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Home > Products > Lubricant eye drops

Lubricant eye drops (“artificial tears”)

BAK-FREE LISTING: Products containing the preservative benzalkonium chloride are automatically excluded from our over-the-counter product listings because frequent exposure to BAK is widely believed to be harmful to people with dry eye.

Conventional lubricant or emollient eyedrops

Homeopathic eyedrops

Conventional lubricant or emollient eyedrops

= available in the dry eye shop

Product	Made by	active ingredients / remarks	preservative
Advanced Eye Relief "Rejuvenation"	Bausch & Lomb	0.95% propylene glycol	PF
Bion Tears	Alcon	0.3% HPMC	PF
Dakrina	The Dry Eye Company	2.7% blended PVAs, 2.0% povidone, also contains Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate)	Polexitonium
Dwelle	The Dry Eye Company	2.7% blended PVAs, 2.0% povidone. This is the original "Dr. Holly's Drop".	Polexitonium
FreshKote	Focus Laboratories	NOTE: This product is sold on prescription - just listed here for ease of reference. See freshkote.com for details.	Polexitonium
Genteal Mild	Novartis	0.2% HPMC This PDF file compares the 5 Genteal products	GenAqua (sodium perborate)
Genteal Moderate	Novartis	0.3% HPMC This PDF file compares the 5 Genteal products	GenAqua (sodium perborate)
Hypotears	Novartis	1.0% PVA, 1.0% polyethylene glycol	PF vials available but note that preserved version contains BAK.
Moisture Eyes	Bausch & Lomb	See "Advanced Eye Relief" (product line was renamed)	n/a
NutraTear	The Dry Eye Company	0.6% blended PVAs. Also contains Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamine).	Polexitonium
Oasis Tears	Oasis Medical	Glycerin. More information TBA	TBA
Oasis Tears Plus	Oasis Medical	Glycerin. More information TBA	TBA
Optive lubricant eye drops	Allergan	0.5% CMC, 0.9% glycerin	Purite
Refresh Lubricant eye drops	Allergan	1.6% PVA, 0.4% povidone	PF
Refresh Tears	Allergan	0.5% CMC	Purite
Refresh Plus	Allergan	0.5% CMC	PF
Refresh Celluvisc	Allergan	1.0% CMC	PF
Refresh Endura	Allergan	Glycerin 1.0%, polysorbate 80 1.0% . Also contains castor oil.	PF
Soothe	Bausch & Lomb	Glycerin 0.6%, propylene glycol 0.6%	PF
Soothe XP	Bausch & Lomb	Light mineral oil 1.0%, mineral oil 4.5% Note: Originally sold as "Soothe" by Alimera Sciences, this was purchased and renamed by B&L.	polyhexamethylene biguanide
Systane	Alcon	0.4% polyethylene glycol 400, 0.3% polyethylene glycol	Polyquad
Systane PF	Alcon	0.4% polyethylene glycol 400, 0.3% polyethylene glycol	PF
Systane Free	Alcon	Recalled	n/a
Tears Naturale II	Alcon	0.3% HPMC, 0.1% Dextran 70	Polyquad
Tears Naturale Forte	Alcon	0.3% HPMC, 0.1% Dextran 70, 0.2% glycerin
Tears Naturale Free	Alcon	0.3% HPMC, 0.1% Dextran 70	PF
TheraTears	Advanced Vision Research	0.25% CMC	Sodium perborate
TheraTears single-use vials	Advanced Vision Research	0.25% CMC	PF
Visine Pure Tears Portables	Pfizer	0.2% HPMC, 0.2% glycerin, 1.0% polyethylene glycol 400	PF
Visine Pure Tears single drop dispenser	Pfizer	0.2% HPMC, 0.2% glycerin, 1.0% polyethylene glycol 400	PF CAUTION: All other Visine products contain BAK
Viva Drops	Corneal Science (Vision Pharmaceuticals)	Polysorbate-80. Also contains Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate).	PF?

CMC = carboxyl methylcellulose sodium

HPMC = hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hypromellose

PF = preservative free

PVA = polyvinyl alcohol. Editor's note: PVA, like methylcellulose and most other artificial tear active ingredients, is a polymer, not an "alcohol" in the sense of an astringent. If your eye doctor objects to an eyedrop with PVA on the basis that it "contains alcohol", flee and don't look back, because your doctor needs some basic chemistry lessons.

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Homeopathic eye drops marketed for dry eye

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