Importance of Eye Cream

“Nothing gives away aging prematurely or wherever you are in your life than lines around your eyes,”

– Chris Salgardo, Former President at L’Oreal

Eye cream is among the most important products in your beauty arsenal, but it is a product that tends to be overlooked. When I was in high school, my mom told me to start using eye cream. I never believed her until in my early-20’s, I started getting some eye bags and small wrinkles in the corners of my eyes when I smiled. I wish I had started using eye cream earlier, because long-term, eye creams tend to have much more of a potent and results-driven effect than the everyday moisturizers or serums you put on your face.

Over the course of 5 years using eye cream and seeing its benefits work on my face, I wanted to share with you a few things I’ve learned in adopting an amazing eye care regimen that I swear and live by!

Like all women, I want to look young and pure forever. Well, studies show that using eye cream, avoiding the sun, and not smoking are some of the most important things women can do to avoid looking older. So, eye cream should never be an afterthought – it has a big impact on healthy, glowing skin!

Looking after our Eye Area

Did you know that the skin around the eyes is 40% thinner and the least elastic part of your face? On top of that, our eyes ages the most between the ages of 20 to 50. With the eye area being so delicate and easily damaged, it is important to care for our eyes as much as our complexion in general.

Because the skin around our eye area is so much more fragile and thin in comparison to the skin anywhere else on our face and body, it is prone to dryness and a quicker area to show age and fatigue. If you plug in alcohol and poor lifestyle habits in your early 20’s, those eye areas will suffer if you do not take preventative measures sooner rather than later. It’s easier to prevent future damage to your skin than it is to repair it later.

Start early because when you are young without any wrinkles or sagging around the eyes and you already take preventive measures like using eye cream, you won’t show as many signs of aging later. If you haven’t ever used eye cream, well better late than never.

Quick Story

I was on a plane to NYC a few months ago, and a middle aged and beautiful lady sat next to me. I complimented her on her smooth skin, so we ended up talking about our skincare regimens and of course makeup products. When I brought up eye cream, she mentioned it being the same thing as moisturizer. Empowered women empower women, so I told her my reasoning to invest in eye care products. After a bit of banter back and forth, she caved in, and promised to try an eye cream that I recommended when she returned home. A few weeks later, she sent me a text with a picture of the eye cream she purchase. We have remained skincare buddies ever since!

Convinced you should look into some eye care now? Keep reading.

Moisturizers are NOT meant for the Eyes!

As we covered earlier, the skin around your eyes ages faster than the rest of your face. Therefore, products used for the face should not be used for your eye areas. Remember, moisturizers handle the entire face, while eye creams are specialized to target the eye areas. Moisturizers can contain chemicals harmful for the eye area and many contain fragrances and preservatives that can irritate eyes as well, like menthol and other potent ingredients.

Studies show that not all formulas are tested for the eye area, so eye creams are formulated for use around the eyes, making them safer and more beneficial. A good eye cream will tend to be thicker than a lotion, as it is made to target the delicate skin around the eye. Eye creams can have any of the following benefits: reduce puffiness and dark circles, increase hydration, and decrease fine lines and wrinkles.

At the end of the day, there is no instant gratification with eye cream. Unlike makeup which can give you a temporary fix, eye creams do not remove all lines and wrinkles and make the skin under the eyes smooth and youthful again. But, you can prioritize on applying eye cream daily.

My Eye Product Recommendations

Looking for a good eye cream can be a daunting task. I spent years finding my favorite (price efficient and results driven) eye serums and creams. But, if you’re wondering, the main difference between eye serums and creams is, texture! Believe it or not, eye serums are designed to penetrate deeper and contain more nutrients than cream.

In my opinion, eye serums and gels are best in the morning to smooth, refresh, and help diminish AM puffiness. The light, silky texture of most eye gels also works well under makeup. Rich eye creams are best used in the PM to target the fine lines and wrinkles. I find that applying concealer on top of eye cream tends to crease into lines and shorten the wear time of eyeliner and mascara. Preferably I like using lighter eye serums / gels for daytime use and thicker, protective feel of eye creams for evening. I encourage you to experiment which method works best for you!

Choose an eye cream that caters to your specific needs:

Puffiness: Under-eye puffiness can be caused by allergies, lack of sleep, a poor diet, and other factors. Caffeine is a go-to ingredient to combat puffiness because it constricts blood vessels and tightens the skin. Retinol and the anti-inflammatory properties of green-tea extract reduce under-eye swelling too.
Fine lines and wrinkles: Select an eye serum containing retinol, peptides, or vitamin C for this aging issue. Retinol stimulates cell turnover to reveal youthful smooth skin and can help reverse sun damage around your eyes, such as sun spots. Peptides promote collagen production and smooth the under-eye area. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that fights free radical damage (pollution) and boosts collagen production.
Dryness: Hyaluronic acid is highly effective at retaining and attracting moisture. Ceramides also combat moisture loss.
Dark circles: Dark circles can be caused by a number of factors. Choose an eye serum that contains vitamin K or caffeine to constrict of slow blood flow in the capillaries under the eyes, so they don’t appear as dark.
Skin Type: If you have dry skin, look for a moisturizing cream or eye balm. If you have oily skin, look for an eye cream that does not contain oil.

Eye Serum Picks

Eye serums typically have more of a lightweight liquid consistency, which means they absorb faster into the skin than heavier creams.

Guerlain Orchide Imperiale Eye Serum: My favorite eye serum – lightweight, non-irritating, and nice formula. I use this every night before my eye cream, and it has personally helped me with my dark circles under the eyes and softening the skin.

La Mer The Lifting Eye Serum: Great serum for firming and tightening – like an instant face lift. A little goes a long way, so pace yourself in using this product. Overall, any La Mer product makes my skin look healthy and rejuvenated.

Guerlain Super Aqua-Eye Serum: Fairly lightweight serum that gives good hydration. Helps reduce the puffiness under my eyes. It’s gentle yet effective and I definitely recommend to add this to your skin care regimen.

Eye Cream Picks

Eye creams, on the other hand, are more hydrating and ideal for dry skin types.

Sisley Paris Sisleya L’Integral Anti-Age Eye & Lip Contour: Nourishing eye cream with a luxurious and hydrating feel. Comes with a limited-edition massage roller that is designed to “cool and prepare” both the eyes and lips prior to applying the contour cream. This cream has a formula that works to combat puffiness, helping your eyes appear younger, more rested, and refreshed. Contains ingredients such as Atlas Cedar extract, fermented Pomegranate extract, and Passion Fruit extract. Of course, I’m also in love with the flawless packaging.

La Mer Genaissance de la Mer The Eye and Expression Cream: This is definitely the creme de la creme of eye creams. I wouldn’t recommend trying this as your first eye cream, as it is pretty rich; so work your way up as the product performs best when you have a good skincare foundation already. Even though the price point is on the indulgent side, all I can say is that it’s a bit of heaven inside of a pretty little jar. Bye bye dark circles – a miracle worker for the skin with a perfect amount of hydration and protection.

In summary, try to begin eye care before the age of thirty, as this will prevent the damage from becoming too extent. Although apart from considering this, it is also important to consider your personal preference and financial ability. I leave you with one final thought: what’s in your eye cream is just as important as how you apply your eye cream.

Applying Eye Cream

When it comes to using eye cream, here are a few tips that come in handy:

Put your eye cream on after your serum and before your facial moisturizer. This will ensure your eye area is protected before applying anything else.
If your eye cream comes in a jar and doesn’t come with a small spoon or spatula to scoop out the eye cream, make sure you have one to avoid contaminating the cream with germs on your fingers. This is an absolute best practice when it comes to skincare!
Use a clean, dry ring finger for application as it naturally has a lighter touch than your other fingers (and the least amount of pressure). Be gentle with the skin around the eyes, using a delicate touch to dab on your product. Never rub as that can damage the delicate skin. A little bit of product goes a long way, so a pea-sized amount is enough.
Tap the eye area to stimulate circulate, which will open up pores and help the cream absorb into the skin.
Finally, wait for the product to absorb. It takes around 15 minutes to be absorbed into the skin so be sure not to apply anything else to the eye area until after that.

Pro Tip: Store your eye cream in the refrigerator to help preserve the cream or balm, especially if it’s natural. It will also feel good to apply the cold cream to your eye area. This works great if you are trying to soothe dry skin or puffiness around your eyes!

Hope you enjoyed reading! Leave me a comment if you’d like to see similar content or have suggestions for anything else beauty related you want to learn about! Thanks for reading :).