The skin around your eyes is thinner and more sensitive than other parts of your face (like your chubby cheeks). It’s less tolerant of really active serums or really rich creams. Plus, the loss of collagen and elastin is more noticeable.
Your eye area is one of the first places to show signs of aging. But when you think about all the years of blinking, squinting, laughing, crying, frowning, and removing mascara (all natural and unavoidable), it makes perfect sense.
So why would you buy products that aren’t specifically formulated to treat the eye area?
“Unfortunately, using facial serums and creams [instead of eye products] won’t have an effect on the eye area. The molecules in facial products/formulas are too large to penetrate the delicate skin under our eyes,” explains skin therapist Sieanna Pardi.
“Healing the eyes requires certain antioxidants and active ingredients. If you use a product that is too concentrated, you may experience fluid retention or irritation (which can lead to contact dermatitis). Ocular products are specifically designed to treat the eyes. It’s the most effective way to get results in this area. So use them!”
Okay, so what should I be watching out for?
Glad you asked! Seana will answer!
“A good eye product should have a strong base of antioxidants and moisturizing ingredients. Look for ingredients like vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, resveratrol, B3, licorice root, and copper peptides. We should look for ingredients that support and strengthen the skin under the eyes, brighten the skin, and protect against free radical damage.
If we go a little deeper, you should try to find vitamin A in eye products. Also known as retinol or retinal. This anti-aging ingredient speeds up cell turnover and stimulates collagen production for a smoother, plumper, more youthful appearance. It can be quite difficult to find it in an eye cream or serum, as it needs to be in the right proportions (not too concentrated) and coated with antioxidants so it doesn’t irritate the eyes.”
Sounds hard… maybe we’ll give it a try after all.
