1- Make a homemade eyewash from the herb eyebright and distilled water. You can find eyebright in bulk at most health or herbal stores.
2- Boil 1 1/2 cups of distilled water with 2 tsp. of eyebright on medium heat and keep the pot covered. After 15 minutes, remove your concoction and allow it to cool.
3- Strain your eyewash through a coffee filter two or three times. Then repeat this step again with a new coffee filter. This is done to ensure there are no loose particles in your eyewash.
4- Fill your eyewash cup halfway with eyewash after making sure it has cooled. Put your eye down onto the rim of your eyewash cup, then tilt your head back and open your eye, moving it around to ensure the eyewash covers your eye properly. Do this for about 25 seconds.
5-Lean forward and put the eyewash cup down, then empty out remaining contents and rinse out your eyewash cup using a little bit of your homemade eyewash. Repeat step 4 with your other eye.
Tips and Warnings
You eyebright eyewash can also be applied to the area around the eye to help alleviate redness or puffiness.
Some stores offer a pre-made eyebright eyewash, or eyebright liquid extract that can be added to water and used; if you prefer this, look around at different herbal stores or online.
Keep your eyebright eyewash refrigerated and dispose of it after 24 hours. If you plan to use the wash daily, make a new solution every morning.
Since this solution is used on eyes, ensure that you keep your preparation area and containers, along with your hands, clean when making and applying the solution.
If you wear contacts, always remove them before using any eyewash.
If eye irritation worsens, is reoccurring, changes in vision occur, or you believe you may have a serious infection, see your doctor immediately. The eyebright wash is meant to clear eyes of film, foreign bodies and mild irritation or infection, it is not a cure for serious eye problems.
