Can I Make My Own Contact Lens Solution?  

Unfortunately, the DIY trend has bled over to certain blog posts contacting recipes for DIY contact solutions. The short answer is no, you should never try to make your own contact lens solution. Here’s why:

All the ingredients in commercial contact lens solutions are sterile and made in a sterile environment. You can never replicate the sterile environment, nor acquire the sterile ingredients for making a DIY contact lens solution.

Saltwater is not saltwater. You can’t make proper contact lens solution simply by adding saltwater to regular household water or even distilled water. Commercial contact lens solution has a very specific ratio of salt to water. And, the salt is not the kind of salt you’d find available in grocery stores. It goes without saying that saline solution cannot be made with saltwater from the ocean, either.

Different Kinds of Contact Lens Solution

There are different kinds of contact lens solution; each one designed to meet specific needs.

Saline Solution

Saline solution is a saltwater solution that’s intended to be used for rinsing off your contact lenses. Over the course of a day, your contacts may get dusty or accumulate organic debris that is irritating to your eyes. When this happens, you can remove your contact lenses and rinse them safely with saline solution, which mimics the moisture formulation in your eyes. Note that commercial saline solution is pH-balanced and sterile.

Multi-Purpose Cleaning Solution

Multi-purpose cleaning solution is a chemical formulation that actually cleans your contact lenses. Your contacts may accumulate bacteria or other harmful elements that are irritating and/or dangerous for your eyes. Multi-purpose cleaning solution contains certain cleaning agents that kill bacteria in order to sterilize your contact lenses.

Contact lens solution is not expensive. Always use a well-known brand of commercial contact lens solution for your contacts. For recommended brands, contact Brookleigh Family Eyecare in Brookhaven.