Pink eye is one of those afflictions no one likes to talk about. Why? Well, it’s gross. I mean seriously, oozing puss, weepy, uncontrollable tearing, and the redness. So. Much. Red! It just looks painful and it doesn’t feel great either. Because it’s so icky, pink eye is also embarrassing. It’s am illness you mumble under your breath. It’s fine to confidently tell you friends you can’t meet them for lunch because you’re sick with a cold, but stuck at home with pink eye? That’s a harder one to say aloud.

In the scheme of things, pink eye is a fairly minor aliment. It’s usually more of an annoying inconvenience than a major medical concern, but when it strikes it’s usually from out of nowhere and takes the recipient by surprise.

Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, comes about for three reasons. It can be brought on by a viral infection, a bacterial infection, or an allergic response.

Symptoms include:

• Itchy or “gritty” feeling eye(s) (almost like sand paper is in your eye)
• Watery, tearing
• White or pale yellow discharge
• Swelling around the eye(s)
• Redness to the the whites of the eye(s)

When I recently found myself dealing with an aggravating case of the evil pink eye, I suspected a virus was the catalyst. I had been dealing with a cold since Christmas and (cue the music please) “On the fourth day of Christmas, my body gave to meeeeeee… A pink eye for everyone to seeeeeee.” So now not only was snot pouring out of my nose, it was coming out of my eye too.

Sorry. I know that’s disgusting, but I need to paint the proper picture for you.

Knowing that this was likely yet another symptom of whatever cold virus I had caught meant there wasn’t much I could do, medically speaking, to assuage my situation. Antibiotic eye drops can be prescribed to treat pink eye infections, but they only work in the case of bacterial infections. Virus related conjunctivitis has to “run its course” as they say.

Having had pink eye a few times before, I had experience with prescribed eye drops and ointment. I don’t ever recall being sick at the time I got pink eye in the past so those were likely bacterial issues where the drops and ointment were appropriate. Knowing that this was viral, I did not book a trip to the doctor. But, and I want to make this very clear, I was confident my eye issue was not a uveitis flare. While uveitis causes a very similar redness to the whites of the eyes, I’ve never experiences any sort of discharge from my eye during a uveitis flare. The way in which the redness manifests in uveitis, in my experience, has also been different from pink eye. (*Note- If you are ever dealing with a concerning eye issue, seek the opinion of a medical professional to determine exactly what you are dealing with so you can receive a proper diagnosis and medical treatment if necessary.*)

Given all the signs this was just a regular ole bout of conjunctivitis, I knew I needed to hop on my essential oils to ease my eye.

I love essential oils.

I mean it. I love essential oils. I love that they are natural remedies. I love that our bodies innately know how to use essential oils. I love that there is an oil for everything. I love essential oils because they work.

Essential oils are something we use in my house everyday. From bedtime routines, bug bites, headaches and most everything in between, essential oils are my reach-for-it-preferred-option. So when I knew antibiotics weren’t an option to clear my pink eye, I turned to my oils.

First, I will list my top choices of essential oils for pink eye and why these specific oils work for pink eye. Then I’ll let you in on exactly what I did and how it worked out.

Essential Oils for Pink Eye

Lavender– Lavender is a calming, antibacterial, sedating oil. It soothes inflammation and restores with its regenerative properties.

(Lavender is one of my all time favorite oils. I consider it a power oil because it is useful for such a wide variety of issues. I won’t not have lavender in my home, and I highly recommend everyone have a bottle on hand.)

Melaleuca– An antibacterial oil, melaleuca, or tea tree oil, also has strong antiviral properties. Melaleuca can be used as a decongestant (so good for getting rid of that discharge) and as a pain reliever.

Frankincense– Frankincense is often called the “king of oils,” and for good reason. It is a jack of all trades oil and can be useful for almost any situation. It is anti-inflammatory, helps reduce swelling, regenerative, and antibacterial. Frankincense also has the unique ability to boost the effects of other oil(s) it is blended with.

Rosemary– Rosemary may be an herb you think to use when cooking, but it has amazing healing properties as well. Rosemary is a good essential oil for pink eye because it thins mucus and is an analgesic, which helps ease pain.

Copaiba– Copaiba is an oil I’ve only more recently become aware of and begun using. That being said, it has quickly become a go-to for me anytime inflammation is afoot. Copaiba acts on the same receptors in the nervous system as CBD, which I’m guessing you probably have heard of. Copaiba’s properties include pain relief, antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory.

Douglas Fir– Yes, Christmas trees can help alleviate pink eye! Okay, well the oil from a Christmas tree can. Douglas fir is an antioxidant, sedative, and expectorant. It’s antiseptic and antimicrobial. This single oil covers everything you’d be looking for to treat pink eye.

Eucalyptus– Eucalyptus is a fantastic oil for sinus issues. And while the eyes aren’t a part of your sinuses they are smack dab in the middle of your sinus system and can be effected when the sinuses get congestion. Eucalyptus is antiviral, antibacterial, a disinfectant, and is an expectorant.

You’ll notice most of these oils have multiple beneficial properties in common, which is why I have included each of them in my list of suggested oils for pink eye relief. You really can’t go wrong with using any one of these, or blending a few together. So now that you have a lot of great options to tackle this eye infection, I’ll share with you exactly what I used to heal my eye. Quickly.

Essential Oil for Pink Eye- Rollerball Recipe

Using a 5ml rollerball, place the following oils into the rollerball: Lavender (2 drops), Frankincense (2 drops), Melaleuca (1 drop), Copaiba (1 drop). Top the with a carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil, jojoba oil) and secure the rollerball top.

Apply as often as wanted or needed to the outer rim of the eye. A good rule of thumb is to roll the blend onto the eye socket bone from the outer edge of your nose and follow the bone to the outer corner of the eye. Then continue rolling above the eyebrow.

Never, ever, put an essential oil directly into your eye. (See this post for what to do if you accidentally get an essential oil in your eye).

Protip- If you only have a 10ml rollerball on hand, you can use this same recipe and only fill the rollerball half way with carrier oil. Even if you are applying the blend frequently you won’t need a full 10ml rollerball to address your eye(s), and your new pink eye blend is not one you should need often enough to keep it on hand once your eye(s) clears.

My Results

Day 1: I woke up with slight redness all over the whites of my left eye and had some slight yellowish discharge. My eye got redder throughout the day. I also had a lot of discharge and continuous, but sporadic, tearing. My eye didn’t hurt but I could feel it, if you know what I mean. I made my rollerball and began application that morning.

Application: Applied as described above a couple times an hour for the first 2-3 hours. After that I applied once every 1-2 hours.

Day 2: I woke up with slight discharge, but my eye wasn’t crusted over! This is a first for me. Any other time I’ve had pink eye, I’ve had a couple of mornings during the bout where I have woken up with my eyelids glued shut from the overnight discharge drying and hardening (again I’m sorry for the nasties, but it is the truth of what happens). But not today! And it never happened during this entire stint. My eye was still red, but the redness began to dissipate throughout the day. I had a little bit of tearing once I got in bed for the night, but overall, days 2 was much easier than day one.

Application: Applied as described above once every 1-2 hours.

Day 3: Little to no redness and no irritation at all! I experienced a little discharge in the morning, but none throughout the day, and no more uncontrollable tearing from my eye.

Application: Applied as described above every few hours. I honestly forgot to be as consistent with my application because I wasn’t dealing with any discomfort.

Day 4: Redness gone. No discomfort. A tiny amount of discharge upon waking up, but none for the remainder of the day! Minimal application.

Day 5: Completely back to normal!

Overall, I was pretty impressed with my rollerball concoction and how quickly it worked. Granted, I know how well my body responds to essential oils, but to be mostly cleared up within two days? That’s faster than the prescribed eye stuff has worked for me!

So next time you deal with a pesky pink eye, consider heading to the oil cabinet before the medicine cabinet. The right essential oils for pink eye work wonders and will have you seeing (not) red before you know it.

*This post is meant for informational and educational purposes, and is not meant to diagnose or treat. Please consult your doctor or a medical professional if you are dealing with any medical concerns.*