If you're using retinol or derm-grade retinoids on your face, you're already covered by your current skincare routine. But it can be a good idea, in some cases, to use a retinol eye cream to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes.
Eye creams can help reduce puffiness and crow's feet, brighten up dark circles and make your face look younger and more awake.
In fact, dermatologist Hadley King, MD, tells us that anyone with particularly dry or sensitive skin may benefit from using their eye cream on other areas of the face as well.
When applying, first cleanse, tone, and exfoliate your face. (Only do all three of these steps if they're included in your current skin care routine.) Then apply a small, pea-sized amount of retinol to dry skin. Spread it over your face, avoiding your eyes and mouth.
Bare Skin Care - Is it possible for a retinol eye cream to make my under-eye wrinkles worse? First, the answer is yes, retinol can make wrinkles worse, especially when you first start using it. What is happening is a drying effect, and one can get epidermal sliding from separation from the dermis.
Should you use retinol under your eyes? Yes, definitely. While it is true that retinol – a form of vitamin A – is a powerful ingredient and the skin under your eyes is delicate, there's no reason why you should miss out on the amazing benefits of retinol.
But rather than using your standard retinol cream, it's best to use a product formulated specifically for the delicate skin around the eyes. "The under-eye area is quite sensitive as it is some of the thinnest skin on the body," explains New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Anthony Rossi.
Retinoids work best if you use them daily. Specifically, they should be used at night because some types are deactivated by light and air. It's important to start slowly and allow your skin time to adjust. Using too much too quickly can cause redness, dryness, and irritation.
Rouleau says the best time to use a scrub is in the morning. Overnight you've loosened up dead skin cells with your glycolic acid or retinol products, making the morning a perfect time to brush them off.
Retinol is best applied at night since it can increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun. When you do go outside, be sure to use sunscreen to protect your face. It's worth noting that you don't need to use retinol on a daily basis for it to effectively treat your acne. Even two to three times per week might be enough.
"Eye creams are formulated specifically for the delicate skin around the eye, so they tend to be thicker. They contain more oil than a regular facial lotion, and they have a lot of active ingredients aimed at the problems we see around the eyes," Farris explains.
Eye creams tend to be lighter and thinner than face moisturizers, so make sure to apply them before you slather on your creams and oils. “The rule of thumb when applying skincare is to apply the lightest first and the heaviest last, since thinner products can't penetrate thicker products,” says Dr.
At this point in time, you may wonder, “Is it okay to use both an eye serum and an eye cream, or would that be too much?” You'll be happy to know that, yes, you can use both in your skincare routine. So long as your skin is comfortable with it, and you see improvements from the duo.
Dab a very small amount of retinol serum on your ring finger. Gently dot the serum around the eyes, in the eye bag area and crow's feet corners. Work your way from the inner corners of the eyes to the outer corners with a gentle dotting motion. Wait a minute or two for the skin to absorb the serum.
Don't let the eye cream get too close to your eye.
Don't put it on your eyelids or eyelashes, as it can easily get into your eye and cause irritation.
An easy way to determine the correct order for your skin care products is to start with the products that are the most fluid or lightweight in texture and work up to the heaviest texture. With this philosophy in mind, eye cream should be applied after serum and before moisturizer (in most instances) and SPF.
A formula with retinol, like the L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Eye Treatment, should be applied after your serums and before moisturizer due to its consistency.
Retinol (leave to absorb for 10-20 minutes)
Retinol is also an ingredient that should be left to absorb sufficiently into the skin before following up with another product. “It is important to leave a 10-20 minute wait time before applying the next product.
Don't Mix: Retinol with vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and AHA/BHA acids. AHA and BHA acids are exfoliating, which can dry out skin and cause further irritation if your skincare routine already includes retinol. As for benzoyl peroxide and retinol, they cancel each other out.
Apply topical retinoids
Retinoids, which are topical vitamin A-based derivatives, may help reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen production. If you use retinoids on your face, extend the treatment area to your neck and chest at night. Retinoid products are available by prescription or over the counter.
Ask any dermatologist and they'll tell you: Incorporating a retinol into your skin-care routine without the use of moisturizer is probably a bad idea. That's because without that added layer of hydration, risk of sensitivity is higher.
Using any form of retinol makes your skin more prone to sunburn. Sun damage combined with retinol burn is a recipe for redness or discoloration, inflammation, and more.
Using your fingers, smooth the retinol over your face, starting first with your forehead (the skin there is less sensitive, so it can take a stronger dose if you accidentally apply too much), then moving on to your nose, cheeks, and chin.
Retinol, a popular derivative of vitamin A, is loved by many for its exceptional anti-aging properties that eliminate fine lines and wrinkles and renew the skin to make it plump and younger-looking. It also boosts collagen production, which will work wonders for thickening up your undereye skin.
Retinol works on both the upper and lower eyelids as it improves the skin barrier function and increases the collagen content of the skin (4). This increase in collagen tightens the skin and visibly reduces any fines lines and sagginess of the eyelids. Retinol has a powerful antiaging effect on the skin.