Blephadex Eyelid Wipes

✔ Stock on hand — ships NZ-wide from Rose Optometry, Hamilton.

The same tea tree formula, in a wipe

Pre-moistened eyelid wipes with tea tree oil and coconut oil — the same active approach as the Blephadex foam cleanser, in a format that needs no sink, no lather and no technique. Each wipe is single-use.

Before buying either version, get a diagnosis. Demodex blepharitis, seborrhoeic blepharitis, meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye look alike from the outside and are managed differently, and buying the wrong product is why so many people conclude nothing works for their eyes. We can sort that out in a few minutes on the slit lamp in Hamilton.

Foam or wipes? The foam puts more product on the lid margin and works out cheaper per use, so it suits the intensive phase at home. The wipes travel, need no bathroom, and are what people actually keep doing once things are under control — which matters, because lid hygiene only works if it is done consistently. Plenty of our patients own both.

Be realistic about the timeframe. Demodex mites have a two-to-three-week life cycle, and treatment kills adult mites far more reliably than it kills eggs, so you are treating the next generation rather than the current one. A minimum of six weeks of daily use — two full life cycles — is what it takes before you can fairly judge whether it has worked. Lid hygiene keeps things in check rather than eradicating them.

Who it's for

• People diagnosed with demodex or anterior blepharitis
• Travel, work bags, and anyone without easy access to a sink
• Maintenance after an intensive treatment phase
• Anyone who finds a foam and a flannel too fiddly to keep up

Questions we get asked

Foam or wipes, if I can only buy one?
The foam, for a treatment phase — more product on the lid margin and better value per use. The wipes come into their own for maintenance and travel.

Where exactly do I wipe?
Along the lid margin at the base of the lashes, eyes closed — not the eyeball, and not just the eyelid skin. The mites live at the lash root. Wiping the skin above the lashes and missing the lash line is the most common reason nothing changes.

Can I use one wipe for both eyes?
Use a fresh surface for the second eye, or a fresh wipe. Wipes are single-use — do not keep a used one for later.

Can I make my own with tea tree oil?
No. Neat tea tree oil must never go near an eye — it can cause serious ocular surface damage. These are an ocular-formulated product, made at a concentration intended for the lid margin.

Will they sting, and how long until I notice a difference?
Mild stinging or tingling for the first few days is common and usually settles; sharp or persistent stinging, redness or swelling means stop and talk to us. Allow a minimum of six weeks — two full mite life cycles — before judging the result, for the life-cycle reason above.

Do I need to keep using them indefinitely?
Most people settle into maintenance every second or third day. Blepharitis is managed rather than cured. If it keeps flaring despite good technique, there are prescription options we can discuss in the practice — see our blepharitis guide and the rest of the lid hygiene range.

What if lid hygiene on its own isn't enough?
Where demodex has been confirmed and it is not settling with lid hygiene alone, one of the prescription options an optometrist may consider is Soolantra (topical ivermectin 1% cream). It sits alongside lid hygiene rather than replacing it, and it is not something to start on your own.

Soolantra (ivermectin 1%) is a Prescription Medicine. It is not available over the counter and cannot be bought from this website. It is prescribed only after an eye examination, because it is not appropriate for everyone and demodex needs to be confirmed rather than assumed. Prescription medicines have both benefits and risks — your optometrist will go through these with you. Book an examination with our therapeutic optometrists in Hamilton to find out whether it is right for you. Normal consultation charges apply.

Book an examination

Why buy from Rose Optometry

• Independent, optometrist-owned New Zealand practice — in Hamilton since 1969.
• Free optometrist advice with every order, including whether wipes or foam suit you better.
• Free NZ shipping on orders over $100, sent NZ-wide from Hamilton.