Most people are not clear on the differences between eye washes, eye lubricants and other assorted eye drops. They each provide different forms of relief, so it is good to understand how they differ. Following are the 3 most popular over the counter eye product categories along with a brief description of each:

Eye Wash
The way most use Eye Wash is as remedy for urgent care situations. It is a fluid that can be used to safely and quickly wash harmful substances out of the eye, such as dirt, irritants or any other foreign matter that can cause irritation or discomfort to the eye. This is why no household should be without it. This is especially true if kids are present. After all, most kids, at some point, get something lodged in their eyes. If you have OcuFresh Eye Wash on hand, the particles can be quickly and painlessly flushed out. When used regularly, it assists your eyes in removing pollutants or irritants and relieving the eyes from discomfort or itchiness.

Eye Drops That "Get The Red Out"
These eye drops are called "constrictors" because they force the blood vessels in your eyes to constrict. This is how they make the red quickly disappear. For this reason, the effect of such drops is largely aesthetic; not therapeutic. In addition, the more such drops are used, the more they become necessary to reduce redness. This is because blood vessels forced to constrict through the use of eye drops tend to expand even more aggressively when the drops are discontinued. This can result in an almost addictive pattern of use, and lead to long term health problems.

Eye Lubricants
Eye lubricants add moisture to provide relief for dry eye syndrome and blurred vision caused by allergies, eye surgery, certain medical conditions/medications, dry air and general eye strain/fatigue. So eye lubricants are not eye washes as they do not offer the benefits of cleaning. They simply add moisture to dry eyes.