It took me years to find an eye cream that I was satisfied with.  I had in mind this magical cream that would de-puff the bags under my eyes and remove the dark circles overnight… such a cream does not exist, by the way.  With a full-coverage concealer in hand (to make up for the lack of “magical” eye products in the market) I started to do a little bit of research on if they’re even necessary and, if so, what ingredients make them work.

So, eye creams aren’t made of magic and they actually take 4-6 weeks of consistent use to see any noticeable results.  Regardless of age, eye creams are an important aspect of your skincare routine and should not be substituted with your regular facial moisturizer.  The skin around your eye is especially delicate so eye creams need to be thicker and contain more oil than regular facial lotion.

Ingredients to look for that are active in battling wrinkles, puffiness, and dark circles include: Vitamin C peptides, retinol, ceramides (retinol moisture), hyaluronic acid (hydrates), neuropeptides, vitamin E, plant stem cells, and caffeine.  Ingredients to avoid include: Parabens, alcohol, and sulfates.

Some of my all time favorite products–

• InstaNatural Youth Express Eye Serum

• InstaNatural Youth Express Eye Gel

• Clarins Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate

• Shiseido Future Solution LX Eye & Lip Contour Regenerating Cream

• Chanel Beaute Initiale Eye

• Ancona Eye Dew

• Mario Badescu Ceramide Eye Gel

• DERMAdoctor Wrinkle Revenge Rescue & Protect Eye Balm

• L'core Paris Anti-Aging 24k Eye Serum

Lately I’ve been starting with a toner and applying the InstaNatural serum followed by the InstaNatural gel, finishing with facial moisturizer

When applying eye cream its important to pat and not rub; the skin under your eye is very thin and can bruise easily.  Apply a pea sized amount to the orbital bone, as in the photo below.  Eye cream will spread so avoid applying it too close to the upper and lower lash lines, as it may irritate your eyes and cause further puffiness.  Cold temperatures can decrease puffiness, so I like to store my eye creams in the fridge when I’m not using them.

What are your favorite eye creams?  What have you tried that just didn’t work for you?

*Header photo via Lemoline
*Final photo via Sweestation Therapy

xxLK

(Some of these items have been sent to me for review, however, all opinions and words are my own)