10 Natural Pink Eye Remedies for Fast Relief

Honey

Posted by Michemax (Trinidad) on 07/30/2013
★★★★★

Try washing your eye with a honey wash for pink eye. Simply add a few drops (you can add more if you want it stronger) of honey to a little warm water, stir and using the cup of your hand, blink your eye over and over in the honey wash. Repeat 3 or 4 times. Do this at least 3 or 4 times during the day. Your eye will clear up.

I often use this as I get infections from when I use my contact lens.

Chamomile

Posted by Carol (Dallas, Texas) on 09/05/2008
★★★★★

Remedy: Chamomile
Cured: Viral Conjunctivitis

I bought teabags with chamomile flowers listed as the only ingredient.

I boiled around 1 cup of water, then floated the teabags in there for about 2 minutes and removed from heat.

Allowed the tea to cool until it was just warm to the inside of my wrist. Then I dipped cotton balls 1 time only per piece into the tea and used this to remove the "gunk". Next, I took the teabags while still warm and placed them over my eyes and covered them with a clean towel.

This seemed to soothe the swelling of my eyelids and dried up a lot of the discharge.

I had this condition for about 4 days and was using antibiotic drops until I went to an opthalmologist who diagnosed it as viral. That's the point where I stopped using drops and started using the teabags. I have been doing this for a day and a half and my eyes are pink instead of red with just a little discharge now, and no more swelling, pain, or itchiness. I feel like I will probably be completely over this by tomorrow.

Sea Salt

Posted by Nan (Canada) on 04/30/2023
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Sea Salt for Pink Eye

I concur with the below "salt" posters. By the end of the second day of dipping a clean facecloth in a cup of salt mixed in water and then gently dabbing the corner of my eye 3-4 times a day, the redness, gooey secretion, and itching was 90% gone. Gone completely by the end of the third day.

I was afraid to use salt in my eye, so I started with a 1/2 teaspoon in 1 cup of water and worked my way up to 1 or 1 1/2 teaspoon. I used fine pink Himalayan salt with no iodine. (I'm not sure if using iodine in the salt is okay, too. It probably is okay, but you might want to dab injust a little the first couple of times you try it.)

*I didn't have distilled water on hand, so I used bottled water and boiled it first, then waited until it cooled down somewhat before using.

Holy Basil

Posted by Liberty (Phx, Az) on 11/25/2018
★★★★☆

I had a continually worsening eye irritation in both eyes for about 2wks. Once it progressed to continual blinking (I believe it's called blepharospasm), interference with my vision, and waking up with my eyes caked with goop, I decided to search earthclinic for a remedy. I decided on trying holy basil in my eyes, as shared by Sabiba from Morocco.

I made a tea with dry loose-leaf Holy Basil tea (Tulsi tea) and dripped it into my eyes. It stung at first, but it did bring quick relief after the initial sting. But it did not heal my eyes.

I then began to take 1000mg doses of powdered Vitamin C with vitamins and minerals added. By the 2^nd day, I knew the C was healing my eyes and the blinking had almost completely discontinued. My eyesight has cleared up as well. I will continue the vit C for a few more days, maybe 5. I'm thankful that God guided me to using the Vitamin C because the only other thing that has helped this in the past has been a trip to my homeopathic dr and taking their remedies. This has saved me about $150.

Colloidal Silver

Posted by Cindy (Tx, US) on 02/18/2015
★★★★★

I use colloidal silver, a couple of drops in the eye and it clears up pink eye within hours, not days. My dog looked like her eye was going to pop out and I put 2 drops in her eye and within hours it was back to normal. This is the fastest working thing I have ever seen. Me and my children always have a bottle on hand. It is miraculous to me.

Colloidal Silver

Posted by Ann (Austin, Texas) on 12/20/2014 1 posts
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I use colloidal silver for conjunctivitis. Use two drops in each eye and blink a little to get it all over the eyelash roots. Twice a day till all is clear.

Black Tea Bag

Posted by Mikethedruid (Providence, Rhode Island, Usa) on 10/04/2012
★★★★★

For several days my left eye had been irritated and discharging a sticky mucus which coated the lashes, and only made the irritation worse. I had tried just rinsing the eye well with warm water, which provided temporary relief, but did not cure the problem. Then I remembered something that the man who taught me the old ways had taught me about medicine, and tried using strong tea as an eyewash. The easiest way, he had told me, was to brew yourself a cup of tea using a cheap regular black or brown tea. When the cup is brewed, take out the teabag, but do not squeeze the water out. While you enjoy your tea, let the teabag cool down until it is just barely warm, then place the teabag on the afflicted eye, and gently squeeze it whill slightly blinking the eye so that the tea gets right onto the eyeball itself, as well as the lids. Wipe the excess that runs down your face with a paper towel or cloth. Do this every time it feels at all irritated, and in a day or two the problem will clear up. I did exactly that, and it works very well. It is a cheap, painless, and effective cure.

Coffee

Posted by Lady Jane (Zion, Illinois) on 04/18/2012
★★★★★

My husband used coffee on our cat when he had an infected eye. It worked!! The next day you couldn't tell anything was wrong with him. He continued for the next three or four days to make sure. My husband's eye was bothering him for a couple of days. I think it's pink eye. He put coffee on it last night and this morning is doing great, eye reddness is clearing. He will continue doing this for a few more days. Made a beliver out of me. Lady Jane

Castor Oil

Posted by Samantha (New York, Ny) on 10/28/2016

Jennywren, it's possible the castor oil actually drew out the symptoms from a virus or bacteria that was already in your eye, but luckily, there are many, other natural solutions here for you to try so that you don't have to use the castor oil again.

Coffee

Posted by Pedro (Ponce, Pr) on 02/21/2012
★★★★★

My grandma used coffee on me for pink eye and I use it with my kids also. It works. Dark warm coffee, that's all.

Boric Acid

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 10/08/2024
★★★★★

PINK EYE. Boric Acid Compress

This form of acute ophthalmia is similar to the one just described. It is very communicable and most probably transmits infection by a specific organism.

Weeks was the first to describe a definite micro-organism causing this disease. The Weeks bacillus is short and has rounded ends. It stains very easily with methylene blue. It is intensely contagious and spreads rapidly, especially in schools. Children under fifteen years are especially susceptible.

The diplo-bacillus of Morax was described by him in June, 1896, in the Annal de l'Institut Pasteur. The inflammation is frequently due to the presence of the diplo-bacilli. The inflammation usually begins in one eye and infects the other a few days later. Its course may be either chronic or acute. Gauze saturated with warm boric acid solution should be applied over the eye, and warmth continued by the external application of an electric pad or hot water bottle. Some cases respond better to cold applications, but these are exceptional.

From the Book: Diseases of Infancy and Childhood for Practitioners and Students in Medicine Vol 2, page 985,1928 by Louis Fischer MD

Green Tea Bags

Posted by Brad (San Rafael, Ca) on 04/26/2010
★★★★★

True enough, green tea bags do work if you've got watery, pussy, red, swollen eyes. Yea!

Here's what I did, and it worked exceptionally: brew a nice cup of hot green tea using TWO bags.........let it cool some but keep it hot, but not scalding.......go into the bathroom or use the kitchen sink when ready.

Now, take a bag in each hand and start to slowly rub the bag full of the hot brew on your closed eyes. Obviously a key part of this is that the water not be too hot BUT it should be fairly hot. When you feel it, it's going to give comfort to your bleary eyes, believe me. You are going to love the effect of the heat, and I believe that's part of the cure too - the heat. When the bags cool off some keep dipping into the hot tea again and again. Touch them to your eyes, hold them on your eyes, let them seep into your eyes.

Occasionally tilt your head to the side and run some of the liquid smack INTO your eyes. Roll your eyeball around.

That's it. It will take 24-48 hours to get rid of the pink eye, but you'll get almost instant relief. Keep doing the procedure every 2-4 hours if possible. Enjoy. This cure might be a little less humiliating than the one where you urinate into your own eye....if you're going to try that one don't let mama catch you.

Sea Salt

Posted by Mel (Katy, Texas) on 07/03/2009
★★★★★

Sea salt solution cleared and cured my pink eye in 3 days. It did sting but I knew it would. I did this once in the morning and one in the evening. I mixed 1 tablespoon of sea salt to 1 cup of water in a water bottle. Mix well and tilt your head over the sink and squeeze a couple of times times in each eye.

Activated Charcoal

Posted by Mama To Many (Middle, Tennessee, Usa) on 06/27/2013
★★★★★

Dear Holly, I use a coffee filter to strain my charcoal water. I put 1 t. charcoal in 1/4 cup of filtered water and strain it through a filter. It is gray and may have very tiny particles that are okay. I think cheesecloth would let through particles that are too large. They probably wouldn't be harmful, just irritating.

Also, for the poultice... Your eye is closed. Then paper towel or flannel. Then moistened charcoal. Then the plastic wrap to keep the moisture in. But you probably don't need the plastic wrap unless you are doing this overnight.

For conjunctivitis, we have always just done the filtered charcoal water 3-4 times a day. Children are usually cured in a day and adults in a couple of days. But do it a couple of a times a day for a few days after and always do both eyes to prevent reinfection.

~Mama to Many~

Lemon Juice

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 08/22/2021
★★★★★

I have been struggling with eye goop and mucus behind my eyelids. The forest fires in California have made the air quality here terrible along with seasonal allergies.

Victorian era women believed diluted lemon juice eye drops kept their eyes clean and bright and clear of infection.

This has helped a lot in a very short time.

* Put 5 - 10 drops of fresh lemon juice (start with 5 drops - adjust to tolerance) and ½ oz distilled saline water or boiled water that is cooled.

* Mix them well.

* Make use of an eye-dropper and put several drops into your eyes. Repeat several times daily. Make a new batch daily.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Art (California ) on 01/31/2018 2683 posts

In reply to Sandy (San Francisco),

I tried coconut oil for dry eyes and for me it caused more irritation than the dry eye condition. I had better luck with oral black currant seed oil and borage oil.

Studies confirm that Hyaluronic Acid in the form of drops is also effective for dry eyes.

Castor oil is helpful also, but it tended to blur my vision a little when first applied, as did coconut oil.

As far as microbes, colloidal silver is frequently mentioned on EC and the web as being useful for that, but I have never tried it for that purpose. I would think if I was going to go for a moisturizer effect with an antimicrobial effect, I might consider colloidal silver with hyaluronic acid for myself, but I like to experiment!

Art

ACV, Green Tea Bags, Honey

Posted by Ruralady (Illinois) on 11/06/2018 133 posts
★★★★★

This works! I took a makeup remover pad, cut it in half and soaked the half in this wonderful remedy and applied it to my eye for about 10min every 4hrs. I had to do this approx 4 times but I noticed relief after only 2x. Totally gone in one day with NO dr visit/antibiotics. Thanks!

Colloidal Silver

Posted by Mcalzada (Los Angeles, Ca) on 02/28/2013
★★★★★

Pink Eye: Yea for Colloidal silver. I used it twice a day for 3 days, by day 2 it was almost gone, by day 3 all clear. Used it years later when my son got it and worked just as quick.

Colloidal Silver

Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 04/26/2015

Dear Turtle,

By now your eyes have probably self-rinsed.

Chamomile Tea is soothing to the eyes and also helpful for pinkeye. You could us it on the days off of silver. I pour very hot water over the tea bags and let them cool to body temperature. Then Gently squeeze out the excess water and place one tea bag over each eye. This I do twice a day but it could be done more often.

~Mama to Many~

Colloidal Silver

Posted by Dave (Fountain Inn, Sc) on 12/08/2012
★★★★★

Not in any way criticizing any other suggestions listed above but I've easily dealt with pink eye by using a few drops of colloidal silver onto eye ball itself. Twice a day for two days. Gone.

Colloidal Silver

Posted by Dave (Fountain Inn, Sc) on 08/22/2016

Loretta;

I use colloidal silver at about the 50 ppm level. I use twice daily for pink eye and administer three drops or so in both eyes and repeat the next day....two days. If a bad case, I might go to 3 times a day for two days. I do not administer cs in eyes for more than two days at a time. CS can take off some of the cells so I must be very cautious with eyes.

Boric Acid

Posted by Susan (Stroudsburg, Pa) on 04/04/2011
★★★★★

Boric Acid mix worked best. Itchy, pasty, red eyes... I tried the Black Tea first, but that only relieved itchiness, which was a relief. After it did not clear up the problem, I searched to purchace boric acid as recamended, but could only find a wallgreen Steril Eye wash that contained an isotonic solution of purifed water, boric acid, sodium chloride, etc. This took three days of periodic eye washing throughout the day to completely clear it up. It definately worked to start clearing from day one. I'm wondering if I had found boric Acid to mix my own if it would have worked quicker. Defiantely worth doing.

Boric Acid

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 10/16/2024
★★★★★

Boric Acid Eye Wash Solution: Rob's Improved Formula

Boric acid – 1/8 (weaker)– one teaspoon (stronger), Boric acid readily dissolves in hot water.
Sodium chloride USP – one teaspoon (I use neti-pot salt that comes in packets)
Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) – 1/4 teaspoon, It acts as a buffer so the formula won't sting or burn the eyes and also alkaline the formula.
Povidone-iodine – see below
Water – one cup (8oz) boiled and cooled

Some people have gotten results using just one or two ingredients to resolve their eye issue's. This formula is for more difficult cases where the infection can be caused by fungus (like candida, keratitis, endophthalmitis) bacteria (like chlamydial, gonorrhoeae, stapphlococcus, streptococcus) virus (like herpes simplex type 1, adenovirus, zoster virus) parasites (like amoeba, acanthamoebia, demox mites, toxoplasma, ets..)

It gets pretty gross when you think how micoorganisms are transmitted. Like, from mother to the baby during childbirth or due to the contact of infected semen or vaginal fluids with the eyes. These infections can be spread from eye to eye by fingers, watery vaginal discharges from women and men not washing their hands afterwards, shared towels or cloths, coughing and sneezing, touching surfaces like door knobs or gas pumps and eye-seeking flies. Always wash your hands throughly several times daily.

How to use: Allow solution to cool to luke warm and apply either with an eye cup wash or by soaking a cotton ball saturated with the boric acid solution washing the eye carefully and allowing the solution into the eye. Relief and healing is very quick, often within the day of application. Use 3 times a day for pink eye. It is very soothing. I have never taken my kids to the doctor for pink eye. This clears it up so fast.

Note: If using eye cups to rinse out eyes, I like to use one drop or more of Povidone iodine 10% (increase to tolerance) in the eye cup solution, which is about 1oz.