Please help me with my dry eyes and dry skin around eyes

[ExtraordinaryMachine1]

Arg, my eyes! They're just so horribly dry and itchy. Assume it's yet another exciting menopause feature. I'm mid 40s, very much in peri but periods still relatively regular - so assuming I have a long way to go yet.
So my eyes themselves have been getting very dry, and I've used the red hycosan eye drops which have really helped the dry eyes. But it's also the skin around the eyes which get really dry, and then I itch them, and then they are puffy and horrible so I itch them... not good.
Seems to help if I keep on top of keeping myself hydrated, but so easy to let that slip.
Any recommendations for creams I can use on the dry (sometimes inflamed) skin around my eyes? I don't do beauty treatment things at all, the most I do is occasionally pluck annoying beard hairs! I have looked at the shelf in Boots but don't know where on earth to start, it's all greek to me. I tried Weleda Skin Food which I've used successfully on eczema before, but that hasn't helped. 🙁pleeeease help my poor eyes...

Keep your eye drops in the fridge. Have you been to the opticians recently? You may have blepharitis. Try soaking a flannel in hot water, wringing it out and then put it across your eyes for around 10 mins. Be meticulous about cleaning your eyelids in the morning too.

Good call about blepharitis - yes, it might be that. No doctors appointments for another month 🙄so will see if the optician or pharmacist can help. Thanks!
It's all happened at the same time as a cold sore flare up this month, so I feel like I look a right stinker. 😔

I agree about the hot flannel

Use clean fingers to gently smooth your eyelids once they are warm to move the oils

It could be an allergy? Along with dry eye

The optician is a good idea

It sounds like eczema.

Immune issues can flare again in peri.Or when you're run down which you may be- cold sore reappears.

Your GP would give you a weak hydrocortisone that you could use- 0.5%.
You can buy a 1% OTC but with long term use it can thin the skin and give you wrinkles especially around your eyes.

If you can afford to, see a dermatologist privately as the NHS wait is 2+ years for none urgent things.

I find eye mists help with my dry eye. The type that you spray on closed eyelids.

Lycene for the cold sores, one a day.

I stopped using hycosan as my eyes and skin flared up. I now use Thealoz which I feel works better and my skin settled straight away. Just worth baring in mind.

I get this. I do think it's a menopause thing. I got infected eye ointment from the phamacist (they're not infected but I think it helps) and anytime they get itchy, I use it before bed. I wash them with plain water in the morning. And infected eye drops if my eyes get itchy. No make-up, ever. It exacerbates it.

Is your pillow reasonably new? I find my eyes are (even) worse after I've slept on a feather pillow.

I have also found the hot flannel trick invaluable 👍

Thanks so much everyone. Lots of things to try! I will work through them all. Much appreciated. 😊

I was diagnosed with blepharitis years ago but the optician and gp were useless. Told me to go on a holiday to reduce stress and was going to prescribe steroid drops. A trip to the local eye clinic and they diagnosed it in 5 minutes.
I wash my eyelids with a cooled boiled water and a drop of baby shampoo and a cotton bud - resolved my painful eyes.
If you to to an optician, go to one that GP use triaging eye issues - I don’t trust the high street opticians after my experience.
there are also wipes you can buy in Boots - use them for a while instead of the baby shampoo and water and see if it helps.

I've had this recently and after a bit of research found it might be clogged oil glands. I tried the warm compress followed by massaging the eyelids technique and it really helped, the gritty feeling i had went away and under my eye isnt as red and itchy. Have also been keeping the affected under eye clear of any products except a very gentle eye cream (i use an avene one) and this seems have helped a lot.

Your first post says you have (or had?) eczema. From what you describe your sore eyelids are eczema- mine get like that sometimes. You really need a weak steroid cream (0.5%) or a special cream available from dermatologist which is safe to use on the face.

Dry watery eyes are a meno symptom caused by loss of estrogen.

it's a new day! I popped on a bit of hydrocortisone t'other day to get my poor eyes under control. Got some blepharitis eye cleaning wipes which feel nice, and will be useful for some travelling later on in the year. Drinking loads extra to get myself nice and hydrated. Couldn't see Thealoz in the chemists (will order some) but happened to see some eye lid cream which is basically vaseline plus lanolin (the smell makes me think of cracked nipples lol) and that's helped. So I think it is possibly all of the things everyone has suggested!

I used to get quite bad eczema on my eyelids. Got better when I stopped eating gluten about twenty years ago, and pregnancy seemed to put a stop to my eczema (kids now in their teens). But the eczema on my eyelids then was completely different from this - it was flaky dry, such that I'd be cleaning my glasses every 30 mins. Whereas this is puffy inflamed dry - so I didn't really make the connection with eczema at first.

Thanks again everyone, really appreciate you sharing thoughts and top tips.

@ExtraordinaryMachine1 - i hope your eyes are improving ❤️

What was the eyelid cream? 🥰

Hello @sugarspiceandeverythingnice12 here's all the products I got on the advice above:

Hycosan eye drops, the red bottle [I already had this but it wasn't helping the eyelids]
Blepha Clean daily eyelid cleansing wipes [half a wipe enough for each eye. Useful little wallet-sized sachets, so handy for out and about]
Epimax eyelid ointment [basically vaseline and lanolin in a teeny tiny tube - don't need much, it goes a long way]

Sending some eyelid soothing vibes your way!

I found the wipes too expensive for long term use but I found Optase wash excellent,I got it from Amazon,it lasts ages.

Thank you! Hay fever eyes, dry eyes and what I think is blepharitis.....its too much 😡

I have this and have found that warm water cleansing twice daily with fresh flannels and a gentle cream cleanser really helps. I hold the warm flannel on my eyes to help to soften things and massage gently. My optician also suggested a warm eye mask daily (a little bag with linseed seeds in popped into the microwave).

I’ve been going through chemo so my skin is extra sensitive. Facial oils are the only thing that cut it for me (Aesop currently does the trick).

I keep by hycosan by the bed as I occasionally need it in the night although I’m awake due to medications.

Take omega 3 for dry eyes - this was advice from an excellent optician I had years ago & really makes a difference for me.

I find the purple hyclosan miles better than the red.

Washing my eyelids with plain soap & water keeps the eczema/blepharitis away.

Mine started in menopause and at 63 never really went away-the things that helped were definitely gluten free as much as possible- I do eat a bit, omega 3 most days and A heated eye mask once a week for 10 minutes, too much looking at my phone doesn't help either

I suffer from exactly this - and my eyelids can get really sore and swollen with it too. GP referred me to the eye clinic at the opticians, and they said my eyes were at the extreme end of dryness. On their advice, I use red hycosan drops throughout the day and then warm eye mask every evening for 5 mins, followed by eyelid wipes which I use to massage around the eye area for 1 min each eye. When it was really bad, I did this morning and evening. It definitely helps, and when I miss a few days I really notice it.