Do Eye Creams Really Work?


The following is a guest post from none other than skincare expert Renee Rouleau! I adore Renee and her products. I want to thank her so much for writing this article so I could share it with you all! Check out her website for more info, and make sure to follow her on Twitter!


Recently, I was flipping through a magazine when I read a top beauty editorsaying, “I never use eye cream becauseI’ve never found one that actually worked.”  So it got methinking. If a top editor or blogger, who is given skin care products on adaily basis from beauty brands, therefore has surely tried many of them, issaying this, then certainly consumers must be feeling this too.

Do I really need to usean eye cream? Is using eye cream really necessary?
Let me start by saying that eye creams and other skin care products are notabsolute miracles like some cosmetic companies and their sales people make themsound to be – and we want to believe. If you use an eye cream thinking you’llget rid of all your lines and wrinkles, this is just not possible. Moreinvasive treatments such as Botox will make the biggest difference fordramatically smoothing this area, but an eye cream simply cannot do this. But can they help to prevent wrinkles and keep thisarea moist and younger-looking? Absolutely yes.

The skin around the eyes is 10 times thinner than that of the face and has veryfew oil glands. Combined with blinking 10,000 times a day, squinting andsmiling, this area is the first to show the signs of aging and you really needto treat this tender area by using an eye cream every night. Of the fivefingers one can use to apply eye cream, the ring finger is the weakest fingerso therefore should be the one used.  Simply put, you need to keep ithydrated and moist to prevent it from aging as quickly.

For an example on the powerful effects of topical moisturization, I alwaysrefer back to a study done on stretch marks in pregnant women. It showed thatwomen who applied lotion to their stomachs several times a day (with any kindof lotion, no specific magic ingredient) had fewer stretch marks than those whorarely moisturized. When the skin is hydrated topically, it keeps theskin’s structure intact to keep it supple so the wear and tear is less.This means moisturizing definitely works. So in the case of the eye area, sinceit is constantly moving from smiling, squinting and rubbing, an eye cream willprevent collagen and elasticity breakdown, resulting in the prevention of linesand wrinkles.  Generally, because the skin is thin around the eyes, facialscrubs may be too aggressive for the eye area, but an acid serum can really dothe trick at managing the signs of aging around the eyes.

There have been many breakthroughs in the science of moisture retention andwhen choosing an eye cream, it’s important to use one that is well-formulatedand doesn’t use petrolatum or mineral oil. Instead, choose eye creams that usegood emollients and barrier-repairing oils like sunflower or jojoba oils. Thesenatural oils are much better for repairing the skin and preventingtransepidermal water loss so the skin is kept moist and supple – the way itneeds to be to prevent wrinkles and soften fine lines. I love Renee Rouleau SynergyEye Cream and Firming Eye Therapy.

Note: Eye creams do not have to beheavy and greasy to give moisturization. In fact, if an eye cream is toogreasy, it can migrate into the eyes and cause under eye puffiness which thenunnecessarily stretches out the skin causing a weakening in elasticity. Notgood!  Also, it’s so important to keep the eye area protected from the sunby using sunglasses when outdoors and making sure sunscreen is used on the eyearea during all daylight hours.

Comments

  1. Skin Care Expert says
  2. Lifecell Cream says
  3. Sandra v says

    Intresting and helpfull article, thank you!!

  4. Spot
    on post for skin care. I am agree with you drinking lot of water and using
    homemade facial packs will help a lot in glowing skin and drinking lots of
    water would help a lot. thanks for this outstanding post and tips. Keep
    posting.
     

  5. OutInAPout says

    While I don’t exactly disagree with Miss Rouleau, I do think her post only tells half of the truth. Yes, a well formulated eye cream with the proper ingredients can reduce lines, some darkness, and maybe puffiness. But what Renee leaves out is that any well formulated moisturizer can do this- it doesn’t need to be an eye cream. 

    I actually started questioning this myself years ago, and contacted renowned dermatologist Dr. Jeffrey Benabio (recently named “One of America’s Top Doctors” by O, The Oprah Magazine) to get his expert opinion. He confirmed my hypothesis. His direct quote?

    “Jessica: The difference between eye cream and a facial moisturizer are insignificant. The only real difference is the label”.

    So…good enough for me. 

    If you’re unsure why beauty brands would perpetuate this myth, consider this: a 1/2oz tube of Rouleau’s Vitamin C Eye treatment is $42.50. Her Multi Vitamin face moisturizer is only $16 more, but at 1.7oz, contains more than 3 times the amount of product. Both contain vitamin C, and neither contain the ingredients Renee warns about: mineral oil, petrolatum, parabens, dyes or artificial fragrances. (I don’t personally believe all of those are bad ingredients, btw, but I’ll save that for my site :)

    The idea that eye creams are formulated differently for that thin skin under your eyes is a deeply ingrained marketing ploy- one that can be foiled by looking at the ingredient list of a few eye creams. You’re just as likely to see irritants like essential oils and fragrance, and occlusive moisturizers like petrolatum, shea butter, etc…in eye creams as you are face creams. The key to treating skin concerns, whether they’re located all over your face or just under your eyes, is simply finding a treatment that’s appropriate for your skin type and addresses those concerns.

  6. I think if we follow healthy lifestyle and drink more water to hydrate our skin is more effective then using these types of cream to prevent wrinkles.
    Ms. Floral Skin last blogged..Does Moisturizer Make Acne Worse?My Profile

  7. Interesting. I try to keep my skin care routine simple, but I’m seeing great effects from my favorite eye cream.

  8. mahmuda begum says

    its like eye therapy.

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