While it may be tempting to use your existing facial moisturizer around your eyes, it's best to opt for a specifically designed eye cream or gel to slow down the signs of aging and reduce the risk of irritation. “Always give this area a little extra TLC,” says Green.
Eye creams hydrate the undereye area and may even help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. However, eye creams usually do not treat dark circles or reduce undereye puffiness.
If the skin around your eyes is drier, you need a more emollient formula. In that case, a special eye cream may be a valuable addition to your skin care routine. Using an eye cream with omega fatty acids can help soothe the delicate skin around your eye area.
Rule of thumb: When it comes to skincare, the earlier the better. Many people start using eye cream in their 30s—when they start noticing the first subtle crease on the outer corner of their eyes—but even before you see a wrinkle, you can start as early as your 20s. That's because the best results come from prevention.
Because the area can be so fragile, age-related skin concerns, like fine lines and puffiness, tend to appear here relatively early. As such, we recommend everyone use eye cream morning and night—not only to help keep the area looking its best right now but also to help prevent future damage.
Without the use of the antioxidants from the eye product dark circles and puffiness become more noticeable. Another quick fix to help eyes look more open and less tired is Botox.
Try not to use a lot of eye cream. Otherwise, the cream may enter your eyes and cause irritation. It's also not recommended to apply eye cream on your eyelids unless the directions say it's safe to do so. Generally, eye cream should be applied before daytime moisturizer and sunscreen.
You shouldn't apply eye cream to your eyelids or too close to your lash line. This puts you at risk of getting the product into your eyes, which can be super uncomfortable. "As your body temperature rises, the product can travel on its own," explains Dr. Chimento.
Just as you should cleanse and moisturize your skin twice a day, you should also apply your eye cream morning and night. The L'Oréal Paris RevitaLift Revitalift Derm Intensives with 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid + 1% Caffeine Eye Serum is a daily moisturizer created to care for the delicate area around the eyes.
The most commonly asked question about moisturizing this part of your face is whether you can use your face moisturizer for the skin around your eyes. The answer is yes. As long as it doesn't irritate your eyes and provides a sufficient amount of moisture, you're good.
Best Overall: Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream
This eye cream contains retinol to speed up cell turnover and effectively banish fine lines, wrinkles, and crow's feet. It also contains hyaluronic acid to offer extra moisture and plump the skin, according to Dr. Jaliman.
Incorporating an eye cream into your daily skincare routine can help minimize the appearance of these wrinkles as well as tackle other skin concerns like dryness, puffiness, dark circles and pigmentation, tells Dr. Amy Ross, board-certified dermatologist and advisor for MONAT's scientific advisory board.
But an easy way to determine the correct order of application is to start with products that are lightweight or fluid in texture and work up to the heaviest texture. Hence, according to Dr Bhatia, eye creams should be applied after serum and before moisturiser and the SPF.
Applying Vaseline® Jelly under eyes is a tried-and-tested way to lock in moisture, keeping skin in the eye area soft and elastic, and rejuvenating skin that looks dry and tired.
While, unfortunately, Vaseline won't do much to help erase deep-set wrinkles or brighten dark circles, Sakar said the product can provide some of the same hydrating effects as your go-to eye cream — especially when it's paired with a moisturizing cream. "Vaseline is something that's called an occlusive," she said.
The verdict. For many people, eye creams may not do much — especially if you have hereditary bags or dark circles. You can try making small lifestyle changes, like reducing salt intake, but there's no guarantee these methods will work. At least not as a miracle cure.
An eye serum penetrates deep into the skin but eye creams work more on the surface. So, the answer is yes; you should use an eye serum daily to tackle the appearance of crow's feet, dark circles, and puffiness. In fact, it's best to use eye creams in conjunction with eye serums to get the best results.
Creams are a fantastic option for dry skin, but not so much for oily skin. Since creams contain a high concentration of oil, using it on oily skin may lead to an even greasier surface than before. Serums are more suitable for use on all around the eye skin types, whether dry, oily, or a combination of the two.
“Retinol is the gold-standard anti-aging ingredient in skin care, and using eye creams with retinol can help soften fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes,” Green explains, emphasizing its usefulness in improving skin texture and radiance.