Ingredients mean everything when it comes to the high maintenance needs of the eyes. There are so many details to consider when we formulate new products from We Love Eyes. We think about the layers of the tear film, the various glands that orchestrate clear and comfortable vision but that are also prone to damage and/or infection, eyelash follicles, eyelashes, the eyelids, eyelid margins, the conjunctiva, the cornea, blood vessels, epithelium, the blink, pollution, makeup, blue light from devices . . . just to name a few.
All of WE LOVE EYES products do not have the following ingredients.
MY EYE FOCUSED DIRTY LIST No retinol. Shown to damage the meibomian gland epithelium which impairs oil and tear function; may cause meibomian gland dysfunction and/or dry eye syndrome. As a precaution, I have all of my patients avoid retinol on the face as it can absorb and migrate into the meibomian glands.
No phenoxyethanol. I'm currently working on a leave on formula for a future product and thought I'd put this to task. One bottle contained 1% phenoxyethanol and the other contained 1% of a natural preservative. It was interesting to note that the eye with the 1% phenoxyethanol felt a foreign body sensation all day. Over time the eye felt irritated and more dry than the other. The jury is still out, but I’m personally not a fan of this preservative for eye care.
No CBD. There are studies that may or may not suggest that CBD may or may not increase eye pressure. I know, super vague and iffy – but until I know that CBD definitely does not alter eye pressure, my patients are restricted from using CBD products around their eyes or face.
No BAK. Benzalkonium chloride is the most common form of preservation in medicated eye drops. I have more patients allergic to BAK than I ever thought possible. And for some of my patients that are addicted to eye drops, having them discontinue the eye drop (hence eliminating the BAK) – fixes their dry eye problems!
