6 of the best eye creams
Welcome to eye care 101!
Image credit: Instagram.com/ninapark
There are a few categories in skin care that don’t seem to get enough attention. Case in point: eye creams. If you've been hesitant to invest in an eye cream, had dabbled but were unsure if you needed one, or had never dipped into the eye care category before, there are a few quick considerations to make (and even a few myths to bust) before buying one.
First up is acknowledging that an eye cream might not necessarily be for you. “Eye cream isn't an essential skincare category for anyone,” says Dr Michele Squire, PhD scientist, science educator, and founder and CEO of personalised skincare service Qr8 Mediskin. For those who don’t have any eye area-specific concerns — dark circles, dryness and fine lines, all of which we have recommendations for below — she offers other alternatives. “If a gentle facial moisturiser, or a tiny dab of plain petroleum jelly, works well around your eyes without causing irritation, that may be all you need. It’s really an individual preference if you want to add one into your routine or not.”
The second is being assured that, if you do choose to introduce an eye cream into your routine for that little bit of extra care, you don’t have to totally splurge doing it. Dr. Squire says to start simple with a “hydrating, fragrance-free product rather than jumping straight into a highly active anti-ageing formula. Expensive doesn’t always mean better.”
And third is to try before you buy, asking for samples before you invest in a product because, as Dr. Squire warns, the eye area — the eye itself as well as the skin around it — is notoriously sensitive.
If you're keen to introduce an eye-specific formula into your beauty regimen, read on for everything you need to know.
When should I start using an eye cream?
While this is something that’s long been up for debate, the simplest answer is that there isn’t really one. “There isn't a scientifically established age at which you need to start using eye cream,” says Dr. Squire. She doubles down to say that the best thing for someone younger to invest in if they’re concerned about preserving the appearance and integrity of their skin, including the eye area, is daily sun protection, that is SPF, sunglasses and a hat at a minimum. “Sunscreen should be used every day (and topped up a few times a day) around the eyes from the age you start using it.”
But Dr. Squire does add that there are some cases in which someone younger may want to pick up an eye cream: “If you have a particular concern such as dryness, pigmentation or fine lines, that's a more useful reason to introduce an eye product than reaching a certain birthday.”
When should I apply my eye cream?
Generally, there isn’t a set step within your skincare routine on which to apply your eye cream. Dr. Squire makes clear that applying it at any stage before your SPF is fine. “There’s no real rules here," she says adding that while people tend to overcomplicate skincare layering, what is actually important to focus on is consistency rather than order.
What are some of the most common mistakes made when applying eye cream?
Here, Dr. Squire shares her simple rules for eye creams:
DO’S
- “Introduce one new product at a time and leave a few days between each one. That makes it much easier to work out what caused a reaction if your eyes become red, itchy or swollen.”
- “Less is more — a small amount of product applied gently to the skin with patting motions. You don’t need to use your ring finger, but it looks more glamorous!”.
DON’TS
- “Don’t introduce several potent actives simultaneously. If irritation develops, it becomes very difficult to identify the culprit. The same rules apply with eye creams as they do in general skincare!”
- “The mobile eyelid is particularly sensitive, which makes it more susceptible to irritant and allergic contact dermatitis. Creams and serums applied here also have a way of getting into the eyes. This area also doesn’t need special care.”
What’s the best eye cream for dark circles?
What Dr. Squire would like to make clear from the get-go is that ‘dark circles’ aren’t a single condition someone has, and instead, they’re often a sign of something else. “They can result from genetic pigmentation, visible underlying blood vessels through thin skin, shadowing from the tear trough, and changes due to skin ageing.” She adds that, most often, someone will have a combination of these.
It is possible to temporarily improve the appearance of dark circles with an eye cream. Dr. Squire points us towards eye creams that contain “brighteners and colour correcting pigments”. But she does underscore this by adding that a creamy concealer might be a better investment than an eye cream for dark circles. And no, more sleep or drinking more water has no effect on dark circles.
SkinCeuticals A.G.E Advanced Eye Cream For Dark Circles
SVR [C] Eye Biotic Smoothing Illuminating Eye Care
What’s the best eye cream for fine lines?
If lines are your concern, again, Dr. Squire does have a few words of wisdom before you invest in an eye cream for this specific reason. Before buying an eye-specific product, she recommends trying a gentle, fragrance-free facial moisturiser or a tiny bit of petroleum jelly around the eyes for a few weeks first. “Hydration can make a very significant difference to the appearance of fine lines.”
She notes that petroleum jelly in particular is a great thing to try in the under eye area as it's non-allergenic, “hydrates the skin better than any moisturiser”, and it doesn’t cause milia ("these are genetically driven and more often will pop up with aggressive or irritating ingredients) — so try patting a tiny bit around the eye area.
If you’re still noticing fine lines after trying this, an eye cream formulated with retinoids could be something else to try, given that retinoids have some of the strongest evidence among topical cosmetic ingredients for improving the appearance of fine lines and visible signs of photoageing, according to Dr. Squire. The only concern for her here is tolerability. “The eye area is sensitive and retinoids can cause dryness and irritation, so I would choose a formulation specifically designed for the eye area, start gradually and stop if significant irritation develops.”
Again, she notes that no eye cream compensates for inadequate sun protection, and that “UV exposure is the major driver of signs of skin ageing”. She personally loves to use a fragrance-free waxy sunscreen lip product around the eyes, calling it her ultimate eye care hack. “it doesn’t run into your eyes if you get sweaty, and you can top it up super easily during the day. There’s no point worrying about eye creams until your sunscreen game is strong.”
Olay Retinol 24 Eye Cream
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum for Wrinkles, Crow's Feet, Dark Circles
What’s the best eye cream for dry under eyes?
As noted above, for dry under eyes, Dr. Squire recommends “a plain moisturiser with a combination of humectants plus barrier-supportive/occlusive ingredients” (like a petroleum jelly) are your first and best port of call. “Humectants attract and hold water, while emollient and occlusive ingredients help reduce water loss. A good moisturising formulation combines these.”
Clinique All About Eyes Rich Eye Cream
Estée Lauder Day Wear Eye Cooling Anti-Oxidant Moisture Gel
What’s the best eye cream for sensitive skin?
Of course, if you do have a skin type that you would deem ‘sensitive’, particularly your eye area’, you should proceed with caution when it comes to skincare in general, but especially eye cream. “With sensitive skin, I'd focus less on finding a trending active ingredient and more on finding a simple, bland, fragrance-free moisturising formulation,” says Dr. Squire.
She points out that eye creams for sensitive skin are typically marked with marketing terms like ‘hypoallergenic’ and ‘opthalmologist-tested’, and that “ceramide-containing moisturisers are a reasonable option where barrier support is also needed” but that, really, anyone can be allergic to anything, so choosing an eye cream with as few ingredients as possible, and one that doesn’t contain fragrance and essential oils (these are worth avoiding if your eye area is particularly sensitive or prone to irritation — is your best bet.
Dr. Squire also warns that there are many ‘natural’ products that are marketed towards people with sensitive skin, but that ‘natural’ doesn't automatically mean gentle. As she says above, “botanical extracts and fragrances are amongst the most common drivers of contact dermatitis.”