Remember that advice we’ve all heard before? That we should use our fourth finger when applying eye cream? That’s a good one to follow because the truth is, the skin around our eyes require no less than tender loving care.
The skin around our eye is thinner, more delicate, and extremely photosensitive. Beneath that, there are small cushion-like pads that protect our eyeballs from trauma. While all these allow our eyes to collect light better, it means neglecting to give the area the care it deserves may have irreversible consequences.
Our under-eye area is very sensitive to skincare products, which makes it very important to choose the right product – something that truly suits you.
Here are three steps to finding the answer to keeping our pretty peepers fresh and youthful, even years from now:
Step 1: Know the state of the skin around your eyes
Decide if it’s dry or oily. Is there redness or puffiness? Are there noticeable fine lines? Are those wrinkles or laugh lines?
Some people have oil seeds at the under-eye area, also known as milia. This reveals that the eye cream they’ve been using is too rich. Milia are keratinous growths just beneath the skin’s surface, and can also be influenced by prolonged exposure to sunlight or other environmental skin stressors.
When it comes to choosing an eye cream that works for you, it’s most important to know the condition of the skin around your eyes.
Step 2: Do a skin test
With such delicate skin around the eyes, we won’t want to take chances with new products. Know your skin by allowing it to experience different eye creams – test it over the span of a week, allowing one day intervals between each cream.
At each test, apply only a tiny amount of the product (remember, a little goes a long way!) on the outer edge of your eye area, nearest to your cheekbones. Take note of how your skin reacts, and which products are worth keeping and which others go out the window!
Step 3: Suss-out the competition
We’ve done the legwork for you, and picked our top three eye creams that cater to three skin types – dryness and dullness, anti-ageing to prevent and treat fine lines and wrinkles, and dark circles.
The key in choosing an eye cream is to pick one that has special ingredients that help to both rejuvenate the skin around your eyes, and keep dark circles at bay. It’s not enough to slap on some moisturiser and hope for the best.
What sets eye creams apart from other skin care products for the face are its ingredients that are specifically-suited to prevent wrinkles, fight ageing, and treat dark circles. Ingredients such as Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3 and Palmitoyl Oligopeptide are said to slow down the process of ageing.
Good eye creams will help protect as well as strengthen the blood vessels around your eye. Many of us know how undesirable dark circles are, but did you know that dark circles are actually bruises, caused by broken blood vessels? High quality eye creams will also not give you a burning sensation when applied.
For dry & dull undereye skin
SkinCeuticals Eye Balm for aging skin
Combat signs of ageing
Chanel Sublimage La Creme Yeux
Get rid of dark circles
Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream
As your body undergoes different seasons and braves the various external elements such as weather and change of temperature, its needs will differ too. Here’s what we suggest: it helps to create a personalised list of eye creams that you’ve tested and are safe for use. Note these onto a handy card that you can refer to at leisure. When needed, switch creams around to give your skin what it truly requires for that season.
Investing in an eye cream that addresses the needs of our skin is possibly the wisest thing we can do. Start early, your future self will thank you.
