The Truth About The Eye-Whitening Drops Popular On TikTok

When you're so used to cycling through beauty products that promise to do one thing and then don't deliver, even switching up just one part of your beauty routine can give you trust issues. But leave it to TikTok to test out viral skincare hacks and beauty products so you don't have to. One viral beauty trend that's been making rounds on TikTok is using Lumify's eye-whitening drops to drastically reduce redness in a short amount of time (via Elite Daily)

The main appeal of these particular eye drops is that they allegedly stop the redness from returning compared to popular brands like Clear Eyes and Visine, which can reportedly make your red eye worse after extended use, per Health. One TikTok user swore that she saw immediate changes in her eye color after just a few drops, which tracks with other reviews of the eye-whitening drops. But before you add to cart, understanding how Lumify's eye-whitening drops work might help you decide if this brand is worth trying.

If you've woken up with red eye on multiple occasions, chances are you probably already have eye-whitening drops hiding in your medicine cabinet. Generally, eye drops reduce redness by making the blood vessels in your eyes smaller. But herein lies the problem. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the more you use certain eye drops that are made from decongestants, your red eye will keeping coming back and only get worse.

What makes FDA-approved Lumify so different from other over-the-counter eye drops is that it contains a small amount of brimonidine tartrate, which is often used to treat glaucoma (via Shape). Their eye drops also only target the veins in your eyes versus both your arteries and veins — like Clear Eye and Visine do — which is what makes them so effective at preventing your red eye from making a return trip.

Dr. Amy Lin, an associate professor in ophthalmology at the University of Utah Moran Eye Center, explained to Health that Lumify is completely safe to use as long as it's used in moderation. "The dose that's used for glaucoma is four to eight times what Lumify is, so it's a safe drug," she explained. She added that four drops is the maximum amount that should be used.

Dr. Laurie Barber, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, also warns about overusing the eye drops. "I'm concerned because when patients use it on a consistent basis, it masks a symptom we need to know about. If a patient has red eyes and doesn't know what's causing them, they need to be seen by an ophthalmologist," she stressed (via Health).

So if you add to cart, beware of how much you use the miracle product.