What Does Eye Cream Do?

Eye cream: is it really a necessity, or is it just an overpriced moisturizer?

With so many skincare products on the market today, it can be hard to decipher between ‘musts’ and ‘nice-to-haves.’ While many products are simply luxuries, eye cream deserves a permanent place in your routine.

The best eye creams offer targeted benefits that your regular moisturizer just can’t. The skin around your eyes is very delicate and different from the skin on the rest of your face. So the eye area needs a specifically designed product when it comes to treatment.

Not convinced yet? Keep reading to learn all about eye creams and the role they can play in your skin care routine.

4 Potential Benefits of Using an Eye Cream

As mentioned, the skin around your eyes is very fragile. This also means it’s more prone to dryness and is quicker to show signs of aging and fatigue. If you’ve ever gotten a poor night’s sleep and woken up with dark circles and puffiness, you know this to be true.

We use our eyes all day, every day. We are constantly moving them and even squinting at times, which can lead to the dreaded ‘crow’s feet’—wrinkles that gather in the corner of our eyes. Additionally, sun damage and a lack of collagen (which diminishes in our bodies as we age) can also cause our eyes to lose their youthful appearance.

So what can we do about this? Fortunately, there are plenty of eye creams on the market formulated with active ingredients to target the following concerns.

1. Puffiness

We’ve all experienced puffy eyes at one time or another. Potential causes of puffiness can include:

• Lack of sleep
• Stress
• Overconsumption of salt
• Crying
• Dehydration
• Allergies
• Aging

Occasional puffiness is unavoidable, but the good news is that many eye creams are specifically designed to combat this. Eye creams formulated with ingredients like green tea extract and antioxidants like vitamins C and E can help constrict blood vessels and minimize swelling.

Additionally, caffeine is another superhero ingredient when it comes to diminishing puffiness. Just as a cup of coffee provides a boost of energy in the morning, caffeine can be the perfect pick-me-up for tired eyes. This ingredient has been shown to decrease puffiness, redness, darkness, and even smooth fine lines.

So, if you’re someone who often rolls out of bed with puffy eyes, reach for a de-puffing eye cream. As a bonus tip, try storing your eye cream in the fridge. In addition to the product’s ingredients, the cooling effect as you apply it can reduce puffiness.

2. Dark Circles

Are you constantly trying to brighten your eyes and mask darkness with different products? You may benefit from an eye cream designed to target those pesky dark circles.

Some of us are more genetically prone to dark circles under the eyes than others. However, dark circles can also develop over time for some of the same reasons puffiness occurs—fatigue, age, dehydration, eye strain, and more.

When shopping for an eye cream to treat dark circles, look for ingredients like vitamin C, chrysin, and hydroxysuccinimide.

• Vitamin C is a well-known skin brightener that promotes healing in the skin by accelerating elastin and collagen production, both key to a younger-looking complexion.
• Chrysin helps to eliminate pigmented bilirubin and iron deposits underneath the skin, which appear as dark circles.
• Hydroxysuccinimide is a unique ingredient that activates the elimination of blood-originated pigments. These pigments result in the dark color we see under our eyes.

3. Smooth Fine Lines

Using eye cream regularly can be an amazing way to treat fine lines. Many are specifically marketed as anti-aging creams for this reason.

Whether you’re younger and are just starting to notice fine lines, or have more mature skin, look for a product with the following ingredients:

• Retinol: A form of vitamin A, retinol offers anti-aging benefits for the fragile skin around the eyes. This ingredient promotes new cell growth, sloughs away aging cells for new ones to form, and even restores elasticity by promoting collagen production.
• Hyaluronic acid (HA): Whenever you think of HA, think hydration. This ingredient has incredible moisture-retaining properties and can help keep the skin under and around your eyes moisturized and plump.
• Alpha-lipoic acid: This powerful antioxidant is known to fight aging free radicals, reduce dark circles and puffiness, even skin tone, and even provide anti-inflammatory benefits.
• Neuropeptides: If your skin is sensitive to retinol, try neuropeptides. This gentle ingredient improves skin texture and tone, hydrates, and increases collagen and elastin in the skin.

In sum, these ingredients can work together to smooth fine lines while also providing various other benefits. In addition to nourishing your entire face, they can be especially powerful in an eye cream.

4. Prevent Signs of Aging

Did you know that using the right skincare products can prevent signs of aging before they even form?

A common misconception is that you don’t have to use anti-aging products until you’ve, well, aged…but this couldn’t be further from the truth! If you’re in your 20’s or 30’s, your skin can benefit just as much from using products with the ingredients outlined in tip #3.

The best approach you can take to skincare is to use it as prevention. The younger you start taking care of your skin, the better. For example, using an eye cream with hyaluronic acid can help keep your skin hydrated and plump. This hydration helps to prevent wrinkles and fine lines from forming in the first place.

To take your preventive skincare routine one step further, consider using silicone under-eye patches at night. In addition to locking in your eye cream, these patches can help to keep your skin smooth and prevent wrinkles from forming.

This is especially the case if you’re a side sleeper, pressing half of your face into your pillow every night. Even the best pillows for side sleepers can lead to premature wrinkles.

How to Apply Eye Cream

You might be interested in the benefits of an eye cream but unsure of how to apply it. Usually, it’s one of the last few steps in a beauty routine. Before eye cream, you want to apply any:

• Cleansers
• Exfoliants
• Face toners
• Acne treatments
• Serums

To apply eye cream, dab a small amount onto your finger. Many people like to use their ring finger. Pat the cream gently around your eye without tugging at the skin. Be careful that you don’t get too close to the eyes.

Once you’ve finished applying the eye cream, follow up with a natural face moisturizer and sunscreen.

Frequently Asked Questions

At what age should you start using eye cream?

The general rule of skincare is the sooner you can start, the better. Many people don’t start applying eye cream until the 30s or even 40s, but you can start in your early 20s or even your late teens. Starting when you’re young can delay the development of wrinkles in later life.

Can I use moisturizer as an eye cream?

A facial moisturizer is not as effective as a good eye cream. The thin skin around your eyes is more delicate than the rest of the skin on your face, and effective eye creams are specially formulated to provide what that delicate skin needs. A standard moisturizer may irritate the skin around the eye area.

The eyes also have unique skin concerns, such as dark eye circles, that creams target. An eye cream can give you a tighter look around your eyes, decreasing any puffiness.

Should I use an eye cream before or after moisturizer?

We generally recommend eye cream first, then moisturizer. Applying eye cream before moisturizer leaves the cream with fewer product barriers to penetrate.

However, when it comes to a skincare routine, you want to move from light to heavy products. If your eye cream is heavier than your moisturizer, apply it after your moisturizer.

Is Vaseline good for under the eyes?

We do not recommend Vaseline as an eye cream. It lacks the beneficial ingredients of proper eye cream. Many beauty products with petroleum jelly also direct you to keep them away from your eyes.

If you’re looking for a makeshift eye cream to tide you over until you buy one, try:

• Coconut oil
• Olive oil
• Aloe vera gel

You can also try freezing coffee into eye cubes. The caffeine can increase circulation and lower the chances of wrinkles developing.

How can I rebuild collagen in my face?

You can stimulate your face’s collagen by:

• Consuming more Vitamin C in your diet. You can also look for beauty products with added Vitamin C for topical use.
• Adding ginseng, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants to your meal plan. Try beans, root vegetables, soy products, blueberries, and green tea.
• Using skin care products with retinol.

You can also protect your skin’s collagen by investing in one of the best sunscreens for your face. Facial sunscreens limit the damage UV rays cause. A pair of sunglasses can further protect the collagen around your eyes.

Ready to Pick Out an Eye Cream?

Eye cream is an amazing skincare product that shouldn’t be overlooked. No matter your age or skin type, you can start using eye cream now so you can reap these incredible benefits! You can slip it into your morning and evening routine to cultivate a younger, fresher look.