Gritty. Burning. That sandy feeling that won't quit no matter how much you blink. By 3pm you're rubbing your eyes like that's going to help (it won't). You've probably grabbed whatever drops were on sale at Shoppers already. Helped for an hour. Maybe less.
Here's what most people get backwards: they buy drops first and skip the free stuff that actually works. Let's fix that.
Start With These (Free or Cheap)
Before you spend money on products, try these. Not glamorous. Very effective.
Humidifier
This is the big one. If your house is sitting at 20-25% humidity all winter — and it probably is — no eye drop is going to overcome that. You're fighting physics.
Get a humidifier. Target 40-50% humidity. Put it in your bedroom first because you're in there 7-8 hours with your eyes partially open. A $40 humidifier from Canadian Tire does the job. I've had patients who got more relief from this than from $200 worth of drops over the years. Not exaggerating.
Warm Compresses
If your dry eye is evaporative — and statistically, it probably is — your meibomian glands are part of the problem. These are the tiny oil glands in your eyelids. Cold weather makes the oil thicker. It doesn't flow right. Glands get clogged.
Heat helps. 5-10 minutes of warmth over closed eyes, once a day. Melts the thickened oil, opens the glands, gets things flowing again.
You can use a warm washcloth but honestly it cools down too fast. The heated eye masks made for this (like the Bruder mask or similar) hold temperature better. Worth the $25-30 if you're going to do this daily.
The 20-20-20 Rule
Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. I know. Annoying. But here's why it matters: when you're staring at a screen, your blink rate drops by up to 66%. Your tears aren't spreading properly. The 20-20-20 break forces actual blinks.
Set a timer. Put a sticky note on your monitor. Whatever works. It's free and it helps.
Deliberate Blinking
This sounds ridiculous. It works.
Once an hour, do 20 full blinks. Close your eyes completely, gentle squeeze, open. Your normal screen-time blinks are often incomplete — lids don't fully close, tears don't spread across the whole surface. This resets things.
Water
People drink less in winter. Makes sense — you're not sweating, you're not thirsty. But dehydration affects tear production. Keep a water bottle at your desk. Boring. True.
| Remedy | Why It Works | How Often |
|---|---|---|
| Humidifier | Adds moisture to dry indoor air | Run continuously |
| Warm compress | Melts oil in clogged glands | 5-10 min daily |
| 20-20-20 breaks | Restores blink rate | Every 20 min |
| Deliberate blinking | Spreads tears properly | 20 blinks/hour |
| Hydration | Supports tear production | Throughout day |
When Home Remedies Aren't Enough
Tried the above for a week or two? Still miserable?
That's when products make sense. Not instead of the basics — on top of them. The humidifier isn't optional just because you bought nice eye drops.
Eye Drops — Cutting Through the Noise
Million options on the shelf. Most of them fine. Some of them actively bad. Here's what actually matters.
The Preservative Question
Using drops a few times a week? Preserved is fine. Cheaper. Convenient.
Using them 3-4+ times a day? You need preservative-free. This isn't marketing — it's chemistry.
The preservative in most drops is BAK (benzalkonium chloride). Keeps the bottle sterile. Also accumulates on your cornea with frequent use. Creates inflammation. Damages the surface. So the drops you're using to help... slowly make things worse. Great design, right?
Preservative-free comes in single-use vials or special no-preservative bottles. More expensive. Worth it if you're using drops daily.
Aqueous vs Lipid-Based
Aqueous drops add water to your tear film. Fine for mild dryness. But if your problem is evaporative dry eye (oil layer issues), adding more water doesn't fix the underlying problem. It evaporates just like your natural tears.
Lipid-based drops add oils that help seal in moisture. Better for evaporative dry eye. Look for drops that mention "lipid" or "complete" in the name.
| Drop Type | Best For | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Aqueous (preserved) | Occasional mild dryness, few times a week | Systane Original, Refresh Tears |
| Aqueous (preservative-free) | Frequent use, sensitive eyes | Hylo, TheraTears PF, I-Drop |
| Lipid-based | Evaporative dry eye, MGD | Systane Complete, Retaine MGD |
| Gel drops | Severe dryness, overnight | Systane Gel, Refresh Celluvisc |
Thealoz Duo
Putting this separately because it works differently than regular drops.
Contains trehalose — a sugar that tardigrades and resurrection plants use to survive extreme dehydration. Weird flex but relevant. Instead of just adding temporary moisture, it forms a protective matrix over your corneal cells. More resilient tear film.
Preservative-free. Not cheap. But I switched my recommendations to this a few years back and haven't looked back. Works especially well for moderate-to-severe cases where regular drops aren't cutting it.
Gel Drops and Ointments
For severe dryness or overnight use. Thicker than regular drops. Last longer. Trade-off: they blur your vision for 10-15 minutes.
Most people use these at bedtime. Your eyes are partially open while you sleep — tear film dries out overnight. A gel or ointment before bed creates a protective layer that lasts.
Systane Gel Drops and Refresh Celluvisc are common options. Ointments (like Refresh Lacri-Lube) are even thicker — really only for nighttime.
Heated Eye Masks
Already mentioned warm compresses. The purpose-built masks are worth the upgrade if you're going to do this regularly.
Why? Consistent heat. A washcloth cools down in 2-3 minutes. You end up reheating it, reapplying, reheating. Annoying. The microwaveable masks (Bruder, Eye Doctor, others) hold therapeutic temperature for the full 10 minutes.
USB-heated masks exist too. More expensive. Nice if you want to do this at your desk without a microwave.
The goal: heat your eyelids enough to melt the thickened meibum oil. Once it's flowing, your natural oil layer works better. Less evaporation.
Omega-3s — Worth It?
Honestly? Jury's still out.
The 2018 DREAM study was supposed to settle this. Didn't. Results were underwhelming. But I've had enough patients tell me they noticed improvement that I keep recommending it. Anecdote isn't data. I know. Still.
If you want to try:
- Triglyceride form — absorbs way better than ethyl ester
- 2000mg+ of EPA+DHA combined per day
- Commit for 2-3 months before deciding if it's helping
Theory is they improve oil quality from your meibomian glands. Better oil, less evaporation. Makes sense mechanistically even if the trial data is messy.
Stuff That Makes It Worse
Redness drops. Visine Original. Clear Eyes. The "get the red out" ones. I need people to stop buying these. They contain vasoconstrictors — shrink the blood vessels so your eyes look whiter temporarily. Few hours later? Rebound redness, worse than before. And they do nothing for dryness. Actually make it worse. Marketing is great. Product is bad.
Sleeping with a fan on. Air blowing across your face for 8 hours. Tear film doesn't stand a chance.
Car vents. Pointed right at your face every morning. Cooking your corneas before you even get to work.
Old makeup. Mascara especially. Bacteria builds up. Inflames eyelids. Toss it every 3 months whether it's empty or not.
Putting It Together
Winter dry eye stack, from foundation up:
- Humidifier — non-negotiable if your home is dry
- Warm compress — daily, 5-10 minutes
- Preservative-free drops — as needed through the day
- Gel drops at bedtime — if waking up with dry eyes
- Omega-3s — daily, give it a few months
Don't skip 1 and 2. Most people go straight to drops and wonder why they're not working.
Common Questions
How often can I use drops?
As much as you want — if they're preservative-free. That's the whole point. Four times a day? Fine. Ten? Also fine. Just make sure there's no BAK in there if you're using them frequently. Preserved drops have a limit. PF drops don't.
Drops with contacts — yes or no?
Depends on the drop. Some are fine, some aren't. Safest bet: take contacts out, drop, wait 15 minutes, contacts back in. Or look for ones specifically labelled contact-compatible. Most PF options work.
Why do my drops sting?
Little bit of sting for a second? Normal, especially when your eyes are really dry. Burning that sticks around? Problem. Either the preservative is irritating you or there's corneal damage. Try switching to preservative-free first. Still burning? Get it looked at.
Omega-3s — how long to work?
Months. Not days. We're talking 8-12 weeks minimum before you'd notice anything. They're slowly changing your oil gland secretions, not adding moisture directly. Different mechanism. Patience required.
Morning or night for warm compress?
Morning's better if you can. Gets the oils flowing before you start your day. But honestly? Night works fine too. Pick one and stick with it. Consistency beats timing.
About the Reviewer
Dr. Davinder Sidhu is an optometrist based in British Columbia with a focus on dry eye management and preservative-free solutions. Learn more at TheGenuwineOD.com or follow him on Instagram and Facebook.
Not Sure Where to Start?
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Or learn more about how the cold climate in Canada impacts us during those cold snaps. The Complete Guide to Winter Dry Eyes
