If your optometrist has asked you to add a lid-hygiene step at home, the next question is which product to buy. The honest answer is that the format matters more than the brand: the one you will actually keep doing every evening is the right one. Here are the six eyelid cleansers we stock, side by side.
The three formats
- Wipes come pre-moistened, one per use, and travel well.
- A foam pumps onto a fingertip or pad and covers both eyes.
- A spray mists onto closed lids and is the least fiddly if your hands are unsteady.
Side by side
| I-Lid 'N Lash | I-Lid 'N Lash Plus | ZocuWipe | ZocuFoam | BIHOCL O.D. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Pre-soaked wipes (also sold as a pump gel) | Pre-soaked wipes | Pre-moistened single-use wipes | Foaming pump | Spray |
| Built around | Hyaluronic acid and glycerin, water-based | 5% tea tree oil and hyaluronic acid | Okra-based Zokrex complex | Okra-based Zokrex complex | Pure hypochlorous acid (HOCl) 0.02% |
| Tea tree oil | No | Yes, 5% | Not in the ingredient list | Not in the ingredient list | No |
| Rinsing | None needed | Not stated on the product page | None needed | Rinse or wipe away | None needed |
| How often | Once or twice a day | Once or twice a day | Once a day | Once or twice a day | Daily |
| Pack | Commonly 60 wipes | 60 wipes per jar, good up to six months after opening | 30 wipes per box, about a month of daily use | 50 mL pump bottle | A 60 mL bottle and a larger size, best used within about six months of opening |
| Contact lenses | Take them out first, put them back after | Remove first, reinsert after | Remove first, reinsert after | Remove first, reinsert after | Remove lenses and makeup before use |
How to pick
You want the simplest possible step
A wipe is one object, one motion, no rinsing. I-Lid 'N Lash is the plain version, made with hyaluronic acid and glycerin so it cleans without leaving the skin feeling tight. ZocuWipe is a single-use pad built on Zocular's okra-based formula, and one wipe usually cleans both eyes.
You have been told to use tea tree oil
I-Lid 'N Lash Plus is the tea tree oil version of the same I-MED cleanser, made with 5% tea tree oil and hyaluronic acid. If tea tree oil is new to you and your skin is sensitive, start slowly and ask your eye-care professional.
Tea tree oil cleansers feel too harsh
ZocuFoam is described as a comfortable alternative for exactly that. It is the same okra-based Zokrex formula as ZocuWipe, in a foaming pump that spreads easily and then rinses or wipes away.
Drops and wipes are hard to handle
BIHOCL O.D. is a fine mist you spray onto closed eyelids, then massage in with clean fingertips or a cotton pad. It is pure hypochlorous acid, which is something your own body makes naturally, and it is sting-free and pH-balanced for the eyes. It comes in a 60 mL bottle and a larger bottle of the same formula.
One product on this shelf is not a cleanser
BlephaDerm is a preservative-free, fragrance-free moisturizing cream for eyelid skin. It is applied to clean, dry eyelids, so it sits after a cleanser in the routine rather than instead of one. If the skin of your lids feels tight, dry or flaky, that is the one to ask about.
Questions we get at the counter
Can I just use soap, or baby shampoo?
Use a product designed for eyelids rather than a general soap or shampoo, which can sting and dry out this delicate skin.
Does it matter which format I pick?
Every product on this page cleans the same place: the lash line and the lid margin. Pick on habit. A wipe suits a bag, a pump suits a bathroom shelf, a spray suits unsteady hands.
What is hypochlorous acid?
It is a substance your own body produces naturally. In BIHOCL O.D. it is used at 0.02% in purified water, and the product is free of alcohol, bleach, parabens and harsh additives.
Do I have to rinse?
I-Lid 'N Lash, ZocuWipe and BIHOCL O.D. all say no rinsing is needed. ZocuFoam says to rinse or wipe it away. Follow the directions on your own pack.
How long does a pack last?
ZocuWipe is 30 wipes, about a month of daily use. I-Lid 'N Lash Plus is 60 wipes per jar and is good for up to six months after opening. BIHOCL O.D. is best used within about six months of opening.
My lids are painful or swollen
That is a reason to book an appointment rather than to buy a cleanser. See your optometrist if redness or irritation persists despite gentle cleansing, if the lid becomes painful or swollen, if you develop a bump that does not settle, or if there is any change in your vision or sensitivity to light.
Key takeaways
- Wipe, foam or spray all clean the same place. Choose the one you will keep using.
- Only I-Lid 'N Lash Plus contains tea tree oil, at 5%.
- ZocuWipe and ZocuFoam share the same okra-based formula in two formats.
- BIHOCL O.D. is a no-rinse hypochlorous acid spray in two bottle sizes.
- BlephaDerm is a moisturizer for lid skin, not a cleanser.
- Remove contact lenses before cleansing, and put them back afterwards.
You can see all of them in our eyelid and eyelash hygiene collection. For the routine itself, read Blepharitis and Lid Hygiene: A Simple Evening Routine.
This page is general information, not a substitute for an eye exam. Speak with your optometrist about your eyes.
EyeClub is owned and operated by Rockland Optometry. We earn revenue on products sold here. Product suggestions are general information, not individual medical advice.