Do You Really Need to Use an Eye Cream?
A topic that comes up a lot at the office is whether or not you should use an eye cream. The way I think about it is, how can it be any different than a moisturizer? If I use that, then an eye cream shouldn't be necessary, right? And a lot of my co-workers, past and present, seem to feel the same way. To settle the debate, I reached out to a couple experts and they both said yes. Here's why:
"The skin around the eye area is approximately 10 times thinner than facial skin and lacks sebaceous glands, so the skin in the peri-orbital area tends to be drier," says Smithtown, NY dermatologist Marina Peredo, MD. That means that the skin around your eyes needs a little extra help from an eye cream.
That said, if you're looking for an eye cream to completely erase dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles, then you're setting yourself up for disappointment, says celebrity aesthetician Renee Rouleau. Instead, an eye cream is a great preventative measure. The skin around your eyes is constantly moving, which makes it more prone to wrinkles. But if you keep the area hydrated, it's less likely to wrinkle.
The example Rouleau likes to give is a study of pregnant women and stretch marks. The women that applied lotion on their bellies several times a day had fewer stretch marks than those who didn't use lotion. And since the skin around your eyes tends to be drier (as mentioned above), it makes sense to use an eye cream to keep the area hydrated to prevent lines.
Now that we know they're important, it's just as important to use the right one. The reason you need a separate eye cream and face cream is that, again, the skin around your eyes is different, so it needs different ingredients to address it.
First, look for one that has hydrating ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter to minimize trans-epidermal water loss, says Dr. Peredo. To reduce puffiness, a vasoconstrictor like caffeine can help. As for anti-aging, a cream with growth factors and peptides helps boost collagen to keep the skin looking young. Lastly, get a cream with antioxidants like green tea, vitamin C and E to help protect the area against environmental factors like pollution and sun damage.
Rouleau's Firming Eye Therapy ($43.50) is a great choice for those who want to address aging because it tightens the skin around the eyes and also moisturizes. See below for other recommendations!
