Demodex & Blepharitis
Key overview
- Almost everyone carries Demodex mites. It is the population size, not their presence, that causes disease.
- The distinguishing signs are itch and cylindrical dandruff — waxy collarettes at the base of the lashes.
- Treatment has to outlast the mite life cycle. A course measured in weeks will fail; months is the realistic expectation.
- Castor oil has a growing evidence base for this specifically, including a 2025 University of Auckland study.
Demodex are mites that live in human hair follicles, including eyelash follicles. Almost everyone has some. They become a problem when the population grows large enough to inflame the lid margin, block gland openings and produce the distinctive waxy collarettes at the base of the lashes that optometrists look for.
Demodex blepharitis is under-recognised, partly because its symptoms — itching, crusting, redness, irritation worst on waking — overlap with everything else that affects the lid. The distinguishing feature is usually the itch, and the cylindrical dandruff.
Treatment is slower than people expect, because it has to outlast the mite life cycle rather than simply kill what is there today. A course measured in weeks will fail; a course measured in months is the realistic expectation.
Guides in this section
15 articles, grouped by what they answer.
- Blepharitis and Dry Eye: Why They're Connected and How to Treat Both
- Can Demodex Mites Be Eliminated for Good? Managing Recurrence
- Castor Oil vs Tea Tree Oil for Eyelid Mites and Blepharitis
- Demodex Blepharitis: The Complete Guide to Eyelid Mites
- Demodex Mites, Rosacea and Your Eyes: The Connection
- Does Castor Oil Actually Help Blepharitis? What a New Zealand Clinical Trial Found
- Does Castor Oil Kill Demodex Mites? What a 2025 University of Auckland Study Found
- How Long Does Castor Oil Take to Work on Blepharitis?
- How to Get Rid of Demodex Mites on Your Eyelids
- Manuka and Kanuka Oil for Demodex: What the Research Shows
- Natural Blepharitis Remedies That Are Actually Backed by Science
- Signs and Symptoms of Demodex Mites on Your Eyelids
- The 3 Types of Blepharitis — Bacterial, Seborrhoeic and Demodex — and Where Castor Oil Fits In
- What Are Eyelash Mites? Meet Demodex, the Tiny Creatures Living on Your Lashes
- Why Overnight Castor Oil May Be Best for Demodex Mites
Where our products fit
Castor oil has a growing evidence base for Demodex specifically, including a 2025 University of Auckland study. LidBoost+ is cold-pressed and single-ingredient, which is what you want for something applied nightly to the lid margin. LidBoost+.
Related sections
- Eyelid Hygiene — Cleaning the lid margin properly: why it matters, how to do it, and what to use.
- Meibomian Gland Dysfunction & Heat Therapy — The blocked-oil-gland mechanism behind most dry eye, and the heat therapy that treats it.
- Dry Eye Treatment — Every treatment that works, what each one actually does, and how to tell which applies to you.