Sometimes, the name of an ingredient can make you judge it harshly before getting to know it. But as intimidating as hypochlorous acid may sound, it’s actually an incredibly gentle and helpful substance that can easily enhance your beauty routine. Here’s what you need to know.

Hypochlorous acid is naturally produced by the body.

White blood cells known as neutrophils are considered your body’s first line of defense against infection. When microbes enter your body, neutrophils defend you by wrapping themselves around the bacteria and eat it to prevent further damage. During this process, your white blood cells produce hypochlorous acid and drench the bacteria with it, which helps kill the invader.

Hypochlorous acid is a powerful, yet gentle disinfectant.

The ingredient has been proven to be as effective as killing germs as household bleach products. Like those formulas, hypochlorous acid can kill up to 99.9% of pathogens, including MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), coronaviruses, and E. coli. However, bleach is not nearly as safe as hypochlorous acid — bleach is corrosive, irritating to your eyes, throat, and lungs, and long-term exposure to it could cause cancer. Hypochlorous acid is completely non-toxic, eye-safe, and can even be safely ingested. In fact, it’s so gentle that it can safely be used on infants. 

Hypochlorous acid has skincare benefits.

Because of its ability to destroy germs, hypochlorous acid is a great tool for battling blemishes — the ingredient is known to kill P. acnes, the bacteria that causes acne. In addition to its antimicrobial and antiviral properties, hypochlorous acid is an effective anti-inflammatory. That means when applied to the skin, the ingredient can help soothe irritation and inflammation caused by acne or conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea.

Hypochlorous acid has long been a health care — and eye care — staple.

Doctors love hypochlorous acid’s ability to both cleanse and treat in one fell swoop. For years, my ophthalmology colleagues and optometrists have relied on hypochlorous acid to help disinfect the eye, treat conditions like blepharitis, meibomian gland dysfunction, and dry eye disease, and soothe irritation. 

Hypochlorous acid is easy to use, anytime, any place. 

I wanted even more people to benefit from this amazing ingredient, so I created Easy on the Eyes Daily Hygiene Facial Spray. It’s a simple face mist that you should use at least twice daily (before makeup, and after taking it all off, but I use it multiple times a day) to keep your lids, lashes, and skin clean and comfortable. It’s great for using under a face mask to help prevent maskne, styes, and other infections caused by germs lingering under a face covering, cleansing lash extensions, and just refreshing your skin and eyes after a long day.