What Does Eye Cream Do?
You’ve probably heard that you should apply eye cream daily. But you may be wondering, “Why do I need so many different skin-care products?” or, “What does eye cream do that a good moisturizer or serum can’t?”
Great questions! Let’s find some answers.
Why Should I Use An Eye Cream?
To begin with, the skin around your eyes is thin and delicate. It’s where you’ll often notice those first visible signs of aging – fine lines, wrinkles, and crepey skin. Why? Because this area is a hive of activity.
It’s estimated that you blink around 28,000 times a day!1 Your eye skin also gets a workout whenever you smile or squint, and it has fewer oil glands than the rest of your skin.2
Combine all of this, and it’s easy to see why signs of aging may show up here first. But why use eye cream instead of a regular moisturizer? Well, eye creams are usually lighter. They also contain specialized, active ingredients that target problems in this delicate region, including:
- Dark circles
- Under-eye bags
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Puffiness
- Dry skin
- Skin texture
Suddenly, using an eye cream makes perfect sense.
How Can Eye Creams Help Under-Eye Circles?
There’s nothing worse than having a big day planned and waking up to dark under-eye circles and puffy eyes. Your makeup might not help much, but using a good eye cream consistently – morning and night – can ward off those dark circles.
Look for brightening and light-diffusing ingredients like:
- Haloxyl – which uses peptides and flavonoids to lighten dark circles
- Chronoline – an amino acid that helps firm and tighten skin by increasing collagen production
- Hyalusphere – a form of hyaluronic acid which helps to reduce dryness and dark shadows
- Silk Tree Extract – for reduced puffiness and a more vibrant glow
In Case of Emergency….
Keeping a good eye cream that contains caffeine on hand for those emergency occasions is also a great idea. Caffeine helps reduce swelling under the eyes because it constricts blood vessels.3 You can also store it in the fridge, as the cold might help to further reduce swelling.
Of course, if you’re dealing with regular swelling under your eyes, which can make dark circles look worse, you should talk to your doctor or dermatologist.
What are the Key Ingredients of a Moisturizing Eye Cream?
Need a good moisturizing and firming eye cream? Look for deeply hydrating, natural ingredients that help nourish dry skin. Here are some popular ingredients.
- Hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water, which means it may also help plump up your skin.4
- Ceramides occur naturally in your skin, helping to create a moisture seal. Turns out, synthetic ceramides might act in the exact same way.5
- Peptides encourage collagen and elastin production as well as smoother skin texture. They’re particularly great for sensitive skin types which can’t always tolerate a retinoid product.6
- Antioxidants help combat damage caused by free radicals that can lead to fine lines and wrinkles.7 Antioxidant ingredients may include vitamin C, vitamin E, lycopene, niacinamide, or even green tea!
- Caffeine, as we saw, is great for reducing swelling. But it’s also a popular ingredient in good moisturizing eye creams. This is because it helps to brighten the newly nourished skin.
- Silk tree extract
- Light reflecting micro-powders
What are the Benefits of Retinol?
Retinol helps fight the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Retinoids may also help even out skin pigmentation, reduce the appearance of age spots, and soften rough skin.
Now, retinoids may cause skin dryness and irritation. So, it’s recommended that you use every other day – and only at night. You should also wear sunscreen during the day, because retinol may increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun’s rays.8
How are Eye Creams Used Alongside Facial Moisturizers?
Eye cream should be applied before your facial moisturizer. This is because you don’t want any kind of barrier to prevent that eye cream from effectively penetrating your skin.
Eye cream comes in a tiny jar or tube for a reason – a little goes a long way! Place a small amount on your ring finger and then DOT it around your orbital bone (the hard bone under your eyes). Never smear or rub. The cream will be absorbed across from the orbital bone all on its own.
Crow’s Feet and Wrinkles Be Gone!
Eye gels, creams, and serums can be the handiest little allies when it comes to key anti-aging benefits – for all skin types! Whether you’re trying to boost collagen production, moisturize the skin, or reduce the appearance of dark under-eye circles, you should invest in great eye products.
And eye creams aren’t just for women. A men’s eye cream product is just as essential to a man’s skin care regime.
Talk to your dermatologist if you’re unsure what eye cream is right for your skin. A good dermatologist can help you to better understand your skin type, as well as any issues or sensitivities that you may have.
Sources
1.https://www.vocativ.com/395790/what-happens-when-you-blink/index.html
2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4300604/
3.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/skin/the-surprising-beauty-benefits-of-caffeine/
4.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583886/
5.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12553851
6.https://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/tips/a2447/skin-care-best-eye-cream-ingredients-383992/
7.https://www.livescience.com/54901-free-radicals.html
8.https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/do-retinoids-really-reduce-wrinkles
What Does Eye Cream Do?
You’ve probably heard that you should apply eye cream daily. But you may be wondering, “Why do I need so many different skin-care products?” or, “What does eye cream do that a good moisturizer or serum can’t?”
Great questions! Let’s find some answers.
Why Should I Use An Eye Cream?
To begin with, the skin around your eyes is thin and delicate. It’s where you’ll often notice those first visible signs of aging – fine lines, wrinkles, and crepey skin. Why? Because this area is a hive of activity.
It’s estimated that you blink around 28,000 times a day!1 Your eye skin also gets a workout whenever you smile or squint, and it has fewer oil glands than the rest of your skin.2
Combine all of this, and it’s easy to see why signs of aging may show up here first. But why use eye cream instead of a regular moisturizer? Well, eye creams are usually lighter. They also contain specialized, active ingredients that target problems in this delicate region, including:
- Dark circles
- Under-eye bags
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Puffiness
- Dry skin
- Skin texture
Suddenly, using an eye cream makes perfect sense.
How Can Eye Creams Help Under-Eye Circles?
There’s nothing worse than having a big day planned and waking up to dark under-eye circles and puffy eyes. Your makeup might not help much, but using a good eye cream consistently – morning and night – can ward off those dark circles.
Look for brightening and light-diffusing ingredients like:
- Haloxyl – which uses peptides and flavonoids to lighten dark circles
- Chronoline – an amino acid that helps firm and tighten skin by increasing collagen production
- Hyalusphere – a form of hyaluronic acid which helps to reduce dryness and dark shadows
- Silk Tree Extract – for reduced puffiness and a more vibrant glow
In Case of Emergency….
Keeping a good eye cream that contains caffeine on hand for those emergency occasions is also a great idea. Caffeine helps reduce swelling under the eyes because it constricts blood vessels.3 You can also store it in the fridge, as the cold might help to further reduce swelling.
Of course, if you’re dealing with regular swelling under your eyes, which can make dark circles look worse, you should talk to your doctor or dermatologist.
What are the Key Ingredients of a Moisturizing Eye Cream?
Need a good moisturizing and firming eye cream? Look for deeply hydrating, natural ingredients that help nourish dry skin. Here are some popular ingredients.
- Hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water, which means it may also help plump up your skin.4
- Ceramides occur naturally in your skin, helping to create a moisture seal. Turns out, synthetic ceramides might act in the exact same way.5
- Peptides encourage collagen and elastin production as well as smoother skin texture. They’re particularly great for sensitive skin types which can’t always tolerate a retinoid product.6
- Antioxidants help combat damage caused by free radicals that can lead to fine lines and wrinkles.7 Antioxidant ingredients may include vitamin C, vitamin E, lycopene, niacinamide, or even green tea!
- Caffeine, as we saw, is great for reducing swelling. But it’s also a popular ingredient in good moisturizing eye creams. This is because it helps to brighten the newly nourished skin.
- Silk tree extract
- Light reflecting micro-powders
What are the Benefits of Retinol?
Retinol helps fight the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Retinoids may also help even out skin pigmentation, reduce the appearance of age spots, and soften rough skin.
Now, retinoids may cause skin dryness and irritation. So, it’s recommended that you use every other day – and only at night. You should also wear sunscreen during the day, because retinol may increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun’s rays.8
How are Eye Creams Used Alongside Facial Moisturizers?
Eye cream should be applied before your facial moisturizer. This is because you don’t want any kind of barrier to prevent that eye cream from effectively penetrating your skin.
Eye cream comes in a tiny jar or tube for a reason – a little goes a long way! Place a small amount on your ring finger and then DOT it around your orbital bone (the hard bone under your eyes). Never smear or rub. The cream will be absorbed across from the orbital bone all on its own.
Crow’s Feet and Wrinkles Be Gone!
Eye gels, creams, and serums can be the handiest little allies when it comes to key anti-aging benefits – for all skin types! Whether you’re trying to boost collagen production, moisturize the skin, or reduce the appearance of dark under-eye circles, you should invest in great eye products.
And eye creams aren’t just for women. A men’s eye cream product is just as essential to a man’s skin care regime.
Talk to your dermatologist if you’re unsure what eye cream is right for your skin. A good dermatologist can help you to better understand your skin type, as well as any issues or sensitivities that you may have.
Sources
1.https://www.vocativ.com/395790/what-happens-when-you-blink/index.html
2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4300604/
3.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/skin/the-surprising-beauty-benefits-of-caffeine/
4.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583886/
5.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12553851
6.https://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/tips/a2447/skin-care-best-eye-cream-ingredients-383992/
7.https://www.livescience.com/54901-free-radicals.html
8.https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/do-retinoids-really-reduce-wrinkles