Our featured picks

Refresh Optive Mega-3 Eye Drops

Both Tsai and Dr. Alexander Martin, an optometrist and chief medical officer at Eyebot, recommend Refresh’s Optive Mega-3 eye drops. Designed to deliver fast relief, they help lubricate dry, irritated eyes while preventing further evaporation. According to Martin, these artificial tears are especially useful for relieving dry eyes caused by meibomian gland dysfunction because the flaxseed oil in the formula supports the tear film’s outer oil layer. Since these eye drops are preservative-free and formulated without potentially irritating chemicals, they’re ideal for individuals who frequently use eye drops or have very sensitive eyes.

Bausch + Lomb Opcon-A Allergy Relief Eye Drops, 2-Pack

If you have seasonal allergies, these eye drops from Bausch + Lomb may be a suitable option. The combination of antihistamines and naphazoline offers much-needed relief from allergy-related itchiness and dryness. “When my allergies get really bad, I wake up in the middle of the night scratching at my eyes,” CNN Underscored health and fitness editor Summer Cartwright said. “These allergy-relief drops get rid of that itch and provide lubrication to my dry eyes that keeps them calm for long periods of time.”

Systane Nighttime Lubricant Eye Ointment

“If you’re waking up with morning dryness, a thicker ointment formula provides deeper lubrication overnight and makes a real difference in how your eyes feel first thing in the morning,” Tsai said. She recommends Systane’s treatment, which uses mineral oil and petrolatum to lubricate severely dry eyes for nighttime relief. Unlike most options on the market, this product doesn’t come in the form of traditional eye drops. The brand advises applying one-fourth of an inch of ointment to the inside of your eyelids.

Bausch + Lomb Biotrue Hydration Boost Eye Drops

These Bausch + Lomb eye drops are formulated with hyaluronan, electrolytes and antioxidants to mirror your natural tear film, Tsai said. They’re preservative-free, which reduces the risk of further irritation, and safe for contact lens wearers to use, she added. Though many preservative-free eye drops come in single-use sachets, these moisture-boosting drops come in a multidose bottle specially designed to deliver controlled, measured drops while keeping potential contaminants out.

Optase Allegro Eye Drops

Tsai said the inclusion of ectoine, an anti-inflammatory ingredient found in some skin care and eye care products, sets these drops apart from others. “It relieves dry-eye symptoms while also protecting against environmental irritants like pollen and allergens,” she said. It combines with the active ingredient in this product, hydroxyethyl cellulose (a lubricant and viscosity-enhancing substance), to minimize dryness and irritation by supporting your natural tear production and creating a protective barrier.

Bausch + Lomb Soothe XP Eye Drops, 2-Pack

“I’ve dealt with many cases of corneal abrasions over the past 10-plus years, and these moisturizing eye drops were recommended to me by my ophthalmologist for daytime use whenever my eyes feel dry or painful,” CNN Underscored home and gifts editor Amina Lake Patel said. “Now that I’ve mostly got my cornea issues under control, I still use these when I wake up with especially dry eyes.” While some artificial tears only lubricate dry eyes, these restore the eye’s outer lipid layer, so it locks in moisture better.

Refresh Contacts Contact Lens Comfort Drops

If you wear contact lenses like Cartwright, these drops offer relief from mild cases of dryness and irritation. “These are great at refreshing my dry contacts at the end of the day,” she said. “They don’t blur my contacts like other drops I’ve tried, and they rehydrate them well without leaving my eyes goopy.” Since these drops can be applied with your lenses in, you don’t have to worry about taking your contacts out before use. If you plan on applying the treatment directly to your contacts before popping them in, the brand recommends adding one to two drops to both sides.

iVizia Sterile Lubricant Eye Drops

These preservative-free iVizia eye drops feature a combination of hyaluronic acid and plant-based sugar trehalose, which Martin said hydrates and protects the front part of the eye from irritants. “The multi-dose bottle uses a sterile delivery system, making it more convenient (and less wasteful) than traditional vials,” he said. They offer up to eight hours of relief, are contact lens-friendly and can be used for up to three months after opening.

Optase Hylo Relief Eye Drops

Martin recommends the Optase Hylo Relief eye drops for those with mild to moderate dryness. “The active lubricant is glycerin, but the standout ingredient is high-molecular-weight sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid), which binds water and forms a stable, long-lasting layer over the ocular surface,” Martin said. The generous 10-milliliter bottle dispenses 300 drops, so you can combat eye irritation without having to restock constantly.

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Rachel Dennis is an associate lifestyle editor at CNN Underscored. She oversees the site’s celebrity column, The Essentials, and contributes to lifestyle coverage through roundups and one-off reviews. You can find her watching Lifetime movies, brushing up on her music skills or playing video games.

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