I was contacted by the people of Bausch + Lomb about a new contact lens solution called Biotrue that they wanted me to test out. When they contacted me however I was about a week out from getting my lasik eye surgery done so I was already off contacts! (The surgery went very well I might add – I’m super happy with the results – let me know if you’d like me to blog about it!)
Since I couldn’t test it out I asked my husband to test it out for me since he’s also a contact lens wearer. Now, he doesn’t have a dry eye problem so he didn’t notice a huge difference when using this solution but also he’s a guy LOL! However I’m pretty sure I could see less irritation and redness in his eyes overall.
Eye health is very important for obvious reasons but in terms of beauty, red irritated eyes aren’t really all that attractive. Trust me, I’ve spent many years with people asking if I had allergies or they thought I was crying because my eyes were so red! I decided to ask well known optometrist Dr. Tod McNab a few questions about eye health.
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For people without perfect vision, is there a benefit to wearing contact lenses over glasses or vice versa?
Because contact lenses sit directly on the eye they provide a larger field of view than glasses do and they make it very convenient to be able to wear sunglasses. For people with high prescriptions contact lenses often provide better vision than glasses.
The advantage of glasses is that they provide protection for the eyes and in some prescriptions (for example some astigmatism corrections and for those needing a multi or bifocal correction) a more accurate correction can be obtained than with contact lenses.
For people who wear contact lenses daily, why is it important to choose the correct contact lens solution? What should we look for?
Choosing the best contact lens solution is very important to insure problem free contact lens wear. The solution must clean and disinfect the contact lenses in order to prevent eye infections. As well the chemistry of the solution must be compatible with the eyes. Finally the solution is often an important factor in maintaining the comfort of the contact lenses throughout the day.
Biotrue, the newest multi-purpose lens solution by Bausch + Lomb is different from other solutions in that it exceeds the required standards for disinfections. It is also pH balanced to match the tears, so provides instant comfort when putting the contact lenses in each day. Finally, in contains hyaluronan a naturally occurring lubricant already present in the body. Each molecule of hyaluronan can hold 1,000 times its weight in water and this provides excellent end of day comfort for the contact lens wearer.
One beauty woe many of us face is red eyes. What are the causes of red eyes? Is it from dryness, lack of sleep, hereditary?
Yes, yes and yes! There are multiple causes of red eyes and identifying the cause is critical to solving the problem. Dry eyes and allergies are very common causes of redness. It is important to consult an eye doctor and have the appropriate testing conducted to identify the underlying cause in order to recommend proper treatment.
What can we do to prevent dry eyes and if we do have them what can we do to solve this problem?
The first thing NOT to do is grab a bottle of “red out” drops. These drops contain a chemical that temporarily constricts the blood vessels in the eyes without addressing the cause. When that chemical runs out the eyes often end up redder than when the problem started. Identifying the cause and then choosing the appropriate product or therapy to solve the problem is essential. This will most likely require examination by an eye doctor. Treatment may range from hot compresses, through artificial tears all the way to prescription drops to treat dryness, allergies or infections.
We all know how important it is to remove our makeup at night for good skin care but often times we aren’t as careful about removing our eye makeup. Why is it so important?
Removing eye makeup is important to make sure that the eyes remain healthy and problem free. Just like skin makeup, eye makeup can plug glands that provide essential components of the tear layer. This can cause a variety of problems such as dry eye, allergies and even eye infections.
In general the rule is to toss out mascara after 3 – 6 months. What about other eye makeup such as eyeliners and eye shadows? Do we need to be as cautious?
Mascara can become a breeding ground for bacteria, that then gets transferred to your eyes when used.
Eyeliners can also cause problems as they are applied along the margin of the eyelid often coming into contact with the glands on the eyelid. Eye shadows have less risk as they are generally dry powders that have a lower risk of becoming contaminated and are more likely to cause skin irritations rather than infections.
Dr. McNab is in private practice in Vancouver, BC. He sits on the Canadian Examiners in Optometry committee and is a former member of the Board of Directors of FYi Eye Doctors. He has participated on many eye care missions as a member of the Third World Eye Care Society, a British Columbia-based group of eye care professionals that provides vision care at no charge to people in need in developing countries.
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So let me reiterate what Dr. McNab mentioned about this product.
The name “Biotrue” came about because this product was bio inspired – meaning it was inspired by the way the eyes work.
Biotrue is designed to cause minimal changes to the eye to reduce any discomfort by matching the pH of our tears. This pH of 7.5 also helps with disinfection. The solution also contains Hyaluronan (HA) which is a lubricant that is found in our bodies and eyes and can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water. This means that your eyes will stay moisturized and comfortable while wearing lenses for up to 20 hours (and there were definitely days when I did wear my lenses for that long!).
So, do you want to try it out for yourself? The people of Bausch + Lomb have generously offered a Biotrue prize pack to one of my readers!
The prize pack includes 2 full bottles of Biotrue multi-purpose solution, a gel eye mask for spa nights in and a convenient compact mirror to carry around with you so you can check your pretty eyes out 😉
All you have to do is fill out the form below. Good luck!
***Disclosure: products sent to me for review consideration. Contest sponsored by Bausch + Lomb***