Cetaphil: yes or no? It’s been great for me, but any long-term concerns?

[colombo]

Hello all, I’ve been using Cetaphil for about 2 years to help manage blepharitis. It’s worked great so far, but I’m wondering whether it could have any long-term implications, since it isn’t designed for use on the eyes. Obviously it's not equal to professional advice, but I asked ChatGPT about the ingredients eye interactions:

• Glycerin – Humectant. Very safe; rarely stings unless used at very high %.
• Cetearyl alcohol – Fatty alcohol/emollient. Generally non-irritating and eyelid-safe.
• Panthenol – Soothing humectant (pro-vit B5). Low irritation risk.
• Niacinamide – Usually well-tolerated; a small % of people get redness/itching, especially at higher strengths (≥5%). Start low.
• Pantolactone – Humectant related to panthenol. Low irritation risk.
• Xanthan gum (often misspelled “xantham”) – Thickener. Inert and safe.
• Sodium cocoyl isethionate – Mild surfactant (cleanser ingredient). Fine in rinse-off products, but can irritate if left on eyelids. Avoid as a leave-on near the eyes.
• Sodium benzoate – Preservative. Generally safe; may sting if it gets into the eye or on very irritated skin.
• Citric acid – pH adjuster/acid. Can cause stinging on thin eyelid skin if the formula is low-pH or if skin is already irritated.

[Hokucat]

To be safe, in general it’s probably not a good idea to use anything that’s not sterile and not meant for use on your eyelid margins or in your eyes. You could get an eye infection, it can compromise the surface of your eyes, etc.

Have you considered using an eyelid cleaner? There are several Rebecca sells in her Dry Eye Shop. I personally find using Ocusoft Lid Scrub Plus Platinum Foam 2x daily really helps manage my blepharitis and keep my eyelid margins clean.