Manuka+ Dry Eye Drops

I’ve been using Optimel Manuka honey eye drops for my blepharitis, and while they do sting for a few seconds at first, the relief that follows makes it absolutely worthwhile. The drops soothe irritation, reduce dryness, and genuinely help keep my eyes feeling healthier over time. On the plus side, they’re natural, effective, and easy to use; on the downside, the initial sting can be off-putting, and the price is a little higher compared to standard eye drops. Still, I’d rather a few seconds of sting than hours of discomfort. Think of it as the eye’s way of saying, “Ouch, but thank you!”

I have MGD and have had for around 25 years. I've used this product before and stopped because I couldn't cope with the intense stinging, which made my eyes run, which made my eyes feel and look worse than ever. I decided to give it another try and put my usual thick, preservative free eye ointment in first, blink a few times and then use the Manuka drops. Absolute game changer. There's some slight stinging, which lasts a few moments, where I keep my eyes closed, then my eyes feel great. It's early days so I can't comment on the overall effectiveness, but I'm keen to keep going.

So far seems very good, does sting but it’s not to bad and is more bearable with use. Definitely improves clarity of vision and overall comfort

Painful For 30-60 seconds it burns. It feels like lemon juice in the eye. Jury is out as to effectiveness as I don't use it routinely enough.

Does sting for a few seconds but really helps reduce inflammation caused by blepharitis. Can be a little drying so use in conjunction with dry eye drops

Very good for my seriously dry eyes.

These are must for my eyes wouldn't be without these drops, dry eyes or tired they give a clear vision and great at bedtime. 100% a good product.

Recommend by my optometrist for chronic dry eyes . I ordered two and returned the unopened one. I thought being manuka honey they would be soothing. Not at all. It was like sticking vinegar drops in my eyes. Didn’t feel nice afterwards either and my eyes are still dry.

I was skeptical that this would be any different from other medicines I have tried, but I was desperate, and was swayed by the overwhelmingly positive reviews. I have had pretty severe dry eye for years, and I have tried just about every medicine and non-surgical treatment there is: hot compress, glycol based drops, carboxymethilcellulose based drops, povidone, glycerine, mineral oil, rhestasis, the lot. Every single eyedrop or gel treatment ended up making the condition worse, either irritating the eye or making it feel even dryer and gritty after a while. The only thing that could provide some relief were the Symilasan homeophatic dry eye drops, which do help, but must be applied fairly frequently, as the effect does not last very long. My eyesight was getting really bad, with bouts of fogginess that would not go away, or painful dryness, and I was at wits end. I was even more skeptical of these Optimel eyedrops when I read that the listed active ingredient is glycerin, which has never done any good for me. But what the heck, I had already forked out the money, and everyone seemed so enthusiastic so, what's there to lose, right? I can verify, as everyone else has stated, that these things sting like the devil. If you have a low threshold for pain and stinging in the eye, do keep this in mind. In my experience, the intense sting lasts for about 15-20 seconds, and then my eyes tear abundantly for a few more seconds. So altogether, count on being out of action for about 1-2 minutes after applying the drops. In other words, it's not something that you want to apply as you're rushing from your desk to a meeting room, or while you wait for a traffic light to change. My verdict: much, MUCH to my surprise, these things have actually worked for me. I have no idea what the magic is, and/or whether the manuka honey is actually such a potent medicine (the drops do smell strongly of honey), but they have done something for me that nothing else has done: provide effective and prolonged relief to my severe dry eye. I still have my trusty Symilasan by my side, and I still have to apply it a few times in between Optimel applications (three times a day). But I use them far less frequently now, and I can now often go between Optimel applications without feeling the need to apply the Symilisan drops. I would not say that Optimel is "miraculous", as it not quite that marvellous, and I still have dry eye, but it certainly has shown to be the only thing that has actually provided several hours of relief and significantly improved eyesight, without the degraded performance from all other medicines I have tried so far.

Escuece un poquito al echar tela, pero los resultados son muy buenos.

Soulage bien de la sécheresse oculaire !

This has been great for my blepharitis. It burns for about 20 seconds, but you get used to it. It’s now an essential part of my eye care routine.

Update Jan 7, 2026: They're still working great but now it's difficult to find them for sale. I'm trying these dry eye drops to see if they can replace my prescription medicine, Xiidra, because it's so expensive. I've been using it for just over a month, and it's been great! Using them 3 times a day works best for me. I knew they would sting my eyes when I purchased them, and they definitely do that, but I keep my eyes closed for a minute or two, and then everything's fine. I'll continue to use unless/until they stop working.