Ocular Rosacea Eye Care: How to Help Prevent Recurrent Styes & Chalazia - Includes Video
By Dr Tanya Gill, Optometrist
One of my patients recently shared this experience after following the We Love Eyes® MGD Cleansing System for just one week:
"I used the system for one week, went to my eye doctor, and she did the fluorescein dye exam and several other tests. She said I had the cleanest eyelashes—no bugs. I have ocular rosacea and I've had many styes. My eyes have never felt so good. I also use omega-3 eye drops because my eyelids do not produce enough oil."
As an optometrist, hearing stories like this is incredibly rewarding.
I'm Dr. Tanya Gill, a UC Berkeley-trained optometrist, and I've spent my career helping patients struggling with ocular rosacea, meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), recurrent styes, chalazia, blepharitis, and Demodex blepharitis develop practical daily eye care routines.
While every patient responds differently, consistent eyelid hygiene can make a meaningful difference for many people.
See my Meibomian Gland Dysfunction / Chalazion COLLECTION here.
What Is the MGD Cleansing System?
The patient above is referring to the We Love Eyes® MGD Cleansing System, a three-step routine designed to help keep the eyelid margin clean while supporting healthy meibomian gland function.
Step 1: Roll the Heat
Use the Focused Eye Roll® to gently warm the eyelids.
The goal is to help soften thickened meibomian gland oils while directing them toward the natural gland openings located along the eyelid margin.
Step 2: Scrub the Eyelid Margin, aka the exit site
Next comes eyelid margin exfoliation.
Use either:
- Eyelid Margin Scrub Brush
- Eyelid Margin Scrub Brush Ergo
paired with either:
- Tea Tree Eyelid & Eyelash Cleansing Oil (Brown Label)
- Rosemary Eyelid & Eyelash Cleansing Oil (Green Label)
This step focuses on cleaning along the eyelid margin where the meibomian gland openings naturally exist.
Step 3: Wash the Eyelids
Finish by washing away loosened oils, debris, and residue using either:
- Tea Tree Eyelid & Eyelash Foaming Cleanser (Blue Label)
- Super GLA® Eyelid & Eyelash Foaming Cleanser (Purple Label)
A healthy eyelid skin barrier is an important part of long-term eyelid hygiene.
Eye Care Tip #1: Consistent Eyelid Hygiene Can Make Your Eyelashes Exceptionally Clean
Patients who perform a thorough eyelid hygiene routine every day often arrive at their eye examination with remarkably clean eyelashes.
During an eye exam, your doctor may notice:
- Minimal eyelash debris
- Fewer collarettes around the eyelashes
- Healthier-looking eyelid margins
- Improved tear film quality
- Cleaner meibomian gland openings
For many patients with ocular rosacea, daily eyelid hygiene becomes an important part of managing chronic inflammation.
Eye Care Tip #2: Clean Eyelashes Do Not Always Mean Demodex Mites Are Gone
One of the most common misconceptions is:
"If I cleaned away the collarettes, the Demodex mites must be gone."
Not necessarily.
Collarettes are the visible debris associated with Demodex blepharitis, but the mites themselves can remain deeper within:
- eyelash follicles
- meibomian glands
This means a patient may have beautifully clean eyelashes during an eye exam while microscopic Demodex mites are still present.
That is why diagnosing the underlying cause of recurrent eyelid inflammation is so important. See my DEMODEX COLLECTION of products here.
Eye Care Tip #3: If Your Stye or Chalazion Comes Back, It May Not Be Your Fault
Many patients become frustrated when a stye or chalazion returns after weeks or months.
Recurrent flare-ups may occur because the underlying cause has not been fully addressed.
One common contributor is Demodex blepharitis.
When appropriate, your eye care professional may prescribe XDEMVY® (lotilaner ophthalmic solution 0.25%), which is FDA-approved to treat Demodex blepharitis. The standard treatment course is one drop in each affected eye twice daily for six weeks.
By treating the Demodex mites themselves, many patients are able to address an important source of chronic eyelid inflammation.
Always consult your eye care provider to determine whether Demodex blepharitis is contributing to your symptoms.
Ocular Rosacea Requires Long-Term Management
Ocular rosacea is a chronic inflammatory condition.
Many patients experience periods of improvement followed by flare-ups.
Long-term success often involves combining several strategies, including:
- Daily eyelid hygiene
- Meibomian gland care
- Artificial tears or omega-3 lubricating eye drops when recommended
- Demodex evaluation when recurrent styes or chalazia occur
- Regular comprehensive eye examinations
A personalized treatment plan developed with your eye care professional is the best approach.
Final Thoughts
Seeing patients regain comfort and confidence is one of the most rewarding parts of being an optometrist.
Whether your goal is cleaner eyelashes, healthier eyelids, fewer recurrent styes, or better management of ocular rosacea, consistency matters.
If you're struggling with recurrent styes, chalazia, meibomian gland dysfunction, ocular rosacea, or Demodex blepharitis, speak with your eye care provider about developing a comprehensive eyelid hygiene routine tailored to your needs.

Hi, I’m Dr. Tanya Gill, optometrist and founder of We Love Eyes. I started We Love Eyes in 2014 while trying to help one of my (stubborn) patients with contact lens discomfort. In 2016, I had 3 products. Fast forward to today – We Love Eyes has almost 30 SKUs. It’s been an amazing journey. Explore my life’s work at weloveeyes.com. Check out my BLEPHARITIS COLLECTIONsection to find healthy eye care products for your eye problem. I also have a ton of contentat TIKTOK See the profile page and see the playlist CHALAZION DRAINING playlist. xo
- ocular rosacea
- ocular rosacea treatment
- recurrent stye
- recurrent chalazion
- chalazion treatment
- stye treatment
- Demodex blepharitis
- Demodex mites
- eyelid hygiene
- eyelid scrub
- eyelash cleansing
- meibomian gland dysfunction
- MGD treatment
- blepharitis treatment
- eyelid margin cleaning
- dry eye treatment
- fluorescein dye exam
- omega-3 eye drops
- clean eyelashes
- UC Berkeley optometrist