What's New in Eye and Vision
Care Products
Delicate Charms Turn Eyewear into Art
May 2013 — Want to add a Bohemian vibe to your look? Check out these playful eyewear charms by Kai Monet Flores-Emnace, a Los Angeles-based museum guide and art educator.
"I love wearing and making accessories of all kinds, and when I began wearing eyeglasses full-time I had a new opportunity to accessorize," says Kai.
(Images: Robert Morse)
"I started to make a chain for my glasses when I designed my first eyeglass charm. Instead of a chain, which I did not really need since I never take my glasses off, I could adorn my glasses with a playful piece of jewelry that was also an alternative to wearing earrings."
Kai adorns her charms with beads made of turquoise, coral and even peach pits. To wear, simply slip the rubber piece onto the temple of your eyeglasses or sunglasses.
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For people who prefer charms without feathers, Kai also makes them upon request with just chain and beads or with fringe instead of the feather.
You can purchase Kai's creations at kaimonet, her store on Etsy.com. Please click here for closeup photos.
New Eyelash Enhancer Safe for Sensitive Eyes
April 2013 — Zoria Boost Lash Intensifying Serum is an eyelash enhancer designed to strengthen and condition lashes without ingredients that are irritating to eyes or skin.
It contains no drugs and, according to manufacturer OcuSoft, doesn't have the potential side effects of some other lash-enhancement products. It is designed to be safe for contact lens wearers and people with sensitive eyes.
According to the company, Zoria Boost uses a patented polypeptide technology developed by an ophthalmologist and biochemist to enhance and support the eyelash growth cycle, for longer, fuller, darker-looking lashes.
To use, just apply Zoria Boost on your lash line before bedtime. It is available without a prescription.
OcuSoft has also introduced Zoria Mascara, which is flake-free and hypoallergenic, as well as Zoria Makeup Remover and Facial-Skin Cleanser.
Oxy-View Offers a More Discreet Way to Receive Supplemental Oxygen
April 2013 — If you use supplemental oxygen, you may have seen these oxygen therapy eyeglasses in a non-hinged style. Now they are offered in both full-rim and half-rim models, all with hinges for easier use and storage.
Oxy-View frames come in a variety of eye shapes and can all accept prescription lenses — or non-prescription clear lenses, if you don't require vision correction.
The frames deliver oxygen through discreet tubing that lets you stop wearing your nasal cannula.
Each Oxy-View frame includes connecting tubing, nasal prongs, a lens template and extra rubber hinge seals. Replacement tubing, prongs and security clips are also available.
The company offers a fitting guide on its website, or you can ask your eye care professional to help you choose the correct frame size before you order.
For Sensitive Eyes, Refresh Optive Drops Now in Preservative-Free Formula
March 2013 — In addition to the regular Refresh Optive Advanced over-the-counter lubricant eye drops launched a year ago, now available is a preservative-free version.
The formula works on all three layers of the tear film to relieve the irritation, blurred vision, stinging, burning, dryness and excessive tearing produced by chronically dry eyes.
It is designed to deliver just enough lipid per drop to stabilize the lipid layer of your tear film but without causing a lot of blur.
Refresh Optive Advanced Preservative-Free drops come in a box of 30 single-use vials and can be found in many pharmacy, grocery and other stores where over-the-counter eye care products are sold.
Get Your Dance On, With These Glitzy Eyewear Cases
January 2013 — If Donna Summer and Debbie Harry had brought eyewear to Studio 64, what would they have kept them in? Probably something like these cute cases by Cinzia.
Disco is sized for medium to large frames or sunglasses; it has a hard shell covered in a reptilian-patterned fabric and also features a kiss-lock closure.
Flux fits small to medium eyewear; the triangular hard-shell case is covered in an embossed sparkly fabric, and the closure is magnetic.
Disco comes in brown, gray or navy, while Flux is available in black or copper. Both are lined in black felt, are affordable and can be found in optical stores nationwide.
Hip, Energetic New Readers in the Scojo New York Collection
December 2012 — Reading glasses get the downtown treatment in these new styles by Scojo New York.
Called the Tribeca Collection, the grouping includes three designs — Bank St., Prince St. and Fletcher St. — all named after historic streets in downtown Manhattan.
The frames are chunky and self-assertive, in black/butterscotch tortoise, turquoise/amber tortoise and taupe gold/frosted tortoise.
Reptile Collection Readers Make a High-Fashion Statement for Fall
September 2012 — The sleek new PocketEyes Reptile Collection by Cinzia Designs includes reading glasses that fold up in tiny little cases with an elegant snakeskin-look flap.
Each reader has a metal front with adjustable nose pads. The temples have spring hinges for flexibility and are telescopic so you can fold them quickly and easily when not in use.
Color options are black, silver, bronze and red, and reading powers range from 1.25 to 3.00 diopters. Please click here for closeup photos.
New Eyelid Cleanser Formulated for Children
August 2012 — OcuSoft Baby is a mild, tearless eyelid and eyelash cleanser for children and comes in convenient, individually packaged towelettes (20 per box).
The gentle cleanser removes gunk and other debris that can cause irritation.
Just apply the towelette to eyelids and eyelashes, then use side-to-side strokes to cleanse. According to OcuSoft, no rinsing is necessary.
It is designed to clean irritants resulting from blocked tear ducts, pink eye, eye allergies and more.
OcuSoft Baby contains no parabens, fragrances, dyes or the preservative Quaternium-15.
Defog It Anti-Fog Cloths Now in Resealable Packages
August 2012 — Defog It anti-fog cloths are now available in resealable pouches. This means that they can be used as many as 20 times, for up to eight hours of fogless viewing each time.
The cloths are dry and can be used for safety glasses and goggles, ski goggles, sunglasses, binoculars, camera lenses and more.
According to the manufacturer, in one test a Defog It-treated lens was held over steam for a full hour without any fog forming, while other products failed in as quickly as five minutes.
DeFog It also comes in a liquid.
Please click here for closeup images.
AdenoPlus Tests for Viral Conjunctivitis in Just 10 Minutes
August 2012 — A diagnostic test for pink eye is available to help eye doctors determine quickly whether your condition is caused by a virus or by bacteria.
Called AdenoPlus, the test looks for adenoviral antigens in human tears. If the test is positive for viral conjunctivitis, then appropriate treatment can be prescribed.
Proper treatment depends on knowing whether your pink eye is viral or bacterial in origin.
One of the advantages of AdenoPlus is how fast it is. In just 10 minutes during your office visit, your eye doctor can tell whether your conjunctivitis is virus-induced or whether it is more likely that you need an antibiotic prescription for bacterial conjunctivitis instead.
The elimination of precautionary, costly, ineffective antibiotic prescriptions is another advantage, and so is the possibility of fewer office visits.
Viral conjunctivitis is very contagious, especially among children. So knowing for sure that the pink eye is caused by a virus means you can take precautions such as staying home from the office, school or daycare until the danger of spreading it to others is past.
For more information about AdenoPlus, ask your eye care practitioner.
Retaine MGD Offers Serious
Relief for Dry Eyes
July 2012 — Retaine MGD Ophthalmic Emulsion is a lubricant eye drop designed to relieve eye irritation for people with moderate to severe dry eyes and meibomian gland dysfunction.
According to manufacturer OcuSoft, Retaine MGD protects against moisture loss and provides long-lasting comfort with ingredients that moisturize and lubricate the eye's surface.
The product is preservative-free and comes in sterile, single-dose containers. You can get Retaine MGD drops from your eye doctor or by ordering online.
New Supplement Offers Zeaxanthin and Lutein for More Macular Pigment Density in the Eyes
July 2012 — EyePromise Zeaxanthin + Lutein Macular Pigment Formula is a new vision supplement designed to increase macular pigment density.
According to manufacturer ZeaVision, denser macular pigment can protect eyes by blocking harmful blue light, and low macular pigment is a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration. Also, people with improved macular density have reported less light sensitivity, increased contrast sensitivity, increased color saturation, improved night vision and other vision benefits, says the company.
While you can get zeaxanthin and lutein in your diet, most Americans don't consume the amount of fruits and vegetables required to obtain high levels of these substances. In fact, ZeaVision says that you would have to eat 20 ears of corn to get 10 milligrams of dietary zeaxanthin, the amount found in one EyePromise Zeaxanthin + Lutein softgel.
The softgels also contain 10 milligrams of lutein and are yeast-free and gluten-free. Ask your eye doctor about them.
Collegiate Chic
June 2012 — You could say that these new Ivy League reading glasses not only make you look smart, they just plain make you smart — by helping you to read better!
Designed for both men and women, they confer a studious, retro vibe on anyone who wears them. Shown here is "The Professor," a squared-off design in blue with leather-covered temples.
The other Ivy League style is called "The Innovator," and it also features leather temples. It has a larger, rounded eye shape in flat metal. Both models come in black, brown or gray.
Please click here for closeup photos of the two Ivy League styles, by Cinzia Designs.
Looking Good in Reading Glasses Is No Longer a Mission Impossible
May 2012 — Guys, here's your mission, should you choose to accept it: Look cool, calm and collected while wearing these sharp reading glasses from the Mission Impossible collection.
The four men's styles include "Inside Job," shown here. It has a rectangular front in acetate with metal temples. Shown in a combination of black and tortoise, it also comes in gray or in black with tortoise details.
The "Caper," "Conman" and "Heist" styles also come in three colors each. Two have metal fronts with acetate temples, and the other is all acetate. All come in a choice of three color combinations.
Please click here for closeup photos of more Mission Impossible reading glasses by Cinzia Designs.
What's Your Fastest Run on the Slopes? The Z3 Live Ski Goggle with GPS Technology Can Tell You This and More
February 2012 — Looking for the latest in ski goggle technology? The Z3 Live GPS goggle by Zeal Optics brings 21st century design to the slopes, with its GPS system that provides real-time tracking of your speed, altitude, jump stats and the outside temperature.
Just like a smartphone, it enables caller ID, text messaging, buddy tracking and mountain navigation, all from a widescreen display that is integrated right into the goggle.
The Z3 Live GPS goggle also has photochromic lenses that change from light to dark and back again, along with the changing light on the slopes. So you don't have to stop and change lenses manually if it clouds over.
And the lenses are polarized, to stop glare from making your eyes uncomfortable.
Try out the Z3 Live GPS goggle at an optical store, sporting goods store or ski/snowboard shop. Please click here for a closeup photo.
Also, click here for 12 tips on buying ski goggles, with a helpful video.
New Over-the-Counter Eye Drop Has a Lipid-Based Formula That Delivers Low-Blur Comfort in the Treatment of Dry Eyes
February 2012 — A new artificial tear option is available for dry eyes, and you don't need a prescription for it.
Refresh Optive Advanced is an over-the-counter lipid-enhanced tear that manufacturer Allergan says has the low blur and comfort of an aqueous tear.
It is designed to work on all three layers of your tear film. It contains a lipid that reinforces the lipid layer; and the formula hydrates and increases volume of the aqueous layer while it lubricates and protects the mucin layer.
Refresh Optive Advanced doesn't separate, so no shaking is required before use. You can find it in many retail locations, including drugstores and grocery stores.
Please click here for a closeup photo.
Book for Children With Color Vision Deficiency
January 2012 — All About Color Blindness is a new children's book that explains color vision deficiency or CVD: who has it, how they get it, and how to work around it at home and school.
The illustrated book tells the story of a fourth-grader named Corey, who used to feel stupid when his difficulty with perceiving certain colors caused problems and misunderstandings. But after learning about his CVD, he feels better about himself and now knows how to deal with situations that cause color confusion.
Corey's insights are easy to read and very informative for color vision deficient children, as well as for their friends, parents and teachers who want to help.
Author Karen Rae Levine has a son with CVD, and it inspired her to become an advocate. She wrote the book with help from CVD experts, including optometrist Dr. Terrance Waggoner, who has written about color vision testing and also has a son with CVD.
The 32-page book is available at Lulu.com and makes a great gift.
Adjustable and Reversible Prism Glasses Serve a Variety of Purposes for People Who Must Stay Still; Also Great for Cycling
January 2012 — If you are confined to the same position for a long period of time, it can be difficult to view everything you want to — especially if you can't move your neck very much. These Adjustable and Reversible Prism Glasses by Task-Vision could be the answer.
You can adjust the prisms up or down for various viewing angles, and you can reverse the prisms if you need to view something straight ahead but can't position your head that way.
The glasses are a great solution for people suffering from arthritis, stroke, spine injury or neck injury. Anyone who is bedridden can lie on their back and use these glasses to view a TV across the room or reading material supported on their chest. According to Task-Vision, the glasses are made of a non-magnetic alloy that allows them to be used even during an MRI scan.
They also allow endurance cyclists to keep their head down while riding but still see what's ahead of them on the road.
The glasses can flip up, too, so you don't have to take them off when you're not using them. The open frame design lets you wear them alone or over your prescription eyeglasses, and they come with a sport strap for stability. Please click here for more photos. 
More New Products for the Eyes
Please click here for other new products:
- Contact Lenses and Solutions
- Eyeglass Frames
- Eyeglass Lenses
- Eyewear for Children and Teens
- Low Vision Products
- Sunglasses
[Page updated May 6, 2013]
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