Have you ever thought to yourself “why do I need an eye cream?” “Why can’t I just apply my face cream around my eyes?” Don’t worry, you are not alone! You’re not the first, and definitely not the last to ask.

Let’s start with the basics – why eye creams are necessary. Then, we’ll go over how to shop for the best eye cream for your specific eye care concerns.

When you think about it, every morning after waking up and looking in the mirror, your eyes are likely the first thing to catch your attention. This sparks a number of questions or thoughts in your head: Do I look tired? Do I have dark circles? Do I look rested and energized? On top of all of that, ever heard of “eye contact”? When we meet someone, usually we the first thing we look at, or notice, are their eyes. No matter what, our eyes get a lot of attention, even more so today when we’re wearing face masks that cover most of our faces.

The first thing to know about the eye area is that the skin around eyes is very delicate, up to ten times thinner than the rest of the skin on the face. The eye area also lacks sebaceous glands (glands that produce sebum, or oils, that are essential for moisturizing our skin, hair and keep the nails lubricated) making this area more prone to dehydration and loss of elasticity. Not to mention, the constant need for the skin around the eyes to move with muscle contractions that support our facial expressions increases the appearance of lines and wrinkles, especially over time when there’s lack of collagen and elastin. To top off a list of concerns, a dense network of blood capillaries beneath the skin can contribute to dark circles, puffiness and under eye bags. So, to summarize, these concerns are pretty unique and deserve their own skincare product to address them, instead of a ton of concealer or sunglasses to hide them!

We hope by now it’s clear that choosing an eye cream that specifically targets some or all of these skincare concerns is crucial due to the unique nature of the eye area. In general, it’s recommended that any eye cream have hydration benefits, but knowing and understand any other specific concerns you might have (i.e. do you have dark circles but no under eye bags?) and setting those priorities is key to finding the best solution that combines the right ingredients to address your eye concerns in a safe and effective way.

Ingredients to look for in your eye cream

Hyaluronic Acid: a molecule naturally found in our connective tissue. It provides a double benefit; it helps trap water molecules within the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Ceramides: lipids that help retain moisture within the skin, also aiding in the formation of the skin barrier.

Shea butter: a fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. It is packed with high concentrations of fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals and provides excellent moisturization properties to help protect the skin from climate aggressors.

When looking for an eye cream to target lines and wrinkles, some ingredients that are dermatologically recommended and clinically proven:

Retinol: also known as vitamin A, Retinol is the OTC form of retinoic acid and is considered a gold standard ingredient in skincare. It helps provide firmer, healthier looking skin by promoting skin’s natural production of collagen, while simultaneously encouraging rapid cell turnover which can help smooth skin and even pigmentation. Always use SPF during the day when using a product with retinol.

Peptides: formed by chains of amino acids that are the building blocks of skin proteins, like collagen and elastin which we lose as we age. When applied to skin, peptides act like little messengers, communicating functions like building collagen and elastin. In eye creams, they restore elasticity and firmness while strengthening capillary walls to diminish permeability, so help to reduce the look undereye bags, prevent puffiness and brighten the under-eye area.

Antioxidants: they are molecules —like vitamins A, C, E, and green tea—that protect your skin against free radicals, responsible for a chemical process called oxidation. In skincare products, they can help with reducing the signs of aging and the overall health and appearance of the skin.

Niacinamide: a form of vitamin B3 with multiple benefits including skin lightening, anti-aging and moisturization. It is a powerful antioxidant, inhibiting free radical formation.

We know that while understanding key ingredients, it still might be a challenge to search for the best cream for you. Below, you’ll find a few recommendations.

Choose the best eye cream right for you

The best eye cream for dry skin, deep lines & wrinkles, and puffiness:

Do Not Age® triple peptide eye cream: A rich, buttery cream formulated with phospholipids, ceramide 3 and shea butter to help strengthen the skin and replenish moisture levels. Triple peptides visibly smooth skin, reducing the appearance of lines and dark circles. Caffeine helps to reduce puffy eyes and the look of dark circles.

The best eye for dark circles:

24/7 retinol eye cream: a lightweight cream that features time released retinol and Ruby Crystal Complex instantly brightens and softens the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Mandarin orange oil helps with the moisture level of skin and reduces the appearance of dark spots.

As a leader in dermatologist-approved clinical skincare, we know with just an eye moisturizer you might not get the professional results you look for, so for the most stubborn visible concerns, we can top off our eye creams with a targeted solution.

For crow´s feet and expression lines around the eye area:

needles no more® wrinkle smoothing cream: a lightweight cream that smooths the look expression lines and wrinkles, firms and protects the skin and helps defend against future expression lines. A Tri-Blend skin smoother (neuropeptides, magnesium, and adenosine) reduces the appearance of expression lines and wrinkles. Apply AM /PM on clean skin, pat on areas of concern: crow’s feet, once dry, follow with an eye moisturizer for best results.

To tackle the “full package” of dark circles, puffiness and undereye bags, no matter age, gender (discover more about skincare for men), lifestyle…

needles no more® NO MORE BAGGAGE®: a gel that tightens and smooths the look of skin instantly, depuffs the look of under eye bags, brightens the look of dark circles. An effective combination of Filmatrix technology creates an invisible second-skin film to instantly tighten for a visually smoother look in minutes. Peptides work to help restore the look of elasticity and firmness while supporting the skin and helping to reduce the look of bags, puffiness, and darkness the under-eye area. Caffeine and antioxidant botanical extracts (centella asiatica, birch bark, green and white tea), help reduce the look of puffiness and decrease the intensity of dark circles. For best results, apply after your eye moisturizer. Warm a tiny amount between fingers and gently pat directly on bags and dark circles.

When is the best time to apply an eye cream?

Maintenance is the key, so apply eye creams or serums daily in the morning to moisturize and improve the look of your eye area. Apply again in the evening to nourish and recover the delicate eye skin after a day of internal and external factors that affect how skin looks; sun, smoking, stress, pollution, unbalanced diet might pay a toll on our eye area.

To get the best from your eye cream, you can follow the 3 simple massage techniques we describe below:

• For each eye, use enough eye cream about the size of 1 grain of rice size.

And don’t forget, protect your investment by applying a sunscreen daily. Most sunscreens will be suitable for the entire face, but for more sensitive skin, opt for a mineral sunscreen and be sure to find one with a minimum SPF of 30.