Can supplements, natural eye drops, or lifestyle modifications improve symptoms of dry eye?

Latest Update

Sea Buckthorn for Dry Eye?

Medically reviewed and edited by Tod Cooperman, M.D.

Written by Meredith A. Worthington, Ph.D.

Latest Update July 16, 2026 ⓘ

Older man with dry eye rubbing his eyes while holding his glasses

Answer:

Many approaches have been taken to alleviate symptoms of dry eye, but the evidence remains mixed as well as preliminary.

To provide some clarity, we investigated the evidence behind supplements, natural eye drops, as well as lifestyle modifications to improve symptoms of dry eye.

Sign in as a member to find out which approaches may help relieve dry eye — and which may not. We review the evidence for supplements such as flaxseed oil, fish oil, maqui berry extract (MaquiBright or BrightSight), curcumin from turmeric (including Blink NutriTears), sunflower lecithin (a source of phosphatidylcholine), sea buckthorn oil, and vitamin D. We also explore whether drinking more water or coffee, wearing blue light-filtering glasses, using warm compresses or heated eye masks, or following a gluten-free diet can help. Plus, see our comparison table of OTC eye drops and find out about drops containing castor oil, N-acetylcarnosine, or aloe.

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In addition the results of its expert testing, ConsumerLab uses only high-quality, evidence based, information sources. These sources include peer-reviewed studies and information from agencies such as the FDA and USDA, and the National Academy of Medicine. On evolving topics, studies from pre-print journals may be sourced. All of our content is reviewed by medical doctors and doctoral-level experts in pharmacology, toxicology, and chemistry. We continually update and medically review our information to keep our content trustworthy, accurate, and reliable. The following sources are referenced in this article: