10 Eye-Friendly Christmas Gifts

There is no denying that some people are hard to shop for! That is why a gift of vision is a perfect present to give anyone on your list. For some inspiration to help you with your Christmas shopping list this year, we have compiled a list of eye-friendly Christmas gifts ideas:

1. Eye-Friendly Toys

Perfect for: children of any age

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, one in every 10 children’s eye injuries are toy related. To protect children from potentially vision-threatening injuries, it is important to keep them away from dangerous toys such as swords, airsoft guns, slingshots, and BB guns. Instead, opt for eye-friendly toys. When selecting a suitable gift, make sure that the toy does not have any sharp edges or projectile features.

When purchasing a gift, don’t forget to check the recommended age on the label to make sure that the toy is age-appropriate. Also make sure that the label states that the toy complies with national product safety standards.

2. New Frames

Perfect for: anyone who wears glasses

Glasses are more than just a means of seeing clearly, they are also a fashion statement to express one’s individuality. Therefore, providing someone with the opportunity to personalise a new set of frames for themselves means that not only will he/she have new eyesight, but also a great new look!

Glasses come in a wide variety of styles, frame shapes, sizes and colours to suit everyone. Since there are so many options to choose from, it might be a safer option to let them do the choosing by purchasing a gift voucher from a reputable eyewear retailer instead.

3. Sunglasses

Perfect for: Everyone

Sunglasses are not only a fashion accessory, but more importantly, they are a necessity for your eye health. Unbeknownst to some, our eyes are still susceptible to UV during cloudy and overcast weather. To protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun, it is important to wear sunglasses year-round. Not only can increased UV exposure cause premature aging (wrinkles) around the eyes it can lead to eye conditions such as macular degeneration and cancers on the surface of the eye. What’s more, the eyelid region accounts for 5% to 10% of all skin cancers.

When selecting a pair of sunglasses to gift someone, look for a pair that not only matches the recipient’s personality and fits his/her face, but also blocks 100% of UV rays.

4. Makeup/Brush Set

Perfect for: beauty lovers

Since infection-causing bacteria can accumulate easily in the fibres of makeup brushes over time, makeup and application brushes should be replaced every three months. This makes makeup and/or a brush set a perfect gift idea that any beauty enthusiast can appreciate. Eye-friendly gift ideas include high-quality eyeliner, mascara, eye shadows, a brush set, and gentle eye makeup remover.

5. Novelty Cooking Eyewear

Perfect for: cooking lovers

Don’t you hate it when your eyes tear up and burn when chopping onions?  Since most people’s answer to this question would be “YES”, gifting the family chef with a nifty pair of protective cooking goggles might be the most useful Christmas present yet!

Cooking eyewear with foam seal blocks out irritating vapours, which helps to promote safe food preparation and cooking eliminating smoke, embers, steam and onion and pepper fumes that cause eye irritation. These multi-functional goggles can also be used for yard work, bike riding and snow sports.

6. Donate to a Charity Organisation

Perfect for: someone who has everything (including a big heart!)

Looking for a more meaningful gift? Since Christmas is all about giving,  donate to an eye-care charity, such as “Sight for All’ or ‘ The Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand’, which funds essential medical care to restore sight and prevent people from going blind in underdeveloped countries.

7. Prescription Swimming Goggles

Perfect for: swimmers

Prescription (or non-prescription) swimming goggles may be the ideal gift solution you have been searching for swimmers, particularly male relatives such as dads, sons, teenagers and granddads who are often difficult to buy for.

Not only do swimming goggles help to improve the clarity of underwater vision, but they also protect the eyes from saltwater, chlorine, debris, small particles and infection-causing bacteria in the water. Swimming goggles are a thoughtful and practical gift, as swimming without goggles can put your loved one at risk of infection (bacterial conjunctivitis). Additionally, exposure to saltwater or chlorine can damage the tear film on the surface of the eye, which can irritate the eyes and trigger dry eye syndrome.

8. Dry Eye Spa Voucher

Perfect for: someone who is suffering from dry eye (and enjoys a bit of pampering!)

If you have a relative or friend who suffers from dry eye, an appointment at Auckland Eye’s Oasis Dry Eye Spa might be a thoughtful gift idea.

Here at Auckland Eye’s Oasis Spa, your loved one will receive a full clinical evaluation of the likely cause of their Dry Eye and be provided with a tailored treatment plan. Our aspiration is to give our patients the freedom to enjoy life without discomfort, and we are committed to providing luxurious, relaxing environment during the treatment.

Throughout the tailored treatment plan, your loved one will have access to proven, state-of-the-art dry eye technology including LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation and Lumenis Optima IPL treatments, which will be delivered by our expertly trained clinical team, all from the comfort of our deluxe massage chair!

To ask any questions about our Dry Eye Therapy Spa or to book an assessment with our Dry Eye specialist team email at  oasisspa@aucklandeye.co.nz

9. An Eye Exam

Perfect for: a relative who keeps putting off medical appointments

While this may not be the most thrilling of all Christmas gifts, if you have a relative or friend that hasn’t had an eye exam recently, this may be the perfect gift. Paying for the recipient’s eye exam can be the reminder or “push” they need to get it scheduled. The recipient can then schedule an appointment at a time convenient for them.

10. Laser Eye Surgery

Perfect for: individuals who depend on glasses and contact lenses

If you are feeling especially generous this Christmas, what better gift for someone with blurry vision than laser eye surgery? Laser eye surgery is an amazing and completely safe procedure that allows a person to go from poor eyesight to amazing clarity of vision. Laser eye surgery is a quick and effective laser vision correction procedure that reshapes the eye’s cornea with precision to correct focusing errors.

Keep in mind, not everyone is a suitable candidate for all laser eye surgery procedures. To find out if your loved one is a suitable candidate, he/she will first need to come in for their free initial consultation at Auckland Eye.

~Auckland Eye’s Laser Eye Surgery Special Christmas Offer ~

Once more, another reason why giving the gift of vision is the perfect present this Christmas is because we are currently offering a Summer Laser Eye Surgery Discount! This amazing discount is applicable across all of our world class laser vision treatments (SMILE and Lasik) . From December 2018 through till the end of  February 2019, all our laser eye surgery procedures will cost: $2744.00 per eye ($5488.00) for both.

To find out more about laser eye surgery, call 0800 63 93 93 to book a FREE initial assessment with our specialist team (worth $500). It could be the best the best decision you ever made!