Is Eye Cream Really Necessary?
Eye cream has been on the market for the longest time but do we really need it? Some people are convinced that it is unnecessary. Their existence has even been questioned by some experts recently. Are we wasting our money on eye creams? If you’re wondering whether or not you really need an eye cream in your skincare routine, continue reading!
What makes your skin around your eye different from other parts of your face?
The skin around our eye area is a lot thinner and delicate than the other the rest of your face. This is the reason why some skincare product labels warn you not to use these products around the eye. Those may tear you up—literally.
Moreover, your eye area undergoes a lot of movement from blinking, straining, and facial expressions. Your eye area is not armed with oil glands that will naturally moisturize the skin like the rest of your face. That’s why the skin around the eye is more prone to dryness, wrinkles, and all of the premature aging signs you can imagine.
What is an eye cream?
An eye cream is a cream that is specially formulated for the skin around the eye area. There are basically two types of eye creams. First, there’s the moisturizing eye cream, which contains humectant, emollient, and occlusive ingredients just like any other moisturizing products for the rest of your face. Moisturizing eye creams usually contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, propylene glycol, and other water-attracting ingredients that help to keep the water content in the skin around your eye area.
The second type of eye cream is an anti-aging eye cream with active ingredients like retinol, vitamin C, sometimes with peptides. These are well known to reverse signs of aging like fine lines and crow’s feet. Since these active ingredients tend to sensitize and sting the eye, anti-aging eye creams are specifically formulated at a lower concentration (in comparison to your anti-aging face products).
What are the other ingredients that you can commonly see in an eye cream?
Niacinamide, arbutin, caffeine, and other antioxidant-rich ingredients are common ingredients used in eye cream formulations. Niacinamide and arbutin are great brightening ingredients to keep those dark circles away, while caffeine is great at reducing puffiness around the eye area.
Who needs which eye cream?
Everyone in their early 20s and up can benefit from moisturizing eye creams. They will keep the water content around the eye area, thus making the skin around the eyes look plump and healthy. Anti-aging eye creams are great for those in their early / mid-30s and up. Their active ingredients will help fade away fine lines and prevent the formation of new ones.
Do you actually need a separate product for your eye area?
If you’re looking for a moisturizing eye cream, the answer is NO. In short, since their ingredients are generally the same as other moisturizers most of the time. However, if you’re looking for eye creams with active ingredients like Vitamin A or C, yes you would probably need a specific product that has been formulated to least likely sensitized your eyes.
But I’ve tried using my anti-aging face cream with active ingredients around my eyes and it works just fine, is it still necessary?
Lucky you! It means that you have a high tolerance for active ingredients even on one of the most delicate areas of the face. Therefore, adding more specific products with lower active ingredients would actually be a waste of your skincare budget–unless if you really enjoy using them.
Have you ever heard of “eye cream for face”?
You may have heard of this popping up especially from Korean brands. Basically, it means that you can slather your eye cream on other areas of concerns such as smile lines, neck, and anywhere else that shows signs of aging. Yes! Are they really necessary though? And is it more beneficial than your regular face cream? You’ll be surprised to know that the answer is NO. Remember that your eye cream is formulated to compensate for the thinner, more sensitive part of the skin. Meanwhile, skin on your neck and smile lines are not as thin, so you can just use regular face cream which are usually more potent than your eye creams.
Should I still get an eye cream then?
I would highly suggest looking back and re-evaluating your skin concerns. If what you need is prevention in the form of a moisturizing eye-cream, you might not need one. But, if you want to play it safe with anti-aging eye creams, then go for it.
Last, but not least, skincare is personal and you’re the pilot. Do what brings joy to your routine. Despite some people’s stance on how eye creams are unnecessary, if they give you a peace of mind, then do it! Your eye area will thank you for it!
Are you a believer in eye creams? What is your favorite eye cream product?
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