Best Natural Remedies for Dry Eyes: Relief & Eye Health Tips

Lugol's Iodine

Posted by Doc Sheila (Toronto, Canada) on 08/09/2009
★★★★★

Dry Mouth Dry Eye cures: I use potassium iodide :Lugol's solution for all dryness in the body, vaginal dryness,dry eyes, dry nose,dry mouth.It is excellent as anti septic, anti biotic ati viral etc. 3 drops 1-3% lugol's in juice or water 2x/daily

Cod Liver Oil

Posted by Rinabean (Las Vegas) on 08/31/2025
★★★★★

I wear contacts and have for most of my life. I'm 56. About 2 years ago I started getting terrible dry eyes... only really with my contacts. Drops just made it worse. Doctors were no help. Then someone suggested cod liver oil. Low and behold it took maybe two days off taking it before I noticed a big difference. No more washing my eyes with saline every 15 min! Wild!! I also bought the oil in a glass jar to put on my lids but really only did that once.

L-Carnosine

Posted by Mama to Many (TN) on 10/21/2022

Dear HisJewel,

Well, I will start the ball rolling on this with a couple of ideas.

Long ago, Dave Thompson talked about using baking soda for dry eyes. I have used it a couple of times myself and found it helpful. 1/3 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in a few ounces of water. Dip finger into the baking soda water and wipe over the eyelid. Then drink the water! It helps with the ph balance of the body, which may be part of what helps the dry eyes. Who knows what else it might help?

Someone recently told me that when she consumed a low fat diet her skin was drier, perhaps there is a fat connection to dry eyes? Are you getting quality fats like olive oil and coconut oil? (Not canola or soy oils.)

I like Spry mints. They have xylitol in them which is good for oral health. They might bring relief from the salty mouth and excess saliva, even if they are not a cure.

It is a puzzle and I am glad you are optimistic for the solution. Looking forward to hearing others' ideas.

~Mama to Many~

L-Carnosine

Posted by Dacey (London ) on 10/28/2022

Re dry, salty tasting mouth.
Two things spring to mind
Homeopathic remedy Nat mur often helps with: Fluid imbalances. Anaemia, crack in lower lip, palpitations, warts on palms.... see Homeopathyplus.com

Also in TCM
(Traditional Chinese medicine) such a taste would indicate deficient Kidney, spleen, heart energy.

Perhaps worth consulting acupuncturist/ practitioner of TCM.

L-Carnosine

Posted by HisJewel (New York) on 11/20/2022

Mama to Many,

I have been taking the Stinging Nettle and Oil Pulling with Coconut oil for about a week, and I am excited to tell you that the Post Nasal leak has all come to a complete halt.

I don't have to keep gum and candy in my mouth anymore to hide the taste of the drip. I don't wake up with a mouth full of spit and mucus. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

HisJewel

L-Carnosine

Posted by Mama to Many (TN) on 11/20/2022

Dear HisJewel,

So happy to hear this report! Thanks for taking time to let us know what is helping!

Love,

~Mama to Many~

Maqui Berry Extract

Posted by Liz (OH) on 03/16/2021
★★★★★

Maqui Berry supplements worked for me! I have suffered from dry eyes for two years. The condition is worse in my right eye for some reason, and also worse in the middle of the night. I had been waking up and reapplying eye drops and ointments several times each night. I read from another testimonial that Maqui Berry supplements increase tear production, and wow!!! I recommend giving it a try. I'm now seldom need eye drops and don't wake up with gritty eyes.

Castor Oil

Posted by Sherry (Phoenix ) on 03/22/2020
★★★★★

I have posted before that Organic cold pressed castor oil that I transfer to a dropper bottle has helped my dry eyes. Put in each eye when I'm ready to go to sleep, also if I wake up during the night. When I get up in the morning I use eye drops. Castor oil does not cure dry eyes but make it better, otherwise they water all day. I also mail dropper bottles to my 90 year old aunt. She said with this her eyes don't water all day. Keep the large bottle of castor oil that you purchased in refrigerator.

Maqui Berry Extract

Posted by Devine (Seattle) on 11/13/2019
★★★★★

Scientists in Japan, found that maqui berry extract help dry eyes, the did a small study of 13 people that took maqui berry extract one capsule a day ( 30-60 mg) for thirty days. The concentrated maqui berry extract each day increased tear production by roughly 50%. Apparently, MBE restores tear secretion capacity. Dry eyes can be caused from several things: allergies, menopause - hormone Imbalance , thyroid issues, and if the hyroid is not working right then might need iodine which is important to secretory glands.. Food allergies especially gluten, dairy and sugar can cause issues, Inflammation in the body can be caused from unhealthy diet, dehydration, lack of sleep, and smoking. Any good eye vitamin supplement vitamin is beneficial and I read that CQ10 is important and of course the Omega oils.

Avoid Fan Use

Posted by Danamarie (California) on 02/24/2016
★★★★★

I was starting to get dry, red, irriated eyes and the eye doctor told me to stop using a fan. it worked.

Castor Oil

Posted by Sherry (Phoenix, Az.) on 10/16/2016

All castor oil is not the same. Home Health does not burn my eyes. I tried others and burned badly.Put in a bottle with dropper use at bed time and during the night store larger original bottle in refrigerator. Also use a soft cloth over my eyes when sleeping as my eyes do not close completely when asleep. This helps but must be done daily.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Elodie (Melbourne) on 08/18/2014
★☆☆☆☆

Please help! I just recovered from a bad case of conjunctivitis for which I used green tea bags. The conjunctivitis disappeared but now I have an extreme case of dry eyes- every morning I am literally having to peel them open. I suspect that the caffeine in the green tea has dehydrated them. I have been using some homeopathic eye drops for dry eyes but these have made no difference, and I have tried aloe (no difference) and flax, coconut oils. I am freaking out that I have caused irreversible damage. I do tend towards dry eyes but this is just unbearable. Any advice would be welcome! Thank you.

Castor Oil

Posted by Norma ( Nashville, Tn) on 05/02/2015
★★★★★

I been awakening to dry, bloodshot eyes so I was very concerned with how my eye was looking... it wasn't good, so I looked up some natural remedies and this was it just what I needed, castor. so very happy thanks so very much. keep up the great work, k .

Castor Oil

Posted by Tigerlady01 (U.s.a.) on 10/09/2016

I made my own DHEA (Dihydroepiadrosterone) eyedrops. And took the OTC Supplement also. I used 2 bottles of "SYSTANE" Eyedrops to suspend into them 100 mg ground fine Dhea. Refridg'd applied with " clean technique" using each hand on one eye @ a time.

Leave eyes closed for 2 -5 minutes, then take a clean double tipped Qtip DIPPED IN Strile Saline to GENTLY Clean the whitish muck from the corner of each eye. DO THIS CAREFULLY! KEEP THE BOTTLES REFRIDGERATED.

I GOT WELL. I had been ON Restasis, 2 WEEKS. Hated IT! Punctal plugs!? I Refused. Dr a$$ "punished" me for that. I am doing fine, its been years. I am now only intermittently taking Dhea by mouth! I researched and found out about Pekingnese dog trials using "DAKRINA DROPS" I copied the recipe (sorta') ;)

Castor Oil

Posted by Bess (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 05/24/2013

Hi Anonymouscat: Dr. Carolyn Dean (medical doctor, naturopath, acupuncturist, herbalist and much more) wrote an article called, The Eyes Have It. She recommends using castor oil for dry eyes.

http://drcarolyndean.com/2010/09/the-eyes-have-it/

Evidently Ayurvedic practitioners prescribe it. Many over-the-counter, as well as prescription eye medications contain castor oil as well.

In this article, Dr. Dean also tells you how to make your own cayenne remedy for the eyes (improves blood circulation and opens up tear ducts). I haven't been brave enough to try that yet! Hope you find the article interesting. Cheers, Bess

Olive Oil

Posted by Southernbelle (Richmond, Virginia, United States) on 02/19/2012
★★★★★

I see that quite a few people have been using castor oil for their dry eyes, but has anyone seen this study (link below) that was done about the effects of various oils on the eyes? It found that castor oil was CYTOTOXIC to conjunctival cells..... I personally have been using organic cold-pressed olive oil for my dry eyes for several years with good results.... I just use an eyedropper to put 12 drops of the olive oil in each eye at bedtime and I can wear my contacts ALL DAY with no problems.... Again, to everyone using castor oil in their eyes, please click on the link below and read...!!

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Aloe Vera, Avoid Coffee

Posted by Ann (Sussex, Uk) on 04/03/2015

Reading these comments has helped me tremendously on my search for health for my watery eyes and stinging lids. Castor Oil worked wonders and did reduce bags! Acupuncture was helping a lot, but I was curious my acupuncturist was treating skin and lungs. Finally went to eye clinic in hospital to see if tear ducts were draining properly. Verdict - wasn't dry eye at all, but dermatitis! very relieved and amazed that all but my acupuncturist were missing the point. I thought the red skin was from very abundant tearing of eyes. So before surgery or anything drastic, look at the pages of this website to see if contact dermatitis explains your symptoms better - I know, sounds counterintuitive, but applying 50/50 cider vinegar (with mere) and water has reduced the redness and tearing has all but stopped. I agree about coffee - try to avoid it, same with sulphates (in wine). good luck.

Castor Oil

Posted by Rene (Fresno, California) on 06/30/2011
★★★★★

I have been oil pulling and using castor oil at bedtime now for about 1 week. This has been a great relief. My eyes have been a lot whiter and not dry at all. I have been struggling with dry eyes now for about 5 years. I have tried restasis, alrex drops, plugs, fish oil, warm compresses but nothing seemed to work. I've spent a lot of money on eye drops (almost every brand) and my eyes were still dry. My only complaint was when I tried to castor oil the first day it stung a little, but the second night I had no problem. I am so grateful to have finally found something that works.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Glynis (Springfield, Mo) on 01/16/2015
★★★★☆

Thank you, thank you, thank you. My eyes hurt so bad I could barely read the instructions. Could not figure out if I was supposed to use recipe as an eye wash or wipe my eyelids with it. Tried as a wash (burned) added two more parts of water (still burned) then wiped on eyelid (did not burn). I continued wiping my eyelids with the solution and received soothing. Eye are still somewhat sore but will continue to use. Thank you to Earthclinic and all who reply and read. Thank you.

Fish or Flax Seed Oil

Posted by Kelly (Farmersville, California) on 06/17/2009
★★★★★

I recently got new contact lenses, and my eyes had been feeling dry. I tried preservative-free lubricating eye drops, but all that did was mess up my eye makeup. After reading up on home remedies for dry eyes, I thought I'd try fish oil and see if it would cure the problem. I took 2,000 mg. a day. After a week, my eyes felt so much better! Even before the week was over, I was noticing a difference. My contact lenses were drying my eyes out something awful. I just wanted to close my eyes all the time. If I had not found this website and read up on fish oil and tried it out, my eyes would still be bugging me. I cannot thank you enough for listing this as a remedy.

Fish or Flax Seed Oil

Posted by Michelle (Belmont, California) on 02/23/2009
★★★★★

About five years ago I started having really dry, tired eyes. Around 3:00 every afternoon I would think I was really tired, but then would realize it was just my eyes- my body was fine. I also started to notice if I woke up in the middle of the night that I couldn't open my eyes for a little while because they were stuck shut! And I didn't have any more sleep granules in the corners of my eyes in the morning upon awakening. Then somehow I came upon Fish Oil and started taking it- and it worked very quickly. It was probably only a week or so, and I really noticed the change. Ever since I take one or two 1000 mg fish oils per day, which seems to keep me good. I did try to stop for a while, and sure enough, after a week or so the dryness returned- so I know it works for me.

Fish or Flax Seed Oil

Posted by Tina (Seattle, Washington ) on 02/15/2022
★★★★★

Flaxseed oil is amazing for dry mouth & dry eyes - I noticed a difference within just a few days - I highly recommend this remedy if you are suffering from these issues like I was.

L-Carnosine

Posted by HisJewel (New York) on 11/20/2022

PS: To those who want to know,

For the Post nasal drip, I am using Swanson Stinging Nettle, that has 250mg leaf Extract and 67.5mg Nettle Root Extract. I have actually been using it about 10 days at least twice a day. I have just broke free two nights ago. This is my second free day, Praise the Lord! I used Member's Mark Coconut oil to oil pull.

Maqui Berry Extract

Posted by Art (California) on 10/06/2020 2940 posts

Hi Viola,

Can you say exactly how you used the Macqui Berry Extract as there is extract powder, extract oil and there are capsules specifically mentioned for dry eyes? Thank you!

Art

Cyclosporine

Posted by Idot13 (Co. Dublin) on 10/07/2020

Try garlic and salt. Just put a slice of garlic in boiling water. When cool, just an ounce, and let it soak for a while then add a tiny pinch of salt to it.

If you have no other way of using it ,put it in a little plastics bottle and bathe the eye in it. After a while it should work.

Fish or Flax Seed Oil

Posted by Cindy (California) on 09/12/2020
★★★★★

I have taken a capsule of flaxseed oil internally every day for some years. It completely stops the dry eye problem. If I go off it for several days I start getting the stinging back from dry eyes. I don't put it directly into my eyes though.

Meibomian Gland Expression

Posted by SM (USA) on 10/01/2022
★★★★★

I followed the instructions from video and I feel like it lubricated my eye. Thank you for sharing!

Castor Oil

Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 01/24/2016

Yes, I too find that castor oil burns a bit and blurs the vision because of the oil. By morning though it is not blurry.

You could try just putting the castor oil on your eyelids. It is quite penetrating and that may achieve your goal, even as well as putting it into your eyes.

Or try Dave's formula for dry eyes.

~Mama to Many~

Alkaline Water Eye Drops

Posted by Rhonda (Lakewoood) on 09/01/2015
★★★★☆

Tried all other remedies listed and they worked better than prescription eye drops but chiro suggested eye drops made from alkaline water and they seem to work best. Every day eyes are getting better.

Lactoferrin

Posted by Steven (New Jersey, Usa) on 01/13/2014
★★★★★

350mg of Lactoferrin helped my chronic dry eye from day one. For years I have been waking up with eye pain almost every day. I started taking lactoferrin for iron absorption and I noticed I didn't have dry eye pain for days. Looked it up and found a few mentions that lactoferrin helps. It has continued for weeks now, with only one or two days where I had pain. This is remarkable because I had the pain for probably two years daily.

Castor Oil

Posted by Miracles (Santa Monica) on 05/20/2014

Hi Ignatz, you can purchase Castor Oil from Santa Monica Homeopathic Pharmacy or Pharmaca in Brentwood/Pacific Palisades or the Santa Monica Coop. Also, I've added another protocol to the system - a humidifier at night. Good luck!

Castor Oil

Posted by Janet Sakata (Whittier Ca ) on 04/02/2018

Castor oil sounds wonderful for cataract and macular degeneration which I have along with dry eyes. How can I safely sterilize the amber glass bottles with eye dropper so I can put the castor oil drops into my eyes?

Castor Oil

Posted by Om (Hope Bc Canada) on 10/07/2014

Rebecca --- yes it is perfectly fine. I use it myself mixed with VCO. It removes eye diseases. One post here recently was by a lady who was cataract free after three years using it about five days a week.

Namaste, Om