About Optrex
Optrex is one of Britain's most trusted eye care brands, founded in 1932 when it originally operated as Sterling Products Company from their headquarters in Perivale, West London. For over 90 years, Optrex has been helping people maintain eye health and find relief from common eye complaints. The brand has become synonymous with quality eye care in the UK, with products designed to address everything from everyday tiredness to hayfever symptoms. The Optrex brand has passed through several owners throughout its long history. German pharmaceutical company Hoechst AG acquired the brand in 1976, before British retailer Boots purchased Optrex for approximately £10 million in 1983. The brand found its current home when Reckitt (then Reckitt Benckiser) acquired Boots Healthcare International for £1.9 billion in 2005, bringing Optrex into their extensive portfolio of healthcare brands alongside Lemsip, Strepsils, and Nurofen. Today's Optrex range addresses the full spectrum of eye care needs. Their Double Action formulations tackle both dry and itchy eyes, whilst Multi Action products like Dazzling Eye Drops refresh tired, dull-looking eyes. The hayfever range includes Relief Eye Drops containing sodium cromoglicate for effective allergy symptom management. Perhaps most innovative is the ActiMist technology, a spray applied to closed eyelids that uses liposome technology to restore the eye's natural lipid layer, providing relief without requiring direct application into the eye. Optrex products are manufactured in both the UK and Greece, with formulation development supported by Reckitt's major R&D Centre for Scientific Excellence in Hull, the largest single investment in the company's history. This heritage brand continues to evolve with innovations like ActiMist whilst maintaining its core mission of accessible, effective eye care. Whether treating screen-induced dry eyes, seasonal hayfever, or general irritation, Optrex remains Britain's go-to choice for over-the-counter eye relief.