If you suffer from dry eyes, and many of us do to some extent, you might be heading to the drug store for an over the counter eye drop.

One of them, though, is different than many of the others, not because of what it has, but rather, what it doesn’t have.

So is it a remedy or a rip-off for dry eyes?

First to answer thatl you do need to know that dry eyes can be a very serious problem for some. There is a prescription drug for those who suffer terribly.

And for those with mild to moderate cases, there are many over the counter remedies, most of which will do a good job.

Ah, but there’s one, called nature’s remedy, that the makers say has a very, very special ingredient, which makes it stand out among all the others.

The ad on the website exclaims, “Discover the secret of nature’s tears eye mist an entirely different approach to eye care without eye drops. Nature’s tears eye mist naturally supplements the tear film with biologic aqua.”

Biologic aqua!

For those who do not speak Spanish, aqua means water.

“Absolute premium standard grade of pure all natural water,” says the narrator on the website ad.

I’d hope so; we paid 13.99 for two whole ounces.

The director of the company, biologic aqua, which make’s nature’s tears, Sharon Kleyne, told me not all waters are equal. “There is a theory out there the wetter the water, the cleaner the water,” she said. I asked, “Wait, there’s different grades of wetness to water?” “Yes,” she replied.

Now that’s interesting!

“So what else is in this,” I ask. “Nothing,” said Ms. Kleyne.

Nothing---except acidic water with a ph of 6.4.

“So you’re saying you need to have a more acidic ph in the eye,” I confirm. “Exactly,” she says.

Now, Ms. Kleyne, who created Nature’s Tears, is not an M.D. or PhD.
But, Dr. Michael Ehrenhaus, an ophthalmologist at Long Island College Hospital, doesn’t agree with the ph. “The pH that they’re claming is actually incorrect for the ocular surface. If they’re claiming 6.5, it’s going to sting if it gets in the eye.”

The tears of an eye contain a lot of things like nutrients, protein, electrolytes, it’s a lot more than just water.

Dr. Ehrenhaus told us, “You don’t actually want water in the eye. You can actually put yourself at risk to get an infection.”

Ms. Kleyne replies, “We’re the first tear film product that we can say can penetrate the tear film.”

But even Ms. Kleyne admits the tear film has a layer of lipid, or fat, on the outside.

How can water penetrate that?

“We know that waters and fats don’t mix, at least that’s what I was…,” I start to say, interrupted.

“Water wouldn’t but this particular water applied with that very fine mild micron size of mist absorbs and penetrates. If you would splash the water, douse the water, squirt the water, no.”

SO THE MIST IS THE KEY.

“Nature’s tears eye mist…just a mist…,” confirms the website advertisement.

Dr. Ehrenhaus adds, “I mean how much you can actually wash the eye surface if it is a very fine mist. I wouldn’t use it for my patients for dry eye therapy.”

It’s a tearful ending to this dry eye story.

Dr. Ehrenhaus says you do want a drop that is gel like, and has several components including electrolytes.

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