JenniferI think it is one of life’s great ironies that as soon as the weather is perfect for gardening, everything that can produce pollen does and I am struck down with hayfever. Fortunately, Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion comes to the rescue of my weepy eyes.
The eponymous eyebright, or more properly Euphrasia officinalis, is a small annual herb found on dry, chalky grasslands from Britain to western Asia. Our eyebright is wild-harvested from the Podlasie area of north eastern Poland where it is known as swietlik. When it blooms in June and July, the plants are sustainably harvested by hand from midday to early afternoon.
As with so many plants, there is more to eyebright than meets the eye (apologies for the pun). Above ground, eyebright looks like any other plant with bright green leaves. But below the soil’s surface, suckers from its roots spread around and tap into neighbouring grass roots to absorb extra nutrients. In this way eyebright supplements the energy it gets from photosynthesis with nourishment from the grasses it grows with. This vegetarian vampire depends on this extra energy and will only grow with these grasses, a characteristic which makes eyebright difficult to cultivate.
The ancient Greeks named the plant Euphrasia after Euphrosyne, one of the three Graces and the goddess of joy and mirth. Eyebright is chock full of potent plant actives like tannins, flavonoids and glycosides that have well-established reputations for helping to reduce puffiness and soothe irritation. For millennia, it has been known that eyes can get back their gladness and sparkle with a little help from eyebright extracts.
I like to combat itchy eyes with soothing compresses made from a cotton pad soaked in refrigerated Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion while I dream of spring rains that will push the pollen levels down. Add a generous dollop of Superbalm for my tissue-worn nose, and I’m back out digging in the dirt in no time.
Find out more about Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion in the UK, IE & US.
Alison said...
I use it throughout the year as a refresher when I have woken and to remove eye make-up at night.I also soak cotton pads in it and lay it over my eyes when using the deep cleansing or nourishing masks.
But hands down it is best when used to soothe itchy eyes from hayfever. It is so soothing and really does help reduce the redness and itching. Eyebright is one of my favourite products.
May 16th, 2010 at 4:33 pm |
Andrea said...
Hi Linda, thanks for your post. You might like to read our psoriasis fact sheet which contains advice and recommendations. As we aren’t medically trained and our products aren’t intended for medical use, we wouldn’t advise that you stop using a prescribed treatment. You might like to try Eyebright, which contains natural extracts including cornflower and aloe vera to help soothe and cool the eye area. You could also try our Daily Eye Repair as the skin around your eyes is dry – this has been formulated to be used every day on the delicate skin around the eyes, and contains wonderfully moisturising ingredients such as echinacea and natural source vitamin E. We hope this helps, but if you would like any more advice please do give our skincare experts a call on 01983 813999.
May 10th, 2010 at 5:33 pm |
Andrea said...
I love eyebright, in the mornings when my eyes are tired it really does refresh them! Fortunatley i do not suffer from allergies, however my friend is allergic to my cat. When she came around ones evening her eye was red, running and itchy. I gave her some of the lotion on cotton wool and within minutes her eyes were back to normal! Thank you so much for this fantastic product, I love it! Andrea
May 8th, 2010 at 7:27 pm |
Linda McKendrick said...
I have recently developed psoriasis around my eyes and on my eyelids and under the eyes too. I’ve been using a steroid ointment fro the doctor, to no avail. I was wondering if “Eyebright” would be better, or indeed supliment the treatment I’m on.
I dont have the usual blister and flaking type spot. This looks very red and is itchy and does dry up and flake. It looks more like it’s a stain, or if I’ve been burnt from the sun. I hope you can help me with this query. Thank you, Linda
May 6th, 2010 at 1:16 pm |
sdmccann29@hotmail.com said...
I just love eyebright. It is just so effective at removing eye make-up. So much better than more expensive rivals that I tried. It’s brilliant stuff.
Best wishes,
Sarah McCann.
May 6th, 2010 at 1:02 pm |