This is an article detailing what eye cream does and if it actually does something.
I’ve been a self-proclaimed skincare enthusiast for quite sometime now. Though a skincare enthusiast, I didn’t get all the eye cream and serum hype until a year ago. I’ve always had issues with tired-looking dark under eye circles but I figured it came with genetics as I’ve always had them. I didn’t bother with eye creams as I didn’t see the value in them.
As I’ve realized, especially in the past year, being a skincare enthusiast is more than just the products. It’s that but it’s also about getting to know your skin, what it needs, and knowing what’s inside skincare products that makes them work.
Upon readings and research, I realized that maybe it is time for me to find a staple eye cream that works for my skin concerns.
If you’re like myself a couple years back and wondering to yourself and asking what eye creams actually do, I’ve got you covered right here!
What is Eye Cream?
*Spoiler: it’s more than just a more expensive moisturizer.*
An eye cream refers to a moisturizer specifically formulated for the delicate and thinner skin under and around your eyes. While your favorite face moisturizer is enough for the rest of your face, your eyes need extra care.
Because the skin around the eyes is thinner and more fragile, it’s also prone to dryness and is usually one of the first areas of your face to show signs of aging.
The special and more concentrated formula of eye creams work better for the more delicate eye area.
What Does Eye Cream Do?
There’s been continuous debate and discussion on what eye creams actually do and if they’re worth buying. To settle the arguments, we’re here to discuss what eye creams can do.
1. Eye creams hydrate and moisturize
Because the skin around the eyes is thinner and more delicate than the rest of the face, it needs specialized hydration and moisture. Eye creams provide that. With a highly-concentrated formula and carefully-selected ingredients, it gives the eyes the moisture it needs. It does so while also preventing irritation and reactions on the sensitive skin around the eyes.
For the best moisturizing and hydrating eye cream, consider looking for ingredients like:
- Hyaluronic acid
- Shea butter
- Ceramides
2. Eye creams minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
As we age, we lose collagen. Though our body naturally produces it, age along with other factors tend to slow it down. This leads to losing skin elasticity and thus begins showing signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles, and crow’s feet around the eyes.
With the right blend of moisturizers, antioxidants, and vitamins, eye creams can help slow down and improve the appearance of these signs of aging.
If your main skin concern are fine lines and wrinkles around the eye area, consider looking for these collagen production-boosting ingredients:
- Peptides
- Vitamin C
- Retinol
3. Eye creams reduce under eye puffiness
Puffiness can be due to so many reasons – it may be because you didn’t sleep enough, not well enough, or you’ve had to deal with allergies. Whichever reason, eye creams can help you with that issue, temporarily at least.
If you’re looking for eye creams to help you through puffy eyes, consider looking for these ingredients that help lower down swelling, puffiness, and help moisturize:
- Caffeine
- Vitamins E and K
- Hyaluronic acid
4. Eye creams minimizes discoloration and dark circles
Although eye creams can’t completely erase dark under eye circles, it can certainly help minimize its appearance so it’s not as prominent. The best eye creams for dark circles help brighten the skin under your eyes and reduce hyperpigmentation in the area.
If your main eye concern lies on the dark circles under and around your eyes, look for these brightening ingredients:
- Niacinamide
- Caffeine
- Vitamin C
5. Eye creams protect the delicate eye area
Eye creams are not only formulated to tackle issues and skin concerns. The best eye creams out in the market right now also work to protect the delicate and fragile area under and around your eyes.
There are specialized formulas that protect the areas around your eyes from harmful UV rays, free radicals, and even pollution. To maximize this eye cream benefit, make sure to look for ingredients like:
- Antioxidants such as Vitamin C and Niacinamide
- Peptides
- Ceramides
6. Eye creams soothe, relax, and rejuvenate tired eyes
After a long and tiring day at school or work, a good eye cream can soothe and relax your eyes. To add to that, an eye cream can rejuvenate your eyes to get them ready for a new day.
Chamomile and green tea are great ingredients to look for in hopes of soothing and relaxing eyes. Using an eye massager tool is also a great way to relax tired eyes. It can also help with blood circulation around the eye area.
And as many have recommended, keeping your eye cream in the refrigerator before use is an effective way to relax your eyes. Plus, the cooler temperature can help with puffiness.
What Eye Creams Can’t Actually Do
Many eye creams claim a lot of things. But when getting yourself an eye cream to be a staple in your skincare routine, it’s better to know what results to expect. Now that we’ve discussed what eye creams can actually do, let’s talk about what eye creams can’t do.
We know – this might seem like a total contradiction to what’s stated above but please, hear us out.
1. Eye creams can’t completely erase fine lines and wrinkles
Eye creams, even the most expensive ones, can’t completely erase fine lines and wrinkles. What eye creams do is soften their appearance, especially the deep and prominent ones under your eyes. Eye creams with hydrating and moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid help plump up the area so the various signs of aging aren’t as prominent.
Eye creams also work great at slowing down the aging process with their nourishing and specialized formulas that aid in collagen production.
2. Eye creams can’t completely erase dark circles
Applying the same logic, even the best and most expensive eye creams can’t completely erase dark under eye circles. For an eye cream to promise to entirely treat dark circles is a lie, especially genetic dark circles.
What eye creams do for dark circles is to soften and to some degree reduce its appearance. Some eye creams can also brighten dark circles to some degree but won’t entirely erase them. It helps but it’s not the only change you should implement. A change in diet and more sleep can help in this area as well.
3. Eye creams can’t completely erase puffiness
Eye creams can help diminish the appearance of puffiness, though only temporarily. A hydrating and moisturizing eye cream can help reduce puffiness. A cooling eye cream or one that you store in the fridge can also help with puffiness but not much for permanent results.
Why Eye Cream is Important for the Delicate Skin Around the Eyes
Because the area around and under the eyes are thinner and extra delicate, it also needs a specialized moisturizer. Your regular face moisturizer may be adequate for the rest of your face but not enough for your eyes’ needs.
Who should use eye cream?
There’s no minimum or maximum age requirement for using eye cream. Anyone can choose to add it to their routines.
Definitely, someone older with mature skin dealing with signs of aging and extra dryness are very good candidates. Eye creams are specifically-formulated to deal with those issues.
Then again, as with anything, prevention is better than cure. Eye creams don’t only target present issues. If you start now even in your 20s, they work at slowing down and reducing these skin concerns. The special formula in eye creams will definitely benefit your skin and eyes in the long run in terms of premature aging.
So, is eye cream a necessity in everyone’s skincare routine? Not exactly. As far as skincare goes, it’s not a one-size-fits-all situation. What works for you might not necessarily work for others. It all depends on what your skin needs so make sure to listen.
Quick Know-How: How to Properly Apply Eye Cream
The next step to getting the best out of your new skincare step is knowing the proper way to apply eye cream.
- As a general rule of thumb, lighter skincare products first before the heavier ones. So, you’d want to go in with your toner, serums, then eye cream, and lastly, the creams.
- Remember – only use your ring fingers during eye cream application! It’s the weakest of your fingers and will therefore naturally have the gentlest touch. Because there is thin and delicate skin around the eyes, you don’t want to use too much pressure. Using too much pressure will only cause more issues for you down the road.
- For the eye cream, you only ever need a pea-sized amount – and that’s for both eyes already! Using your ring fingers, tap small dots from the innermost corners of your eyes going outwards. And going upwards, add small dots of the eye cream up to your bottom brow line. You should end up with a semi-circle.
- And again with your ring finger, tap and pat the eye cream in. Remember – pat and never drag or rub the area around your eyes!
- Go along your orbital bones and under your eyebrows and pat the product on there as well.
- After eye cream application, give it about two minutes to completely absorb before going ahead with the rest of your skincare routine.
Conclusion
No matter what people tell you, eye creams are more than just more expensive facial moisturizers.
As it’s specially-formulated for use on the delicate and sensitive skin under your eyes, an eye cream provides the extra special care it needs that your normal moisturizer can’t provide.
Eye creams provide special hydration and moisture your eyes need. And because it’s meant for the eye area, the possibility of it causing irritations and reactions is very unlikely. They’re also a great way to minimize and smooth out the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes.
If you have issues with either puffiness or dark circles, a specially-formulated eye cream for those concerns are a great addition to your skincare routine.
Eye cream is not magic, but they sure are helpful in a variety of skin concerns. Though they don’t magically erase all traces of fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness, or dark circles, it helps in minimizing and reducing their appearance.
By providing much-needed hydration and nourishment to the area, it plumps up the eye area and helps it be overall healthier.
Anyone, no matter the age and stage they are in life, can opt to incorporate an eye cream into their skincare routine. After all, the eyes, no matter the age, deserve that extra care eye creams provide.
