Bruder Moist Heat Eye Compress

My new ophthalmologist wants me, a long time dry eye sufferer, to use nightly warm washcloth eye compresses to avoid going back to the Restasis-and-steroid dog 'n' pony show I've been on for the last 20 years for a variety of reasons. Washcloths soaked in warm water cool off in under five minutes and are also annoying to use in between my nightly facial unguents, so I thought I'd give the Bruder eye mask a whirl. It had certainly popped up in my suggested items enough times over the years while perusing expensive nonprescription eye drops. I've now used the mask only four times and am disappointed to say that it is no longer retaining its moisture. Each time, I've followed the manufacturer's heating instructions, heating it between 20-30 seconds on high, which is just enough to keep it comfortably warm for over 10 minutes. The first time I used it, the amount of moisture it exuded was quite noticeable, and the oil glands of my eyelids (that's meibomian glands for all the anatomy geeks out there) were clearly unclogged. My eyes felt much, much better. The three subsequent times I used the mask, however, it gave off less moisture, and this fourth time, there was no discernible moisture whatsoever. While the heat feels nice, with severe dry eye syndrome and clogged glands, there's no point in using a dry heat mask. What a waste of money, considering the mask is supposed to last at least six months with once per day use. Additionally, the design of the mask isn't great for my petite face. My face overall and facial features are on the small side, and I have difficulty buying glasses and even sleep masks. The elastic between the 'eyes' of the mask is actually too wide for me, causing the eyepieces to slip around uncomfortably during use. I found myself having to adjust them periodically to recenter them properly over my eyes and couldn't really relax while using them. If this mask actually worked, I would have had to hike the elastic at least a quarter inch or so with a safety pin to stop the slippage. Finally, I was offended by the sheer, greedy marketing of additional useless products that was included with the mask. It came with sample shields to prevent the mask from being bespoiled bymakeup/creams/etc. on eyelids during use. Why didn't the company just make the interior of the mask a dark color instead of white so it wouldn't show stains, thereby eliminating the need for such frequent cleaning? I just placed a thin cotton handkerchief over my eyes under the mask instead for free. There was also an eyelid scrub sample. Eyelid scrubbing is a fairly simple at-home procedure that doesn't require purchasing expensive products. Since I'm still in the market for a true moist eye compress, I'll be shopping for a flaxseed or rice eye compress next. I've successfully used moist heat therapy for an injury using heat packs filled with these ingredients, and they've lasted at least a year without going all arid as Death Valley.