The 13 Best Eye Drops for Dry, Itchy, Irritated Eyes, According to an Eye Doctor

Best Overall

Systane Lubricant Eye Gel Drops

$15 $14 at Amazon $14 at Target $15 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Polyethylene glycol 400, propylene glycol | Concerns: Dryness | Dosage: 1 to 2 drops as needed | Size: 0.34 oz

Per the name, these eye drops have a thicker texture—more gel-like than liquid—making them a great option if you want to ensure long-lasting moisture. How does this formula work? Thanks to the viscous consistency, it forms a protective shield over the eyes, offering relief from the burning and irritation associated with dry eyes. The drops are great to use pre-bedtime to keep your eyes lubricated overnight.

Who It's For

If you experience a lot of discomfort from dry eyes—like burning, stinging, or grittiness—these drops might be able to help. Due to the thicker nature of the formula, the drops create a protective shield over the eyes, forming a barrier that protects against irritating dry air and debris.

Best Budget

Refresh Tears Lubricant Eye Drops

$16 $15 at Amazon $15 at Target $12 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Carboxymethylcellulose sodium | Concerns: Dryness | Dosage: 1 to 2 drops as needed | Size: 0.5 oz

Super hydrating and gentle (they don’t even sting when you first apply them), these check all of the basic moisturizing eye drop boxes. They work quickly (how long it takes might vary depending on the user) and ring in at a very wallet-friendly price if you want to stock up on multiple bottles to keep on hand at all times. A little goes a long way, so all you'll need is a drop or two as needed.

Who It's For

If you're looking for a budget-friendly eye drop solution, this clear, nongreasy option helps lubricate and moisten the eyes, even if you wear contact lenses.

Best Drugstore

Refresh Relieva

$20 $13 at Amazon $15 at Target $16 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Carboxymethylcellulose, glycerin, sodium hyaluronate | Concerns: Dryness | Dosage: 1 to 2 drops as needed | Size: 0.33 oz

As a general rule of thumb, Dr. Hilal-Campo says opting for preservative-free formulas is best, and this one is one of her favorites. She explains that it’s a great, all-around dry eye relief product, as it contains a mix of commonly used eye drop ingredients and sodium hyaluronate, making it very soothing. FYI, double-check to ensure you’re getting the preservative-free version, as there’s also a variant containing preservatives. The only downside of this product is that the dropper can be a bit finicky from time to time, so you may have to put in some elbow grease.

Who It's For

Refresh Relieva Eye Drops are for people (contact lens wearers or not) who experience dry, irritated eyes on a daily basis or those with sensitive eyes.

Best Drugstore, Runner-Up

Visine Dry Eye Relief Lubricating Eye Drops

$17 $14 at Amazon $8 at Target $8 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Polyethylene glycol, glycerin | Concerns: Dryness, burning, itching | Dosage: 1 to 2 drops as needed | Size: 0.5 oz

This brand may be best known for drops that combat redness, but they also make this straightforward option to help add much-needed moisture to dry eyes. The formula touts 10 ingredients found in your tears so that they work as such, helping to combat not only that dry, sandpapery feeling but also itching and burning. Keep in mind that these shouldn't be used when you're wearing contact lenses.

Who It's For

Visine's Dry Eye Relief drops are a type of over-the-counter eye drop that can help relieve the symptoms of dry eye. That said, they're most likely to benefit people who experience dry eye because of environmental factors, like wind, dust, or smoke.

Best for Mild Dryness

Blink Tears Lubricating Eye Drops

$16 $10 at Amazon $10 at Target $11 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Polyethylene glycol | Concerns: Dryness, itchiness | Dosage: 1 to 2 drops as needed | Size: 1 oz

If you experience occasional dryness, reach for these drops. Not quite as intense as some of the others on this list, they’re ideal if your eyes just feel slightly scratchy or gritty from time to time. A drop or two should work instantly, making your eyes feel so much more comfortable. Something to note: These drops are on the runny side, so be sure to use a gentle touch when squeezing the dropper.

Who It's For

If you only experience mild dryness from time to time, this is the best option for you. As we mentioned above, they're not as intense as other options on this list—so you may need to reapply more often—but they can be used as often as needed.

Best for Moderate Dryness

TheraTears Extra Dry Eye Therapy

View on Amazon $14 $10 at Target $15 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Sodium carboxymethylcellulose | Concerns: Dryness | Dosage: 1 to 2 drops as needed | Size: 1 oz

If you experience dryness more often than not, this formula is a great choice. This brand boasts that it was created by an ophthalmologist and is the result of nearly two decades of research (color us impressed). Also nice: It’s an electrolyte-balanced option that does a great job of hydrating the eye. Plus, it’s another option that’s preservative-free. It tends to come out of the bottle quickly, so keep that in mind when dropping it into your eyes.

Who It's For

These viscous eye drops help lubricate the eyes and protect them from irritants. This is a good catchall option that would work for most people with dry eyes.

Best for Severe Dryness

GenTeal Tears Lubricant Eye Gel

View on Amazon $12 at Walmart $15 at Walgreens

Key Ingredients: Hypromellose | Concerns: Dryness | Dosage: 1 to 2 drops as needed | Size: 0.34 oz

A thick gel like this one is best for the most extreme dryness (you know, the kind that can hurt). Just a tiny squirt of these drops designed specifically for dry eyes fully coats your eye and delivers long-lasting relief, whether you’re using it day or night. The drops may temporarily blur vision, so keep that in mind if you're planning on applying them before driving.

Just FYI, though, if your symptoms don’t improve after using these (or any other drops for that matter), see your eye doc, as you may need a prescription-strength option, notes Dr. Hilal-Campo.

Who It's For

If you're experiencing extreme dry eye, it's important to see an eye doctor. However, in the meantime, these thick eye drops can help. They're designed to deliver relief over the course of a few hours, day or night.

Best for Redness

Bausch + Lomb Lumify Redness Reliever Eye Drops

$22 at Amazon $22 $13 at Target $14 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Brimonidine tartrate | Concerns: Redness | Dosage: 1 drop every 6 to 8 hours | Size: 0.08 oz

If redness and dryness go hand-in-hand for you, consider these redness-relieving drops, which use brimonidine, an ingredient that targets redness quickly. It's one of the best ways to brighten the whites of your eyes. The results also last for eight hours, making these a great pick to use on bleary-eyed mornings.

It's important to note that some people report blurred vision when trying these drops. While we didn't notice any side effects, it's worth paying attention to if you have certain medical conditions like glaucoma or retinal detachment. It's always best to talk to your doctor before trying a new solution.

Who It's For

If you're looking for an over-the-counter fix, these eye drops can temporarily diminish the look of redness and make your eyes appear whiter and brighter.

Best Oil-Based

Ocusoft RETAINE MGD Ophthalmic Emulsion Eye Drops

$30 $22 at Amazon $34 at Walmart $27 at Walgreens

Key Ingredients: Mineral oil | Concerns: Dryness | Dosage: 1 to 2 drops as needed | Size: 0.01 oz

“It’s being increasingly realized that the majority of dry eye patients may have meibomian gland disease, meaning the oil layer of the tears isn’t produced as well,” says Dr. Hilal-Campo. For these people, drops that contain oil, like this one, are extremely helpful. In particular, this one contains mineral oil—an ingredient better known for treating dry, sensitive skin—which makes it long-lasting and soothing, she says. The caveat? Some people can be allergic to mineral oil, so discontinue use if you experience irritation.

Who It's For

This is a great alternative to traditional eye drops for people with conditions like meibomian gland disease, or folks that need or prefer an oil formula to treat their dry eyes.

Best for Contact Lens Wearers

Opti-Free Replenish Rewetting Drops

$10 $8 at Amazon $8 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Citrate/borate buffer, sodium chloride | Concerns: Dryness | Dosage: 2 drops as needed | Size: 0.33 oz

Dryness (and itchiness and redness and every other eye issue) only becomes more challenging to treat when you’re also wearing contacts. Enter this mild formula that instantly re-wets and moisturizes contact lenses (so there’s no need to take them out) and also removes any minuscule particles like dust or makeup that may be irritating. The only caveat: It contains preservatives, so if that's a deal breaker for you, you might want to skip this one.

Who It's For

This formula is ideal for anyone who wears contact lenses daily. We love that you can apply these drops even when you have your contacts in—the same can't be said for all of the other formulas on this list.

Best Single-Use

Bausch & Lomb Soothe XP Emollient (Lubricant) Eye Drops - Preservative Free

$18 $14 at Amazon $12 at Walmart $15 at Walgreens

Key Ingredients: Mineral oil | Concerns: Dryness, burning | Dosage: 1 to 2 drops as needed | Size: 0.5 oz

Using the same eye drops repeatedly can cause contamination, especially if you're sharing the bottle with family members or are using it after an eye infection. “Some people prefer drops that come in individual-use vials, which they find easy to carry and use,” says Dr. Hilal-Campo. This product fits the bill and it is another preservative-free drop that moisturizes the eye, prevents tear loss, and comes in single-use, sterile vials. This is another mineral oil-based pick, so it may not be suitable for all.

Who It's For

These single-use eye drops are great for anyone concerned with cross-contamination. Single-use eye drops, in general, are less likely to transfer bacteria from one person to another and can help eliminate the chance of reinfection if using the drops after an eye infection.

Best for Irritation

Rohto Cool Max Redness Relief Eye Drops

$21 $17 at Amazon $6 at Target $6 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Polysorbate, naphazoline hydrochloride | Concerns: Redness, burning, dryness | Dosage: 1 to 2 drops up to 4 times daily | Size: 0.4 oz

If you often deal with itchy, stinging eyes, look to these drops that instantly cool the eyes upon contact. To help treat irritation, this formula relies on a micro-emulsion formula that targets all three layers of tear film to keep your eyes comfortably lubricated for up to eight hours. Note: Menthol, which is in the formula, can be irritating to some, so we recommend chatting with your eye doctor if you're unsure if this is a good option for you.

Who It's For

These over-the-counter drops can relieve dry eye symptoms and contain a cooling agent that soothes eyes in addition to a decongestant that helps reduce redness.

Best Preservative-Free

Biotrue Hydration Boost Dry Eye Drops

$25 at Amazon $13 at Target $14 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Glycerin | Concerns: Dryness, burning, itching | Dosage: 1 to 2 drops as needed | Size: 0.33 oz

Those with super sensitive eyes may want to opt for super gentle options, and this is a choice pick. Not only are these preservative-free, but they’re also pH-balanced, contain a protective antioxidant, and are instantly hydrating and soothing. You can use them even if you’re wearing contacts, and they’re a good way to ward off dryness even before it starts, too. One thing to note is that the dropper on this bottle is a special design that requires a good amount of force to dispense the drops.

Who It's For

Anyone seeking preservative-free eye drops will enjoy these pH-balanced drops made with protective antioxidants and a slew of soothing, hydrating ingredients.