Whether you’re new to eye care (welcome!) or you’ve been diligently caring for your delicate facial area for years (gold stars to you!), it’s worth noting that there are some very common mistakes when it comes to using eye products.
Here are five ways you can unknowingly sabotage your smoothing, firming, and plumping effects. And how to correct them.
1. Applying in the wrong order.
From thinnest to thickest. From most active to least active. Always.
For a retinol serum (i.e., light and very active), this can and should be the first product you apply to your freshly cleansed face. Apply your skincare for the rest of your face before moving on to skincare, oils, and moisturizers.
But don’t rush! Give your eye products some time to absorb into your skin before you start applying them.
2. Applying too much product
Eye products are small in size for a reason. A small amount goes a long way.
Applying too much will not make it more effective or speed up the results. Instead, it clogs your pores. And there’s a chance that the serum will migrate, slide down, or get into your eyes and cause irritation. No one wants that.
Follow the product instructions! Apply one pump or a pea-sized amount for both eyes.
3. Apply too close to your eyes.
No need to go all the way to your lash line. Again, you’ll only cause irritation.
Your face actually has an easy-to-use built-in guide – the orbital bone. You can feel this round, cup-shaped bone structure under your eyes, on your outer rims, and below your eyebrows. Gently tap your product along the edges to reach all the key aging areas, avoiding the eyes themselves.
4. Use friction instead of tapping
Use your fingertips to gently pat the eye serum into the skin.
Avoid touching or rubbing here, as this is a very sensitive area of skin and being too zealous could cause blood vessels to break. You don’t want to irritate the area you’re treating or exacerbate skin issues (puffiness, dark circles, fine lines, sagging).
5. Expect immediate results.
While some eye products can instantly plump and moisturize your skin, making everyone think you’ve solved all your problems, long-term fine line reduction results may take a while to show up. About 6-8 weeks.
So be patient! Consistency is key! This is not cosmetic surgery! You will notice improvements in your skin over time, and if you keep nourishing on a daily basis, you will benefit for longer.
