Your Mission: Tell us what you love, hate, or are otherwise indifferent to about eye cream. What drives you bananas? What makes them necessary?
my answer: I very rarely use them, because most of the ones I’ve tried seem to really, really burn the area around my eyes (like underneath the eye, orbital bone). I like the textures!
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Get to be almost 50 and these become a necessary part of your beauty routine. I find a lot are mere hype. I think it comes down to having realistic expectations for what a cream applied externally to your eyes can possibly do for you. On the positive side, and at a minimum, they provide a softer and smoother canvas.
The few I have tried seemed irritate my skin more than anything…and honestly, I was trying them without a real need at the time. I recently tried a few because I was experiencing try skin on my eye lids and under the eye…same results (burning/irritation). Ironically, I’ve been using something that technically isn’t an eye cream but is works great (addressed my dryness and reduced the appearance of fine lines I had developed due to the dryness issue). It’s Neosporin Eczema Essentials Daily Moisturizing Cream. For whatever reason it works great and is much cheaper than most eye creams…and you get more product than you would with most eye creams (6 oz). I don’t know if it is something that would work for everybody but trying it on a whim ended up being a great decision for me.
I don’t use them much because they cost a lot and I don’t feel like I need one (I’m youngish and fortunate to have fairly youthful skin). I do, however, have a little pot of Clinique All About Eyes I keep around because sometimes if my allergies flare up I do get dry and irritated around the eyes, and it helps. I don’t think it does anything for dark circles or puffy eyes on me, though — it’s just a moisturizer that doesn’t irritate my eyes!
I’m only 24, but I feel like I need to get a start on it. I think it’s difficult to really gauge these products because there are so many of them and they’re expensive!
I find they really burn, as well, so I don’t use them. Besides, once damage has been done, no cream, serum, etc can reverse it. The best thing to do is prevent any damage. I only use a Vitamin E stick or 100% oil (available at any health food store) to provide any extra moisture I may need, but I *always* wear sunglasses, even just out to the mailbox *every* time I step out the door, and I limit sun exposure only to the amount necessary to get to where I’m going. For reference, I’m 39 and have absolutely no crows feet, fine lines, or wrinkles anywhere near my eyes, and I *always* get carded (even at 18+ venues).
It’s hard to say because I’m only 28 so I don’t know if I’m supposed to need eye cream at this point. I’ve been using Skyn Iceland’s eye cream for several years now, it’s actually the only one I’ve ever used, and I have no issues with wrinkles, bags, puffiness, or dark circles. It may be genes though because my mom doesn’t have them either and she doesn’t use eye cream at all.
Reading through the comments I think I lot of people think eye cream is for wrinkles. Er, it’s not. It’s a cream for your eye area, in which the skin is thinner and more sensitive. So, like in your face you might need a moisturiser eye cream or you might need an anti-age eye cream, or you can have both.
I’ve used an eye cream since my early 20s, a simple moisturising gel at first, now in my early 30s I’m using both an anti-age one and a moisturising one. 🙂
I like them because sometimes the face cream is not appropriate for your eye are as well, and if I forget my eye cream, the skin around my eyes feels dry and itchy and I’m rubbing my eyes all day long.
I think you’re right…a lot of people do think that eye creams are solely for addressing wrinkles. I honestly don’t worry about wrinkles…it’s never been a thought that crossed my mind. My using an eye cream was solely to address dryness issues…for whatever reason, I don’t think a cream, no matter how much it claims to do so can do anything for wrinkles…taking care of the skin no matter what age you are (and of course, great genetics)are the only non-surgical things I believe will help when it comes to wrinkles. I could be wrong but it’s the mindset I’ve always had. Plus, wrinkles don’t scare me. I may feel differently when I actually start to see wrinkles on my own face lol
It’s likely to be because so many brands tout “miraculous” results they cannot deliver. In saying that an eye cream is merely designed to provide moisture to the *delicate* eye area, it infers the product should be gentler; if that’s the case, then why are so many commenting here about adverse reactions?
The bottom line is, a moisturizer doesn’t have to specifically be called an eye cream to do a sufficient job of moisturizing, along with an enormous price hike. There are many facial moisturizers that can be used around the eyes, as well, and don’t burn. I feel if I’m going to purchase an additional product, it better do what my moisturizer can’t, and so far none do.
Well, brands tout results for face and eye creams, but you still use a face cream I suppose… I wasn’t saying that an eye cream is only for providing moisture, like face creams they may (or may not) have several functions. However I could perhaps think of a few reasons why so many people get adverse reactions, and not all of them would be related to the creams, so it’s a bit ridiculous to conclude they don’t work or aren’t needed because they don’t work or aren’t used by some people.
The bottom line is you don’t have to wear an eye cream. However saying they are useless is the same as saying all face creams are the same. It’s not true and it’s reductive.
I also don’t know why so many people complain about the price. Is your eye cream double the price of your face cream? I mean, it’s a cream. For a part of your face. Realistically it should cost more or less the same, no?
A lot of face creams are perfectly good for the eye area. A lot are not. My oily/mixed skin moisturiser is NOT appropriate for my dry eye contour. This way, by buying an eye cream, I AM getting an additional product, that does what my face cream doesn’t do: moisturise a completely different type/area of skin.
If you don’t need it or see the use of it, that’s fine. However, those that do use it and like it are not necessarily dimwits: they might have reasons for using it as valid as your reasons for not.
All I’m saying is, for the *most* part, an additional eye cream (no matter the cost) is typically unnecessary for most people. As others have stated, the moisturizer that’s used on the rest of the face is perfectly fine, yielding the same results, around the eye area. For most, it seems like an unnecessary cost/step. In your case, the skin around your eyes and/or face apparently require special attention, but perhaps a different face cream formulation would work, too. All I said was the “eye cream” label is not necessary, though a moisturizing agent is.
As for adverse reactions happening where I apply the eye cream, occurring immediately after, subsiding when washed off, and only happening when using “eye cream”… What else *can* it be?
The “eye cream” label is necessary, because eye creams are developed differently than face creams. The brands don’t just slap a regular cream into a new package, hike up the price and call it a new name.
I’m sure you can think of some of these reasons yourself: you are either using an inappropriate eye cream for your skin, you are allergic to some of the ingredients, or your skin is abraded or sensitive due to usage of other products/makeup. Just daily removal of eye makeup using rough cotton pads or a weak makeup remover can cause us to be too harsh on our own eye contour, in which case no matter how soft or sensitive the cream is, you are likely to get a reaction/burning sensation.
That being said, I’m still not pushing for everybody to go out and buy an eye cream. Not everybody feels like they need it. That’s fine. For me it works. It’s not just an “invention” to push product. I don’t use a primer or an eyelash curler. Do I think those are useless products to get people to spend more money? No, I don’t. Some people really need them and it works for them.
I don’t want to change your opinion on eye creams, but perhaps it might interest you to hear about them from another’s perspective.
I don’t usually use a separate eye cream. If I find that the skin is a bit dry I do have an organic shea butter balm that I get from Etsy that works great and is fairly inexpensive. Like you I’ve found several eye creams to just irritate my already sensitive eyes.
I follow Paula Begoun’s advice on her Beautypedia page: eye creams are more expensive for a similar (if not the same) type of product. There’s no need for a separate eye cream unless your eye is especially sensitive, but like most of you are saying, they seem to irritate anyway! I use my face cream around my eyes and I’m quite happy with the results both in my appearance and in my wallet.
I don’t use them. I have pretty sensitive eyes/skin, and it took me forever to find a moisturizer that didn’t break me out! So, I guess I’m still on the hunt.
what moisturizer do you use? I can’t find one that does’t break me out.
What I love is the moisture and, sometimes, sun protection that a specially designed eye cream can bring to the eye area. What I rant about is the totally unjustifiable price of so many of them. I feel I’ve got off “cheap” lately with my Origins and Jouviance eye creams because they are about half the price of the Clarins one I’ve used for years but even that lower price seems a bit outrageous. I know Paula Begoun says that eye creams are not necessary and maybe she’s right but I’m concerned with things like milia and also preventing unnecessary aging around my eyes so I do use them religiously.
I have really dark circles under my eyes so I am always trying to find stuff to help them. Good Skin Labs EYLIPLEX-2 is the only under eye cream that has ever actually made a difference for me. This stuff is AMAZING. Everyone with any darkness or bags under their eyes NEEDS to try this. Origin’s Eye Doctor doesn’t do much of anything for me. If I put it on before bed, my eyes are super dried out in the morning.
I use the Burt’s Bees eye cream. It’s very moisturizing and gets the job done. I’ve been using eye creams for about 3 years now (I’m 29) and I’m glad I do because it helps my concealer glide on smoother.
I use Clinique All About Eyes. I actually never really used eye cream until a few months ago because most moisturizing anything breaks me out due to super oily skin. However, I will be 34 in a few weeks and I have noticed a few wrinkles popping up so eye cream suddenly became a priority. I really like the Clinique. It’s not greasy, absorbs quickly, leaves my skin feeling soft, and over time, I do think it has helped the overall look of my eye area. I really didn’t notice at first, but months later, I swear there is a different. The circles aren’t as dark and my skin just looks better due to the increased hydration.
I´m only 22 years old and an eye cream fan! I don´t know exactly what it is, but I like to use a separate cream around my eye area. I tried a few, my favorite at the moment is the Bioderma Sensibio but for the colder months I want to try out Kiehl´s Creamy Eye Treatment.
I can’t use eye cream because on me it causes milia.
Little soft white bumps under the eyes. HUGE problem for me too. I’ve had great success with Yonka Phyto-Contour eye firming cream with rosemary (day) and Retin A Micro in the pump (night). Both work wonders on 1) dissolving and 2) preventing under eye bumps. And I use Exuviance Intensive Eye Treatment Pads twice a month. AWESOME!
I think they’re unnecessary. After the research I’ve done on Paula Begoun’s website, as well as personal experience, I just load up my usual moisturizer under my eye.
LOVE Paula & her website!
Me too! I just look for a gentle, not greasy, not perfumed (hate, hate, hate fragrances in skin care products), facial moisturizer that’s feels good on my whole face.
thumbs up for readers of PAULA BEGOUN! I have followed her blog, and prior to that read her books for years (like, decades!). I find when I shop the sales staff may be asking me for information, and I have been known to find a copy of her book and give it to “the girls at the counter” if they show an interest.
Here here! I don’t buy anything skincare related until I read her review.
I agree that most eye creams are just hyped-up moisturizers with a 400% profit margin. I’ve never bought one but, samples I’ve used from Sephora perks and such have burned, caused irritation and one even caused milia.
The best solution for me was to take a moisturizer I liked a lot and add the extras I thought I needed for my eye area. So, I did some DIY research and started with Cereve’s night facial moisturizer, add a bit of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) for it’s anti-aging and moisture properties and then a tiny bit of vitamin K powder (from a capsule) to address my blue under eye circles. I love it and got my Mom hooked on it, too.
I have the most sensitive skin and have tried about 20 different eye creams. They all either burn or cause a rash across my cheeks (Clinique). So far, the only one I have found that doesn’t burn is the ginseng eye cream from Origins. In fact, Origins is one of the few skincare brands I can use. Everything else breaks me out!
The only eye cream I use is Clinique’s “All About Eyes Rich” andI’m 63. I hhave very few wrinkles around my eyes but I’m fair and don’t go in the sun and also wear sunglasses outdoors. (The sun and bright lights make me sneeze)
I have tried other brands- don’t recall which brands- but some did cause irritation.
Clinique has been my brand for over 2 years and a little jar lasts forever.
ive tried so many from loccitane to origins to strivectin to osmotics and none of them really did anything for me, right now im using the garnier anti dark circle roller with concealer and that actually depuffs and makes me look a bit more awake and its cheaper than higher end stuff i heard the chantecaille one is really good but its $300 so not going there lol
99% of them migrate into my eyes and irritate them. There are only two on the market that do not bother me at all: Philosophy Hope in a Tube for eyes and lips (very creamy – I need moisture) and Dermalogica Intensive Eye repair (lighter).
I’m not stuck on eye-cream to the point that I will wear it everyday as a part of my routine. If I remember to use it, I use 100% Pure Organic Cucumber Eye Cream and I only use it at night after I remove my makeup. Doesn’t burn, doesn’t itch and it feels cool. But I don’t notice a huge difference either. And I have skin that darkens easily under my eyes.
I get very dry around my eye-area, so I love eye cream! Without any moisturizing product around my eye area, the area gets so dry that it feels sore!
I used to just apply a thin layer of Aquafor around my eyes (over my usual moisturizer) before bed, but that really didn’t fully address the dryness and I think it gave me some milia. My derm recommended this, but it wasn’t cutting it, especially in winter.
I am loyal to Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. I have sensitive skin all over my face, especially in the eye area, and it doesn’t sting at all. It also doesn’t give me any milia.
I’ve recently started using the Pai eye cream for daytime. Although I love the Kiehl’s, if you don’t give it a good 10 minutes to sink in, it will make your concealer more crease-prone. The Pai allegedly has some anti-aging properties, and is light enough to use right under makeup.
If I don’t use eyecream every time after I wash my face, my eye area gets very dry and flaky!
I hate to say this but I have eye cream of all sorts. Right now, I have four eye creams on a roll…two Sisley, one Clarins restorative and one La Mer….I like the La Mer the least. I tried this intense eyecream sample last week and it was yuck…I cant remember the name….actually made my skin darker. I may have to get a skin whitening product or something. I like Clarins the best and it doesnt irritate my eyes….But honestly, I think I need some oxygenated facial to wake up my skin.
I have this one dark line below my eye, but if I havent been using eyecream for years I think I would get more.
i have been using them everyday for a few years now (im 26) i dont have any wrinkles or dark circles or puffiness even when im going through a tough week with little sleep. im all for eye creams.
I don’t get the point of them, I use my daily moisturizer around my eye area. My moisturizer is organic and not overly scented, so I’d imagine it’s less likely to be irritating than most creams marketed for around the eyes.
I’m in my 30s so for me an eye cream is a must. My personal fav is 100% Pure coffee Bean Caffiene eye cream. It smells awesome and has good for you ingredients
I’m 24 and i’ve tryed the benefit it’s potent and some lancome stuff dince i’ve some fine lines but lately i’m just using my face moisturizer and it goes well… i guess it’s not a must yet to use a proper eye cream.
I’m only 24 but have been using The Eye Concentrate from La Mer for about a year now, and I can honestly say I can not live without it. I have beyond sensitive and dry skin, and started using it after about a month of going to school to become a makeup artist, because I got sores around my eyes. I hate other eye creams, but this is like medicine and can actually treat sore skin. I even use it around my nose when I get the flu and end up with a sore, red nose. It’s expensive, but it’s definetly worth every penny. I only have a few thin lines, but they have gotten alot better after using the cream. It’s not a wrinkle cream, just for moisture but when you’re young you have to treat dryness. People with dry skin get wrinkles before normal and oily skin!
You need to be educated when it comes to picking eye products! I’m one of those people where genetics are involved in the eye area issues, like bags and darkness. So, for me, eye products became important to me before I hit 30. I’ve made a point of being very careful and educated about what I use because of this and now, there are so many multi-purpose, complicated ingredients, there’s even more reason to be aware.
The primary difference between face and eye products is that the eye products generally use ingredients that have been more finely milled, to aid in absorption around the delicate and thinner eye skin. Also, more and more eye products use very “active” ingredients that go in depuff (like caffeine) or exfoliate using various acidic ingredients, for brightening and refining texture by getting rid of dead skin.
These active ingredients definitely are prone to causing itching and burning. The right way to use them is in VERY tiny amounts – just a tiny drop the size of a lentil per eye is a good start. Also, DO NOT apply the product within about and 1/8 of an inch or a few millimeters of the upper and lower lash line. The product will still absorb and expand into these areas, but underneath the outer skin layer, not in your eyes. WAIT until any active products have completely absorbed before applying any other moisturizer or makeup on top, again to prevent any getting too near the tear ducts and water line. This will cut way down on eye irritation, as will always using clean hands and clean tools to take product (if from a jar instead of a tube or pump.) I use a Q-tip to apply carefully, then very lightly pat, not rub, to spread evenly, with a clean finger.
Products with a high active content might still feel weird on the eyes, as the do their work (I’ve got issues with water retention and when caffeine products start drawing out excess water from those eye bags, I can certainly feel it – but it goes away after a few minutes). Basically you have to be aware of your ingredients and do not use active ingredients for issues you don’t have. No puffy bags? Skip products with caffeine. Using a brightening ingredient? Only use it at night to avoid exposing the new skin to excess sun and potential darkening.
I religiously use Clarins for nearly 15 years and never had any irritation, etc. Then my eye area started changing due to age and needed extra support, so I started trying different things and surprisingly, MAC’s recent Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Eye Cream has been the absolute best at deeply moisturizing, as well as depuffing. I had lines that seemed permanent, that were gone in just a few days with it – it really absorbs well and is much cheaper than the high end brands, which are extremely over-priced, as far as I’m concerned.
I love eye cream!! I’ve been using different brands day and night for 4 years now and they definitely helped my under eye area. I think I’m genetically pre-disposed to having dark and puffy under eyes (based on observing people in my family), but I don’t even need concealer now. Foundation is enough for me for coverage on my “made up” days, and translucent powder is good enough for daily use. So far my favorite is Clinique All About Eyes Rich, it helps with minimizing the puffiness. As for removing fine lines, I’m not so sure how effective it is with that since I started using eye cream with just faint lines under my eyes, though so far I don’t notice any new ones being added 🙂
I use a lot of expensive stuff on my face, but when it comes to these eyelids, nothing seems as sweet and soothing, moisturizing and comforting as good ole greasy artificial tears OINTMENT. Yeah, in the tiny little tubes, from any drugstore, usually in the $10 range. Also protects if I need to be in the wind; dissolves the last stubborn bits of waterproof eye makeup. Besides that, if my usual face cream can’t be used around my eyes, why would I want it on my face at all?
I’m 28 and I’ve been using eye creams for a few years now. I don’t see much difference but I do think of it more as a prevantative measure. I go for simple moisturizing ones. And all the comments about burning/stinging, it might be you are putting it in the wrong spot/too close to your eye. Pixi2woo on youtube has a video on how to apply eye cream. she says to apply it outside of that really thin area round your eye (for me that’s about a finger width out from my bottom lash line)and that it will absorb inward on it’s own because it’s so thin. Ever since I’ve started applying it where she says to, I haven’t had any burning/stinging problems which I did have before.
When I turned 25, my mom gave me my first eye cream. It was the Estee Lauder advanced night repair one. Both her and my grandmother said it was time to start using it as preventative care. My great-grandmother did the same for my grandmother, she did it for my mom and aunt and my mom did it for me. Sort of a family tradition, of sorts. It was like I was let in on a little secret that only the women in my family were privy to…LOL. Considering that they each have few wrinkles and look younger than they are, I decided to take their advice and incorporated it into my skincare routine. I’ve consistently used eye cream over the past 8 years since and so far so good. No fine lines or crows feet. I’m not overly obsessive about it, I know I’ll get them one day, but if I can minimize it a bit, why not?
I have been using the Stri-Vectin eye concentrate for wrinkles for the past year and really like it. It reduced my dark circles a bit and soften the few fine lines I did have, but it is quite pricey. I use the Body Shop’s vitamin E eye cream during the day underneath my eyes only to help my concealer apply smoothly. (My eyelids are oily on their own so I don’t need it for daytime.) I recently received a sample of an eye brightening cream with vitamin c from Tarte and absolutely loved it!! It came in a kit from QVC and I don’t think its been released yet because I can’t find it anywhere. When they do come out with it, I may just buy a backup…LOL.
I just turned 24 and the 2 times I tried using eye cream it BURNED real bad under my eyes! I did some research and a lot of them just dont work or they give you these white bumps around your eyes, I forgot what they are called. I gave up on them. I dont have lines, wrinkles, dark circles, dry skin or any other eye issue, so I dont really have an interest in looking for an eye cream.
I would like MAC’s forever marilyn
I used Revitol. It removes dark circles in just 3 days