A sterile-filtered nanoemulsion having oil globules with a median size (Dv50) of about 100 nm or less and containing an oil, emulsion stabilizing polymer, a water-soluble polymer a surfactant, a tonicity modifier or stabilizer, or a combination thereof is provided. The nanoemulsion, even in the absence of an active ingredient, has ameliorative effects including anti-inflammatory activity. The present invention also provides a method of using such a nanoemulsion as an artificial tear composition for treating an ocular surface disorder, including those resulting from contact lens use, by administering an effective amount of the oil-in-water nanoemulsion of the present invention topically to an eye of a subject.
