When buying eye drops, look for active ingredients like propylene glycol, which relieves inflammation. Percentages range between 0.02% and 0.68%. We researched dozens of eye drops for red eyes and evaluated for active ingredients, price, and symptom relief.
Here are the best eye drops for red eyes on the market today.
Price at time of publication: $14
However, it’s worth noting that while most eye drops containing a vasoconstrictor rely on naphazoline HCl, Visine uses a different decongestant, tetrahydrozoline HCl. They’re both vasoconstrictors, but if you have an allergy to naphazoline or some other reason for wanting to avoid it, you might appreciate that Visine offers an alternative.
Price at time of publication: $4
We like that these drops for dry eyes are only designed to hydrate and moisturize. That means there are no risks for rebound hyperemia, and you may not need to reapply them much to solve your red eye problem since dryness is one of the biggest causes of red eyes in the first place.
Price at time of publication: $17
“Patients should avoid [red eye drops] if they are wearing contact lenses,” advises Dr. Klinger. “The contact will absorb the medication and preservatives which can cause redness, irritation, and can even dilate the pupil; patients can have blurry vision and become sensitive to lights when this occurs.”
So what should you do for red eyes if you rely on contacts for day-to-day activities? Focus on keeping your eyes lubricated with something like the multi-action relief drops by Clear Eyes. Along with re-wetting and removing irritating particles, these lubricating drops are specifically formulated to be used while you’re wearing your contacts. And because they don’t contain any pharmaceutical ingredients, they won’t harm your lenses either.
Price at time of publication: $5
Whatever the cause, if your itchy eyes are also red and irritated, you need a product with a redness reliever and an antihistamine. The allergy eye drops by Opcon-A contain both, in concentrations high enough to fight back against the worst itching and redness around. They can tackle allergens of all shapes and sizes and can be used up to four times per day.
The downsides? They do contain a decongestant, so use them sparingly, and their shorter stretches of relief can make it a pain if you wear contacts that need to be removed every time you want to reapply the drops.
Price at time of publication: $13
“With allergic conjunctivitis, both of your eyes will usually be red and irritated in response to an allergen,” says Dr. Dass, “while an infection tends to be associated with eyelash crusting, mucus production, and possibly swelling around the eye [only in one eye].”
So once you’ve narrowed it down to allergies, the next step is figuring out how to treat them. Ongoing eye allergies should not be treated with an eye drop containing a vasoconstricting ingredient (though you can take this route if you’ve had a one-off allergen exposure, like visiting a friend with a housecat or riding in a car with a smoker).
For daily relief, though, Zaditor Antihistamine Eye Drops are a powerful way to combat all the itching you’re doing that’s giving you red eyes. Because there’s no risk of rebound, you can rely on these drops—which contain the antihistamine ketotifen—daily for allergic eye relief and say goodbye to your red eyes in the process.
Price at time of publication: $25
Either way, if you’re tired of looking like you’ve been crying all day thanks to redness and overwatering, the Clear Eyes Complete 7 Symptom Relief drops can take care of both those problems for you (as well as grittiness, burning, and dryness). With a vasoconstrictor and three other ingredients designed to soothe irritation and restore the balance of your natural tears, you can rest assured that these drops will get your eyes looking normal again in no time.
Price at time of publication: $23
Frequency of Use
While decongestants work well to reduce redness, they can’t be used every day. If you have chronic red eyes, you’ll either need to use something like Lumify, which typically doesn’t cause a rebound effect, or decongestant-free eye drops meant to target symptoms that cause redness (like dryness, itching, and irritation). If you only have red eyes infrequently, you can use drops with a decongestant—just be sure to stop after one or two days.
Dosage Timing
Especially important for contact lens wearers, you should look at how often it’s recommended you use or apply your eye drops. Eye drops that treat redness can’t be used while lenses are inserted in your eye; you usually have to apply the drops and wait 10 minutes before putting in your contacts. This isn’t a step you’ll want to repeat throughout the day, so if you’re a contact lens wearer, make sure you choose drops that last at least 12 hours or don’t contain any active ingredients.
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It’s important to consider what your needs are and what’s most convenient for you. If you wear contacts, you should choose a longer-lasting eye drop, but if you only need the occasional dose of relief, you can feel comfortable selecting a product that works for a few hours at a time.
You also shouldn’t use redness relieving drops to speed up your recovery from viral conjunctivitis, says Dr. Dass; they can make your symptoms worse. Instead, she recommends using artificial tears to get some extra symptom relief.
