Blepharitis is the fancy term for eyelid inflammation. It is a result of the build up of gunk from bacteria, makeup and other debris. This build up can lead to red, irritated, itchy, and dry uncomfortable eyes when not tended to. Left untreated altogether it can lead to worse symptoms such as styes, scarring and much deeper infections such as preseptal cellulitis (which is dangerous). 

Blepharitis can be broken down into two main categories:

1. Anterior Blepharitis — Crusting seen at the base of the lashes due to excess bacteria, makeup debris, or demodex mites. This causes inflammation that leads to redness, irritation, and itching on the outside portion of the eyelids. In severe cases it can lead to loss of eyelashes.

2. Posterior Blepharitis — Inflammation of the inside of the eyelids due to clogged oil glands. The glands can clog from bacteria or demodex mites, leading to inflammation of those glands. This will create a thickened look to the eyelids, making them feel heavier and give you a tired look. If the oil does not exit the glands onto the surface of the eyes, this will lead to dry, red, itchy, and burning eyes. 

Clogged oil glands (meibomian glands) can lead to the condition known as meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). When the glands are in this state they become inflamed and can also shelter bacteria leading to styes and other more serious eyelid infections. The purpose of these glands is to form our outer most layer of the tearfilm. The oil helps to prevent evaporation of the tears so that our eyes don’t feel like a fish out of water. 

Although bacteria and demodex mites naturally exit on our bodies, we can see that when they flourish in excess they can cause problems. 

How do we solve this? 

Well for starters, we want to make sure that we are always removing all of our makeup before bed. Using a gentle makeup remover like Eye Q Organics Kakadu Plum Makeup Remover is perfect as it is both gentle but effective at removing the debris and dirt left behind by our makeup. You want to also clean the eyelids gently, so after using Eye Q Organics Kakadu Plum Makeup Remover, follow with our Lemongrass Cleanser and massage it gently into the skin tissue. Too vigorous of a scrub may cause more irritation than is already present.

As well, we want to try and use moisturizers and serums that have no toxic ingredients in them. Our eyelid skin is very thin so anything used on them can easily penetrate to the structures beneath it like the oil glands. Our Eye Q Organics Super C’s Anti-Aging Serum and Kakadu Plum Firming Eye Cream are both USDA organics certified and use only ingredients that are non-toxic and natural, but offer the same results. 

You should always have all signs and symptoms of blepharitis examined by an eye care professional before starting any at home treatments or remedies.