Bizarre ‘hack’ to put drops of everyday food product in EYES has social media users screaming in pain… they claim the health benefits are worth the agony, so we ask the experts
A bizarre social media trend involving putting honey drops in the eyes to improve vision is leaving people screaming in pain.
The “trick” involves using Jimerito honey from Morocco, which proponents claim can help fight eye infections, dry eyes, and even chronic conditions like cataracts and glaucoma.
Jimerito honey, which sells for as much as $80 (£62) a bottle on US wellness websites, is said to have “antimicrobial and antibacterial properties”.
But online videos of people using the ‘drops’ show violent reactions. Opticians advise people against following this trend, as there is no evidence of any health benefit.
Social media user @dtalkaline, who posts about herbal remedies on TikTok, shared a video with his 350,000 followers of a woman screaming in pain after trying honey eye drops.
Social media user @dtalkaline, who posts about herbal remedies on TikTok, shared a video with his 350,000 followers of a woman screaming in pain after trying the honey eye drops. The video, captioned “give my boyfriend the $200 eye honey,” claims the eye drops help to “clear vision,” “increase field of vision” and “cure tinnitus.”
In another video that has over 6,240 likes, a man screams in pain after trying the drops for the first time. He claims the drops ‘sting a little’ but says the ‘results are worth it’
In a post shared by @tiandrawilde, she tested the honey eye drops which she said “stinged” her eyes. She told her 5,400+ followers that even though it was her “first time using it,” “everything seems so crunchy” after using the honey
The video, captioned “I give my girlfriend $200 worth of eye drops,” claims the eye drops help “improve vision,” “increase field of vision,” and “cure tinnitus.”
The same account also posted another video that has been liked more than 6,240 times. It shows a man screaming in pain after trying the drops for the first time.
He claims the drops “sting a little” but says “the results are worth it.”
In a post shared by TikTok user @celph_love, who has over 68,000 followers, she is seen trying out the product and experiencing pain as a result.
“I feel like my eye just detoxed,” she says in the video, followed by footage of herself asking herself if it “should be burning,” adding that “it stings.”
She also claims that it could “cure any kind of vision problems you have.”
However, TikTok has placed a warning on this video: ‘Participating in this activity may result in injury to you or others.’
In another post from @tiandrawilde, she tests out the honey eye drops, which she says “stinged” her eyes.
She told her 5,400+ followers that even though it was her first time using the honey, “everything seemed so crunchy” after using the honey.
As well as a whole host of benefits, such as curing cataracts and glaucoma, users of the drops claim they can remove eye floaters – harmless little dark spots in your vision – and dry eyes. Although dry eyes often cause itchy and sore eyes, it’s usually nothing serious, according to the NHS
Putting a drop of Jimerito honey in each eye will cause a stinging sensation that stimulates your tear ducts, this is said to help clear mucus from the nasal passage behind your eyes and relieve symptoms of dry eyes. However, opticians strongly advise against this
Among the numerous purported benefits, users of the drops claim they can eliminate eye floaters (harmless little dark dots in your vision) and dry eye syndrome.
This happens when the eyes do not produce enough tears or the tears evaporate too quickly. This can lead to symptoms such as a gritty, painful feeling in the eyes.
TSnakes touting the drops online say the honey contains a special glucose molecule called trehalulose, which helps cells retain water.
Some also claim that the stinging sensation stimulates the tear ducts, which helps clear mucus from the nasal cavity and relieve the symptoms of dry eyes.
Even more astonishing, others claim the drops can “cure” cataracts – where the lens of the eye, a tiny clear disk, develops cloudy spots – and relieve glaucoma – a common eye condition in which the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged and can cause blindness.
The drops’ “antibacterial properties” may also help with conjunctivitis, a condition that causes pus and red eyes, usually due to an infection or allergy. This is also known as pink eye.
However, experts say in an interview with MailOnline that these claims do not hold up.
Honey has anti-inflammatory properties, but there is no clear evidence that applying honey to the eyes helps against infections.
There is no evidence that Jimerito honey has any beneficial effect on the eyes.
“I wouldn’t recommend putting honey in your eyes as it can cause a burning sensation and general discomfort,” warns Tina Patel, contact lens optician at Feel Good Contacts.
‘Honey cannot cure eye conditions such as floating spots or dry eyes.
‘Contact your local optician if you experience any unpleasant or worrying symptoms with your eyes and remember to visit your optician at least every two years for a general check-up,’ she added.
Specsavers optician Bryony Allen also warns that we should save honey for ‘cakes, sweets or on toast’ and not for our eyes.
She told MailOnline: ‘Spots, cataracts and glaucoma are all conditions that affect the inside of the eye. There are eye drops for glaucoma, which lower the pressure inside the eye. However, most other types of eye drops do not enter the eye through the cornea or conjunctiva, the outer layers of the eye.’
She added: ‘There have been studies looking at the use of honey to treat eye infections (conjunctivitis) or dry eyes because honey has anti-inflammatory properties.
‘However, there is no clear evidence that this is effective and there may be harmful side effects, such as a burning sensation and redness after applying the honey.’
‘In short, use honey only for cakes, sweets or on toast. And if you have problems with your eyes, consult a professional, such as an optician.’