Symptoms of redness and itchiness around the eyes are usually a sign of contact blepharitis, a localized allergic reaction to something such as certain medications, cosmetics, or hair dyes. The symptoms usually manifest as redness, papules, blisters, and flaking of the skin around the eyelids. In this case, it is recommended that the first thing you can do is to find out what caused the allergy and you will be able to avoid re-exposure. Local saline or 3% boric acid lotion can be used to apply wet compresses to reduce the local allergic reaction. Glucocorticoids can also be used to treat the condition, such as applying antibiotic eye ointment, including erythromycin eye ointment or tobramycin dexamethasone eye ointment, inside the eye or on the skin surface of the eyelid.