Vitamin SEE eye drops by PReye®

Antioxidant Vitamin Supplement Eye Drops

Vitamin SEE eye drops by PReye®

Vitamin See eye drops is a preventive therapy that combines potent antioxidants naturally occurring in the eye with preservative free lubrication to provide a vitamin supplement for long term eye health.

Formulated by board certified Ophthalmologist, Melinda C O’Rourke, MD, and available exclusively at Essence Laser & Wellness.

Scientific Evidence to support the use of antioxidant vitamin eyedrops:

Antioxidant Vitamins provide protection against the damaging effects of UV light from sun exposure. When UV light is absorbed into human tissue it produces free oxygen radicals that cause damage to the integrity of the cell and DNA. Only 2 organs in the human body are directly exposed to UV light, the skin and the eyes. In the skin, the result is premature aging, skin cancer, and cell death. 1 In the eye, UV light ages all the structures. Ocular surface damage, cataracts and macular degeneration are all possible effects from UV exposure 2 and can ultimately lead to decreased vision, and blindness. 

When antioxidant vitamins are present in the tissue, they neutralize the free oxygen radicals and can minimize damage. Antioxidants that penetrate the skin barrier are used commonly to prevent aging in the skin 3. The AREDS (Age Related Eye Disease Study), was an extensive study that proved the benefits of oral antioxidants in the prevention of macular degeneration progression, and the “AREDS” formula of oral antioxidant vitamin supplements are recommended universally in the Ophthalmology community for the prevention of macular degeneration 4.

Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) is a powerful antioxidant that is present naturally in significantly higher levels in human tears compared to the blood 5. The human eye actively pumps Vitamin C into the tears, suggesting an evolutionary benefit to Vitamin C in the tears, presumably due to its protective antioxidant effect against UV damage.

Endogenous Glutathione is a critical molecule in the protection against the cytotoxic effects of UV light 1. Glutathione exists in an unusually high concentration in the lens of the eye where it functions as an antioxidant vital for maintenance of the lens’ transparency, to prevent cataracts 7. Acetylcysteine is converted to Glutathione and may help to prevent vision loss secondary to retinal degenerative diseases, including age-related macular degeneration 8.

Both Ascorbic Acid and Acetylcysteine have been used independently to treat pathology in the eye including corneal alkali burns, and filamentary keratitis in severe dry eye. But, never have they been combined as a vitamin supplement eyedrop to prevent eye disease related to UV exposure, including cataracts and macular degeneration.

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring lubricant in the eye and is commonly used in artificial tears to provide comfort to the ocular surface. Vitamin SEE combines Acetylcysteine (Glutathione) and Vitamin C with Hyaluronic acid for lubrication in a preservative free formula to promote eye health.

This is the first vitamin supplement eyedrop of its kind and is found exclusively at Essence Laser & Wellness, PC, formulated by board certified Ophthalmologist Melinda C. ORourke, MD

 Call us or email to purchase Vitamin SEE Eyedrops
  1. Tyrrell RM. Ultraviolet radiation and free radical damage to skin. Biochem Soc Symp. 1995;61:47-53. doi: 10.1042/bss0610047. PMID: 8660402. ↩︎
  2. Chawda D, Shinde P. Effects of Solar Radiation on the Eyes. Cureus. 2022 Oct 29;14(10):e30857. ↩︎
  3. Masaki, Hitoshi. Role of antioxidants in the skin: Anti-aging effects. Journal of Dermatological Science, Vol 58, Issue 2, May 2010, Pages 85-90 ↩︎
  4. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) Research Group*. Lutein + Zeaxanthin and Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2013;309(19):2005–2015. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.4997 ↩︎
  5. Paterson Christopher A, O’Rourke Melinda C. Vitamin C levels in human tears. Arch Ophthalmol. 1987 Mar;105(3):376-7. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1987.01060030096034.PMID: 3827714. ↩︎
  6. Tyrrell RM. Ultraviolet radiation and free radical damage to skin. Biochem Soc Symp. 1995;61:47-53. doi: 10.1042/bss0610047. PMID: 8660402. ↩︎
  7. Giblin FJ. Glutathione: a vital lens antioxidant. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2000 Apr;16(2):121-35. doi: 10.1089/jop.2000.16.121. PMID: 10803423. ↩︎
  8. Schimel AM, Abraham L, Cox D, Sene A, Kraus C, Dace DS, Ercal N, Apte RS. N-acetylcysteine amide (NACA) prevents retinal degeneration by up-regulating reduced glutathione production and reversing lipid peroxidation. Am J Pathol. 2011 May;178(5):2032-43. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.01.036. Epub 2011 Mar 31. PMID: 21457933; PMCID: PMC3081196. ↩︎