Contact lens solutions - what's the difference?
There are many factors that work together to create success with your contact lenses. Your eye doctor selects the right lens from different dimensions, water content, power (prescription strength) and moisture retention properties to work well for your eye and visual system.
You may not realize it, but your choice of contact lens solutions is equally important to keep your lenses working optimally. A good contact lens solution will reduce the risk of infection and also limit any adverse effects on eye health. You should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for each contact lens solution.
Remember that you should never soak your contact lenses in anything that was not intended for contact lens disinfection and/or maintenance. It is also important to realize that plain saline solution does not disinfect contact lenses - it should only be used to rinse lenses off if needed. Tap water should absolutely never be used as a soaking or rinsing solution for your contact lenses.
Our favorite contact lens solutions are listed below:
Biotrue - A multipurpose solution from Bausch & Lomb. Multipurpose (MPS) solutions are an all-in-one solution for rinsing, cleaning and storing. The lenses can be removed from the solution and be placed directly on your eyes. Today's newer MPS have improved antimicrobial action but also have newer wetting agents to help with lens comfort and reduced dry eye symptoms.
PeroxiClear - PeroxiClear is a newer hydrogen peroxide based solution that only requires 4 hours to neutralize the hydrogen peroxide. This means less time between lens removal and being able to put them back in. Antimicrobial action is excellent and virtually the same the same as Clear Care despite it's quicker cycle. It also contains more wetting agents than Clear Care for better lens hydration.
OptiFree PureMoist - Alcon's newest MPS solution. Just like Biotrue, it features good antimicrobial action and lens wetting. Each newer version of the OptiFree brand has been improved to enhance lens hydration and comfort.
Clear Care - A descendant of one of the original hydrogen peroxide solutions. Clear Care is a newer version of AOSept but it includes a surfactant to help remove lens build up. This product features a 6 hour cycle and is one of the best solutions and killing microorganisms that can cause infections and corneal ulcers.
Generic Multipurpose Solutions - These are often older versions of ReNu - an older solution itself. They are a few dollars less than the brand name solutions but also may have a higher likelihood of either irritating your cornea or causing an allergy to the solution when used for a period of time. Generic multipurpose solutions typically don't lubricate your contact lenses as well as the newer brand name solutions.
