Minty Eye Drops!?! Thats right!! People come up with crazy gadgets and crazy products and TechAbsorbed is here to inform the masses about their quality! Are your eyes dry and wind blown like your empty wallet? Then Japanese Hard Minty Eye Drops may hold relief for you!

Japanese Minty Eye Drops Review

Provided By: Eyegazms
Retail Price: $6.00 - $10.00 ea
Review Date: 4/06/05
Review Author: Rusty Newton

Our friends over in Japan never cease to amaze me. I never imagined someone could turn Eye Drops into a recreational "Fun" thing to do.

"Hard Minty Eye Drops" as they are also called, are hard to obtain in the USA. Fortunately for us Dry-Eyed people, an online store appropriately called "Eyegazms" has done all the hard work and is now distributing them here in the states. Lets see what fun we can have =D

IN THE BOX

Packaging:

 Japanese packaging is usually much more interesting and artistic than many other countries products. In the pictures below you will see that there is actually two different kinds of Minty Eye Drops here. Eyegazms has supplied us with both the Rohto V and Rohto Zi varieties so that we may experience the full range of japanese inventiveness.

What's Included in Each Box?:
• 1 x Bottle 0.4 FL OZ (12 mL ) of either Rohto V or Rohto Zi Eye Drops
• 1 x Instruction, FAQ pamphlet

DESIGN & FEATURES

Mint? In my Eye?:

 No they are not Flavored and you cannot drink them. Even though that would be sweet( wouldn't it? ); people apparently refer to them as Minty because of the sensations they inflict upon your viewing orbs.

 They do come in really nice looking little bottles, tiny enough to carry with you everywhere so you can relieve your eyes on the go!

 What is in these Eye Drops you ask? Will they melt my eyes? The box informs me that the active ingredient of the Rohto V eye drops is Povidone 1.8%, Purpose: Lubricant. Sounds safe enough!

 The Rohto Zi reads differently, Active Ingredients: Naphazoline hydrochloride 0.012% (Redness Reliever) Polysorbate 80   0.2% (Lubricant).  Hey polysorbate sounds familiar, I think I have read that one on the back of a Gum package before... Ever wonder what all those interesting ingredients are?

TESTING

Get the Sahara Desert out of your eyes:

 After playing computer games into the wee morning, or what I call.. Hard Work, I decided it was the right time to test the Japanese Minty Eye Drops. If your a Geek, Business Man or just a plain Web Junkie, we all know what our eyes feel like after staring into the Monitor screen for 15 hours. My eyes tend to very dry and puffy as if they were two fresh marshmellows being slow roasted in the warm glow of a campfire.

 Okay okay I will get on with it. What do they feel like? KABANG!, SWOOSH! and ZIP! are the only words that can describe it. Yes they burn, but it is... quite good actually and it even sort of wakes you up! The burning, buzzing, minty feeling goes away after a few moments then your eyes just feel wet as if you had just cryed.

 Feels good, yes. Redness relieving? Maybe I am not used to the "Hard Minty" feeling, but my eyes seemed to get more Red for a bit. The redness did fade after a while though so it might be you just need to adjust to your eyes being Minty Fresh.

In the Long Run:

 I have actually used these eye drops many times since I first tested them. I have found they really do help take the edge off when you are sleepy or have been baking your eyes in the ol' computer oven. Especially first thing in the morning, now I just need some of that caffeinated soap from ThinkGeek and I will be all set. =D

Rohto V , Rohto What? :

 Honestly I see and feel no difference between the two eye drop varieties. I have tryed them both many times and feel nothing spectacularly different. The Rohto V MAY be slightly more intense, but thats a MAYBE.

SUMMARY

 The Rohto V and Rohto Zi eye drops do relieve dryness as they claim. As for redness, it appeared to worsen immediately upon use then fade away slowly. Over time, as you get used to the intensity, the redness may be relieved quicker.

 They WILL wake you up and take the edge off, especially if your dry eyes make you sleepier or just bother you. The "Minty" feeling talked about is simply an intense feeling that does actually feel good. Overall the "Japanese Minty Eye Drops" accomplish what the manufacturer claims, and they do possess a unique Intensity that other eye drops lack.

PROS 

• Unusual Intensity, kind of like Altoids for your Eye.
• Makes your eyes very wet, relieves dryness quickly.

CONS

• Redness worsens at first, then fades away slowly.
• Some people will not like the Intense Feeling.

FINAL RATINGS

Thanks to Eyegazms for letting us check out their sweet product!
Please visit their site for more information on Eyegazms Japanese Minty Eye Drops.