A Gentle Bath for Irritated Eyes

There’s is a new eyewash designed to soothe eyes irritated by swimming, pollution, sand or wind.

Star-Optic Eye Wash, sold without prescription, comes with an eye cup. The wash contains purified water, sodium chloride, sodium phosphate and other ingredients, says Gary Reich, spokesman for the manufacturer, Stellar Pharmacal Corp. Because the eyewash contains nothing to constrict blood vessels, it can be used as often as needed, says Reich.

The eyewash is probably very safe, says Dr. James Salz, a USC ophthalmologist on staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. But don’t expect it to make party-animal eyes crystal clear again. “If there are no vasoconstrictors (medication to narrow the blood vessels), it is not going to clear up (bloodshot) eyes,” Salz says.