Eye drops vs. eye ointment: what’s the difference?

Eye drops are liquids you place in the eye one drop at a time; they spread quickly and usually blur vision only briefly. Eye ointments are thicker, greasy preparations squeezed as a thin ribbon inside the lower lid; they stay longer but blur vision, so they’re often used at bedtime. Both can be sold over the counter under the same FDA rules. Quell is a drop, not an ointment.

Difference between eye drops and eye ointment

• Form: drops are a liquid solution or emulsion; ointments are a semisolid, like a very soft salve.
• How you use them: drops go in one at a time from a bottle; ointments come in a small tube and are applied as a short ribbon along the inside of the lower lid.
• Vision: drops may blur for a moment; ointments usually blur for longer, which is why many people save them for night.
• Feel: drops feel light and wet; ointments feel heavy and can leave lids and lashes greasy.
• Timing: drops are easy to use during the day; ointments fit times when you won’t need sharp vision, like before sleep.

How the FDA groups them

Over-the-counter eye products in the US follow the FDA’s monograph for ophthalmic drug products, 21 CFR part 349. It covers drops and ointments alike, and it sorts active ingredients by what they do. Two groups matter here:

• Demulcents, which the rule describes as agents, usually water-soluble polymers, that protect and lubricate the eye’s surface. Glycerin and polysorbate 80 are on that list.
• Emollients, which the rule describes as agents, usually a fat or oil, applied to the eyelids to protect or soften tissues. The list includes lanolin, mineral oil, light mineral oil, paraffin, petrolatum, white petrolatum and white or yellow wax.

The emollient labeling section of the same rule uses ointment as its example dosage form, and its directions describe applying a small amount, about one-fourth inch, of ointment to the inside of the eyelid. That’s the classic eye ointment: mostly petrolatum and mineral oil. Drops, by contrast, are mostly water.

Emollient eye ointment ingredients

If you read the Drug Facts on a lubricating ointment, the active ingredients are usually emollients from that list, often white petrolatum together with mineral oil, sometimes with lanolin. Inactive ingredients are often few, because a petrolatum base doesn’t need much else. If you have a sensitivity to lanolin or another ingredient, the Drug Facts panel is where to check. The active ingredients on an eye drop label explains how that section reads.

Where Quell sits: a drop with an emollient

Quell is a liquid drop, a milky brown solution in a .33 fl oz (10 mL) bottle. Its active ingredients are Glycerol (1.0%), Polysorbate 80 (1.0%) and Light Mineral Oil (0.5%). Two of them, glycerol and polysorbate 80, are listed on its label as lubricants, and the third, light mineral oil, as an emollient, which is the same kind of ingredient an ointment relies on, in a drop you can use during the day. Quell is designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss.

Its label lists Uses as For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye and directions as Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. It isn’t an ointment and doesn’t come in a tube, so ointment directions don’t apply to it.

Is eye ointment better than drops?

Neither is better in general; they suit different situations. Some people prefer the convenience of drops during the day. Others are told by a doctor to use an ointment at night when their eyes feel driest on waking. Some ointments also carry prescription medicine, which is a different product entirely from an over-the-counter lubricant.

Whether you need an ointment at all, and when, is a question for your eye doctor or pharmacist. They can look at your symptoms, your other medicines and how your eyes feel at different times of day. Questions to ask your eye doctor about dry eyes can help you prepare.

Using drops and ointment together

Quell’s label doesn’t give directions for use with other eye products, ointments included. If you already use an ointment, or a doctor has suggested one, ask that doctor or your pharmacist whether and how to combine it with a drop. Don’t work out an order or spacing on your own from general advice.

Practical differences day to day

• Driving: blurred vision from an ointment makes it a poor choice right before you drive.
• Makeup and lashes: ointment can smear onto lids and lashes and leave them greasy.
• Travel: TSA counts both as liquids, gels or creams for carry-on purposes, and medically necessary ones can exceed the usual size limit if you declare them.
• Hygiene: for both, don’t let the tip of the tube or bottle touch your eye or any surface. Quell’s label puts it as Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.
• Storage: follow each product’s label. Quell’s says Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F).

When neither is the answer

Lubricating drops and ointments are for dryness and minor irritation. They aren’t for eye pain, sudden changes in vision, an injury or something stuck in the eye. Those need a doctor. Quell’s label says: Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours. Eye symptoms that need a doctor, not a drop lists the warning signs.