Eye Drop Review Part 6: Optimel, the Manuka Honey Eye Drop
DRY EYE DROPS
Product Information
Key Ingredients: 16% Leptospermum spp (Manuka) honey in the eye drops and 98% in the gel.
Target Patients: Patients with moderate or severe dry eyes, meibomian gland dysfunction and blepharitis
Preservative: eye drops are preserved with benzoic acid, gel is preservative free
Discard 2 months after opening
Not suitable for contact lens wear
How Optimel Works
Manuka honey is a natural therapy with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Dry eye disease is basically a chronic inflammation of the surface of the eye. One of the main causes of dry eyes is meibomian gland dysfunction, a condition often linked to an overgrowth of bacteria on the eyelids. This bacterial imbalance is thought to cause the meibomian glands' natural oil (meibum) to thicken, preventing its release onto the eye. Therefore Manuka honey can target multiple triggers of dry eyes without having to worry about drug resistance (from antibiotics) or overuse (from topical steroids). A study by Tan et al (2019) found that Optimel eye drops was effective in reducing the tear film evaporation rate and significantly improved patient symptoms compared to Systane Original eye drops. Another study by Li et al (2022) found that patients using Optimel had significantly improved meibum quality and expressibility compared to a standard eye drop (presumably Systane Original).
Our Verdict
Optimel takes a unique new approach to dry eye treatment. Unlike other drops that temporarily mask symptoms, Optimel can target the underlying inflammation and bacterial load, which are core mechanisms of dry eye disease. To me, this makes it superior to vast number of eye drops out there. I would recommend this eye drop wholeheartedly if not for the fact that this eye drop stings, a lot more than the typical eye drop, (but less than cyclosporine). So if you are willing to put up with the sting then Optimel is definitely something worth looking into.
Reference:
Tan, J., Jia, T., Liao, R., & Stapleton, F. (2020). Effect of a formulated eye drop with Leptospermum spp honey on tear film properties. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 104(10), 1373–1377.
Li AL, Li SL, Kam KW, et al. Randomised assessor-masked trial evaluating topical manuka honey (Optimel) in treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction. British Journal of Ophthalmology 2022;106:777-780.
Welcome back!
We have looked at some pretty interest and unique eye drops in the last few reviews. Today we will look at another unique product that takes a different approach by targeting inflammation with manuka honey. It is called Optimel, which comes in an eye drop version called Optimel Manuka+ Dry Eye Drop and a gel version called Optimel Manuka+ Forte Eye Gel. After reading this review, you'll understand how a honey-based eye drop works and how it compares to other drops.