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What to Do When Soap Gets in Your Eyes

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When soap stings your eyes, how can you make it stop?

Getting soap in your eyes is a common mistake that can be very painful, causing burning, redness, and severe discomfort.

Read the following guidelines from our eye doctor at Village Eye Centre for what to do. However, if your pain persists, contact one of our eye care centers in North Edmonton, Downtown Edmonton, and Sherwood Park, Alberta, for treatment.

How to get soap out of your eyes

  1. Don’t rub your eyes. The stinging is caused by the ingredient sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a foaming agent. Rubbing your eyes can activate this ingredient and worsen your symptoms.
  2. While in the shower, close your eyes and lean over from your waist to prevent more shampoo entering your eyes. Stay in this position as you rinse out the suds. Don’t tilt your head forward, because this will allow more shampoo to drip down.
  3. Rinse your eyes with cool water. In the shower, open your eyes wide and turn your face upwards to receive a gentle stream of water. Turn your head from side to side to catch enough water. If you’re out of the shower, cup cool water from the sink in both your hands and splash it in your eyes repeatedly.
  4. Try to cry! Of course, your eyes might already be filled with natural tears. But if not, forcing yourself to cry can help remove any irritating suds.

If despite all your attempts to remove the soap, you’re still suffering from severe eye pain and/or blurriness, contact our eye doctor. It’s possible that you may have had an allergic reaction to a specific ingredient in the soap. We offer urgent eye exams in all of our eye care offices, located in North Edmonton, Downtown Edmonton, and Sherwood Park, Alberta.


At Village Eye Centre, we put your family's needs first. Talk to us about how we can help you maintain healthy vision. Call us today: 587-410-5920 or book an appointment online to see one of our North Edmonton eye doctors.

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