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Honey is the fastest and most effective remedy I’ve used for pinkeye. This post shares with you how to use it, why it works and some other natural approaches.
An easy place for a virus to sneak in and get us is our eyes. That’s all that pinkeye, or conjunctivitis, is: a cold virus in the eyes! Honey for pinkeye works fast to kill the virus. Surprisingly, there are many medical studies showing honey as an effective treatment for conjunctivitis! Our family sees great results within one day when using honey!
I want to share how effective this remedy has been for us when we’ve had conjunctivitis, and given our experience and the medical studies, it is likely to provide relief for you too.
(If you appreciate home remedies, you’ll also love my most-read post on How to Remove Moles and Warts with Essential Oils [here], How and Why to Drink Bentonite Clay [here] and How to Treat First and Second Degree Burns at Home [here].)
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Here are the most asked questions (with answers) about pinkeye:
- What are the symptoms of pinkeye? Pinkeye manifests itself through itching, redness, discharge, burning and blurred vision.
- What causes pinkeye? Pinkeye is caused by a cold virus. Viruses may enter the body through any open orifice: the mouth, nose, eyes or even an open wound. Viruses target cells, enter the cells and basically take over, creating viral proteins that allow the viruses to proliferate.
- Do antibiotics work on pinkeye? Viral pinkeye can not be treated with antibiotics because antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses.
- How does bacterial pinkeye occur? Bacterial pinkeye occurs when bacteria enter the eye. The symptoms are similar to viral pink eye, but the discharge may be thicker.
- How do pinkeye home remedies work? In the case of honey, raw honey has a wide range of compounds that give it anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties: It dehydrates invasive cells, its pH inhibits their growth, its phytochemicals are antibacterial and it produces hydrogen peroxide that kills invasive cells. Why use honey in place of antibiotics? As one study says, “Unlike most conventional antibiotics, it has been reported that honey does not lead to development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and it may be used continuously” (source).
- What are pinkeye home remedies? Pinkeye home remedies include using lavender essential oil (NOT inside the eye, see below), breast milk, neem oil (source), aloe vera (source), warm herbal compresses, zinc supplements and internal immune boosters. I discuss a few of these below. Raw honey is the most widely and universally used natural treatment, being used for millennia and internationally for a myriad of health problems, including pink eye.
- Is pinkeye contagious? It is. Be sure to wash your hands after touching eyes and don’t share or re-use eye products or tools, such a make-up or wash cloths.
WebMD.com defines the condition as follows:
Pinkeye — also called conjunctivitis — is redness and inflammation of the clear membranes covering the whites of the eyes and the membranes on the inner part of the eyelids. Pinkeye is most often caused by a virus or by a bacterial infection, although allergies, chemical agents, and underlying diseases can also play a role (source).
Immune boosters for pinkeye
Because pinkeye is so often a viral infection, the eyes are just one outlet for the virus. We can also affect it, therefore, internally by taking tinctures of anti-viral, anti-bacterial herbs. Two effective herbs to consider are thyme (find it here) and garlic (find it here).
Lavender essential oil for pinkeye
When I first looked up natural pinkeye remedies as an adult (years ago), I also found lavender essential oil recommended externally. In one forum, someone suggested painting the shape of glasses around one’s eyes with the oil, being cautious not to get the oil anywhere near the actual eye.
I tried it. The oil’s fumes were very strong and almost irritating but my symptoms were soothed by 25% almost immediately. I continued to apply the oil to my face 4 more times throughout the day and my symptoms abated about 75%. Pretty good. (By the way, I love Lavender Essential Oil [find it here]. It’s also great for pesky bug bites. For me, two back-to-back doses of the oil on any bite is the only remedy that relieves itching.)
Because I needed to be well, completely well, I decided to try another remedy mentioned: honey. It took a bit more research and a few steps to make; different sources suggest different ratios of water to honey for the eye drops. I tried a few variations and found that I liked the stronger concentration of honey to water. Over the course of a few days I could contrast the effects of the different potencies on my two eyes.
How the honey worked for pinkeye
It does sting a bit (my friend who used this method told me she thought it stung a lot!…but it worked), depending on the severity of the pinkeye and the ratio of honey. As with most cases of pinkeye, one eye was worse than the other. This eye predictably stung worse with the honey and the greater ratio of honey was more intense.
When my husband thought that he was coming down with it too, he tried just the lavender EO and found the fumes to be very strong and disagreeable. Yet recently, he commented that he thought it was effective and he’d use the method again.
So, we are all sensitive in different ways to different sensations. Overall, I recommend both remedies but I personally experience great, dramatic improvement of symptoms from honey. See the recipes options below.
Recipe options:
Mildest honey recipes – best for kids or if you’re nervous about it stinging
- 1/8 teaspoon honey (find it here) + 2 tablespoons filtered water + optional pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon honey + 1 tablespoon filtered water
Strongest honey recipe – if you just want to be well now!
Straight honey! Many natural health sites advise simply wiping straight, raw, local honey across one’s eye, where the eyelashes and tear ducts are, and then blinking to allow some of the honey to coat the eye.
Eventually I had a mild flair-up again and I tried this method, as the itching was primarily near my tear duct, and I didn’t want to fuss with making the honey:water solution. It worked great! The itching was gone immediately and never returned. The stinging was intense for a full minute with this method, though = not for the faint of heart. Having a tissue handy for the watering eye is advised too, when you use pure honey; it really makes your eye tear.
Pinkeye drops
Place the honey water in a sterilized dropper bottle and keep the bottle in the refrigerator between uses, administering the eye drops every 3 or so hours, as needed.
What I do now — honey for pinkeye
I’ve made the process easier and easier for myself over the years! Now, all I do is put a dab of raw honey by my tear duct and blink. It stings a lot. I dab the tears with a clean tissue. I repeat several times the first day, and that’s it. The condition is gone in one day.
If you’re nursing
Breast milk is another soothing remedy, and can be excellent for babies with pinkeye. Breast milk can be used to dilute raw honey for a stronger treatment.
For more ways to help children with pinkeye, see this post.
Raia Todd (@RaiasRecipes) says
Thankfully my kids have only had pink eye once or twice, and we definitely used honey and breastmilk! Works so wonderfully.
Megan says
Terrific!! So glad you knew this easy remedy!!
Lindsey Dietz says
I’ve had one kid with pink eye once, and we used breast milk! But lacking a lactating momma, I’m glad to know I can use this treatment should it ever happen again!
Megan says
Haha, one can not always have a lactating mama on hand! 😉
Shelby @Fitasamamabear says
Kind of cool! I’ve never had pink eye, but nice to know there’s natural options!
Megan says
Yes, so true!
marypage13 says
This is so cool! I love all the natural remedies God has created for us. I’ll keep this in mind next time this happens to someone in our family!
Megan says
Beautiful and well said! 🙂
Sue says
I just tried the honey + filtered water solution and it cleared up my worst eye within 3 days. Will use again?
Megan says
Yippee! So glad and thanks for sharing! 🙂
Kay says
Hi. I’m so thankful I found this! I’m an adult and I came down with what (from everything I’m readying) a raging case of viral pink eye and my eye is grotesquely swollen and beet red. I’ve been trying everything and it’s 4am and I just woke up with stuff running down my face and my eye sealed shut. GROSS. So I found this and I just stuck a glob of honey in the corner of my eye. Ha. Doesn’t hurt as bad as my eye is hurting without it… so I’m a trooper. But after 10 minutes, it already, in my estimation, feels a little better and maybe even looks slightly better (not quite as swollen). How often is it okay to do this? Thanks for all your info!!! <3
Sad eye Sally says
Ok internet, I just put honey in my sad, suffering, pink eye. I will let you know the results! Impressions so far: yes it stung like a bee but I’m not blind from it. So I got that going for me
Tasha says
So happy I came across this page ?? I literally got the pink eye 3 days after my 2nd dose, at first I thought it was just allergies then 2 days later I went to the UC they said it was a bacterial pink eye then three days later after using the anti-bacterial eye drops my eyes got swollen & more irritated so I went to the ER they referred me to a ophthalmologist and he told me it was a viral pink eye but by that time it was like a week and a half and nothing was getting better everything was just getting worse until I saw this post and as desperate as I was I put the raw honey in my eyes and that was the only thing that helped right now it seems like it’s clearing up a bit this is my 2nd day using it and I did it about 3 times , it definitely stopped the endless tearing a little and also the swelling I did the straight honey and a hot compress .. and after I spray my eyes with sterile antimicrobial eyelid cleanser and then I drop some artificial tear drop everything I got from cvs and the honey I used was a old one I found in the cabinet somewhere, maybe I should go out and buy a organic one but I don’t think it makes a difference because something in the honey is work lol❤️??
Megan says
Yay, great to hear, Tasha! Thanks for sharing, and best wishes!
brynn says
where do you put the honey on your eye??
Megan says
In the tear duct area; then blink, so it coats the eye.
Sad Eye Sammie says
Is Manuka honey safe to use?
Megan says
Hi Sammie, yes, here is one article on that: https://visioneyeinstitute.com.au/eyematters/active-manuka-honey-a-sweet-relief-for-chronic-dry-eye-sufferers/ It’s a good choice. 🙂
Grace says
Thank you for this, I just found out about this idea tonight and immediately use honey, stings but tolerable, it felt much comfortable right after.. I have work tomorrow, I hope it clears up by morning, will try to put again if I wake up midnight.
Megan says
Hi Grace, yes, I repeat as needed until symptoms are gone. Thanks for sharing your process so far, and I’m glad you got good relief to start with.
Caitlyn says
Thank you for reminding us that there are natural better ways to heal. I put the honey on my eye, and yes it burned, but I think that’s mostly because my eye was already irritated. It has already worked after the first time. Oh and my nose is runny, so when I sniff in I can taste the honey going down in my throat! Haha! Also thank you bee’s!
Megan says
Thanks for sharing, Caitlyn! 🙂 🙂 Great to hear!