either but I’m very glad I’ve tried it. It’s so soothing, just what you need after a day in front if a laptop. Let me know if you try it too! Xx
I love the sound of all of these! Staring at a screen most of the time really does call for some eye care, I need to invest in some of these as I think I need it haha my eyes are always tired looking and sore. I really love the sound of moistheat mask, that would be my favourite of the lot (although I do like the sound of the eye spray) but I love anything that’s related to heat haha.
Jordanne || Thelifeofaglasgowgirl.co.uk
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised, although I did find the mask a little heavy. But the wipes and spray (which is still going) were and are fab, well worth trying! xx
This sounds like a really useful product! I wear glasses and find that my eyes get dry and itchy very quickly, especially when I am stressed. It sounds like a great product but I agree, i’d probably use it once a day as sometimes it can be a little too much!
Em x
https://www.loveemblog.com/2020/05/meet-business-naturally-wrapt.html
It’s a great product but everything in moderation, and I did find the mask a little too much. It’s also good for hay fever, I found! x