As I mentioned in a few other reviews of Rite Aid products, there are some products that I consider “common items”, things that don’t really vary from manufacturer to manufacturer or name brand to name brand. Contact lens solutions are something that I was a product snob about for many years. I clung to the Bausch & Lomb line only straying when I couldn’t find them at the store or when I was completely out and needed to store my lenses. After reading a lot about the ingredients and realizing that they are all pretty much the same thing, I started branching out and trying new products. Having worn contacts since I was in my early twenties, I converted from the standard lenses to the disposables due to chronic problems with protein and calcium build up. If you wear lenses and suffer from this, I don’t have to tell you what a glorious feeling it is to pop in a new set of lenses – nor do I have to go into mind numbing detail about the eye irritation, watering and soreness that accompanies having to wear lenses that have build up on them.

Rite Aid Multi-Purpose Solution For Soft Contact Lenses

Just as the name states, this is a multi purpose solution for contact lens care, cleaning, storage and disinfection. It can be used the same way other solutions are used and does come with the “removes protein deposits” claim on the carton. I’m not sure about removing existing deposits but so far it has helped keep them at bay and from ruining a fresh pair of lenses. For all intents and purposes, this is the same type of solution that you get with the brand name products but without the higher price and fancy labeling. This comes in a cardboard carton with both an inner and outer safety seal, instructions, precautions and warnings. When it comes to the ingredients you will notice a few differences between this and the “no rub” solutions but if you are looking for a general multi purpose solution for storage, rinsing, disinfecting and cleaning, this is a product that works just as well as others.


How Does It Stack Up To The Name Brands

Since I suffer from bad protein and calcium deposits, when I saw the words “removes protein deposits” on the carton, I knew I had to try it out to see if it worked better than the other multi purpose liquids. Even though I wear disposable lenses, I still like to be able to wear my contacts without the scratching and irritation that come from deposits, if you are a contact lens wearer and have this trouble, you know what a godsend it is to find a product that works. I’ve been using this for about three weeks now and can say that it is a great alternative to the Bausch & Lomb series of multi purpose solutions. Since the active ingredients are almost identical chances are that I’ll stick with the Rite Aid brand unless another solution is on sale or there is a rebate or coupon offer than drops it down to the $4.00 range. If you are interested in comparing the ingredients of various products, make sure you have a few hours to kill. More often than not companies trademark certain ingredients so you have to dig through the MSDS [material safety data sheets] information, look up the terms and keep track of the various names that they are using. A great example of this is the common germ killing agent often called “quat” do enough reading of labels and you’ll see its called Polyquaternium-1 [in fact 1 – 47], Polyquad or other trademarked names. Confusing isn’t it?

Size

So far I’ve only seen this in the 12 ounce sized bottle which is average for a multi purpose contact lens solution. The bottle is shaped like most others with a pop off lid that’s attached to the bottle so you never have to worry about losing it. I picked this up primarily to have with me in my gym bag in case I need to take out my contacts, clean them when I am on the road or want to wear my glasses after taking a shower at the gym. So far it’s been a great product, no leaks, no stinging and if I lose it or leave it somewhere I can replace it for about $4.00.

Directions

This can safely be used to break down enzyme tablets for cleaning, to rinse after disinfection, as a daily cleaner and for storage. To use as a daily cleaner, rub a few drops on the lenses making sure that you are working both sides of the lens. Rinse with a steady stream of the solution to wash away any dirt or deposits that may have come loose. For storage, using clean hands remove lenses and clean then place inside the well of the storage case, fill the chamber about three quarters full and make sure the lens is seated inside the well and isn’t touching the edges – if it is there is a chance that it could get pinched when you screw on the cap [this will almost always result in a ripped or stretched lens]. If you use a enzymatic cleaning system to clean your lenses, you can use this instead of a saline solution but it’s cheaper to pick up a bottle of sterile saline than to use a multi purpose contact lens cleaner. If you do need to use this for that purpose, deposit a tablet into the plastic container and fill it to the notched line on the side of the container. Follow the instructions you received when you purchased the enzyme system for the length of time you need to let them soak and how to properly rinse and store them afterwards.

The Bottom Line

If you aren’t a product snob and want to save a few dollars on your multi purpose contact lens cleaner, the Rite Aid brand is a pretty good choice. I won’t say that this is better than any other product on the market but so far I haven’t had to deal with any protein build up, stinging, allergic reactions or other issues. As I said, chances are I’ll stick with the Rite Aid brand unless I come across one of the ones I’ve used in the past and they are on sale, I have a coupon for it or there is a rebate. Of course, I’ve only been using this for about three weeks so somewhere down the road there might be some negatives that could creep up … if so … you know I’ll be back to update the review.


As always, thanks for the read!

^V^ Freak ^V^

© 2004 Freak369


Related reviews …

ReNu MultiPlus Lubricating and Rewetting Drops

Bausch & Lomb SeeQuence Disposable Contact Lenses

Johnson & Johnson Acuvue Lenses

Alcon Clerz Plus Lens Drops

Allergan Lens Plus Sterile Saline Solution




Recommended: Yes