{"product_id":"polytears-lubricating-eye-drops","title":"Polytears Lubricating Eye Drops","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e✔ Stock on hand — ships NZ-wide from Rose Optometry, Hamilton.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePolytears — the drop most New Zealanders ask for by name\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003ePolytears is a long-established artificial tear. It is inexpensive, it is familiar, and for mild, occasional dryness it is perfectly adequate. We stock it because people ask for it — and we would also like to tell you the truth about it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhen it is the right choice:\u003c\/strong\u003e mild, intermittent dryness. A windy day, a long drive, an evening of screens, a dusty job. Used now and then, it does exactly what it says.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhen it isn't — and this is most people.\u003c\/strong\u003e If you are reaching for Polytears more than about four times a day, you are on the wrong drop, for two reasons. The first is preservative: at high frequency the preservative in a multi-dose bottle becomes an irritant to the very surface you are trying to soothe, and you end up in a loop of more drops, more irritation, more drops. The second is that an artificial tear replaces the watery layer only. Most dry eye in New Zealand is \u003cem\u003eevaporative\u003c\/em\u003e — the tear film fails because the oil layer is deficient, not the watery one. Topping up water on a tear film with no lid on it is like filling a bath with the plug out.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you have outgrown it, read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/polytears-systane-hylo-alternatives-dry-eye-drops-in-nz\"\u003ePolytears, Systane and Hylo alternatives\u003c\/a\u003e, or compare the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/systane-nz\"\u003eSystane range\u003c\/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hylo-nz\"\u003eHylo range\u003c\/a\u003e directly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it's for\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMild, intermittent dryness — wind, screens, air conditioning, long drives.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOccasional users, not daily ones.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone wanting a familiar, low-cost bottle to keep at the desk.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNot the right pick if you dose more than about four times a day.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions we get asked\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I use it with my contact lenses in?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe would take lenses out first. This is a preserved multi-dose bottle, and preservative sitting under a soft lens is concentrated against the cornea. If you want a drop to use over lenses, choose a preservative-free unit dose from our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/preservative-free-eye-drops-nz\"\u003epreservative-free range\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it blur my vision?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVery little — a few seconds at most. It is a thin drop rather than a gel or an ointment, both of which blur far more and are better used at bedtime.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow often can I use it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOccasionally is fine. Beyond about four times a day the preservative becomes the limiting factor, and that is the point to change product rather than increase the dose.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it contain a preservative?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes — it is a preserved multi-dose bottle, which is normal for this type of product and is why the four-doses-a-day rule matters here.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long does it keep once opened?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollow the discard-after-opening period printed on the bottle, and write the date you opened it on the label. Preserved bottles are not meant to live in a handbag for a year.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat should I use instead if I need drops all day?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA preservative-free option — compare them in \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/eye-health\/best-eye-drops-for-dry-eyes-nz\"\u003ebest eye drops for dry eyes NZ\u003c\/a\u003e, browse the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/dry-eye-drops-nz\"\u003efull dry eye range\u003c\/a\u003e, or look at \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/systane-nz\"\u003eSystane\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hylo-nz\"\u003eHylo\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/optimel-nz\"\u003eOptimel manuka honey drops\u003c\/a\u003e. But the more useful point: if you have used Polytears for years and your eyes are still dry, the drop isn't the problem — the diagnosis is. That is usually a lid and oil-gland issue. Read about \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/eye-health\/evaporative-dry-eye-mgd-why-your-drops-arent-working\"\u003emeibomian gland dysfunction\u003c\/a\u003e, try \u003ca href=\"\/products\/iflo-usb-heated-eye-mask\"\u003eheat\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/lid-hygiene-blepharitis-nz\"\u003elid hygiene\u003c\/a\u003e, or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.myhealth1st.com.au\/appointmentWidget\/?practiceId=9357\u0026amp;treatmentId=3022\"\u003eBook a free Dry Eye Evaluation\u003c\/a\u003e in Hamilton — 15 minutes, no cost.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhy buy from Rose Optometry\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndependent, optometrist-owned New Zealand practice — in Hamilton since 1969.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFree optometrist advice with every order; reply to your order email and a clinician answers.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFree NZ shipping on orders over $100, sent from Hamilton.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Alcon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52819764117785,"sku":null,"price":5.49,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0793\/9263\/7209\/files\/Poly-Tears.png?v=1784757697","url":"https:\/\/store.roseoptom.co.nz\/products\/polytears-lubricating-eye-drops","provider":"Rose Optometry","version":"1.0","type":"link"}