On 21 November, Japanese pharmaceutical company Rohto announced they will be releasing a line of eye drops which promise 60 percent the viscosity of regular drops. To retain the eyes tears and keep them moist longer, Rohto uses a combination of hyaluronic acid, chondroitin, and sesame oil.

That last ingredient in particular, which is generally used in Asian cooking for its notably bold taste, has caught the attention of netizens in Japan drawing comments such as “My eyes! My eyes!”

Sesame oil has a particularly strong aroma and distinctively rich taste and goes great on foods like gyoza. However, putting this flavor enhancer in your eyes is something that seems to contradict people’s sense of self-preservation.

“No way…” wrote one netizen at the thought of putting the potent condiment into their eyes. Some suggested that olive oil would be a more mild substitute others thought that it would make their eyes “too shiny.”

The other major concern with these new drops called New Rohto Dry Aid EX is the overall deliciousness of sesame. “It would just make you hungrier,” mentioned one concerned consumer. “Just throw some soup stock in there too and it’ll be delicious when it all runs down to your throat,” suggested an optimistic comment, and a resourceful soul chimed in with, “I can just make my own.”

Of course, we can’t make our own, nor should we put sesame oil into our eyes without getting a signed deal from one of those Jackass-type shows. Rohto is using a specially purified form of sesame oil that is both safe and comfortable against the eyeball. When it’s released on 22 December, it’s expected to cost 1,260 yen (US$12) for a 10mL bottle and not expected to taste good on bibimbap.

Source: Rohto, Mainichi via Nikita Sokuho (Japanese)