Customers are saying: Really nice product, soft creamy texture that leave eyes soft, good for dry skin.
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Best eye cream for plumping
Why we love it: Luxurious in texture and a total dream to apply daily as a night eye cream, this potent product uses a sophisticated blend of proteins, amino acids and oligopeptides to brighten the appearance of the under eye area. The formula also contains hyaluronic acid to bind moisture deep into the skin and plump delicate skin over time. This product is suitable for all skin types and is safe for use by contact lens wearers.
Customers are saying: Delivers great moisture while being gentle on the eyes. Great for improving wrinkles.
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Best contouring eye cream
Why we love it: Eye cream? Contouring? Why not both? This product is infused with caffeine and Brazilian ginseng root, as well as concentrated horse chestnut and acmella oleracea extracts to smooth the appearance of crow’s feet and fine lines. Great for adding a brighter and more radiant look.
Customers are saying: Eyes look refreshed and lines are definitely less visible. “Yes it’s not cheap, but it works!”
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Is eye cream necessary?
Still need convincing? We asked Dr Dendy Engelman, top skincare specialist and Elizabeth Arden‘s consulting New York dermatologist whether eye creams can really make a difference.
“I always say yes. Before you start thinking about injectables or anything like that, take a look at what you’re doing with your skincare,” says Dr Dendy. “You’re never too young for eye cream because we know it’s going to be the first area to really show crepiness, fine lines and wrinkles, so you do want to hydrate there.” However, it’s an area that can respond quickest to skincare, so you’ll start to see results more quickly, which is encouraging.
Why do you need a separate eye cream?
“The thin skin around the eyes is the first to show signs of ageing, but if you induce collagen and elastin formation in thin skin, it very much translates clinically,” says Dr Dendy. However, thin skin can mean regular moisturisers can be too irritating. “We have to make sure that the cream is formulated for the eye area so that it’s not too irritating,” she adds.
It’s not just the density of our skin, that’s different. “There are fewer sebaceous glands around the eye area than in oilier areas like the T-zone,” says Dr Dendy. “Less oil means increased risk of wrinkling so I think you absolutely need the separate step of an eye cream to nourish,” she says.
How to apply eye cream
As well as under the eyes, Dr Dendy recommends going up on the brow bone and down to the crease. As for where to avoid? “If you put eye cream on your lash line, it’s going to transfer through into your eye while you sleep, which is irritating and then you’ll rub and scratch it,” says Dr Dendy.
What ingredients should we look for in our eye cream?
If you do decide to incorporate an eye cream into your skincare routine, there’s a wide variety of ingredients that can be called upon to tackle eye-related concerns like appearance of dark circles, crow’s feet, lack of elasticity, dry skin and puffiness. Here’s a few to keep an eye out for, and for higher concentrations of each active ingredient, check out our eye serums edit.
1. Retinol
“A retinol eye cream is necessary to help stabilise melanocytes [the cells that create pigment in skin] in order to prevent hyperpigmentation. It also thickens the dermis [which can mean veins appear less prominent], improves texture, smooths lines and wrinkles and hides purple skin tones,” explains clinical facialist Kate Kerr.
2. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a champion for brightening skin and diminishing pigmentation and dark circles. It works in a number of ways, first, it can supercharge collagen production (for thicker, plumper, bouncier skin), second the potent antioxidant can help to neutralise UV damage (which can increase pigmentation under-eyes).
3. Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is magic at hydrating and nourishing tired eyes, which is especially important given how much time we spend on our phone and video calls. Reach for an eye gel with hyaluronic acid for immediate de-puffing.
4. Ceramides
Ceramides plump skin and are the building block of healthy skin, they aid moisture retention and fortify our barrier function to keep all those good ingredients locked in.
5. Caffeine
When applied to skin, caffeine encourages vasoconstriction (the constricting of the blood vessels under our eyes), which can lead to a reduction in puffiness. We’ve found the best caffeine eye creams here.
