Eye creams are a class of moisturizers and lotions crafted specifically for the delicate eye area. They tend to come in smaller sizes than a typical moisturizer, and they feature ingredients that are especially good for the issues that plague the eye area, like dark circles, puffiness, and fine lines. You might ask yourself, do I really need to use eye creams? How do I use them properly? Well, keep reading to find the answers!
In this article, I lay down all the knowledge you need about eye creams – how they work, and what they are good for. I also explain the difference between eye creams, gels, and serums, and I’ll let you know the best way to apply eye creams. Enjoy!
In this article:
Do You Really Need to Use an Eye Cream?
Anyone who answers this question with a yes is trying to sell you something (by something, I mean eye creams). Eye creams are phenomenal products that can have a very serious positive impact, but they are not a mandatory skincare product.
If you don’t have any eye-specific issues to address, and your moisturizer is nourishing and gentle without any strong actives, then you don’t have to use an eye cream. Your moisturizer will suffice.
However, if you have specific eye issues you would like to address, like puffiness, dark circles, or crow’s feet, then you should definitely opt for an eye cream. Eye creams are crafted to deal with the specific skin concerns that people usually have about the eye area, with the right concentration of active ingredients to target issues without irritating the skin.
What Are Eye Creams Good for?
Eye creams are excellent for treating the following issues:
- Dryness and dehydrations
- Hyperpigmentation and dark circles
- Puffiness
- Loss of tone
- Fine lines, wrinkles, and crow’s feet
- Sensitivity and redness around the eyes
- Eye creams with SPF can also provide eye protection
How to Apply Eye Creams?
Since the skin around the eyes is so much thinner than the skin everywhere else on the face, it is very important to be extremely gentle when applying eye creams. If you follow these steps, you are guaranteed a perfect eye cream application routine!
- Cleanse
Begin with clean eyes! Use a gentle, eye-safe cleanser or eye makeup remover, and remove all makeup and impurities from around the eyes. If you are wearing heavy eye makeup, saturate a cotton pad with eye makeup remover, and press it against the eyes for a few seconds, to allow it to dissolve all of the makeup. Wipe it all away gentle.
- Use a Small Amount
Now that the eye area is clean, squeeze or scoop out a tiny amount of the eye cream of your choice. You only need a tiny amount – we’re talking a fraction of a milliliter.
- Apply with Ring Finger
Using your ring finger (the weakest finger on the hand, and because of that, also the gentlest finger), gently press the eye cream along the orbital bone. Begin below the inner corner of the eye, and work your way outwards. Then, apply the eye cream with the same gentle pressing motion along the brow bone.
- Avoid the Eyelids
You don’t need to apply the eye cream directly on the eyelid or in the eye socket – you risk damaging the delicate skin there, or getting eye cream right in the eye. When you apply along the orbital bone, you can rest assured that the product will travel closer to the eye area.
What About Eye Serums and Gels?
Much like serums and gels for the face, eye serums and gels are simply eye care products with a thinner texture. Because of their thinner texture, they penetrate more quickly into the skin, and they are a great way of delivering potent active ingredients like vitamin C or retinol.
Unlike eye creams, eye serums and gels contain less occlusive ingredients, which means they are not as protective and moisturizing. If you have complex eye area concerns that you would like to improve, you might want to use both an eye serum/ gel and an eye cream!
Photos via @jessimalay
