Hypochlorous is the new wonder skin care ingredient. Now it is getting the Dry Eye profession excited too!
The world of skin-care has been buzzing about the amazing properties of hypochlorous for some time, it is used in facial cleansers, toners, serums, creams, and sprays. When applied to your skin this naturally occurring antimicrobial agent has been shown to reduce inflammation, sooth away redness and help healing. Together these properties leave skin looking smoother, clearer and more toned. This makes hypochlorous a favourite with those suffering the effects of acne, eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis.
Read on to learn why hypochlorous is now helping thousands manage their dry eye more effectively.
What exactly is hypochlorous?
Healthy white blood cells produce hypochlorous as part of your natural immune defences. This small molecule is one of the most effective biocides known to man, it is effective against bacteria, fungi and viruses – including COVID-19. Although powerful, because hypochlorous is produced naturally it is non-toxic to our cells. This high level of biocompatibility allows it can be used on our skin – even the delicate areas around the eyes.
Is hypochlorous new?
Hypochlorous was discovered over 200 years ago – so far from new! It has been tried and tested by hospitals for many years, and it is one of their most effective and trusted anti-microbials. Surgeons use it to help protect against infection and it is used daily on hospital wards to maintain hygiene levels. The reason why hypochlorous is used so frequently is because unlike antibiotics it does not result in antimicrobial resistance build-up – making it very attractive to healthcare professionals. In fact it is so useful that the WHO (World Health Organisation) has added hypochlorous acid (HOCl) to the core essential medicines list for disinfectant and antiseptic products and wound care. It emerged during pandemic as ‘the most potent and environmentally safe disinfectant available’ as it was effective against Covid-19.
How does hypochlorous help dry eye management?
One of the most common forms of dry eye is meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) this is estimated to effect up to 70% of dry eye sufferers. This condition commonly results in red, dry and inflamed eye lids – it is known as blepharitis.
Eye lid disorders such as blepharitis are amongst the most frequently encountered conditions seen in routine clinical optometric and ophthalmological practice. It is often caused by naturally occurring bacteria building up on the eye lid. These bacteria produce toxins which cause redness and irritation. This proliferation of bacteria can also contribute to the clogging up of the all important meibomian gland ducts – preventing the oily component of your natural tears flowing into the eye.
Hypochlorous helps destroy excessive bacterial load, reduces inflammation and soothes the itching and irritation often experienced. A study published in Clinical Ophthalmology showed that cleansing the eye area with hypochlorous reduced the excess bacteria but left much of the naturally occurring bacteria causing less disruption to the natural ocular environment.These invaluable properties are fast making hypochlorous an indispensable part of many eye care professions lid hygiene routine. Lid hygiene is widely considered an effective mainstream therapy for MGD and blepharitis.
How do you use hypochlorous as part of your dry eye care routine?
Hypochlorous is recommended as part of a thorough daily eye lid hygiene routine. Dry Eye Zone offers an advanced proprietary ultra-pure hypochlorous spray – Purifeyes Professional Spray. Purifeyes was developed by two leading ophthalmologists and is formulated to be biocompatible with the delicate skin around the eye. It is sprayed directly on the closed eyelid and surrounding area – no cotton wool or cloth required. The formulation is pH balanced to the eyes’ tears (7.0-7.3) and alcohol-free to help protect from the risk of stinging.
It is not just dry eye that causes red irritated eye lidsThe use of hypochlorous is also recommended for other underlying causes of eye lid redness and irritation. These conditions include glaucoma, contact lens wearer and long-term screen use. More recently the use of eye-lash enhancements, like extensions or false lashes have been observed my many eye care professions to cause irritations prompting concerns about eye lid health.
Not just for eye lidsThe skin soothing and conditioning properties of Purifeyes can also be helpful in removing redness from the skin as a result of acne, eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis by killing the microbes responsible for producing irritating toxins. There have been numerous scientific studies supporting the benefits of hypochlorous use for these skin conditions.
You can find more information about the causes of dry eye and its management at Dry Eye Zone.
And don’t forget to visit the DRY EYE ZONE and subscribe to the regular free information updates.
If you are experiencing dry eye symptoms then you should ask the advice of your eye care professional. Why not book your next eye examination with an independent optician today.
Sources:
Benitez-del-Castillo. Clinical Ophthalmology. How to promote and preserve eyelid health. 24 October 2012.
Geerling G, Tauber J, Baudouin C, Goto E, Matsumoto Y, O'Brien T, et al. The international workshop on meibomian gland dysfunction: report of the subcommittee on management and treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2011;52(4):2050e64. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21450919/
Block MS, Rowan BG. Hypochlorous Acid: A Review. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2020;78(9):1461-1466. doi:10.1016/j.joms.2020.06.029 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7315945/
Stroman DW, Keri Mintun K, Epstein AB, et al. Reduction in bacterial load using hypochlorous acid hygiene solution on ocular skin. Clin Ophthalmol 11:707,2017. Doi:10.2147/OPTH.S132851. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28458509/
Gold MH, Andriessen A, Bhatia AC, et al. Topical stabilized hypochlorous acid: The future gold standard for wound care and scar management in dermatologic and plastic surgery procedures. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020 Feb;19(2):270-277. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31904191/
Machalinska A, Zakrazewska A, Adamek B, et al. Comparison of morphological and functional Meibomian gland characteristics between daily contact lens wearers and non-wearers. Cornea. 2015;34(9):1098-104. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26114822/
Wu H. The severity of the dry eye conditions in visual display terminal workers. PLoS One. 2014;9(8);e105575. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0105575
Mocan MC, Uzunosmanoglu E, Kocabeyoglu S, et al. The association of chronic topical prostaglandin analog use with Meibomian gland dysfunction. J Glaucoma. 2016:25(9):770-4 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27513901/
Benitez-Del-Castillo JM. How to promote and preserve eyelid health. Clin Ophthalmol. 2012;6:1689-98. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S33133. Epub 2012 Oct 25. PMID: 23118519; PMCID: PMC3484726. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23118519/
Del Rosso JQ, Bhatia N. Status Report on Topical Hypochlorous Acid: Clinical Relevance of Specific Formulations, Potential Modes of Action, and Study Outcomes. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2018 Nov;11(11):36-39. Epub 2018 Nov 1. PMID: 30588272; PMCID: PMC6303114. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6303114/
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