OPTI-FREE

What OPTI-FREE does

OPTI-FREE is a consumer healthcare brand specializing in multi-purpose disinfecting contact lens solutions and rewetting drops for wearers of soft (hydrophilic) contact lenses. The brand is wholly owned by Alcon Inc., a publicly traded eye care company (NYSE: ALC) that was founded in 1981 and became fully independent following its 2019 separation from Novartis. OPTI-FREE operates as a product line within Alcon's broader Vision Care portfolio rather than as an independent legal entity, with no standalone revenue disclosure and no external investors.

The brand's product platform rests on three proprietary, trademarked technologies: the HydraGlyde® Moisture Matrix (which attaches to the lens surface to retain hydration throughout the day), the TearGlyde® Reconditioning System (which forms a moisture shield between lens and eye using tear-responsive chemistry), and the Polyquad®/Aldox® dual-disinfectant system (which kills 99.9% of germs that can cause eye infections). The core SKU set comprises two multi-purpose solutions — OPTI-FREE Puremoist (positioned as the "5-in-1" all-day comfort product) and OPTI-FREE Replenish (positioned for enhanced comfort and cleaning) — complemented by Puremoist and Replenish variants of rewetting drops that provide an additional hydration burst between solution cycles.

The business model is a classic consumer packaged goods hardware-sales motion: revenue is generated by selling bottles of solution and drops through two channels, namely (i) national retail/shelf placement at all major US retailers and (ii) a direct e-commerce path on opti-free.myalcon.com that links to authorized sellers. Marketing is multi-channel — content/SEO via the brand website and FAQs, organic social on Instagram and Facebook, an owned email channel through MyAlcon registration, and a bottom-of-funnel reliance on eye-care-professional recommendations that positions the brand as the "#1 Doctor Recommended Brand of Contact Lens Solutions." The stated customer segment is horizontal, targeting soft contact lens wearers who experience dryness, discomfort, screen-time-related dehydration, protein build-up, and concerns about eye infections.

Name

OPTI-FREE

Legal name

Alcon Inc.

Website

https://opti-free.myalcon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Short description

OPTI-FREE is a consumer healthcare brand, owned by Alcon Inc. (NYSE: ALC), that sells multi-purpose disinfecting contact lens solutions and rewetting drops to soft contact lens wearers in the United States through major national retailers and online direct channels, anchored by proprietary HydraGlyde, TearGlyde, and Polyquad/Aldox technologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contact Lens Care Solutions

NAICS

Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Contact Lenses & Care Systems (Soft/RGP/Scleral Lenses; Cleaning/Disinfection Solutions) (HLAHAJAE)

Keywords

• Contact lens solutions
• Multi-purpose disinfecting solutions
• Lens care products
• Rewetting drops
• Eye care products

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Worth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Multi-Purpose Contact Lens Solutions: OPTI-FREE generates revenue through the sale of multi-purpose disinfecting solutions (Puremoist and Replenish) that clean, rinse, disinfect, and store contact lenses. Revenue is generated through retail and online channels.
2. Rewetting Drops: Sale of rewetting drops for additional lens moisture and comfort. Provides a refreshing burst of moisture for contact lenses worn throughout the day.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OPTI-FREE sells multi-purpose disinfecting contact lens solutions (Puremoist and Replenish) and rewetting drops for soft (hydrophilic) contact lens wearers. The solutions clean, rinse, disinfect, and store lenses, providing all-day comfort, lasting hydration, protein removal, and disinfection using proprietary technologies including HydraGlyde Moisture Matrix, Polyquad/Aldox dual disinfectants, and TearGlyde reconditioning system.

Product overview

OPTI-FREE is a contact lens care brand by Alcon offering multi-purpose disinfecting solutions and rewetting drops. The core product portfolio consists of two multi-purpose solutions: OPTI-FREE Puremoist (5-in-1 formula with HydraGlyde technology for all-day comfort) and OPTI-FREE Replenish (enhanced comfort with TearGlyde reconditioning system). Both solutions use dual disinfectants (Polyquad and Aldox) for cleaning and disinfection. The product line is complemented by rewetting drops (Puremoist and Replenish variants) that provide additional hydration bursts for lens wearers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OPTI-FREE® Puremoist®: Multi-purpose disinfecting contact lens solution providing 5-in-1 benefits including all-day comfort, lasting hydration, protein buildup removal, germ killing, and pH balance.
• OPTI-FREE® Replenish®
• OPTI-FREE® Rewetting Drops

Products and services

• OPTI-FREE Puremoist Multi-Purpose Disinfecting Contact Solution

Quantifiable outcome

• Kills 99.9% of germs
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CooperVision: CooperVision markets multi-purpose disinfecting solutions and hydrogen-peroxide systems for soft and specialty contact lenses, competing directly with the OPTI-FREE portfolio via shared ECP recommendations and retail distribution.
• Bausch + Lomb: Bausch + Lomb is a direct peer: its Renu and Biotrue multi-purpose disinfecting solutions compete head-to-head with OPTI-FREE Puremoist and Replenish in the same retail channels and with the same eye-care professional endorsement dynamic.
• AMO (Abbott Medical Optics) / Complete: The Complete brand of MPS solutions (historically Abbott Medical Optics, now part of Johnson & Johnson Vision) competes in the same multi-purpose disinfecting solution category served by OPTI-FREE.
• Johnson & Johnson Vision Care: J&J Vision Care's Acuvue RevitaLens Multi-Purpose Solution is one of the closest direct competitors to OPTI-FREE in the MPS category, sold through the same mass retailers and recommended through the same eye-care professional channel.

Others

• Lens.com: Lens.com is an online retailer of contact lenses and contact-lens care products; it is an indirect/adjacent participant in the same consumer eye-care category where OPTI-FREE competes and is a digital-channel peer for solution buyers.

Broad incumbents

• Santen Pharmaceutical: Santen is a global ophthalmic pharmaceutical company with consumer lens-care and ocular-surface products, making it a broader incumbent in the same overall ophthalmic consumer care space as OPTI-FREE.
• Bausch Health Companies: As the parent of Bausch + Lomb, Bausch Health is the broad incumbent in eye care/consumer health that owns the Renu and Biotrue lines, overlapping with OPTI-FREE as part of a wider ophthalmic and consumer health portfolio.
• Thea Pharmaceuticals: Thea Pharmaceuticals markets a broad ophthalmic pharmaceutical portfolio including lens care and ocular surface products, putting it in adjacent competition with OPTI-FREE within the eye-care consumer category.

Emerging players

• Walgreens Boots Alliance (private-label solutions): Walgreens store-brand contact lens solutions compete alongside OPTI-FREE in mass retail and drugstore channels, providing a low-cost alternative in the same MPS category.
• CVS Health (private-label contact lens solutions): CVS-branded and other retailer-private-label contact lens solutions compete on price within the same shelf at major retailers, applying direct pricing pressure to the OPTI-FREE line.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OPTIFREESolution
• Instagraminstagram.com/optifreesolution
• Xx.com/opti_free

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OPTI-FREE