We all know the drill: wake up, brush your teeth, wash your face – and go. These rituals are so ingrained that we barely think about them. But what if we told you there’s another small act that’s just as important, especially for long-term eye comfort and health?
It’s called peeqing your eyelids – a simple, effective way to clean the eyelid margins. Think of it like brushing your eyelids.
And just like brushing your teeth, if you don’t do it, there are grave long-term consequences.
Why Eyelid Hygiene Matters (and Is Often Overlooked)
According to the TFOS DEWS II report, meibomian gland dysfunction and blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids) are major contributors to dry eye disease. Regular eyelid cleansing can significantly reduce inflammation, improve tear film stability, and prevent flare-ups of conditions like styes or chronic redness.
Data suggests that acute dry eye – the result of 21st century behavior without peeqing to alleviate – is likely to cause discomfort leading to a poorer quality of life and potential vision loss. It’s bad, folks.
But unlike brushing our teeth – something we’ve practiced since childhood – eyelid hygiene isn’t yet part of the mainstream hygiene script.
Let’s change that.
1. Treat It Like Brushing Your Teeth
Brushing your teeth isn’t just about avoiding cavities; it’s about feeling clean, confident, and ready to face the day. Peeqing your eyelids can fit that same model.
Start by pairing it with your brushing routine:
- After brushing your teeth in the morning, step to the sink and gently peeq your eyelids using your clean fingers, a soft cloth, or a lid wipe.
- When you brush before bed, do it again – just like you wouldn’t skip brushing at night, don’t skip your lids.
It helps to visualize your eyelid margins like the gumline: they collect debris, oil, and bacteria throughout the day, and a quick cleaning makes all the difference.
2. Use Habit Stacking to Your Advantage
In Atomic Habits, James Clear writes:
"The key to building lasting habits is to join them to something you’re already doing every day."
This is called habit stacking, and it works wonders for small hygiene rituals.
Try these stackable combos:
- "After I brush my teeth, I'll peeq my eyelids."
- "After I apply face cleanser in the shower, I'll massage my eyelids."
- "After I wash my hair, I'll wash my face, including peeqing my lids."
Over time, these micro-actions form a sequence that feels incomplete without the new addition – just like skipping mouthwash might feel "off" once you've built it into your routine.
3. Repeat, Cue, Reward
Every habit needs three things: a cue, a routine, and a reward.
- Cue: A visual sticker on your mirror or a wipe placed beside your toothbrush. [We have found placing a bottle of Peeq Pro next to your shampoo is extremely effective for our team.]
- Routine: The act of peeqing – gentle massage moving cleanser to cover your eyelids and across the lash line.
- Reward: That clean, refreshed-eye feeling (and the knowledge that you’re doing something good for your vision long-term).
Make the process frictionless and pleasant. Use warm water. Maybe add a warm compress or warm face towel. Pair it with your favorite skincare music playlist. You’re not just doing it for utility – you’re caring for your future self.
4. Make It Visual and Trackable
Brushing charts work for kids – and they work for adults, too. Try checking off your eyelid peeqs on a calendar or habit tracker app for the first two weeks. Seeing the streak build gives your brain a little dopamine hit and builds identity:
“I’m someone who takes good care of my eyes.”
This identity shift is another powerful idea from Atomic Habits. You don’t just perform the behavior – you become the kind of person who naturally includes it.
5. Why It Works: More Than Just Clean Eyelids
The DEWS II study showed that ocular surface disease is often linked to inadequate eyelid hygiene, especially in environments with high screen time, low humidity, or exposure to cosmetics. People on certain medications are also at serious risk to see degradation of glands.
Integrating peeqing into your daily shower or face routine helps:
- Reduce meibum blockages
- Prevent lid margin inflammation
- Support healthy tear production
- Improve contact lens comfort
- Minimize long-term dry eye symptoms
In other words, it’s like daily flossing for your eyes – a simple act that prevents downstream problems you never want to deal with. Oh wait, not every person flosses...
And, that’s the problem. You MUST integrate the process into a single, consistent, repeatable routine. Make it a habit.
One Routine to Rule Them All
Here’s an example of how it might look:
- Wake up
- Brush your teeth
- Wash your face
- Peeq your eyelids with warm water
- Apply moisturizer / eye drops (if needed)
- Done!
This flow takes under 3 minutes and supports both oral and ocular hygiene in one seamless.
Final Thoughts: Build It, Don’t Force It
Building a new habit takes patience. But with the right structure, motivation, and minimal friction, peeqing your eyelids can become just as normal, AND ESSENTIAL, as brushing your teeth.
So next time you stand at the sink, toothbrush in hand, ask yourself:
Have I peeqed today?