Professional eyelid treatment, in your own home

Ocular Express is a UK online eye pharmacy run by GOC-registered UK optometrists. Every product we stock is chosen and reviewed by our optometry team, and they are the same products we recommend to patients in clinic.

Our range covers:

• Dry eye and blepharitis care – eye drops, gels, night ointments, sprays, heat masks and eyelid wipes
• Dry eye treatment bundles – optometrist-designed kits for day-to-night care
• Eye health supplements – including our own Macusure™, Glycoshield™ and GlaucoGuard™
• Contact lenses – daily, two-weekly and monthly lenses from Alcon and Acuvue
• Low vision aids – illuminated and non-illuminated magnifiers
• At-home BlephEx™ eyelid treatment – coming soon to Kent

Unlike general retailers and marketplaces, our store is managed by qualified UK optometrists. That means:

• Every product is clinically reviewed before we stock it
• Product pages explain who each product suits and how to use it, with an optometrist tip
• You can ask our team which product fits your symptoms before you buy, and we will tell you honestly if you need to see an optometrist instead
• Orders are dispatched the same day, with free UK delivery over £35
• You can save 5% on repeat essentials with Subscribe & Save

No prescription is needed for our eye drops, gels, lid care, supplements, bundles or magnifiers.

Contact lenses are different. In the UK you need a valid contact lens specification from your optometrist or contact lens optician (a glasses prescription is not the same thing). When you order, you enter the values from your prescription for each eye and confirm that you have a valid prescription and have had a contact lens check-up within the last 2 years.

In the future we also plan to offer prescription eye medication, managed by our optometrists.

Dry eye happens when your tear film can't keep the surface of the eye moist. There are two main types, and many people have a mix of both:

• Evaporative dry eye (the most common) – the oil glands in your eyelids (meibomian glands) become blocked, so the oily layer of your tears is thin and tears evaporate too quickly. It is often linked to blepharitis, long screen use and ageing.
• Aqueous-deficient dry eye – your eyes don't make enough of the watery part of tears. This is more common with age, menopause, some medications and conditions such as Sjögren's syndrome.

Typical symptoms are gritty, burning or tired eyes, redness, blurred vision that clears when you blink and, surprisingly, watery eyes. Screens, air-conditioning, central heating and contact lens wear can all make it worse. Read more in our guide to long-term dry eye care.

• Everyday dryness: sodium hyaluronate drops such as HYLO-Tear®, Hycosan Original or Thealoz Duo
• Moderate to severe dryness: stronger 0.2% hyaluronate drops such as HYLO-Forte® or Hycosan Extra
• Evaporative dry eye and MGD: lipid drops such as EvoTears® or Hycosan Shield, which restore the oily layer so your tears last longer
• Burning, inflamed or itchy eyes: drops with ectoin such as HYLO Dual Intense or Hycosan Intense
• Waking with sore, gritty eyes: a night gel or ointment such as HYLO Night®, Hycosan Night or Xailin Night
• If you struggle with drops: a spray onto closed eyelids, such as Optase Comfort Spray or Viz Opti Eye Mist

We recommend preservative-free drops for anyone using them several times a day. If you need drops more than 4–6 times a day, add daily lid hygiene or speak to an optometrist.

Many of our preservative-free hyaluronate drops, including HYLO-Forte®, Hycosan Original and Hycosan Extra, can be used with soft and hard contact lenses in place. Lipid drops, gels and night ointments are usually used without lenses, so take your lenses out first and wait before putting them back in.

Always check the leaflet, and leave about 5 minutes between different eye products.

Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelid margins. It causes sore, red, itchy or crusty eyelids and often goes hand in hand with dry eye. It is usually long-term, so the aim is to keep it under control with a simple daily routine:

• Heat: a moist heat mask such as the Optase Moist Heat Mask or Blepha Eye Bag for 5–10 minutes softens the blocked oils in your eyelid glands
• Cleanse: eyelid wipes or foam, such as Optase Tea Tree Oil or Manuka wipes, Blephademodex wipes or ZocuFoam, lift away crusts, bacteria and debris from the lash line
• Hydrate: lubricating drops keep the eye surface comfortable

Most people clean their lids twice a day for a few weeks, then once a day to keep symptoms away. Tea tree based wipes such as Blephademodex are often recommended when eyelash mites (demodex) are involved.

Lubricating drops give relief within minutes, but it wears off. Treating the cause, especially blocked eyelid glands and blepharitis, takes consistency: most people notice a real improvement after 8–12 weeks of a daily routine of heat, lid cleaning and lubrication.

For many people with moderate to severe dry eye, some daily care is needed long term. That is why our bundles and Subscribe & Save are designed to make the routine easy to keep up.

Our products are for everyday eye comfort. Please get same-day advice from an optometrist, GP or A&E if you have:

• A painful red eye
• A sudden change in or loss of vision
• Sensitivity to light
• A sudden shower of new floaters or flashing lights
• An eye injury, or a chemical in the eye
• Symptoms that get worse, or don't improve after a few weeks

If you wear contact lenses and have a red, painful eye, take your lenses out and seek help the same day.

Our bundles are complete routines designed by our optometrists. They combine products that work together across the day: heat to unblock the eyelid glands, wipes to cleanse the lids, drops to hydrate, and a gel or ointment to protect the eyes overnight.

Buying a bundle usually saves around 12% compared with buying each product separately, and every item is a consumable, so they are easy to re-order together. Browse all dry eye bundles.

• Mild, everyday dryness: Hycosan Original & Xailin Night Kit, or the Viz Opti Dry Eye Duo
• Moderate to severe dryness: HYLO-Forte & Hycosan Night Kit, or the Hycosan Extra, Hycosan Night & Lagad Lacrima+Omega Kit
• Evaporative dry eye and MGD: Hycosan Shield & Hycosan Night Kit, or the EvoTears, Hycosan Night & Eyelid Oil Kit
• Blepharitis and crusty lids: Complete Dry Eye Relief Bundle, Eyelid Hygiene & Dry Eye Bundle, or the Ultimate Manuka Dry Eye Relief Bundle
• Burning, inflamed eyes: Hycosan Intense Day & Night Bundle, or the HYLO Dual Intense & Hycosan Night Kit
• Recurring styes: Complete Eyelid Health & Stye Relief Bundle

Not sure? Tell us your symptoms and our optometrists will recommend one.

On any product that offers it, choose Subscribe & Save and pick how often you would like it delivered: every 1, 2 or 3 months. You save 5% on every delivery, not just the first, and you can skip a delivery, change the timing or cancel at any time from your account.

It works especially well for eye drops, lid care, supplements and dry eye bundles, because regular daily use is what keeps them working. See how subscriptions work.

BlephEx is a professional eyelid-cleaning treatment. A hand-held device with a soft, single-use micro-sponge spins gently along the edge of each eyelid, removing the debris and bacterial film (biofilm) that build up at the base of the lashes and block the oil glands. Everyday lid wipes struggle to reach this build-up.

It can help with blepharitis that keeps coming back, gritty or burning eyes, red or itchy lid rims, crusty lashes in the morning and contact lenses that feel uncomfortable later in the day. Most people describe the sensation as a light tickle, and there is no downtime afterwards. Learn more about BlephEx.

We are launching BlephEx as a private home visit across Kent (UK only). One of our own optometrists will come to your home, and the visit takes around 30–40 minutes:

• A quick eye check to make sure BlephEx is right for you
• The BlephEx treatment on your upper and lower eyelids
• A review of your eyes afterwards, with a full explanation of what we found
• Personalised dry eye recommendations
• A complimentary aftercare kit with a heat mask, lid wipes and eye drops

Your optometrist will advise how often to repeat it. For many people that is every few months, alongside daily lid care.

Our early bird price is £99.99 per treatment for everyone on the waiting list. It is an introductory price and will rise once bookings open.

We are aiming to open bookings in the coming months, and everyone on the waiting list will hear from us first. Joining is free, with no payment or commitment. Join the waiting list.

Macusure™ is our own daily macular health supplement, developed by UK GOC-registered optometrists with a specialist focus on macular health. It is built on the AREDS 2 formula and delivers lutein, zeaxanthin and antioxidants that support the macula and help defend it against oxidative stress, which plays a part in conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Anyone can take Macusure, but it is especially suited to:

• Adults over 50
• People with a family history of macular degeneration
• Smokers and ex-smokers, and people whose diet is low in leafy greens
• Anyone advised by their optometrist to take a macular supplement

Read more on our macular degeneration page.

Macusure combines evidence-based nutrients:

• Lutemax 2020®, lutein and zeaxanthin – the pigments that make up the macula
• Bilberry, pine bark and marigold extracts – plant antioxidants
• Vitamins C and E, zinc and copper – the antioxidant vitamins and minerals used in the AREDS 2 studies

All the ingredients are plant-based, so Macusure is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Each pack contains 60 capsules and is made in the UK to GMP standards.

Yes. Macusure is designed to be taken every day as a long-term part of your eye care routine. Take it as directed on the pack and don't exceed the recommended intake.

It is generally fine to take alongside other medication. If you take blood thinners, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a medical condition, check with your GP or pharmacist first, and avoid doubling up on other supplements that contain zinc.

Supplements support eye health but don't replace treatment or regular eye examinations.

• Macular health: Macusure™, or established brands such as MacuShield, PreserVision, Ocuvite, Vit Eyes and MacuSave
• Diabetic eye health: Glycoshield™, with ginkgo biloba and B vitamins
• Optic nerve support (glaucoma): GlaucoGuard™, with resveratrol, and Glaucomide™, with NMN
• Eye floaters: VitroCap® N, with grapeseed and citrus extracts, vitamin C, zinc and L-lysine
• Dry eye: omega-3 supplements such as Lagad Lacrima+Omega, which support the tear film from within
• Children: MacuSave Junior and Macusan eye vitamin gummies

Not sure? Ask our optometrists and tell us about your eyes and any medication you take.

Our own-brand supplements, Macusure™, Glycoshield™ and GlaucoGuard™, are manufactured in the UK to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) food standards and tested by an independent third party. Every other brand we stock is a recognised eye health brand reviewed by our optometrists.

We stock leading lenses from Alcon and Acuvue (Johnson & Johnson), including:

• Daily disposables: Dailies Total1 (single vision, astigmatism and multifocal), Precision1 (single vision and toric), Acuvue Oasys 1-Day and Acuvue Oasys 1-Day Max
• Two-weekly: Acuvue Oasys 2-Week (single vision, astigmatism and multifocal)
• Monthly: Total30 (single vision, astigmatism and multifocal) and Acuvue Vita

Can't see your lenses? Contact us and we will check whether we can get them for you.

Choose your lens, then copy the values from your contact lens prescription for each eye: power (sphere), base curve and diameter, plus cylinder and axis for toric lenses or add power for multifocal lenses. Your eyes can have different prescriptions, or you can tick ‘Same prescription for both eyes’. Then confirm that you have a valid prescription and have had a contact lens check-up within the last 2 years.

Please only order the exact brand and type you have been fitted with. Switching to a different lens needs a fitting with your optometrist. Not sure how to read your prescription? Ask our optometrists.

We stock magnifiers from trusted brands including Carson and Eschenbach, chosen with our optometrists for reading, hobbies and everyday tasks:

• Illuminated hand magnifiers – LED magnifiers such as the Carson Lumé series and our Explorer 3x, ideal in dim light
• Non-illuminated hand magnifiers – simple, lightweight Eschenbach magnifiers
• Pocket and clip-on magnifiers – such as the MagRX™ 2.5x, which clips onto medicine bottles so labels are easier to read

Shop low vision aids.

• Match it to the task. Small print such as medicine labels needs more power; books and newspapers usually suit a lower power with a bigger lens.
• More power means a smaller view. A 2x–3x magnifier shows more of the page at once, while stronger lenses magnify more but show fewer words.
• Light makes a big difference. An illuminated magnifier often helps more than extra magnification, especially for people with macular degeneration.
• Find the focus. Start with the magnifier flat on the page and slowly lift it until the print is at its sharpest.

If your vision has changed recently, have an eye examination first. For more severe sight loss, your optometrist can refer you to a low vision service for a full assessment.

• Free UK delivery on orders over £35
• UK Standard: £2.99, 2–3 working days
• UK Express: 1–2 working days
• Orders are dispatched the same day

We also deliver to Europe and internationally with Royal Mail, and estimated delivery times are shown at checkout. You can track your order at any time.

You can return unopened, unused items in their original packaging, with all seals intact, within 30 days of receipt for a refund or replacement. For hygiene and safety reasons, opened products, including eye drops and contact lenses, can't be returned unless they are faulty or damaged. This doesn't affect your statutory rights. Read our full returns policy.