You know the value of a great skincare routine. Face wash, sunscreen, serums, face masks, and other personal care products are all in your cabinet, at the ready, for all your skincare needs. But what about the skin around your eyes? If you’re skipping eye cream, you’re neglecting one of the most delicate areas of skin on your entire body.
Never fear! We’re here to help you understand why eye creams are important, what they do, and how to pick the perfect one for you.
What Does Eye Cream Address?
It may seem like the skin on our face is one even surface that we should treat equally, but that's simply not true. The skin around our eyes is thinner and more fragile than on the rest of our face and body and has very few oil glands to keep it naturally hydrated.
Eye creams address everything this delicate skin needs by concentrating powerhouse ingredients designed to plump and hydrate cells, smooth and soften lines, while evening tone and texture.
Signs of Aging
The delicate skin around our eyes is typically the first area fine lines appear. The skin around your eyes is subject to every facial expression you make and hundreds of micro-movements you’re not even aware of every single day. Constant movement, coupled with its delicate composition, makes our under-eye area more susceptible to early signs of aging.
If you see under-eye bags and crow’s feet forming in the corners of your eyes, don’t despair. By simply dabbing on eye cream, you can diminish the look of existing wrinkles, prevent new lines from forming, and firm up skin that's lost some of its elasticity.
Under-Eye Circles
Have you ever noticed that after a rough night of very little sleep, your eyes are what make you look tired? There are a couple of reasons for this. First, you have tiny veins under the skin that can pool blood, creating purplish-blue half-moons under your eyes. The second cause is puffiness and swelling, casting shadows.
Both can be addressed with an under-eye cream rich in botanicals and vitamins that reduce the appearance of under-eye circles.
Preventative Skin Care
Eye cream is an extraordinary preventative measure for those who haven’t developed pesky crow’s feet or dark circles. Just a few dots of a concentrated formula will go a long way to maintaining your smooth and youthful appearance.
The same is true for preventing further damage. No matter where you are in your skin’s life journey, adding an eye cream to your skincare routine can pump the brakes on the story time tells under your eyes.
Eye Cream vs. Facial Moisturizer
You’ve invested in the right face crème for your complexion and are getting great results, so why not just pat that under your eyes and call it good? There are a couple of major advantages eye creams have over your facial moisturizer for targeting your eye area.
Specially Formulated
First, facial moisturizers are developed with large molecules designed to help keep your skin’s barrier to the outside world strong and healthy by locking in moisture. Remember, the skin under your eyes doesn’t have much natural moisture to begin with, so there’s not much to lock in.
Concentrated ingredients are formulated with smaller molecules, allowing nourishment and hydration to penetrate the outer layer of skin. You can choose an eye cream based on your specific concerns like anti-aging, brightening, or evening tone.
Non-Irritating
Your eyes contain sensitive mucous membranes, which is why most skincare product labels tell you to avoid the area altogether. If your eyes get irritated, you rub them, disrupting that delicate skin and potentially causing more fine lines and wrinkles — not to mention red eyes that add to an overall tired appearance.
Eye creams are formulated to be used close to the eye without irritating the skin or your eyes themselves.
What to Look for in an Eye Cream
Not all eye creams are created equal — high-quality ingredients deliver high-quality results. There are a few key powerhouse ingredients to look for so you can achieve the most noticeable and long-lasting results.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)
ALA is an organic compound that is naturally found in the human body. When added to eye cream, it is an incredible antioxidant that protects your cells from environmental and sun damage. It also has significant anti-aging properties and visibly reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
MSM
MSM is a form of naturally occurring sulfur found in all living things. Sulfur is a powerhouse mineral because of its ability to:
- Promote circulation
- Fight inflammation
- Increase the production of keratin
MSM stimulates new collagen growth. Collagen is the critical protein that keeps our skin smooth and wrinkle-free. Its production slows about the time we hit 30 and decreases every year thereafter. By incorporating an eye cream with MSM, you can improve your skin’s elasticity, diminish wrinkles, and combat dark circles.
Vitamin C
An eye cream rich in the powerful antioxidant vitamin C combats under-eye circles caused by hyperpigmentation. Nutrient-dense, it decreases the production of an enzyme that causes discoloration. It also increases hydration and promotes collagen production.
Coenzyme Q10
Also a natural compound, this is a powerful antioxidant shown to even and brighten skin tone, retain moisture, and prevent future damage. Coenzyme Q10 is generally paired with other ingredients to boost their benefits by energizing the skin and making it more absorbent.
How and When to Use Eye Cream
With so many steps in most skincare routines, it’s important to know when to use each product so you can get the most of each one. First, always start with clean skin. Next, apply a serum and give it just a minute or two to soak in. Its thinner viscosity means it absorbs quickly and deeply.
Now it’s time for your eye cream. Dab a pea-sized amount under each eye. Using your ring finger, continue to dab, working from the inside corner out to your temples until it is no longer visible. Finish with your overall facial moisturizer, avoiding your eye area, so the concentrated formula stays right where it needs to be.
You’re Ready to Glow!
We highly recommend choosing a skincare line, including eye cream, that harnesses the power of clean beauty to get results. These formulas contain no harsh chemicals or hidden toxins, and their natural ingredients nourish and rejuvenate your skin to reveal your natural beauty.