Do you need to use eye cream? It’s a question that has intrigued many and if you ask anybody from dermatologists and aestheticians to the general public, you’re bound to get conflicting answers.
Some experts insist that eye cream is essential if you hope to slow down the signs of ageing (really, who doesn’t?!). But others claim it’s only a marketing ploy, and that it’s no better than your regular moisturiser.
So, the million-dollar question still begs: is eye cream really necessary? We check in with one of our trusted skin experts, Dr. Teo Wan Lin, an accredited dermatologist and medical director of TWL Specialist Skin & Laser Centre, to find out once and for all whether eye creams are actually a necessary skincare component or merely a nice-to-have.
Why should you invest in an eye cream?
The main reason why you should have a skincare product dedicated to just your eyes: the skin around the eyes is thinner, drier, and more sensitive.
“The skin around the eyes, known as periorbital skin, is thinner and shows signs of ageing more quickly than other areas of the face do. This thinness makes it more susceptible to barrier dysfunction and development of fine lines and wrinkles with age,” says Dr. Teo.
What this means is that even if you don’t have sensitive skin anywhere else, it’s common for the eye area to be more reactive than other facial skin and, therefore, easily becomes puffy and irritated when exposed to certain products or ingredients.
And unlike your forehead, chin, nose, and cheeks, there are virtually no oil glands in the eye area, making it much more prone to dryness. That’s why the delicate skin around your eyes needs an extra dose of TLC, which a regular facial moisturiser might not be able to deliver.
Additionally, the skin around your eyes is also subjected to greater stress thanks to all the facial expressions that we do daily. That’s because every time you blink, squint, smile or widen them in surprise, you’re using muscles around your eyes.
Over time, these movements, together with factors like dryness as well as loss of collagen and elasticity, eventually lead to the formation of small wrinkles near your eyes, commonly known as crow’s feet.
“Constant tugging and pulling of the lids, such as when wiping off heavy eye makeup or when wearing contact lenses as well as lifestyle factors such as lack of sleep, eye fatigue, and smoking can increase susceptibility to free radical damage,” adds Dr. Teo.
Wrinkling of the skin around the eyes can also be caused by oxidative stress that’s triggered by photo-ageing due to exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, she shares.
By incorporating an eye cream into your daily skincare routine, you can minimise the appearance of these wrinkles as well as tackle other skin concerns like dryness, puffiness, dark circles, and pigmentation. “The key to smoother, younger-looking eyes is to maintain good skin barrier function with adequate moisturisation as you age,” tells Dr. Teo.
And the sooner you start using one, the better. “The best time to start using an eye cream is before you think you need one,” she says. “It’s easier to prevent signs of ageing than to correct them, so it’s actually highly recommended to start investing in an eye cream when you’re in your 20s.” Dr. Teo also recommends applying an eye cream twice every day – morning and night – for optimal results.
Is an eye cream any different than a face cream?
In case you need more comparison, here’s why the eye cream isn’t necessarily just a facial moisturiser packaged in a smaller jar with a higher price tag. Face creams generally treat dryness by trapping water in the skin. That said, they often target other concerns like dullness, pigmentation or signs of ageing too by using active ingredients. The texture of face creams ranges from lightweight gels to heavy creams.
Eye creams are only meant for the fragile skin around the eyes, so they typically do away with the usual irritants such as fragrance but will still contain active ingredients to combat common eye concerns – just in lower concentrations. Eye creams come in varying textures as well – some are light, non-greasy, and fast-penetrating while others are rich and intensely moisturising.
Looking for an eye cream that can take care of your delicate eye area effectively without risk of irritation?
We’ve already established that the skin around your eyes is much more delicate than the rest of your face, so extreme care should be exercised when it comes to shopping for an eye cream that works without causing any irritation on the eyes.
One of the latest eye creams you can consider is the Revitalift [HA] Eye Cream for Face by L’Oréal Paris. Created as both preventive and treatment care for eye-related signs of ageing, the newly launched eye cream is packed with double the power ingredients that work synergistically to reduce fine lines while boosting collagen production.
To achieve this, the eye cream is formulated with skin-plumping hyaluronic acid and collagen-stimulating Pro-Xylane.
While it’s loaded with anti-ageing ingredients, you don’t have to worry about an overly rich texture that leaves an uncomfortable film on the skin. The Revitalift [HA] Eye Cream for Face surprisingly has an ultra-light, fast-absorbing consistency that nourishes the skin around your eyes without any greasy or sticky residue.
What’s more, it doesn’t just stop at treating the lines and wrinkles around the fragile eye area – L’Oréal Paris Revitalift [HA] Eye Cream for Face can also be used on the forehead and laugh lines as well, thanks to its combination of anti-ageing skincare ingredients.
(Open in a new tab to view a larger image) Left: Before | Right: After using L’Oréal Paris Revitalift [HA] Eye Cream for Face for a month, signs of improvement under the eyes can be seen
(Open in a new tab to view a larger image) Left: Before | Right: After using L’Oréal Paris Revitalift [HA] Eye Cream for Face for a month, signs of improvement on the forehead can be seen
In a four-week clinical test conducted with 60 female participants between the ages of 25 to 45, the eye cream has proven to fade, fill, and plump all fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and forehead effectively – just take a look at the results in the before-and-after comparison images above!
In a separate four-week trial with 360 female participants in the same age bracket, 77% of them observed that the eye cream reduced fine lines significant while 85% of them agreed that the formula is hydrating enough for the delicate skin around the eyes.
Moreover, the formula is also developed without any trace of alcohol and fragrance. In other words, the Revitalift [HA] Eye Cream for Face is a fuss-free wrinkle treatment for the eyes and face that even sensitive skin can safely use with peace of mind.
How to use L’Oréal Paris Revitalift [HA] Eye Cream for Face
To be used twice daily in the morning and at night, apply a pea-sized amount of L’Oréal Paris Revitalift [HA] Eye Cream for Face on each eye after cleansing, toning, and moisturising. Be sure to use your ring finger to gently massage in the product until it’s fully absorbed.
The best part about this refreshing eye cream is that you can also apply it to your forehead and smile lines, which are two other key zones on your face that are subjected to a greater workout due to frequent facial expressions.
Another plus point about the eye cream? It doesn’t pill or flake under makeup so you can immediately apply your concealer right after you’ve fully massaged in the eye cream.
L’Oréal Paris Revitalift [HA] Eye Cream for Face retails for S$58.90 and is available exclusively at Watsons.
This article is brought to you by L’Oréal Paris.
*Disclaimer: Dr. Teo Wan Lin is an accredited dermatologist who is sharing her professional opinion about eye care. This is not to be taken as an endorsement of the product.
